Transformative Love: Acting with Compassion Like Jesus

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. **Luke 7:11-15** - The story of Jesus and the widow of Nain.
2. **1 John 3:16-18** - The call to practical love.
3. **Mark 1:40-41** - Jesus heals a man with leprosy.

#### Observation Questions
1. In the story of Jesus and the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11-15), what was Jesus' immediate reaction when He saw the widow? How did He demonstrate His compassion? [01:03:13]
2. According to 1 John 3:16-18, what is the evidence of real love? How does this passage define the actions of a believer? [01:06:13]
3. In Mark 1:40-41, what did Jesus do when the man with leprosy asked to be healed? What does this tell us about Jesus' approach to those considered untouchable? [01:13:04]
4. The sermon mentioned a personal story about the Smoky Mountain Dump in Manila. What was the significant lesson the pastor learned from this experience? [01:19:03]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why do you think Jesus' heart broke when He saw the widow of Nain? How does this reflect His understanding of human suffering? [01:03:13]
2. How does 1 John 3:16-18 challenge the common perception of love as merely a feeling? What practical steps does it suggest for believers? [01:06:13]
3. What is the significance of Jesus touching the man with leprosy in Mark 1:40-41? How does this act go beyond just healing? [01:13:04]
4. Reflecting on the pastor's experience in the Smoky Mountain Dump, how can acts of compassion transform both the giver and the receiver? [01:19:03]

#### Application Questions
1. Think about a time when you saw someone in need but did not act. What held you back? How can you overcome these barriers in the future? [01:03:13]
2. 1 John 3:16-18 emphasizes love in action. Identify one specific way you can show practical love to someone in your community this week. [01:06:13]
3. Jesus touched the untouchables, breaking societal barriers. Who are the 'untouchables' in your community, and how can you extend God's love to them? [01:13:04]
4. The pastor shared about learning to love like Jesus through personal struggles and growth. What personal challenges have you faced that have taught you about love and compassion? [01:19:03]
5. Compassion often requires inconvenience and sacrifice. Reflect on a recent situation where you chose convenience over compassion. How can you prepare yourself to choose compassion next time? [01:13:04]
6. The sermon emphasized the importance of daily asking God for opportunities to show compassion. How can you incorporate this practice into your daily routine? [01:27:44]
7. The pastor mentioned that love should be the motivation for all our actions. What are some actions you currently do out of duty or for approval, and how can you shift your motivation to compassion? [01:23:14]

Day 1: Empathy Ignites Compassionate Action
Compassion is not a passive emotion but a catalyst for change. True empathy is the kind that feels the pain of others and then moves beyond those feelings to take action. It's the kind of love that Jesus demonstrated throughout His ministry—a love that is active and sacrificial. It's easy to say one cares, but the real test of compassion is in the actions one takes to alleviate the suffering of others. This means being willing to step out of one's comfort zone, to help someone in need, and to do so without expecting anything in return. It's about making a tangible difference in the lives of others, just as Jesus did. [56:57]

"But when the crowd saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men." - Matthew 9:8 ESV

Reflection: What is one specific way you can move from feeling empathy to taking action in your community this week?

Day 2: Love Beyond Convenience
Love in its truest form often calls for sacrifice and inconvenience. It's easy to serve others when it fits into one's schedule or when there's something to gain. However, the calling of a Christ-follower is to love and serve others even when it's challenging, without seeking gratitude or recognition. This love is transformative, and it's the kind of love that can change the world—one act of kindness at a time. It's about being the hands and feet of Jesus, serving those in need regardless of the cost to oneself. [01:13:04]

"Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered." - Proverbs 21:13 ESV

Reflection: Can you recall a time when helping someone was inconvenient for you? How did you respond, and how might you respond differently in the future?

Day 3: Compassion as Our True North
Compassion should be the driving force behind every action, not a sense of duty or a desire for approval. When actions are motivated by genuine compassion, they become a powerful reflection of God's love. This kind of service has the potential to transform not only the lives of those being served but also the heart of the one serving. It's about letting compassion guide decisions and interactions, ensuring that every act of kindness is rooted in love and a desire to reflect the heart of God. [01:23:14]

"Let all that you do be done in love." - 1 Corinthians 16:14 ESV

Reflection: How can you ensure that compassion, rather than obligation or approval-seeking, motivates your actions today?

