How Do I Love My Neighbor? | Love Your Neighbor
Rodney Thrift   -   August 27, 2023

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR

How Do I Love My Neighbor?

 

Mark 12:28-31 (ESV) 28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

 

3 Loving myself mantras:

 

  • I am created in God’s image. God doesn’t make junk.
    • Genesis 1:27 (NLT) 27 So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
  • I am God’s masterpiece.
    • Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
  • God expects me to be the person that he created me to be.
    • Genesis 1:31a (ESV) 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.
    • Job 33:4 (ESV) 4 The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

SOUL TATTOO: I cannot give away what I do not have in me.

Loving Myself…

  1. A wrong love of self.
    • John 3:30 (ESV) 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
  2. A right love of self.
    • Psalm 40:8 (ESV) 8  I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” 
    • Matthew 6:33 (ESV) 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 
    • Matthew 16:24 (ESV) 24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
    • 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT) 19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So, you must honor God with your body.
  3. Loving your neighbor as yourself.
    • Matthew 22:39 (ESV) 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
    • Galatians 5:14 (NLT) 14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.
    • Mark 12:30-31 (ESV) 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.

 

SOUL TATTOO: I cannot give away what I do not have in me.

How do I maintain loving my neighbor as I love myself?

  • Love God with all your heart.
  • Love God with all your soul.
  • Love God with all your mind.
  • Love God with all your strength.

SOUL TATTOO: I cannot give away what I do not have in me.