Loving People – part 2 – The Loving Father

Sermon Resources

Loving People – Part 2 – The Loving Father

Eph. 2:1,2; Luke 15:11-32
From the call to love your neighbor as yourself to the challenge of loving your family, we turn our attention to another popular parable that has been designated by many to be “the best short story every wirtten”.  In the parable of the prodigal son, Jesus places the idea of loving people into the framework of family by introducing the parable with these words, “There was a man with two sons”.  It takes great grace to love family becuase, unlike strangers or neighbors, we have to live with them and struggle with them throughout our entire lives.  It seems to me that Christ gives us six principles in this parable of how we are to show love to our family members.

I.   The Grace to Release without Resentent
II.  The Grace to Wait without Worry
III. The Grace to Run without Retaliation
IV. The Grace to Restore without Retribution
V.  The Grace to Celebrate without Concern
VI. The Grace to Invite without Indignation

Loving People Even When They Are Weird!

  In this short series, during February (the “love” month), we will look at the challenge of loving people who are weird.  This begins with the great commandment and continues to crossing barriers and loving people outside the box.  How can we help people come to know Christ if we don’t love them first?  How can we love them if we don’t care for their needs?  How can we care for their needs if we are too concerned about our own lives?