December 18 & 21

1 John 3:16a
Love isn’t proved by how deeply you feel, but by how fully you’re willing to give yourself away.
1 John 3:16b
When God’s sacrificial love takes root in us, it begins to reshape what we’re willing to lay down
1 John 3:17
Real love doesn’t just believe the right things…but it moves with compassion when it encounters need.
Love in action begins with awareness.
When God’s love is alive in us, compassion should become more natural…not less.
1 John 3:18
Our actions don’t create love, but our actions reveal if Christ’s love truly lives in us.
This is what LOVE DOES:

Read 1 John 3:16-18 together as a group.
Redefining Love
John says we know what real love is because of what Jesus did, not how we feel. Where do you most often default to defining love by feelings, convenience, or chemistry instead of sacrifice? How does anchoring love in the cross challenge or change that definition for you?
When Love Is Tested
1 John 3:17 says love is tested when we see a need and have the ability to help. What tends to distract you from noticing the needs of people around you—especially during busy seasons like Christmas? Can you think of a recent moment when you saw a need but felt resistance to act? What was happening in your heart?
Awareness Before Action
Shannon emphasized that love begins with seeing. Who is a “brother or sister” in your life right now whose need you may be overlooking or avoiding? What might it look like for you to slow down enough this season to truly see them?
Love That Takes Flesh
John says love can’t stay in words—it must show itself in action. Of the three expressions mentioned (forgiveness, presence, generosity), which one do you sense God inviting you to practice more intentionally this Christmas and beyond? What is one small, concrete step you could take this week to let love become visible?

Take a few moments to pray together as a group, asking God to let His love take on flesh in your group—not just in what you say, but in how you live.