Love in Action August 22, 2008

Bible study prepared by Samuel Thambusamy

You have heard people say, “Love your neighbors and hate your enemies.” But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong. If you love only those people who love you, will God reward you for that? Even tax collectors love their friends. If you greet only your friends, what’s so great about that? Don’t even unbelievers do that? But you must always act like your Father in heaven. (Mat 5:43-48 CEV)

Questions for further reflection

1) What is this passage about?
2) How do people deal with their enemies in your context/s? What do you think about them?

3) Why do you think God makes the sun rise on both good and bad people, sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong etc? What does this tell you about God?

4) Is loving the enemy possible? What are the stories in your context/s? 

5) What does it mean to love your enemy? What do you think about Jesus’ teaching? Why do you think Jesus wants his disciples to love their enemies and pray for those who mistreat them? What are the challenges in loving our enemies and praying for those who mistreat us? How do we respond to these challenges?

6) Even Tax collectors love their friends. People who don’t believe in God greet their friends! Why are we expected to be different from them? Why do we have to transcend ordinary expressions of love within our cultural tradition and social location?

7) (Mentally) prepare a list of those you perceive to be your enemies! Spend some time praying for them.

What is God telling us through the passage? What are you going to do in response to God’s Word?

Love and Relationships April 11, 2008

A personal bible study prepared by Samuel Thambusamy

A husband should love his wife as much as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it. He made the church holy by the power of his word, and he made it pure by washing it with water. Christ did this, so that he would have a glorious and holy church, without faults or spots or wrinkles or any other flaws. In the same way, a husband should love his wife as much as he loves himself. A husband who loves his wife shows that he loves himself. None of us hate our own bodies. We provide for them and take good care of them, just as Christ does for the church, because we are each part of his body. As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother to get married, and he becomes like one person with his wife.” This is a great mystery, but I understand it to mean Christ and his church. So each husband should love his wife as much as he loves himself, and each wife should respect her husband.  (Eph 5:25-33 CEV)

Questions for further reflection

1. What is this passage about?
2. What does the phrase, “ love your wife” mean? How does relationships (loving your wife) connect with spirituality?
3. Male superiority is expressed differently in society. What are the cultural expressions in support of male superiority in your contexts? What do you think about them?
4. Why should a husband love his wife? Share one thing that you do to show that you love your wife?
5. How does Christ love the Church? Why do you think Paul compares the relationship of the husband to the wife with Christ to the Church?
6. What is God telling you/me through the passage? What am I/are you going to do in response to God’s Word?

Getting to know LOVE April 10, 2008

- A personal bible study prepared by Samuel Thambsamy

What if I could speak all languages of humans and of angels? If I did not love others, I would be nothing more than a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. What if I could prophesy and understand all secrets and all knowledge? And what if I had faith that moved mountains? I would be nothing, unless I loved others. What if I gave away all that I owned and let myself be burned alive? I would gain nothing, unless I loved others. Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. Love isn’t selfish or quick tempered. It doesn’t keep a record of wrongs that others do. Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil. Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting. Love never fails! (1Co 13:1-8 CEV)

 Questions for further discussion:

1.  What is this passage about?
2. How does Paul describe Love? What is love? What is not Love?
3. Do you agree with this description of Love? Why? Is it easy to love people?
4. Why does Paul consider love as such an important thing – more than speaking languages of humans and of angels, prophesying, understanding all secrets and all knowledge, faith that moves mountain, philanthropy etc ?
5. Love and relationships dominate media. How can our understanding of love make a difference to the world?
6. How do we grow in love? What are the areas of failure that needs immediate attention? What are the areas of strength that need to be affirmed?  
7. What is God telling me through the passage? What am I going to do in response to God’s Word?

Conversation with God – 1 April 6, 2008

A personal bible study prepared by Samuel Thambusamy

The woman (EVE) stared at the fruit. It looked beautiful and tasty. She wanted the wisdom that it would give her, and she ate some of the fruit. Her husband (ADAM) was there with her, so she gave some to him, and he ate it too. Right away they saw what they had done, and they realized they were naked. Then they sewed fig leaves together to make something to cover themselves. Late in the afternoon a breeze began to blow, and the man and woman heard the LORD God walking in the garden. They were frightened and hid behind some trees. The LORD called out to the man and asked, “Where are you?” The man answered, “I was naked, and when I heard you walking through the garden, I was frightened and hid!” “How did you know you were naked?” God asked. “Did you eat any fruit from that tree in the middle of the garden?” “It was the woman you put here with me,” the man said. “She gave me some of the fruit, and I ate it.” The LORD God then asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The snake tricked me,” she answered. “And I ate some of that fruit.”
(Gen 3:6-13 CEV)

Questions for Further discussion

1) What is this passage about?
2) Who are the characters mentioned in the passage? What do we know about them?
3) Who were involved in the conversation with God? Who began the conversation? What was the conversation all about?
4) Why did Adam and Eve build walls around themselves (hide behind the trees)? Were they feeling ’scared’ or ‘guilty’? Why is there is a discomfort when we think we are doing something wrong? Why are we able to get over this discomfort after some time?
5) The fruit represented ‘an image’(pleasing to the eye), “instinct” ( good for food) and “information (desirable for knowledge). Eve (and Adam?!) was attracted to it because of the image, instinct and information.
6)What are the attractions for us in the contemporary world? In what way do we wilfully disobey God? How do we feel about this? What walls are people building today? Who (or what) do people blame for all the things they do?
7) Adam and Eve resorted to a blame-game? How does this affect conversations between each other and between God?
Has there been a breakdown of your relationship with God? How did you feel about it (guilty, disgusted or scared? What walls did you build around yourself? Did you have a conversation with God after that? How did it go? How did you resolve the breakdown in relationship?
9) What is God telling you through the passage? What conversations are you planning to have with God?

Falling in love with God March 31, 2008

Read 

One of them was an expert in the Jewish Law. So he tried to test Jesus by asking, “Teacher, what is the most important commandment in the Law?” Jesus answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, “Love others as much as you love yourself.” All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets are based on these two commandments. (Mat 22:35-40 CEV)

Questions for personal reflection

1. What is this passage about?
2. The word ‘Love’ has been used, abused and confused in contemporary world. What does it mean to love God?
3. How do you understand: a. Loving God with all your heart (b) Loving God with all your soul (c) Loving God with all your mind (d) Loving God with all your strength
4. The Lawyer has asked for the most important commandment. Jesus gave him two commandments instead of one. Why do you think Jesus gave him another one?
5. How do you think “Loving God” connects with “Loving others”?
6. Did Jesus instruct us not to love ourselves? What would you tell people who don’t love themselves? Why is it important to love ourselves? Why is it important to love others as much as you love yourself?
7. Loving God, Loving ourselves and Loving others is the basis of all the Law of Moses and the books of the prophets. Comment!
8. What is God telling me through the passage? What am I going to do in response to God’s word today?

To do:

1. Decide to do one thing to show that you love God with all your heart, soul and mind
2. Decide to do one thing to show that you love others as much as you love others.