god's Love It's Free

Part 1

Read the statement:

Nothing you can do will make God love you more. Nothing you can do will make God love you less.

Make a list of the questions this statement raises. Spend 10 minutes trying to answer those questions. (After the session, please post your list and responses to the website. If other groups have got there first only add questions they had not thought of but do include your answers to their questions.)

Part 2

In the context of prayer and preferably with a background of instrumental music ask two or three people each to read Matthew 11:25-30 from different translations. It may be better to avoid The Message on this occasion.

Give them these three questions:

o What strikes you?

o What encourages you?

o What seems weird?

Allow at least a minute between the readings.

Invite feedback (but do not press for other than by allowing silence)

What do you think the pictures of yoke and burden mean. Suggest alternatives?

Dave Halls, 22/01/2009

Feedback:

	Anna Townsend	22/01/2009 13:57
This is the response from Rachel Hind: Cell study on love of God Is this the right place to post response? I'll have a go and see if I run out of space! We were asked to list our questions and our answers to our questions in response to the statement: "Nothing you can do will make God love you more. Nothing you can do will make God love you less." Our questions and answers are numbered 1-7 below: 1Q: Is this true? 1A: Yes. 2Q: How do I get it from my head to my heart? 2A: Encounter God. 'Wait on' Him. Doing His work - being love to others. Seeking Him with all year heart. Depends on you personal pathway. Faith comes by hearing - words e.g. Psalmist talks to self "Bless the Lord O my soul". Nature. Count your blessings. By actively trying to love God. 3Q: What about everybody else? 3A: I think God loves everybody the same. 4Q: Does it matter what I do then? 4A: The apostle Paul asks this and answers with a resounding 'No'. God doesn't love you more or less in response to your choices, but you have to live with the consequences of them. 5Q: So what's all this about Hell? 5A: We've been given free choice - loving parent analogy? 6Q: Is it fair 6A: No/Yes - both for same reason - God doesn't give us the punishment our sins deserve - God's grace is offered freely to all equally. The Bible says "The God of all the Earth will do what is right". 7Q: What does God's love mean? 7A: The stuff in 1Corinthians 13. God is love.
	Claire Gwyer	22/01/2009 22:26
Daytime Cell Q1. Why does sin matter then? A. Rules are like parental control, there to help us. Love the child hate the naughtiness. Q2. Where is that in the Bible?(the bit we were looking at not last Q) A. Somewhere! Q3. So that makes us all equal in Gods' eyes? A. Yes Q4 How can I please Him more? A You can't. Jesus says the son needs the Father not the other way round. Q5. God is love and if He loves everyone the same regardless of anything does that love seem devalued in some way? A. God has no favourites. Love is just one aspect of Him. We can't really understand His love with out revelation because we probably have not been loved by people the same way that He wants to love us and draw us to Himself. Q5 We have free will doesn't God? A Mmmm.
	Anna Townsend	24/01/2009 20:19
God's Love - it's free: cell study response The questions that were raised by the Pewsham cell group on considering "Nothing you can do will make God love you more. Nothing you can do will make God love you less." are below with some possible answers where we had any: Is it right that if you do something bad it makes no difference? - God's love does not mean that He is not interested in how our choices/actions affect us (does this include disciplining? we're not sure). - It does make a difference, e.g. that we feel less close to God, but not to how God loves us. What is our motivation for trying to do, or be, good? And similarly, Why should we try so hard to do what is right? - It's an expression of our love for God. - It helps us get to know God. - It helps us become more like Jesus (including character building). - It's an example for others. - and yes, we can feel good about ourselves and build self esteem (please no flame wars over this one!) Given what I am (sinful, disobedient, etc...), how is it that God loves me so much? - We are/I am His creation. Why do we gather together on Sunday mornings (if it makes no difference)? - It builds us up. - Families want to be together. - Bible (Jesus?) tells us to (again an expression of our love of God). How do we 'come to terms with'/'resolve' the different aspects of 'God is love' and 'God is righteous' (includes aspects of disciplining)? - Actions do have consequences (even though it does not affect God's love for us). - Does God discipline us? If not, why not? How does this fit with the final judgement? Nigel Telfer 22/01/2009, 21:31
	Claire Gwyer	25/01/2009 18:29
Hope this ok to put here. Have been thinking about the statement ever since Thurs and realised that it made me feel powerless but if I thought 'Gods' love is unconditional' it empowered me. Don't know if it is the double negatives, as really the two say the same thing or the fact that the first one puts the emphasis on me and the second on God.

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