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John 15:9-17--"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 
10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 
11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 
12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 
13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 
14You are my friends if you do what I command. 
15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 
16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 
17This is my command: Love each other.  

Matthew 22:37-40--Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 
³⁸This is the first and greatest commandment. 
³⁹And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 
⁴⁰All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." 

1. Small groups experience love by belonging. 

• Invite some friends to begin a new small group with you! 
• Send us an e-mail and we’ll help you get started: 
  groups@bca-online.com

2. Small groups appreciate love by knowing. 

3. Small groups demonstrate love by caring. 

4. Small groups communicate love by sharing. 

2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2--Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. 
12We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 
13If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 
14For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 
15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 
16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 
17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 
18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 
19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 
20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 
21God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 

1As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. 
2For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation. 

5. Small groups prove love by celebrating. 

5 PURPOSES OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE: 

Fellowship: Small groups experience love by belonging. 

Maturity: Small groups appreciate love by knowing. 

Ministry: Small groups demonstrate love by caring. 

Evangelism: Small groups communicate love by sharing. 

Worship: Small groups prove love by celebrating. 

Small Group Discussion Questions:

1. How would you describe true Christian community? 
2. Review the points and Bible verses from this lesson. What personal application can you make from this week's teaching? 
3. How can our small group grow in each of the 5 areas mentioned in this lesson? 
4. Take some time right now to pray for the needs of those in your small group. 

*Scripture is quoted from the New International Version unless otherwise noted.
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