In this sermon, I discussed the importance of love, faith, and thankfulness in our spiritual journey. I emphasized the need for believers to love one another, even in the face of adversity, as love is a reflection of God's nature. I also highlighted the significance of faith in Christ and accepting His message of salvation. Furthermore, I stressed the importance of expressing gratitude for the faith of others, particularly when they accept Christ into their lives. I also touched on the Apostle Paul's thankfulness for the faith of the Colossian believers, and how this should inspire us to be thankful for the faith of those around us.

Key Takeaways:
- Love is a reflection of God's nature and should be practiced even in difficult circumstances. [ 06:40]
- Faith in Christ and acceptance of His message of salvation is crucial in our spiritual journey. [ 07:26]
- Expressing gratitude for the faith of others, particularly when they accept Christ, is important. [ 08:06]
- The Apostle Paul's thankfulness for the faith of the Colossian believers serves as an example for us to follow. [ 09:35]
- We should celebrate and be thankful when people accept Christ into their lives. [ 10:15]

Small group discussion guide for "The Power of Love and Faith"

Bible Passages:
1) 1 John 4:8
2) Matthew 5
3) Colossians 1:3-4

Directions:
Begin by reading the passages 1 John 4:8, Matthew 5, and Colossians 1:3-4. Reflect on the messages of these passages in the context of love, faith, and thankfulness.

Discussion Questions:

Observation Questions:
1) What does 1 John 4:8 tell us about the nature of God?
2) In Matthew 5, what does Jesus instruct his disciples to do regarding their enemies?
3) What are the Apostle Paul's sentiments towards the Colossian believers in Colossians 1:3-4?

Interpretation Questions:
1) How does the concept of agape love, as described in 1 John 4:8, differ from other forms of love?
2) What does it mean to love your enemies as instructed in Matthew 5?
3) How does Paul's thankfulness for the faith of the Colossian believers in Colossians 1:3-4 reflect his understanding of the gospel message?

Application Questions:
1) How can we apply the concept of agape love in our daily interactions with others?
2) What are some practical ways we can show love to our enemies, as instructed in Matthew 5?
3) How can we express our thankfulness for the faith of fellow believers, following the example of Paul in Colossians 1:3-4?

Day 1: The Importance of Love in the Christian Faith

Love is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. It is the driving force behind all that we do and all that we are called to be. It is the love of God that first drew us to Him, and it is this same love that we are called to extend to others. This love is not just a feeling, but a choice and an action. It is a sacrificial love, a love that puts the needs of others before our own.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 - "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

Reflection: Reflect on a recent situation where you found it difficult to express love, particularly agape love. How could you have responded differently in that situation to better reflect God's love?

Day 2: The Power of Faith in Christ

Faith in Christ is not just a belief, but a power that can transform our lives. It is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. It is through faith that we are saved, and it is through faith that we can overcome the challenges of life.

Ephesians 2:8-9 - "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast."

Reflection: Can you recall a time when your faith in Christ empowered you in a challenging situation? How can you share this experience to inspire others and bring them closer to Christ?

Day 3: The Role of the Holy Spirit in Love

The Holy Spirit is our helper, our guide, and our comforter. He helps us to love as God loves, even when it is difficult. He convicts us when we fall short, and He empowers us to love more fully.

Romans 5:5 - "And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."

Reflection: How have you experienced the Holy Spirit's help in expressing love, especially in difficult circumstances? Can you identify a situation where you could have sought the Holy Spirit's guidance to love more fully?

Day 4: The Importance of Thankfulness in the Christian Faith

Thankfulness is a key aspect of the Christian faith. It is a recognition of God's goodness and faithfulness in our lives. It is an attitude of gratitude that permeates all that we do.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 - "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

Reflection: What are three specific things you are thankful for in your faith journey? How can you express this thankfulness in your daily life and interactions with others?

Day 5: The Joy of Hearing Good News

The good news of the gospel is a source of great joy. It is the message of God's love, grace, and salvation. It is a message that brings hope, peace, and transformation.

Romans 10:15 - "And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'"

Reflection: Can you recall a time when you heard the good news of someone accepting Christ and how it made you feel? How can you contribute to spreading this joy and good news within your community?

1. "Believers are fighting one another, they are at odds with each other, but good news is when we hear that people are in right standing with God." [06:40]

2. "Beloved, let us love one another for love is of God. He that loveth not knoweth not God. It's so sad when you see Believers in the church at odds with each other. Do you love God? Because if you reflect what Christ is or what God is, you need to love." [07:26]

3. "It's difficult to love, especially when people lash out against you. But this is what Christ requires from his people, his children, to love. Where there's no love, we need to love because this is a reflection, a true reflection of who the God is that we serve." [08:06]

4. "The love which followers should have is the same love Christ showed us. Otherwise, it's like a sounding brass, it's just noise, useless. This was the kind of love the Colossian Believers displayed. What the world needs today is love in the spirit." [08:52]

5. "When we fail to love, we are failing God because we are not loving the way Christ wants us to love. Unconditional love, love that Christ showed on the cross of Calgary. In Matthew chapter 5, Christ told the disciples that they need to love their enemies." [10:15]

Being thankful, I think the Apostle Paul, in all the letters that he wrote, always thanked the believers because of their faith. He was one that didn't leave things laying around; you know, he was one that reacted when he heard something about certain believers. He would respond by writing letters, and what we have in the Bible is evidence of the caring nature of our brother, the Apostle Paul.