Day 4: Embracing the Untouchables
In every community, there are those who are considered 'untouchables,' whether due to social status, health, or other factors. Jesus' love knew no bounds, and He touched the lives of those whom society had rejected. To love like Jesus means to break down barriers and extend God's love to everyone, especially those who are marginalized. It's about recognizing the inherent worth of every individual and demonstrating that no one is beyond the reach of God's grace. [01:15:13]

"But he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: 'Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.'" - Luke 6:20 ESV

Reflection: Who are the 'untouchables' in your life or community, and what is one way you can extend God's love to them this week?

Day 5: Alert to Opportunities for Love
Asking God to show us how to love like Jesus is a daily practice that can transform lives. It's about being open and alert to the opportunities God provides to serve and show compassion. This requires a willingness to be used by God and to see every interaction as a chance to demonstrate His love. By being intentional in seeking these opportunities, one can make a significant impact in the lives of others and experience personal transformation in the process. [01:27:44]

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works." - Hebrews 10:24 ESV

Reflection: What opportunity has God given you today to show love, and how can you act on it?

It's so good to see all of you and all of you joining us online. It's really good to see some of you in your 90s garb. Really cool. I don't remember the 90s. Seriously, my husband and I started the church and we were raising kids; we were leaving a denomination. It's a blur, but I think they have some pictures of us. Yeah. See, we're not cool like you guys. But I got to tell you, if you choose the 60s the next time, I'm down with that because I was in my teenage years. And so, yeah, Motown. Anybody in Motown? I lived in Detroit, so yeah, Motown, hippies, Jesus People Movement. I was part of that. Yeah, fun times.

But, you know, today I'm just thankful to be able to stand on this platform. And I'm really thankful to be part of this series that's been just so thought-provoking. You know, to be like Jesus, to pray, to serve, to think, and to love. Well, that's challenging for all of us, right? Me included. So I don't want to just preach a message to you today. I really, I want to be a tad bit transparent, just a little bit, and share with you my journey in how I am learning to love like Jesus. And it's my hope that, you know, learning about my journey will help you with your own. That's the whole purpose of this today.

So here's a little bit about me. I grew up in an alcoholic home, which means that I have dealt with a whole laundry list of problematic traits from that, like extreme self-criticism and the inability to have fun, the overdeveloped sense of responsibility, you know, avoidance of conflict, and feelings of depression and anxiety. These are just some of the fun stuff that adult children of alcoholics deal with. Some of you know what I'm talking about. And so, you know, I had that from my background.

And then when my husband and I were first married and in ministry, our pastors led through anger. What I mean by that is when he talked to people, you expected to see smoke coming out of his ears. I mean, he was so angry and really was an abusive church. But my training in ministry actually came from the missions division of the denomination of which we were a part. And their theme was give till there's no more to give and then find a way to give some more. So, you know, you put all those things together, you know, maybe that's why. But maybe just God made me a type A personality. I'm one of those get-the-job-done kind of girls. Any other type A personalities here? Come on. Seriously? How does anybody get things done if you're not type A?

Okay, well, you know, because of all these things, you know, I probably shouldn't have been surprised. When I look back on it now, I shouldn't have been surprised when someone came to me and said the staff was afraid of me. Then when I rushed through the office area, I had this intense look on my face. Scary. But it did surprise me. And honestly, it devastated me. I cried out to Lord God, I'm doing my best. I'm not me like my pastors were. You know, this is just me. This is the personality that you gave me to which Jesus responded, should you be like you? Or should you be like me? Love like me.

It was like a two-by-four whacked me in the head. It was like, whoa, I took a deep breath. I dried my tears. I said, OK, yeah, I want to be like you, but you're going to have to show me how. I don't know. And that prayer started me on a journey that I'm still on today because none of what I'm about to talk to you about comes naturally for me. You need to get that. It doesn't come naturally for me.

