KINGDOM CHARACTER: Love

Galatians 5:22 CSB

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

INTRO—

[Orange Wedges!]

Known by our fruit…

Matthew 7:16–18 “You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit.”

Psalm 1:3 “He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams that bears its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”

John 15:2 “Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit.”

[[LOVE WELL...

1 John 4:11 “Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another.”

"Caring Well Sunday”]]

How We Love

1 John 4:19 “We love because he first loved us.”

Love Looks Like

1 Corinthians 13:4–8a “Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. [4-5]

RUDE - respectful of another’s likes/dislikes/customs.

Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” [6-8a]

Whom We Love

Matthew 22:37–38 “He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command.”

1 John 4:11 “Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another.”

Matthew 22:39 “The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Matthew 5:43–44 ““You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”

CONCL—

1 Thessalonians 1:3 “We recall, in the presence of our God and Father, your work produced by faith, your labor motivated by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

INVITATION:

Salvation

Restoration

Love

Galatians 5:23 CSB

gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.