Three Directions of God's Love - Up, In and Out

Rod Dempsey

Ephesians 1:23

The three directions of God's love include the great commandment, the new commandment, and the great commission. That is to love God, to love others as yourself, and to create disciples. It is with these three directions that the church best functions as a body. If a high percentage of the body of Christ is doing these three things, it will be healthy.

The Paradox of Love in Justice

Pat Reeder

Ephesians 1:23

In our culture today, there is a paradox of God's love and justice. ?How could a loving God send people to hell?? is a familiar question we are confronted with. It leads one to question God's love and the true nature of hell. The key to unlocking this paradox is not to change the definition of God's love or the nature of hell, but to understand that our culture has: 1) completely given up on the concept of sin, and 2) has a clumsy concept of justice.

Portraits of Love - Scriptural Stories of Hospitality

Rich Mendola

2 Kings 4:8-17

Hospitality is a major way of showing love to outsiders or strangers, something that God calls us to do. Not only is hospitality commanded but it is also illustrated throughout Scripture, especially through two passages examined in this workshop. Abraham offered hospitality to the messengers who were sent by God as did the Shunammite woman toward the prophet Elisha. Through these examples, we see practical ways of showing hospitality which can be applied to our hospitable efforts in our own cities.

How to Keep Loving in Difficult Relationships

Bev DeLashmutt

2 Timothy 2:24-26

Christ's call for us to love another as he has loved us is not exclusive. He calls us to love even very difficult people, and to do that effectively, we need to bear several things in mind. First we need to gain insight into the lies and sins of difficult people to avoid getting hooked into their relational patterns. We must ensure our motive in responding to people is in line with Christ's love. And finally, we must implement strategies to effectively give both compassion and discipline simultaneously. With these things and the abundant help of the Spirit, we can love in a way that, even if it does not change the other person, it will change us.

Ministry Houses - Building Loving Communties

Kate Mizelle

1 Corinthians 9:26

Many college-aged and young single people in Xenos choose to live in community with one another in ministry houses. These houses hold high standards and prioritize fellowship, discipleship, and spiritual growth. They also help facilitate an environment in which committed followers of Christ can prioritize a lifestyle of love as is described in the New Testament.

Taking the Measure of New Testament Love

Dennis McCallum

Acts 2:42-47

The New Testament teaches believers to love one another, but how much love should we give is sometimes confusing. By looking at insights that are emphasized in the New Testament, we can see how much love one should give. These sources show that one should love in a way that is: 1) visible to non-Christian observers, 2) growing a sense of belonging in community, 3) building significant trust, and 4) committed to each other's character development.

Who is Like Yahweh? The Old Testament God and New Testament Faith

Jim Leffel

Colossians 1:13-20

Who is God and who are we as God's people supposed to be? To know God does not just include gathering knowledge about God, but really knowing Him in a relational and personal way. As you read through scripture in the Old Testament it is emphasized over and over that God is love. It is through His love that He reveals His glory, engages relationally, and is working through history. Learning about the heart of God is and always will be fundamental to representing Him.

The Revolutionary Christian Ethic of Love

Ajith Fernando

1 Corinthians 12:31-14:1

We can desire spiritual gifts, but we have no option of the way of love. God provides the love and we must obey. Love does not automatically happen; it is a decisive choice. Love should be a key goal in a Christian's life but it is not just a means to an end, it is an end in itself. Love is worthwhile because: 1) it never ends, 2) it causes people to be transformed, and 3) it abides.

Fighting for Friendship - Practical Wisdom for Building and Maintaining Friendships

Conrad Hilario

Proverbs 18:24

Due to the superficial level of friendship in our culture today, we are seeing drastic levels of loneliness. People don't put an emphasis on friendships because of many modern challenges, including technology. There are many qualities that we find in scripture that help guide us to successful friendships. We find that good friends speak honestly, give wise counsel, have relational awareness, and don't influence others to sin. We can look to David and Jonathan's relationship as an example on how to strive towards close friendships.