Sunday School Lesson December 18, 2022
Subject: Love in Place of Fear
The Point: There is no room for fear when God’s love is in us.
The Passages: 1 John 3:13-18, 4:14-18
Study The Bible: 1 John 3:13-18
1). We can know and experience love because of Christ.
- Do not be surprised brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.
- We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers and sisters. The one who does not love remains in death.
- Everyone who hates his brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
- This is how we have come to know love; He laid down his life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
- If anyone has this world’s goods and sees a fellow believer in need but withhold compassion from him — how does God’s love reside in him?
- Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in action and in truth.
Lasting truths from: 1 John 3:13-18
* Because of our faith, we should expect opposition from the unbelieving world.
* Actively living our love is evidence that eternal life dwells within us.
* Jesus is our perfect definition and standard of love.
* Love is proven when we care for one another.
* In Jesus’s empowering strength, love is demonstrated in both the way we think and act.
2). God’s love is in us because God remains in us.
1 John 4:14-16
- And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent his Son as the world’s Savior.
- Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God — God remains in him and he in God.
- And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.
Lasting truths from: 1 John 4:14-16
* Christian faith is grounded in eyewitness, historical accounts of Jesus.
* God is committed to abiding with us. He is intimately close.
* God is the true definition of love.
* Love is at the core of abiding with God.
3). God’s love gives us confidence and dispels our fear.
1 John 4:17-18
- In this, love is made compete with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgement, because as he is so also are we in this world.
- There is no fear in love, instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears is not complete in love.
Lasting truth from: 1 John 4:17-18
* Jesus empowers us to love the way He loves.
* There is no need to fear judgement because God’s love abides in us.
* There is no fear in love. Jesus’s love eradicates fear.
Live It Out
As you reflect on this session, respond to the following questions:
- Who in your life needs a demonstration of God’s love? What can you do to love them?
- What next step can you take to move closer to experiencing on abiding relationship with Jesus?
- Where in your life are you most fearful? How can this Bible guide you toward trading in your fear for love?
- Do people see “fear” or “love” when they look at the way you live out and talk about your faith? What can you do to move more toward demonstrating love?
Closing Prayer:
“Dear God, I know I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died on the cross to forgive me of my sins and rose from the dead to give me new life. I’m sorry for all the wrong I’ve done and ask You to forgive me. I now accept Your gift of eternal life. Thank You for Your love, forgiveness, and a new life in Jesus Christ. From this day forward, I choose to follow You. In Jesus’ name Amen.”