Good Morning! This Blog was really created out of messages that I began sending to each member of my First Place 4 Health group. In July of 2009, my church began a healthy lifestyle, life-balance program called First Place 4 Health. It's more than a weightloss program, although weightloss has been one of the outcomes for many of us in the last year or so. We currently have 3 groups going, one that meets on Tuesday nights, one for men, and mine is a mother/daughter (although not exclusively) group. Our teens were having trouble getting motivated to do the Bible study, so I began sending a daily message through Facebook, hoping that it would encourage them to read, study and be motivated. This became a journaling tool for me, encouraging me more than it did the teens. Others starting requesting that I send it to them, and my good friend and fellow group leader Donna encouraged me to write a Blog so more people could read it. Each 12 week session of our group, we have a Bible study book. That is what my messages are based on. We have been on a break in the last couple of months, but today starts the beginning of another 12 week session. If you want to, you can participate in our Bible study, even without the book. Feel free to ask questions, chime in with comments or just read. This is just my way of showing God's love in a practical way!
This week's Bible verse:"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
God's love IS an incredible gift! Learning how to put that gift to work in our lives should be something that we do every day of our lives. I think if we study God's word, we will find new things about that gift every time, and if we can then use those new things we learn, we will find that we are learning to let God lead us through our lives.
Read what John has to say about God's love in 1 John 4:7-16
* Why should we love each other?
* John states that those who do not show love do not know God. Do you think that is a permanent situation or can those who do not know God learn about Him and change their lives? (this question is NOT in our book...it is my question)
* Think about your own life. What are some ways that you are showing God's love by the way you treat the people in your lives?
God is love. Loving others and treating people with love SHOWS God's love. In this world, there are SO MANY examples of people NOT loving each other. Just turn on the TV to the news, or to any reality show...it can be overwhelming how much greed, hate, selfishness, and self-gratification there is in our world today. We might think and feel there is not much love left in the world.But, I think that people are SO HUNGRY for love. They want it, and want to give it too. The problem is, so many people have run away from our loving God...they don't KNOW him so they don't have His example to live by. How would they know how to treat people with love if they haven't been loved themselves and won't allow themselves to feel the love of God?
Don't you think that this is one of God's missions and jobs for those of us that DO know him? Shouldn't we SHOW people...ALL PEOPLE...God's love? Shouldn't we DEMONSTRATE how to live generously, unselfishly and WITH God? Through First Place 4 Health, we are learning how to live a balanced, healthy life. When people see good changes in you, they may want what you have...they may ask what you are doing and you can LOVINGLY share with them. Think about that...You can be an instrument, bringing God's love into a world that desperately wants and needs it! What an awesome responsibility, but what an awesome opportunity and honor!
What can you do TODAY, to show God's love to people you come in contact with? Have that on your heart and mind in everything you do today!
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