But anyways, enough about me. Let's just get started. The message, all the songs and the movies about love seem to leave the message that, you know, love is butterflies in the stomach and blood rushing through your veins. And to hear people talk, love is accepting. It's fully embracing tolerance. But here's the thing. The love that Jesus demonstrated in the Bible really is nothing like that. It doesn't describe the kind of love that Jesus showed.

I think the love that Jesus showed in his ministry could probably be summed up in one word. And that is compassion. And compassion comes from the Latin word "compati," which means to suffer with, to see the sufferings of others and to do something to stop it. So I'm not talking about empathy, even though empathy and compassion are often interchanged. But there's a clear difference between the two. Empathy is the ability to see and feel the pain of someone else. But there's no active component. So empathy sees and feels. But compassion sees, feels, then acts.

According to 1 John 3:18, let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions in truth. Did you catch that? I said it kind of fast. Should I do it in slow motion? We need to get this. Our love should not just be with words. Our love should be with actions like Jesus, who showed compassion. He showed forgiveness. He showed kindness. He showed all this beautiful, powerful stuff. Beautiful stuff. Including challenging people. I put it with justice and kindness and forgiveness because challenging people can also be an act of compassion. Emphasis on can. It depends on the motivation.

But see, all these things, what you can see out of this is that Jesus' love was not a warm fuzzy. It wasn't passive. It was action. It was active. Like when Jesus, you know, reached out to the universally despised tax collectors. How many people like their tax collectors? No, it was much worse in those days. But he ate with them, and he even embraced one of them into his inner circle. And then when Jesus touched the lepers, who were the untouchables of that day, he reached out and touched the lives of everyone, regardless of their race, gender, religion, social or economic standing. He reached for them.

And Jesus forgave the woman taken in adultery when she really shouldn't have been stoned. And then he, what did he do? He challenged her to sin no more. So, yeah, he forgave, but he also challenged. That's why I said that love is not just a soft, mushy word. It is an active force. Because Jesus, he healed the servant of the Roman centurion, extending mercy to Gentiles when Jews and Gentiles had nothing in common. But he stepped over the line. And he did it. Jesus' love, everybody said, was active. Everybody say active. It was active.

Oh, man, he taught. He forgave. He comforted. He healed. He delivered. He rescued people. But what about my love? Does my love look like Jesus'? I don't think my love looks like Jesus. Not yet. Still growing. But there are some things that I'm learning about how to love like Jesus that I want to share with you today. Beginning with Matthew chapter number 14, verse 14. It says when Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

So the first point is love sees. I don't think that we can really love like Jesus unless we slow down and really see the needs of people. If you were paying attention to my story about myself earlier on, you know this was a problem for me. It really was. So I had to ask Jesus, help me with this, because I didn't know how to do it. And he did help me. I asked him to help me, and he helped me.

I remember the first lesson very clearly. I was doing a target run. Emphasis on run. I was rushing in, getting what I needed. I was rushing back out when Jesus said, what are the color of her eyes? Now I know, just like you know, that when Jesus asks a question, he's not looking for information. He's trying to draw your attention to something. But I still tried to answer. I said, brown. But I knew what he was saying. I had not even looked at the cashier in the face. I had not seen her. I had been so busy with my stuff, I had not really even noticed her.

So he started me on a journey. And sometimes when I was rushing in the lobby there, back in the days when I could rush, but I was rushing sometimes, I'd be walking, and Jesus said, did you see that person? Can I be honest with you? I wanted to roll my eyes. But you don't roll your eyes at God. So I just quickly would turn and go back to the person. And when I really looked at him, I saw the distress on their face. And it gave me an opportunity to minister to them. It happened repeatedly because he was trying to teach me to slow down and see, really see people.

And so, you know, on this journey, I am trying to become more and more aware of the people that are around me. You know, Jesus is trying to teach me that. Because when he saw the crowds and saw their needs, he did whatever he could to meet those needs, whatever they were. One of my favorite passages is found in Luke chapter number seven, verses 11 through 15. I'm reading here now. Not long after that, Jesus went to the village of Nain. His disciples were with him, along with quite a large crowd.

