The purpose of your The purpose of your time on earth is not time on earth is not primarily about primarily about acquiring possessions,acquiring possessions,attaining status, attaining status, achieving success, orachieving success, oreven experiencing even experiencing happiness. happiness.

Life is all Life is all about love and about love and developingdevelopingrelationships relationships with God, with God, and withand withother people.other people.

Learning to love is life’s mostLearning to love is life’s mostimportant lesson.important lesson.

““My dear, dear My dear, dear friends, if God friends, if God loved us like this, loved us like this, we certainly ought we certainly ought to love each other.”to love each other.”

1 John 4: 11 1 John 4: 11

““Mga minamahal,Mga minamahal,yamang gayon yamang gayon kadakila ang pag- kadakila ang pag- ibig ng Diyos sa atin, ibig ng Diyos sa atin, dapat din tayong dapat din tayong mag- ibigan.” mag- ibigan.”

(Tagalog)(Tagalog)

I. LOVE is a COMMANDI. LOVE is a COMMAND

Our decision to love is an act of obedience.Our decision to love is an act of obedience.

““And this commandment we have from Him; And this commandment we have from Him; whosoever loves God must also love hiswhosoever loves God must also love hisbrother.”brother.” 1 John 4: 21 1 John 4: 21

““A new commandment I give to you, that youA new commandment I give to you, that youlove one another just as I have loved you,love one another just as I have loved you,you also are to love one another.”you also are to love one another.”

John 13: 34John 13: 34

I. LOVE is a COMMANDI. LOVE is a COMMAND

Our decision to love is an act of obedience.Our decision to love is an act of obedience.

““The message you heard from the very The message you heard from the very beginning is this: we must love one another.”beginning is this: we must love one another.” 1 John 3: 111 John 3: 11

Three Foundations for Living a Life of LoveThree Foundations for Living a Life of Love

1.1. God’s God’s lovelove for usfor us gives us gives us the the reasonreason to love others. to love others.

2. God’s 2. God’s love in uslove in us gives us gives us the the abilityability to love others. to love others.

3. God’s 3. God’s love throughlove through us us gives gives us the us the wayway to love others. to love others.

II. LOVE requires COMMUNITYII. LOVE requires COMMUNITY

We cannot obey We cannot obey Christ command Christ command in isolation. We in isolation. We have to be have to be connected to connected to each other in each other in order to love one order to love one another.another.

WHAT DOES LOVE LOOK LIKE ?WHAT DOES LOVE LOOK LIKE ?It has hands to help others…It has hands to help others…feet to hasten to the poor and needy…feet to hasten to the poor and needy…eyes to see misery and want…eyes to see misery and want…ears to hear the sighs and sorrowsears to hear the sighs and sorrowsof men.of men.That is what love looks like. That is what love looks like.

- Augustine -- Augustine -

COMMUNITY is COMMUNITY is the context wherethe context wherewe learn to love.we learn to love.It allows time forIt allows time forinteracting, interacting, sharing, sharing, questioning,questioning,and praying forand praying foreach other.each other.

III. LOVE carries HIGH STANDARDSIII. LOVE carries HIGH STANDARDS Our love is not to be measured by theOur love is not to be measured by theminimum of what we can do, nor is itminimum of what we can do, nor is itlimited to only those who appear limited to only those who appear deserving. Our standard for real lovedeserving. Our standard for real loveis that God so loved us that He sent is that God so loved us that He sent His Son as a sacrifice to take awayHis Son as a sacrifice to take awayour sins… since God loved us that much,our sins… since God loved us that much,we surely are compelled to love each other.” we surely are compelled to love each other.”

HEAT MAKES ALL THINGS EXPAND.HEAT MAKES ALL THINGS EXPAND.And the warmth of love will alwaysAnd the warmth of love will alwaysexpand a person’s life.expand a person’s life.

- Chrysostom -- Chrysostom -

We love God by loving others.We love God by loving others.

““People who don’t love otherPeople who don’t love otherbelievers, whom they have seen,believers, whom they have seen,can’t love God, whom they havecan’t love God, whom they havenot seen.” 1 John 4: 20not seen.” 1 John 4: 20