Troy Mills Christian Church

Sunday, December 18, 2022

Fourth Sunday of Advent: LOVE
Text: John 3:16

Bible Reading: 1 John 4:9-10 “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (NLT)

Text: John 3:16

God so loved the world—

Love—Agape’—to esteem; to cherish; to favor; to honor; to respect; to accept; to prize; to relish; and to be devoted to.

Definition of Agape’—1 Corinthians 13:4-8a “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. ⁸ Love never fails.” 

Three Scriptures that talk about God’s “forever love”–

#1–1 John 4:19–God’s love for us began before we existed

          Psalm 139:13-14—He loved us while we were being formed in our mother’s womb

Psalm 136:1-26—God’s love is forever

#2–Lamentations 3:22-23—The faithful love of the Lord never ends!

#3—Romans 8:38-39—Nothing can change the love God has for us!

Nicodemus and his late-night visit with Jesus—

          John 19:39—

John 3:16—a literal rendition, “that His Son, the only begotten, He gave.”

The only begotten Son of God—Messiah. The HOPE of all the world. The source of PEACE, both the PEACE of God and PEACE with God. And the JOY of mankind.