As they approached the village gate, they met a funeral procession. A woman's only son was being carried out for burial, and the mother was a widow. Now, understand, there were no government programs to take care of people. The husband would take care of the wife, and if he should pass, then the son would. Well, the son. Because there weren't even good opportunities to earn money for a woman. So when Jesus saw her, the word says, when Jesus saw her, his heart broke. Because he knew her situation.

Then he went over and touched the coffin. The polebearer stopped. He said, young man, I tell you, get up. The dead son sat up and began talking. This is the part I love. And Jesus presented the son back to the mother. So, so powerful. But the question from this that I want to ask you is, do you, when you see a person in need, does it break your heart? It broke Jesus' heart, but does it break your heart to the point that you do something? I don't, I'm not trying to be mean here, but I do want us not to just sit through and go through another message. I want us to think about it.

When we see a need, does it break our heart to the point that we do something about it? There are so many needs around us. We just need to become more aware of them. Because when we are aware of a need, then we can meet them with humility, kindness, and respect. Not as God's gift. I've watched that happen a few times. No, no, with just being Christ's hands extended. So whether you are in line for coffee or groceries or gas, if you see a need and you have the means, help. Turn to your neighbor and say, help.

No, I need you to really help me preach right now. Say, help. Thank you so much. Now on to the next point. It comes from 1 John chapter number 3, verses 16 through 18. This is how we should know what real love is. Jesus gave his life for us, so we should give our lives for each other as brothers and sisters. Suppose a believer who is rich enough to have all the necessities of life sees a fellow believer who is poor and does not even have basic needs. What if a rich believer does not help the poor one? Then it is clear that God's love is not in that person's heart.

My children, our love should not only be words and talk. No, our love must be real. We must show our love by the things that we do. So love acts. Now we've been talking about really that, this whole message. But love isn't just a feeling, as the noted theologians D.C. Talk said in the 90s, love is a verb. It's not passive, you know? Love should motivate you and I to take action. One of his most famous teachings.

See, here's the thing. Jesus demonstrated all day long. You read in the Bible, it was just demonstrated over and over again. You read, he was moved with compassion, he was moved with compassion, he was moved with compassion. He demonstrated how we're supposed to do it. But he also taught it, and one of his most famous teachings was that of the parable, the story of the Good Samaritan. He taught, there was a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho, and on the road robbers captured him and took his clothes, beat him horribly, horribly, horribly, and left him for dead.

But thankfully, a priest was walking down the same road, but rather than helping him, he went on the other side of the road. He probably had ministry appointments. I'm just speculating here. We don't know why, but he just went to the other side of the road, and then a Levite, another religious guy, showed up and he did the same thing. He avoided the man. But then the Samaritan, an outcast, came by and saw the condition of the man, and Scripture says his heart went out to him. He gave him first aid, you know, putting antiseptic and bandages on his wounds, picked him up and put him on his own donkey to take him to the inn where he took care of him all night long.

And in the morning, he gave the innkeeper money to continue his care, and then the Samaritan went on to his appointments. You know, see, the priest and the Levite, they kept their distance from the suffering man, but the Samaritan had compassion and selflessly stopped to help. Jesus is making a big point here, not just to the listeners in that day, but he's making a big point to every single person in this room and those of you who are online, and that is compassion acts. It gets involved.

I think sometimes we just want to put money to it, but no, compassion gets involved. It gives. It sacrifices. Whether anyone else helps or not, compassion should move you and I into action. Proverbs 31:8 and 9 says, Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly, defend the rights of the poor and needy. Personally, I think that it all begins with the person right in front of you. If you're standing in line and the person in front of you is struggling to pay for the groceries that they have, then help.

I mean, casually help them. I think it would be a great idea if you purchased some gift cards, invested in some gift cards, so you have them on hand. So when you see someone in need, you have something that you can give to them without pomp and without circumstance. Just casually give to them. And if you see someone struggling with children, babies, bags, whatever, the doors, ask, can I help you, as you are helping them. You can send cards that so many people sent to me when I was so sick. And you could cook food for the homeless, like Angie Simington was doing a couple Sundays ago while I was walking out to get my own lunch.

You can really get connected with your neighbor, not just a hi-bye, but really get connected with your neighbor so that you are aware when they have a need that you can fill. You can be a part of the dream team here or go on a mission trip halfway around the world. The possibilities of love and action are endless. I could start sharing here and just sharing, sharing, sharing, sharing, and you would all leave because you're hungry. But it's just too numerous.

