October 6th, 2024 - Just Love - No Comparison

Scripture Passages: 1 Corinthians 13: 4b; Galatians 5:22-26; James 3:13-18; 1 Peter 2:1-3

Printable PDF

Slide 1

Slide 2

Just Love
and
No Comparison

Slide 3

Learning to Love
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

Slide 4

Can you think of someone taller, shorter, older, younger, faster, slower, in front of, behind you?

Slide 5

Parable about wages: "not fair"
Robert Farrar Capon
"whoever keeps score loses"

Slide 6

Working against our tendency to compare.
Paul
Peter
James

Slide 7

Free from the need for comparison
1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

Slide 8

How do we actually do this?
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Slide 9

Yoked, lockstep, in surrender
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love...

25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Slide 10

Avoid sliding into spiritual
pride, boasting, and envy
26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Slide 11

Peter
Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.

Slide 12

Basic relational feeding
2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,

Slide 13

James
What does this person look like?
13 Who is wise and understanding among you?

Slide 14

Did you say "meaningful service"?
Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

Slide 15

Wise serving is the antidote
14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts,...15 ... unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.