Fruit of the Spirit: Love

Summary

Tonight, I spoke to the teens about the three different types of love—romantic love, friendship love, and God's unconditional love. We explored how each of these loves is distinct yet important in our lives. Through stories, scriptures, and discussions, we examined how God's love surpasses all human understanding and remains constant regardless of our actions.

I emphasized that God's love is unconditional and everlasting, something that our children can always rely on. We also talked about the importance of showing love to others, just as God loves us.

I encouraged the students to reflect on their relationships and to show kindness and love to those around them. My hope is that they left with a deeper understanding of how much they are loved by God and inspired to share that love with others in their daily lives.

• Dinner Table Discussion Guide

  Here are five dinner table discussion guides you can use throughout this week to get your teens talking through what they’re learning.

  Understanding Differing Types of Love

  • Question: What are the three types of love we learned about in Pastor Amanda's sermon?

  • Follow-Up: Can you give an example of each type of love from your own life?

  • Activity: Share a story where you experienced or showed one of these types of love. How did it make you feel?

  Discussion Guide 2: Exploring God's Unconditional Love

  • Question: What does it mean when we say God's love is unconditional?

  • Follow-Up: How is God's love different from the love we experience from other people?

  • Activity: Read Romans 8:38-39 together and discuss how this scripture makes you feel about God's love for us.

  Discussion Guide 3: Romantic Love and Relationships

  • Question: What did Pastor Amanda say about romantic love and its place in our lives?

  • Follow-Up: Why is it important to understand and respect romantic love as we grow older?

  • Activity: Discuss appropriate ways to show romantic love and respect in relationships as we grow.

  Discussion Guide 4: Friendship and Brotherhood Love

  • Question: How does friendship love differ from romantic love and God's love?

  • Follow-Up: Why is it important to have friends who support and uplift us?

  • Activity: Share a time when a friend supported you through a difficult situation. How did their support help you?

  Discussion Guide 5: Sharing God’s Love with Others

  • Question: How can we show God’s unconditional love to others in our daily lives?

  • Follow-Up: Can you think of someone who might need to feel God’s love through our actions this week?

  • Activity: Plan a family activity to show love to someone in your community, such as making a meal for a neighbor or writing encouraging notes.

• Sermon Outline

  Starter

  • Introduction to remaining fruits of the Spirit.

  • Overview of upcoming youth group plans.

  • Icebreaker question: What comes to mind when you hear "love"?

  Message

  • Explanation of different types of love: romantic, friendship, and God's love.

  • Cultural perceptions of love through popular songs.

  • Introduction to love as a Fruit of the Spirit.

  Dig Deeper

  • Romantic love: Example from Genesis 29:16-20 (Jacob and Rachel).

  • Friendship love: Proverbs 27:6 and Ecclesiastes 4:10.

  • God’s unconditional love: Romans 8:38-39 and Romans 5:8.

  Application

  • Encouragement to recognize and share God’s love.

  • Practical ways to show love to others.

  • Distribution of nails as a reminder of Jesus' sacrifice.

  Conclusion

  • Recap of romantic, friendship, and God’s unconditional love.

  • Closing prayer for experiencing and sharing God’s love.

  • Final encouragement to remember and live out God’s love.