But I feel like I need to warn you that sometimes you won't feel like helping. You won't feel it. You might be tired, stressed, overwhelmed, but just do your best anyways. Don't put it off to when you're feeling better. Who knows when you're going to be feeling better? Do it now. Because it might be inconvenient. No, take that back. Erase it. It will be inconvenient. Not might be. You may really have to give of yourself. And you know what? Maybe they won't even appreciate it. But none of that matters. Not really. Because we are commanded in Scripture. We are commanded by God to love, to act, to act.

We are commanded to love like Jesus, which means compassion, which means to act. And whether they appreciate it or not, whether it's easy for you or not, whether it really is a stretch for you or not, the more you stretch, actually, the greater the reward. But I'm going to move on to the last point. And it's found in Mark 1, verses 40 and 41. A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean, he said. Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. I'm willing, he said. Be clean.

So point number three is love touches. But before some of you go to a place that you should not go, I'm not talking about touching indescribably or touching inappropriately. And if you don't know what inappropriate touching is, come to Mama Chris after service and I will let you know. Now, I'm talking about here touching the untouchables, as was demonstrated by Jesus in this passage. Jesus was moved with compassion so much that he reached out and touched a leprous man.

Now, people were afraid of leprosy back then. They were afraid more than COVID ever was here. Okay, I want you to get this in your head. Worse, worse, far worse because leprosy was a terrible, contagious and slow-acting death. Lepers were all cast. They were separated by law from society. But Jesus was willing not only to heal the man, but to reach out and touch him as he did. He could have said the words, be healed, just said the words as he did on another occasion. But no, he purposely reached out and touched the man as a demonstration of God's love for the outcast.

He wanted people to understand how great the love of God is. And when he did that, when he did that, he also gave us a concrete example of doing more than what others do. I want you to sink in just a minute because we are called to do more than others do. Matthew 5:46-48 says, If you love only those who love you, why should you get a reward for that? Even the tax collectors, remember the despised guys, even the tax collectors do that. If you are nice only to your friends, you are no better than anyone else. Even people who don't know God are nice to their friends.

What I'm saying is that you must be perfect just as your Father in heaven is perfect. But how do we do that? We're talking about touching the untouchable. How do we do that in our world today? I don't know. I'm sorry. I really don't know what it's going to look like for you. Every single one of you needs to ask Jesus for yourself. How can I do this? And he will tell you. My lesson came when we were ministering in the Smoky Mountain Dump of Manila, Philippines for the very first time.

The Smoky Mountain Dump is the Philippines' largest dump site. And it's really where the poorest of the poor live and earn a living by picking through the garbage. The Smoky Mountain is actually a 162-foot high mountain of garbage. Solely of garbage. Two million tons of waste. And it's called Smoky Mountain because they have constant fires burning wood and tires, making the air so polluted. And you combine that with two million tons of garbage. And let me tell you, the smell is just absolutely indescribable.

I think we have some pictures going of the Smoky Mountain Dump there. Now, it's hard to believe that over 25,000 people live there. People with families. Every day, people die and babies are born there. Every day. And one of our partners, Jane Walker, has worked there. And she asked us if we would come minister in the dumps there. And I thought, sure, why not? Little did I know that it was really going to change my life. But we did children's ministry, we did family ministry, and I was good, I was good until Jesus asked me, aren't you going to hug the children?

They were so dirty with open sores and obvious signs of sickness. I shut my eyes and I said, remembering Matthew 19, I shut my eyes and said, like you, Jesus, Matthew 19:13-15 says, then the people brought their little children to Jesus, so that he could lay his hands on them to bless them and pray for them. And the followers saw this, they told the people to stop bringing their children to him, but Jesus said, let the little children come to me. Don't stop them, because God's kingdom belongs to people like these.

And after Jesus blessed the children, he left them. And then I opened my eyes and I deliberately started touching and hugging the children. And honestly, that's where my world turned upside down and my life changed drastically. Because when I hugged the children, the love of God that flowed through me was so immense, so intense, it transformed me. I will never forget that. And it's kind of made me who I am, but the question is, what is it going to look like for you? And I don't know. But I do know that you need to ask Jesus who and how you are to share his love with today.

