Family Devotional: Love

Love

Second Sunday of Advent

"Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer 
and intelligence.  This is the most important, the first on any list.  
But there is a second to set alongside it:  Love others as well as you love yourself. These two commandments are pegs; 
everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them.""

Matthew 22: 37-40 
The Message

Have you ever wondered why the English language only has one word for love.  I mean we can love pizza, our best friend, and our husband or wife.  All types use the same word...but it is not really the same kind of love.  The language of Christ's day had several words for love.

--Agape which means God's love

--Eros was the kind of love that describes physical attraction

--Philia is the kind of love that is reserved for friendships

Now would be a good time to relight the first candle and then the second candle of your Advent wreath. If you are not using an Advent wreath consider lighting any candle.

Tell those with you that we are lighting this candle for love. 
Ask the question..."What do you love?"  Make a list if you want.

Read Matthew 22: 37-40 in a different version of the Bible than the one above.

The writer of The Message compares... heart to passion, soul to prayer, and mind to intelligence. Use some of the following questions to get the discussion going.

Do you think you love God with a passion?  What does that look like?  

How often do you find yourself praying? 
Do you need special words, a special place? 
What do you think God says about prayer? 
How is it that we can love God with our mind or intelligence?

Closing:  Jesus told us to love God... that was the most important commandment... and the second to love others.  Loving others is a way to show our love for God.  How can we show others God's love?

Prayer:  Have the oldest in the group give a prayer of thanksgiving for the list of things loved from the beginning of the devotional.