He was thankful, and yet he expresses his thankfulness for the Colossian believers. He says in verse number three, "We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you." He was thankful. In verse number four, he says, "Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus."

Now, the Apostle Paul was in prison when he wrote this letter. The person that gave him the news about the Colossian church was Epaphras. Now, we don't know whether Epaphras was also jailed or whether he just visited the Apostle Paul, because there's no clear indication whether he was imprisoned or whether he just visited the Apostle Paul. But this was the good news that the Apostle Paul heard.

He says, "We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you since we heard of your faith." First of all, we thank God for their faith, and faith that they received the good news. This is what the Apostle Paul was thankful for. Since we heard of your faith, there's faith in Christ Jesus. They believed in the Christ and what Christ has done for them on the cross of Calvary, that he died for their sins and the sins of the world.

These believers accepted that message, a message that was apparently preached to them by Epaphras, who reported back to Paul that these believers accepted Jesus Christ. They had faith in what Christ has done for them. They believed that he did it for them and accepted the message of the good news that Christ died for their sins. They believed in their hearts and they confessed with their mouths the good news that Christ died for their sins.

Paul was thankful that these people accepted the Lord. They had faith in what Christ had done. He gave thanks to God because the Colossian believers accepted Christ, had faith in the finished work of Christ. As believers, we have so much to thank God for. First of all, we have to thank God for the fact that we have heard the good news.

We can be thankful. This table represents what Christ has done for you. Now, that's why we celebrate this; that's why we can be thankful for the work that Christ has done for you and me. He was thankful because his belief is that the Colossian believers had their faith in the loving Christ and what Christ had done for them.

This is a message that you and I have to actually carry over to those around us. He said to his believers before he left, "We had to make disciples of all men." It's good news when we hear that people accept the Lord Jesus Christ. It's good news when you and I hear that those that are close to us, our family members, have accepted Christ as their personal saviors. We can be thankful for that.

My wife and I, a few months ago, learned that our seven-year-old granddaughter accepted Christ. She was sick, she was explained to, and she accepted Christ. It was good news to us.

I remember in the olden days when we still had posts being delivered to our houses. I can remember where we grew up; when we sat at a certain place in our street, we could see the postman coming down the road. Sometimes you waited in anticipation for some good news, especially when you're a young person wanting good news from somebody that you know.

You send a message to someone, and sometimes you get the red letter—that's not good news; that's bad news because you are in arrears with something. But good news, you know, when you hear good news, this was what the Apostle Paul experienced right there in prison. He thanked God for these believers that they accepted Christ.

They had faith in Christ; he had faith in the true and living God. What Christ had done, they accepted the message of what Christ has done, and they believed it. They made it and accepted him as Savior. This is good news. It's good news when those people that are struggling in life accept the message of Christ.

We had testimony of this young man that died, was off the track, but he came back to the Lord. That's good news, and we can celebrate. We can be thankful to God for this wonderful news when we hear that something good is happening in a person's life.

Now, sometimes, I don't know, among the colored people, sometimes we are jealous when we see somebody moving forward in life. We're not always happy; we're kind of jealous. That's not how it ought to be. We should be grateful when people are making it in life, especially in the world that we're living in today, and people are moving forward. But especially when they are moving forward in the things of the Lord, it's very disconcerting when you see believers fighting one another.

They are at odds with each other, but good news is when we hear that people are in right standing with God. This is what the Apostle Paul was thanking God for, that they accepted this wonderful message of Christ.

Secondly, we thank God for their love. We read in verse number three, "Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints." The love which you have for all the saints—this is agape love. Agape love characterizes what God is. In 1 John 4:8, we read that "He that loveth not knoweth not God."

We used to sing that chorus. I remember that chorus when I just got saved; we sang that chorus over and over: "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God. He that loveth not knoweth not God."

It's so sad when you see believers in the church at odds with each other. Do you love God? Because if you reflect what Christ is or who God is, you need to love. The Bible says that you even have to love your enemies. That's a difficult thing when people lash out against you.

It's so difficult to love. You know, I had to tell my one son, "I'm going to tell you something; it's difficult to do. You need to love that person." It's not easy, but this is what Christ requires from his people, his children—to love. Where there's no love, we need to love because this is a true reflection of who the God is that we serve.

This is more than mutual affection, which expresses unselfish esteem to the object of love. The love of Christ for us is understood without thought of return. It is undeserved and without thought of return. The love which his followers should have should be the same. Otherwise, it's like sounding brass—just noise, useless.

This was the kind of love the Colossian believers displayed. What the world needs today is love in the Spirit. In verse number eight, if we go down to verse number eight, it also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.

It's not easy to love. We need to be led by the Spirit. In our own strength, it's very difficult to love, especially when people do things against you. We need the help of the Holy Spirit to overcome the things that we struggle with.

When we fail to love, we are failing God because we are not loving the way Christ wants us to love—unconditional love, the love that Christ showed on the cross of Calvary. In Matthew chapter 5, it's where Christ told the disciples that they need to love their enemies.

You have to love your enemies. It's difficult, but this is what Christ requires from you and me. If we can't love our fellow believers, how are we going to love those that are outside of the body of Christ? The love of Christ is what we need to proclaim and show every day of our lives.