You know, who do you want me to share love and how do you want me to touch the untouchables in my world? Now, we see that Jesus' compassion moved him to really take time with people. You know, he forgave everyone who asked, including prostitutes. He ate with sinners. He touched lepers and those marginalized from society. He fed those who were hungry. He healed those who were diseased. That's what Jesus did.

So what can you and I do to start loving like Jesus? This whole series is like Jesus, but today I'm talking about how do we love like Jesus? And I think the first thing we need to do is ask God for his love and compassion. I honestly don't know if our compassion is going to be enough, but I know God's is. So ask God, God, give me your compassion. But understand, when you are asking God for compassion, what you are actually asking him is, God, help me to develop it.

I want you to hear me now, because love doesn't just come over you like a bucket of water over the head. I pray, now I got it. Yay! No, you have to act and you have to grow in this thing. Every day, ask God, ask God, God, show me, help me, and then listen to him and then obey him. I know that sometimes your own personal pain and suffering makes it hard for you to see the pain and suffering of other people. I know. But if you make the attempt, everything will change, including yourself.

And I think the second thing we need is really to make compassion the motivation for everything that we do. Not duty, not responsibility, not to be a better person, not to impress others, not out of guilt and not to seek approval even from God. No, none of these things should be the motivation for what we do. Compassion should be the motivation for everything that we do. And I said we need to work on it because, you know, that's going to take some work.

I'm going to read a prophecy from Francis Fanta Payne. A new awakening is coming to the church. It will be birthed in prayer, sheltered by humility. But its power will emerge through compassion. The strength of this fresh move is the deep yearning of the Lord himself. For common people flooded with and compelled by the burning compassion of God will be used mightily in coming years. They shall transform multitudes. Christ's compassion shall be especially revealed where human suffering is unrelenting.

I want you to hear me now. Common people, common people like you and me will be compelled by the compassion of God to meet the needs of others. And God will use us. He will. He will use you. He will use you to transform multitudes. Now, does that seem too big to be believed? It's not because that's what compassion can do. It can change multitudes. And hear me, God wants to use you and you and you and you and you online and you and you. God wants to use you and he will. He will. And he will.

Now, I'll be honest. Maybe you won't know until you get to heaven how transformative your acts of love were. But that's OK. You're loving with God's love and that's really, really all that matters. Another thing that we need to do is just make sure that compassion, you know, it's throughout the week because we can't turn compassion on and off. We can't just have it in church or with family or friends. We need to make it an everyday thing so it becomes a lifestyle.

So it begins, becomes who we are. And so when we touch someone, it is that love is transmitted. It needs to be who we are. So every day ask God, oh, how can I show compassion and then be alert for the opportunities? Because that is one prayer he will answer and he will give you opportunities every day to show his compassion. Luke 6:36 says you must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. This is not an option here. This isn't something we can pick and choose what we want to do.

This is a command by Jesus because that's who is speaking here. Jesus said you must be compassionate. And if Jesus said it, that seals it. Every one of us need to be compassionate. And it should move us to aid those that are in need and to lead in suffering wherever we can and uphold the dignity of every person. We can reach out and heal and comfort and aid. Support people with the love of Christ. And we need to be asking him daily for opportunities until we see Jesus face to face.

As long as there is breath in our lungs, this is our calling. This is what we're commanded to do. Now last year I was going through a lot of difficult stuff. And I know that they were given to me as growth opportunities. You know, I complained to God. I said, haven't I grown enough already? I'm 69 years old. He didn't answer the question. He rarely answers my stupid questions. Because, of course, I was not done growing. I still don't look like Jesus. I still don't show love like Jesus. I still have work to do. And so does every person here. None of us are there yet. We all have work to do.

I'm going to ask you, how many of you that this really touched your heart? You sense a move of God in you. And it's like you felt that conviction that, oh, man, like me, I'm not quite loving like Jesus loved yet. If you feel that way today, I'm going to ask you to stand. Because I just want to pray for you as a fellow journeyer on this road to loving more like Jesus.

