Sixth Sunday of Easter – Happy Mother’s Day!

 

Opening Prayer

Oh, Comforter

YOU reach out to us when we are lost and alone

YOU reach us when we are deep down and sinking

YOU save us from our afflictions and hurts

YOU save us even we don’t think we deserve it

Lord, come wrap us up in your love!!!

Journal/Reflection Questions

Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48

• What does it feel like to have the Holy Spirit poured upon you? How it different or the same as having the Holy Spirit within you?
• Where has the grace of God brought you? What does it give you?  How does it help you daily?

 

1John 4:7-10

• What did the world know about God before Jesus came? How is it the same and/or different from what we knew after Jesus lived on earth?  How is it the same and/or different from what we experience now living with the Holy Spirit?
• How do you respond to the love God revealed by giving His only son to die for you?

 

John 15:9-17

• What challenges are presented when we try to love our neighbor as God commands?
• Loving God with all of your heart, mind and soul is poetic but challenging. How would you rate yourself in loving God in each of these areas?

 

General Questions for Journaling

• Where does the Holy Spirit reside in your faith life?
• How do you acknowledge or communicate with the Holy Spirit?
• When considering your “relationship” with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, how do you divide your time with each “person” of the trinity? Is there one whom you rely more?  Is there one whom you confide in or call out to more?  Is there one you listen or follow the advice of more?
• Where do you find grace? Is it something you seek or something that comes to you?
• When you love someone, do you always like them or the choices they make? Does your love for them still exist in these situations?
• What does it look like to love God with all of your heart? Share an example or two of how you live out this truth or how you could.
• What does it look like to love God with your entire mind? Share an example or two of how you live out this truth or how you could.
• What does it look like to love God with all of your soul? Share an example or two of how you live out this truth or how you could.

Closing Prayer

Leader:  Creator God, you have given us all we need…

ALL:  May our love for you deepen through nature

Leader:  Savior Jesus, your life shows us there will be times of trouble…

ALL:  May our love for you deepen through conflict

Leader:  Holy Spirit, with you we are complete…

ALL:  May our love for you deepen through relationship

Leader:  Mighty Trinity, you are in all things at all times…

ALL:  May our love for you deepen through our lives

Challenge for the Week:   When you use the word LOVE, you can mean it in several different ways, such as you love the beach or you love chocolate.  When it comes to saying, I love you to a friend, a spouse or to God do you mean it the same way to each of them?  The challenge is YES, you should.  God calls everyone to love in a mature, respectful and dignified way.  He says to love EACH person as HE loves.  God’s love is unconditional.  God’s love is difficult to match.  However, when you pursue a relationship with God you come to know this love more deeply and can begin to understand how to love others better.  There might be people in your life whom you love on the surface or because you have known them all of your life or you love something about them but other things about them you don’t.  The love God wants you to have for others is deeper, it requires effort and even a risk to be vulnerable.  Consider the love you have for others and compare it to the love God has for you.  How can you begin to grow in this love to be closer to God AND to find the love in the relationships God has called us to find.  He wants this for you!