Week 1 Bible Study
God’s Native Language
Warm Up
1. Did you have a nickname as a child? What was it, and how did you come by it?
In the Bible, God has many nicknames. His best one just might be “Love.” In John 8:44, Jesus describes the devil as “a liar and father of lies.” He says, “When he lies, he speaks his native language.” God’s native language is love. You might say that He’s mono-lingual. It’s the only language He speaks. Throughout this 30-Day Adventure we’ll dive deeply into the incredible, inexhaustible love of God.
Study
Read 1 John 4:7-10
2. What’s the difference between saying “God is loving,” and saying, “God is love”? Why does that distinction matter?
3. Along with being “love,” God is holy, just, righteous, all-knowing, all-powerful, etc. How do all these qualities integrate together into God’s character? Do His justice and love ever compete with each other? How do they work together?
4. According to vv. 9–10, how did God show His love?
5. What difference does it make that God loved us before we loved Him? What if those two were reversed?
Read 1 John 4:11-16
6. What does v. 12 mean when it says that if we love others, God’s love “remains” (or “lives”) in us? What does it look like to have God’s love “remain” (or “live”) in you?
Read 1 John 4:17-5:1
7. What is “perfect love”? How does it drive out fear?
8. Why does John command us to love our brothers and sisters (4:21 and 5:1)?
Read 1 John 5:1-5
9. How do loving God, loving His children, and obeying His commands go together?
10. List the 10 commandments (found in Exodus 20). John says that God’s commands are not burdensome. How does God’s love, living in you, make these commandments easy, or at least light?
11. How has our faith (or your faith) conquered the world?
12. What ideas or commands from this passage do you want to put into practice this week?
Share requests and pray for each other.
1. Did you have a nickname as a child? What was it, and how did you come by it?
In the Bible, God has many nicknames. His best one just might be “Love.” In John 8:44, Jesus describes the devil as “a liar and father of lies.” He says, “When he lies, he speaks his native language.” God’s native language is love. You might say that He’s mono-lingual. It’s the only language He speaks. Throughout this 30-Day Adventure we’ll dive deeply into the incredible, inexhaustible love of God.
Study
Read 1 John 4:7-10
2. What’s the difference between saying “God is loving,” and saying, “God is love”? Why does that distinction matter?
3. Along with being “love,” God is holy, just, righteous, all-knowing, all-powerful, etc. How do all these qualities integrate together into God’s character? Do His justice and love ever compete with each other? How do they work together?
4. According to vv. 9–10, how did God show His love?
5. What difference does it make that God loved us before we loved Him? What if those two were reversed?
Read 1 John 4:11-16
6. What does v. 12 mean when it says that if we love others, God’s love “remains” (or “lives”) in us? What does it look like to have God’s love “remain” (or “live”) in you?
Read 1 John 4:17-5:1
7. What is “perfect love”? How does it drive out fear?
8. Why does John command us to love our brothers and sisters (4:21 and 5:1)?
Read 1 John 5:1-5
9. How do loving God, loving His children, and obeying His commands go together?
10. List the 10 commandments (found in Exodus 20). John says that God’s commands are not burdensome. How does God’s love, living in you, make these commandments easy, or at least light?
11. How has our faith (or your faith) conquered the world?
12. What ideas or commands from this passage do you want to put into practice this week?
Share requests and pray for each other.
Week 2 Bible Study
How to Become a More Loving Person
Warm Up
1. Sing a line from your favorite love song as a teenager.
Study
Read 1 Corinthians 12:31
2. Based on what you already know about 1 Corinthians 13, what do you suppose the “even better way” is that Paul is talking about?
Context
The book of 1 Corinthians is Paul’s response to a letter the Corinthians had sent to him. Their letter reported some divisions within the leadership of the church, a grave sin being committed by one of their members, and asked practical questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, how to conduct public worship, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection. Paul responds to all of them. 1 Corinthians 13 is in the middle of the section on spiritual gifts.
Read 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
3. In these three verses, Paul lists six spiritual gifts that aren’t talked about much. Tongues (v. 1), prophecy, mysteries, knowledge, faith (v. 2), and voluntary poverty (v. 3). How can these gifts benefit the body of Christ?
4. Why is practicing love a better way to benefit the body than practicing any and all of these gifts?
Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
5. Of these 15 qualities, which one is the hardest for you to practice, and which one is the easiest, and why?
6. What do all of these qualities have in common?
7. If you had never heard the word “love” before, and had only this passage as a description, how would you define “love”?
Read 1 Corinthians 13:8b-10
8. When will these spiritual gifts “cease”? Why will they cease?
Read 1 Corinthians 13:11-12
9. What’s Paul’s point here?
Read 1 Corinthians 13:13
10. How are faith, hope and love related, and why is love the greatest of them?
11. The city of Corinth was known for its sexual looseness. Imagine growing up in that
environment and then being introduced to the love and Lordship of Christ. How would your concept of love change? In what ways would your concept of how to interact with others change?
12. What new or different things have you learned about love from this study, and the readings you’ve done so far? How are you trying to live differently as a result?