Father, you see every man, woman that is standing here today. And I pray that you would stir up the love that you have already placed inside of them. You dwell there, and you are love. And I just pray that you would stir up that love and help them on this journey to learn how to love more like you. We don't want to go through this life just living it any way as we please for ourselves. We want to be obedient to your command to love like you.

So give us opportunities. Give us a mind that's aware, that sees. And Jesus, I pray right now that your love would flow in this place. I just feel that I want you to hold the hand of the person next to you right now, please. And I want you to pray that the love of God will flow through the person on your left and your right. Would you do that right now? Jesus, allow your love to flow through us as a church so that multitudes can be reached with your compassion and change. Flow through this church in Jesus' name that your purposes will be accomplished in each and every one of us, I pray.

In Jesus' name. And if you receive that, if you receive that fresh stirring of the love of God in you, and if you are purposed to see and be aware as never before, and if you're willing to go on this journey to learn to love how to love like Jesus, I want you to clap your hands and celebrate what God has started in you today.

``Personally, I think that it all begins with the person right in front of you. If you're standing in line and the person in front of you is struggling to pay for the groceries that they have, then help. I mean, casually help them. I think it would be a great idea if you purchased some gift cards, invested in some gift cards, so you have them on hand. So when you see someone in need, you have something that you can give to them without pump and without circumstance. Just casually give to them.`` [01:10:55](Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)



``I feel like I need to warn you that sometimes you won't feel like helping. You won't feel it. You might be tired, stressed, overwhelmed, but just do your best anyways. Don't put it off to when you're feeling better. Who knows when you're going to be feeling better? Do it now. Because it might be inconvenient. No, take that back. Erase it. It will be inconvenient. Not might be. You may really have to give of yourself.`` [01:13:04](Download clip | Download cropped clip | Crop + Caption)



``Every day, ask God, ask God, God, show me, help me, and then listen to him and then obey him. I know that sometimes your own personal pain and suffering makes it hard for you to see the pain and suffering of other people. I know. But if you make the attempt, everything will change, including yourself.`` [01:23:14](Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)



``Common people, common people like you and me will be compelled by the compassion of God to meet the needs of others. And God will use us. He will. He will use you. He will use you to transform multitudes. Now, does that seem too big to be believed? It's not because that's what compassion can do. It can change multitudes.`` [01:24:59](Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)



``Another thing that we need to do is just make sure that compassion, you know, it's throughout the week because we can't turn compassion on and off. We can't just have it in church or with family or friends. We need to make it an everyday thing so it becomes a lifestyle. So it begins, becomes who we are.`` [01:27:44](Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)



``Every one of us need to be compassionate. And it should move us to aid those that are in need and to leading suffering wherever we can and uphold the dignity of every person. We can reach out and heal and comfort and aid. Support people with love of Christ. And we need to be asking him daily for opportunities until we see Jesus face to face.`` [01:29:11](Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)



``But there are some things that I'm learning about how to love like Jesus that I want to share with you today. Beginning with Matthew chapter number 14, verse 14. It says when Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion in them and healed their sick. So the first point is love sees. I don't think that we can really love like Jesus unless we slow down and really see the needs of people.`` [01:00:15](Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)



``The love that Jesus demonstrated in Bible really is nothing like that. It doesn't describe the kind of love that Jesus showed. I think the love that Jesus showed his ministry could probably be summed up in one word. And that is compassion. And compassion comes from the Latin word compati, which means to suffer with, to see the sufferings of others and to do something to stop it.`` [56:57](Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)



``It is an active force. Because Jesus, he healed the servant of the Roman centurion, extending mercy to Gentiles when Jews and Gentiles had nothing in common. But he stepped over the line. And he did it. Jesus' love, everybody said was active. Everybody say active. It was active.`` [01:00:15](Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)



``Jesus is trying to teach me that. Because when he saw the crowds and saw their needs, he did whatever he could to meet those needs, whatever they were. One of my favorite passages is found in Luke chapter number seven, verses 11 through 15. As they approached the village gate, they met a funeral procession. A woman's only son was being carried out for burial, and the mother was a widow.`` [01:03:39](Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)