By Julie Korte

Download a PDF of the Word One Bible Study for the Fifth Sunday of Easter.

Text: John 13:31-35 for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, Lectionary Series C

OBJECTIVES

Participants will:

  1. Love one another as Christ has loved us.
  2. Begin to understand that kind of love.

GROUP GUIDELINES

This Bible study has been designed for groups of 2-3. The sharing may be very personal at times. No small group leader is necessary. However, the adult leader needs to facilitate the small group time with sensitivity and gentleness. Participants always have the freedom to pass if they do not want to share.

BUILDING COMMUNITY

  1. Share a time in your life when you observed or experienced real
  2. Rate your youth group community on how they love.

 1              _______    4              _______    6              _______    8              _______    10           

  1. Talk about how you rated your group and why.

LOOKING AT GOD’S WORD

Read John 13:31-35.

  1. Share a time in your life when you experienced a difficult love.
    1. Talking to a friend who has been doing something that concerns you
    2. Sexual pressure
    3. Abuse from a family member
    4. Disappointment in a significant adult in your life
  2. How does Christ’s love help us to understand the love we need to feel and share with others?
  3. Which of the following apply to how Christ loves us? Christ’s love is:
    1. Dependent on what we do
    2. Ours if we love Him back
    3. Only for good people
    4. Is for biblical times and does not apply today
    5. Free and unconditional
  4. Create a picture collage, using magazines, to show Jesus’ command, “Love one another as I have loved you.”
  5. Read 1 Corinthians 13 and 1 John 4:7-8.
  6. In your large group, share how Christ loves us with your collages. Post them in your meeting space.

REINFORCING WHAT HAS BEEN LEARNED

  1. Have red construction paper, cut in the shape of crosses, for each participant.
  2. Distribute these as a constant reminder of how Christ loves us.

CLOSING

Close with a group prayer. Focus on building Christ-like love.

 

Originally published in Discovery Bible Studies.

Updated for youthESource in April 2016