Share requests and pray for each other.
1. Sing a line from your favorite love song as a teenager.
Study
Read 1 Corinthians 12:31
2. Based on what you already know about 1 Corinthians 13, what do you suppose the “even better way” is that Paul is talking about?
Context
The book of 1 Corinthians is Paul’s response to a letter the Corinthians had sent to him. Their letter reported some divisions within the leadership of the church, a grave sin being committed by one of their members, and asked practical questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, how to conduct public worship, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection. Paul responds to all of them. 1 Corinthians 13 is in the middle of the section on spiritual gifts.
Read 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
3. In these three verses, Paul lists six spiritual gifts that aren’t talked about much. Tongues (v. 1), prophecy, mysteries, knowledge, faith (v. 2), and voluntary poverty (v. 3). How can these gifts benefit the body of Christ?
4. Why is practicing love a better way to benefit the body than practicing any and all of these gifts?
Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
5. Of these 15 qualities, which one is the hardest for you to practice, and which one is the easiest, and why?
6. What do all of these qualities have in common?
7. If you had never heard the word “love” before, and had only this passage as a description, how would you define “love”?
Read 1 Corinthians 13:8b-10
8. When will these spiritual gifts “cease”? Why will they cease?
Read 1 Corinthians 13:11-12
9. What’s Paul’s point here?
Read 1 Corinthians 13:13
10. How are faith, hope and love related, and why is love the greatest of them?
11. The city of Corinth was known for its sexual looseness. Imagine growing up in that
environment and then being introduced to the love and Lordship of Christ. How would your concept of love change? In what ways would your concept of how to interact with others change?
12. What new or different things have you learned about love from this study, and the readings you’ve done so far? How are you trying to live differently as a result?
Share requests and pray for each other.
Week 3 Bible Study
How to Really Love Your Family
Warm Up
1. What do you think of these two statements? “Marriage is the laboratory where we learn to love one other person the way we will one day love Jesus.” And “Family is the social building block for just about everything good in this world.”
Read Colossians 3:12-15
2. Which place is easier to practice these verses: in church, or in your home. Why?
3. List the eight commands in verses 12-13.
4. List the two commands in verses 14-15.
5. Which of these are easiest for you to follow, and which is the most challenging?
6. If you are going to fully follow all ten commands, what attitudes and practices will you have to adopt?
Read Philippians 2:1-4
7. What does this passage add to your Colossians 3 assignment?
8. What’s the best way to decide, remember, and practice “looking out for the interests of others,” especially at home?
9. When you think of these couples in the Bible: Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah, Ruth and Boaz. How well did they do in following Colossians 3 and Philippians 2?
10. What gives you an advantage in loving your family over the couples in question 9? How can you take advantage of that advantage?
11. On Day 20 this week, you’ll read: The Bible presents the family as the foundational building block of society, designed by God as a unified physical, social, and spiritual unit. The nuclear family is comprised of a husband and wife who, at marriage, become “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24) in a permanent, sacred bond. God’s normal plan is for this primary unit to become parents by producing sons and daughters, who are a heritage and reward from Him (Psalm 127:3).
Ephesians 5:21-33 and Colossians 3:18-21 outline complementary roles within the household, urging husbands to love their wives sacrificially, wives to respect and submit to their husbands, and families to live in harmony.
Children are to obey their parents (Ephesians 6:1), while parents are to nurture their children gently (Ephesians 6:4), and train them to know and love the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:6-7, 17-18) and follow His ways (Proverbs 22:6).
How well are you doing at fulfilling your role(s) in your family these days?
12. What one action or idea do you want to work on this week to improve in loving your family?
Share requests and pray for each other.
1. What do you think of these two statements? “Marriage is the laboratory where we learn to love one other person the way we will one day love Jesus.” And “Family is the social building block for just about everything good in this world.”
Read Colossians 3:12-15
2. Which place is easier to practice these verses: in church, or in your home. Why?
3. List the eight commands in verses 12-13.
4. List the two commands in verses 14-15.
5. Which of these are easiest for you to follow, and which is the most challenging?
6. If you are going to fully follow all ten commands, what attitudes and practices will you have to adopt?
Read Philippians 2:1-4
7. What does this passage add to your Colossians 3 assignment?
8. What’s the best way to decide, remember, and practice “looking out for the interests of others,” especially at home?
9. When you think of these couples in the Bible: Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah, Ruth and Boaz. How well did they do in following Colossians 3 and Philippians 2?
10. What gives you an advantage in loving your family over the couples in question 9? How can you take advantage of that advantage?
11. On Day 20 this week, you’ll read: The Bible presents the family as the foundational building block of society, designed by God as a unified physical, social, and spiritual unit. The nuclear family is comprised of a husband and wife who, at marriage, become “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24) in a permanent, sacred bond. God’s normal plan is for this primary unit to become parents by producing sons and daughters, who are a heritage and reward from Him (Psalm 127:3).
Ephesians 5:21-33 and Colossians 3:18-21 outline complementary roles within the household, urging husbands to love their wives sacrificially, wives to respect and submit to their husbands, and families to live in harmony.
