The Most Excellent Way: Epilogue

The Most Excellent Way

A Small Group Devotional

Week 13: Epilogue

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

John 13:34-35, NIV Tweet

Reading

Read the following texts.

Discussion

Jesus stated the two greatest commandments as essentially, “Love God” and “Love your neighbor.” He later emphasizes that if we do not love our neighbor, we have not loved God. This command to love one another takes on new significance for us as a church. We cannot fulfill the first command to love God despite our worship, our doctrine, or our disciplines, without also fulfilling the command to love one another and our neighbor.

What else do we attempt to use to show that we are Jesus’ disciples aside from our love for one another? Why do those fall short?
What other “commands” do we attempt to follow at the expense of this command to love each other and our neighbors?
How does an imperfect church like ours embody this “perfect” love for another without resignation and giving up nor dishonesty and self-righteousness?
What can you and what can we (not they, not someone else, you and me) do today to become a more loving church that better embodies the characteristics described in 1 Corinthians 13?