Living Love Out Loud

Preached to: High School Students

Speaker: Pastor Amanda Hahn

At Amplify High this week, believers are encouraged to reflect Christ's love authentically in their actions and interactions, emphasizing the importance of being wise, making the most of every opportunity, and speaking kindly, as instructed in Colossians 3:14 and 4:5-6. The speaker highlights how unbelievers observe Christians to see if their faith is genuine and challenges the audience to live in a way that makes others question their disbelief. Key points include:

1. Be Wise: Apply God’s Word in daily life and avoid hypocrisy.

2. Make the Most of Every Opportunity: Build meaningful relationships with others while staying true to Christ’s teachings.

3. Speak Kindly: Avoid judgmental attitudes and communicate truth in love.

Believers were encouraged to evaluate whether they are fans, followers, or non-believers and to take steps toward deeper commitment to Christ by living out His love authentically in every aspect of life.

Keep up with all that’s going on at Amplify Youth, including dates, times, sign-ups, and forms, on our main page.

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• Dinner Table Discussion Guide

  Night 1: Living Love Out Loud

  • Discussion Starter: What does it mean to “live love out loud” in our daily lives?

  • Follow-Up Questions:

    1. How do you think unbelievers view Christians based on their interactions with us?

    2. Have you ever seen someone show love in a way that inspired you to act differently?

    3. What’s one way we can better reflect Christ’s love as a family?

  • Activity: Share one example from today where you intentionally showed love to someone else or noticed an opportunity to do so.

  Night 2: Being Wise and Authentic

  • Discussion Starter: What’s the difference between being a fan of Christ and being a true follower?

  • Follow-Up Questions:

    1. What does being wise look like in real-life situations (e.g., at school, work, social media)?

    2. Why is it important to be authentic in our faith instead of just going through the motions?

    3. Can you think of an area where we might unintentionally act hypocritically, and how can we change that?

  • Activity: Reflect on your day and share one choice you made that aligned with God’s wisdom or love.

  Night 3: Making the Most of Every Opportunity

  • Discussion Starter: How can we use everyday situations to reflect God’s love to others?

  • Follow-Up Questions:

    1. What opportunities do we often overlook to share kindness or love?

    2. Have you ever seen someone “make the most of every opportunity”? What did that look like?

    3. What’s one habit we can start as a family to make sure we’re living with purpose and intentionality?

  • Activity: Write down one intentional act of love or kindness you want to do tomorrow and share your plan with the family.

• Sermon Outline

  Introduction

  • Opening Scripture: Colossians 3:14 – "Above all, be loving."

  • Hook: Many unbelievers know Christ is love, but they often struggle with the church because they don’t see love consistently lived out.

  • Purpose: To explore what it means to live love out loud as authentic followers of Christ so that unbelievers can see Him through us.

  • Main Question: Are we living as fans of Jesus or as true followers who reflect His love to a watching world?

  Point 1: Be Wise (Colossians 4:5)

  • Key Thought: Wisdom is not just knowledge; it’s applying God’s truth in our daily lives.

  • Practical Application:

    • Avoid hypocrisy by aligning actions with faith.

    • Reflect God’s Word in choices and behaviors, even under pressure.

  • Example: The speaker’s story about struggling with authenticity in high school but later committing to live as a true follower.

  Point 2: Make the Most of Every Opportunity (Colossians 4:5)

  • Key Thought: Every interaction is a chance to reflect Christ’s love and grace.

  • Practical Application:

    • Build authentic relationships, not treating people as "projects" but as individuals loved by God.

    • Be intentional about your actions in everyday moments (e.g., at work, school, or on social media).

  • Example: The speaker’s workplace interactions where seeds of faith were planted through kindness and consistency.

  Point 3: Speak Kindly (Colossians 4:6)

  • Key Thought: Our words matter—they can either attract people to Christ or push them away.

  • Practical Application:

    • Avoid judgment and speak the truth in love.

    • Use conversations to show grace and build others up.

  • Example: The story of responding with kindness and love to a difficult coworker, even when it was hard.

  Conclusion

  • Closing Scripture: John 13:35 – "Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."

  • Challenge:

    • Ask yourself three questions:

      1. Are you living authentically as a Christ follower?

      2. Are you making the most of every opportunity?

      3. Are your actions and words done in love?

  • Call to Action:

    • Fans: Take the next step to become true followers of Christ.

    • Followers: Renew your commitment to authenticity and love in every area of life.

  • Closing Quote: "Your life as a Christian should make the unbeliever question their disbelief in God." – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

• Scriptures

  Colossians 3:14 (NLT)
  Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
  

  Colossians 4:5-6 (NLT)

  Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone."

  1 Corinthians 2:9 (NLT)

  No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.

  John 13:35 (NLT)

  Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.