Children are to obey their parents (Ephesians 6:1), while parents are to nurture their children gently (Ephesians 6:4), and train them to know and love the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:6-7, 17-18) and follow His ways (Proverbs 22:6).
How well are you doing at fulfilling your role(s) in your family these days?
12. What one action or idea do you want to work on this week to improve in loving your family?
Share requests and pray for each other.
Week 4 Bible Study
Loving God
Warm Up
1. If you could leave your children with only one message, what would it be?
Read John 14:15-17
2. List as many reasons and/or incentives as you can think of to keep Jesus’ commands.
3. Do you think it’s possible to keep Jesus’ commands perfectly? What actions or habits do we need to practice regularly in order to keep His commands as close-to-perfectly as possible?
4. What part does the “Counselor” play in helping us keep Jesus’ commands?
Read John 14:18-21
5. Jesus describes “The one who has my commands and keeps them.” Is it possible to have Jesus’ commands and not keep them? What does that look like?
6. v. 21 continues, “And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father.” Doesn’t God love everyone? What does Jesus mean here?
7. How does Jesus “reveal” Himself to those who love Him (v. 21b)?
Read John 14:22-26
8. “The word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me”? What does that mean, or how does it work?
9. How important is the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian?
10. How important is the Holy Spirit in your life? How aware of Him are you throughout
the day?
11. Our Day 23 reading says, Our progress in becoming great for God is measured by how well we are becoming great at loving. Have you been making some tangible progress during these 30 Days so far?
12. What one action or idea do you want to work on this week from this study, or from one of this week’s readings?
Share requests and pray for each other.
1. If you could leave your children with only one message, what would it be?
Read John 14:15-17
2. List as many reasons and/or incentives as you can think of to keep Jesus’ commands.
3. Do you think it’s possible to keep Jesus’ commands perfectly? What actions or habits do we need to practice regularly in order to keep His commands as close-to-perfectly as possible?
4. What part does the “Counselor” play in helping us keep Jesus’ commands?
Read John 14:18-21
5. Jesus describes “The one who has my commands and keeps them.” Is it possible to have Jesus’ commands and not keep them? What does that look like?
6. v. 21 continues, “And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father.” Doesn’t God love everyone? What does Jesus mean here?
7. How does Jesus “reveal” Himself to those who love Him (v. 21b)?
Read John 14:22-26
8. “The word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me”? What does that mean, or how does it work?
9. How important is the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian?
10. How important is the Holy Spirit in your life? How aware of Him are you throughout
the day?
11. Our Day 23 reading says, Our progress in becoming great for God is measured by how well we are becoming great at loving. Have you been making some tangible progress during these 30 Days so far?
12. What one action or idea do you want to work on this week from this study, or from one of this week’s readings?
Share requests and pray for each other.
Week 5 Bible Study
Loving People
Warm Up
1. How have you grown during these 30 Days? In your understanding of love? In how you act towards others?
2. From all that you’ve heard (in sermons), read in the 30 Days book, and discussed in our group, what are three things you want to remember?
Study
Read Mark 12:28-34
3. Why are these two commandments the most important?
4. How do these two commandments relate to the 10 Commandments?
5. In the three possible love relationships (God, neighbor, and self), where are you the
strongest? And where are you the weakest?
Read Mark 11:28; 12:13-14; 12:18-19
6. How was the Mark 12:28 teacher’s attitude different from the many others who questioned Jesus?
7. What does Jesus’ response to this man tell you about Jesus?
Read Colossians 3:12-15 & Philippians 2:1-4
8. Work together to create a definition for “love.”
9. How does this definition reinforce for you some of the things you’ve been learning?
10. In what way do you want to grow in love over the next few years…
- Towards God?- Towards those in your family?
- Towards the needy?- Towards the wealthy?
- Towards yourself?
11. What was the high point of this Campaign for you?
12. What shall we study next as a group?
Share requests and pray for each other.
1. How have you grown during these 30 Days? In your understanding of love? In how you act towards others?
2. From all that you’ve heard (in sermons), read in the 30 Days book, and discussed in our group, what are three things you want to remember?
Study
Read Mark 12:28-34
3. Why are these two commandments the most important?
4. How do these two commandments relate to the 10 Commandments?
5. In the three possible love relationships (God, neighbor, and self), where are you the
strongest? And where are you the weakest?
Read Mark 11:28; 12:13-14; 12:18-19
6. How was the Mark 12:28 teacher’s attitude different from the many others who questioned Jesus?
7. What does Jesus’ response to this man tell you about Jesus?
Read Colossians 3:12-15 & Philippians 2:1-4
8. Work together to create a definition for “love.”
9. How does this definition reinforce for you some of the things you’ve been learning?
10. In what way do you want to grow in love over the next few years…
- Towards God?- Towards those in your family?
- Towards the needy?- Towards the wealthy?
- Towards yourself?
11. What was the high point of this Campaign for you?
12. What shall we study next as a group?
Share requests and pray for each other.