Our meeting Saturday night was a blast. I love doing these discussions with everyone. Thanks for speaking up; I’m glad I didn’t have to call on anyone and embarrass them.

We reviewed some key points from Mark Mullery’s message from 1 John entitled Picture of a Christian: What a Christian Loves. Then we talked about it. This was based on 1 John 3:14-16,

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

First we answered the question, “What is a definition of love?” You guys had some great ones. Mine was something like this: Action, for the good of another, that comes with a cost.

Next, we made a list answers to the question, “Who are the kinds of people that we are called to love?” Examples included siblings, neighbors, parents, and friends.

Then we talked about: “How are we called to love others?” We came up with praying, serving, speaking the truth (which especially means preaching the gospel), encouraging, and when necessary, confronting sin. This was the real meat of the discussion.

From here, we began to talk about ways that we sometimes see our friends sinning, but no on ever says anything about it. Doing this is not loving, and a person who does it is not a good friend. We made another list on the whiteboard of things that no one ever seems to say anything about:

• Disrespecting parents (in front of them OR in front of friends)
• Language: taking the Lord’s name in vain, cussing, dirty jokes
• Music & movies that are ungodly
• Flirting
• Anger & impatience
• Gossip & slander
• Drugs & alcohol

I hope by now it is clear to everyone that watching your friends sin in serious ways and not saying anything is not loving. It is not being a good friend to them.

We are called to love each other by speaking up, by throwing our bodies in front of someone who is sinning so they don’t run off the cliff. I’m not saying it will be easy, but it will worth it, and it will be the kind of love that we are called to as Christians. Let’s get to it.

This is a very important topic to talk about with your parents. Be honest, and love your friends enough to speak up. Talk to your parents about where you have not been loving your friends, and what steps you need to love your friends enough to go help and help them obey God.

Here are some more questions for discussion:

1. What is love?
2. Who are the people YOU are called to love?
3. What are some ways you are called to love others?
4. What makes it hard for you to love others?
5. What is one thing you can do this week to lay down your life and love others?
6. PARENTS, ASK YOUR TEENS: Where do you think I need to lay down my life in order to better love our family and our church?

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