1 John 3:16-18 - God cares deeply for the poor and demands that His people do the same. In this final message of the series, we consider the Apostle John's call to meet the needs of our impoverished brothers and sisters, knowing that this is a test of true love, and knowing that it flows out of the knowledge that Jesus laid down His own life for you. May we become a church that does justice for the poor, because the poor, the same as anyone else, are image bearers of God. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 5 of our series "Images and Neighbors, Every One"]
Questions for reflection: 1) How do you relate to the idea from The Brothers Karamazov that people can be easy to love in abstract while a person can be difficult to love practically? 2) How is caring for the needy evidence of "God's love in you"? 3) How does the Bible describe the causes of poverty? How does this differ from other assessments in our culture? 4) In what ways does poverty lead to additional vulnerabilities? 5) Do you think of yourself as one who "has the world's goods"? What might generosity look like for you in these things? 6) Discuss how Jesus becoming poor was part of his plan to save us. How does this motivate our generosity, care, and acts of justice toward others?
