Week 2: Sacrifice

April 24 & 27

  • Real love lives in the giving…not in the getting.

  • 1 Corinthians 13:4-7;13

  • Love without sacrifice isn’t love…it’s self interest.

  • Real love is revealed when it costs you…you.

  • Ephesians 5:2

  • You cannot have Christ-like love without Christ-like sacrifice.

  • Biblically, the center of love isn’t feeling…it’s offering.

  • Romans 12:1

  • If love never costs you, you’re not doing it right.

  • Power is shown in surrender.

  • Philippians 2:5-8

  • If you are rooted in Christ, you will never be left empty…because Jesus will fill up what you pour out.

  • Galatians 6:7-9

  • 1 Corinthians 13:4-7;13

  • John 12:24-25

  • Love dies to self so that something greater can live.

  • John 3:16;19

[d]Group questions

  1. In what ways have you experienced or offered a “transactional” kind of love in relationships—expecting something in return for what you gave? How did that impact the relationship? What does it look like to love someone without keeping score?

  2. Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 again. Which action of love feels the hardest for you to live out right now, and why?

  3. “If love never costs you, you’re not doing it right.” How does this definition of love challenge the way our culture defines or displays love?Read Philippians 2:5-8. What might it look like to live out a Philippians 2 kind of love in your current relationships?

  4. Think about a relationship where you feel empty or underappreciated. How does the promise that Jesus “multiplies what we surrender” speak to you in that space?

  5. Where is God inviting you to “offer yourself” this week—not because it’s easy, but because it’s holy? What would it look like for you to take one practical step toward sacrificial love?