Religion without love is ridiculous.


If I speak with the tongues of mankind and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give away all my possessions to charity, and if I surrender my body so that I may glory, but do not have love, it does me no good.

Love without a definition is amorphous.

4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. 5 It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, 6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love is eternal so focus on it.

8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away with; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away with. 9 For we know in part and prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away with. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

So What?!

#1. Love Challenges Expectations

What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love him. 1 Cor. 2:9

#2. Love Compels Action

Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. Matt. 25:40

#3. Love Conquers Obstacles

Love never fails 1 Cor. 13:8

#4. Love Cares Personally

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God. 1 John 3:1

#5. Love Changes Priorities

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10

Small Group Questions
I Corinthians 13, Pastor Ed Kemp, January 5 & 8, 2023

Prayer Requests:

Group Discussion: Do you think our culture makes love an emotion or a commitment?

Read: I Corinthians 12:31b-14:1a

Why is religion without love ridiculous? Vs. 1-3.

Why is love without a definition amorphous. Vs. 4-7
Why is love eternal and how do I focus on it? Vs. 8-13
When love is a commitment and not an emotion you can use it for the purpose of:
#1. Love Challenges Expectations. What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love him. 1 Cor. 2:9. Do you think we can successfully picture what heaven is like and how it would feel to be there? Describe what you think heaven is like.

#2. Love Compels Action. Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. Matt. 25:40. Do you ever say to yourself, “I just did that for Jesus.” when you help someone else? Jesus says you did! Would it make you a more helpful or considerate person if you were doing it for Jesus? Why?

#3. Love Conquers Obstacles. Love never fails 1 Cor. 13:8. What obstacles are you facing right now in serving people in an attitude of love? Do you find yourself with compassion fatigue because of all the emotional appeals for money on television commercials during the Christmas season? Do they motivate you to give or do they motivate you to change the TV station?

#4. Love Cares Personally. See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God. 1 John 3:1. How do you love people in your family, neighborhood, work place? Pick one person in your life, what could you do to lavish love on them?
Paul says love is the more excellent way, why is loving with excellence difficult?

#5. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10. Who is the #1 person you’re devoted to and why?

Family Time: Tell your kids about love being an action. Read I Corinthians 14:1 and tell the story of pursue means like a dog pursuing a cat. Ask them, “How can we love people with the same kind of enthusiastic commitment that a dog has when pursuing or chasing a cat?”