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SAY YES TO GOD (Kay Warren)

"Then Jesus called his disciples and the crowds to come over and listen.  'If any of you wants to be my follower,' he told them, 'you must put aside  your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me.'"
Mark 8:34 (NLT)

"Jesus called the crowd together with his disciples, and said to them, 'If anyone wishes to follow me (as my disciple), he must deny himself (set aside selfish interests), and take up his cross (expressing a willingness
to endure whatever may come) and follow me (believing in me, conforming to my example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in me).'" Mark 8:34 (AMP)

HOW TO LEAVE THE CROWD AND BECOME A DISCIPLE:

• Put aside selfish ambition
• Comfort
• Control
• Fear
• TAKE UP THE CROSS

"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 (ESV)

ACTION PLAN: What area/aspect of your life are you holding on to, afraid that you may have to sacrifice it if you really handed it to God? Ask God to help you be honest, then write it down. Know that your trust in God is shown by how much you trust God with that area/aspect of your life. Ask for God's help in trusting Him, knowing He loves you.

• FOLLOW HIM

"Christ is the visible image of the invisible God …"     Colossians 1:15 (NLT)
"If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it.  But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life. And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process? Is anything worth more than your soul?" Mark 8:36-37 (NLT)

live a life of love! (Rick Warren)

"Live a life of love, just as CHRIST LOVED US and GAVE himself up for us as an OFFERING and SACRIFICE to God."       Ephesians 5:2 (NIV)

"everything you do must be done with love!"   1 Corinthians 16:14 (NLT)

"Love is more important than anything else. Love is what holds you all together in perfect unity."              Colossians 3:14 (CEV)

"Seek a life of love as if your life depended on it — because it does!" 1 Corinthians 14:1 (MSG)

Learning to love better should be my first priority for the rest of my life.

IF I NEVER LEARN HOW TO REALLY LOVE …
(1 Corinthians 13:1–3,8,13)

• NOTHING I SAY WILL MATTER!

"I may be able speak in many languages of people, or of even angels! But if I do not have love, I'm only a noisy bell or a crashing cymbal!"  (v.1)


2. NOTHING" I KNOW "WILL MATTER!
"I could have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and have all knowledge … but if I don't have love, then I am nothing!"  (vs. 2a)

3. NOTHING" I ACHEIVE "WILL MATTER! 
"I could have a faith so great that I could move mountains!
 But even with this, if I do not have love, I still am nothing!" (vs. 2b)

4. NOTHING" I GIVE OR SACRIFICE "WILL MATTER!        
"And if I give away all my possessions to the poor, and even sacrifice my
body to be burned as a martyr, if I do not have love, I gain nothing!"  (vs.3) 

 "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love!"  Galatians 5:6 (NIV)

HOW CAN I LEARN TO LOVE BETTER?

1. KEEP REMINDING MYSELF HOW MUCH GOD LOVES ME"!
"Love comes from God … And God showed how much he loves us by sending his only Son into the world so that we can have eternal life through him. This is REAL love! ... And since God loved us that much,
we surely ought to love each other."                  1 John 4:7,9–11 (NLT)

ACTION PLAN: Turn on notifications for your phone/computer.  Set the alert tone to a new tone. When you hear the new alert tone, before trying to identify what the alert is for, use that new prompting to remind yourself that God loves you.  Say an affirmation out loud or to yourself. Do it every time the alert goes off.  If the newness of the alert tone wears off, change the tone to a new one again.  Repeat the process.

2. SPEND MORE TIME "WITH GOD AND HIS WORD".

"As we live in God, our love grows more perfect."  1 John 4:17 (NLT)

ACTION PLAN: Read 1 Corinthians Chapter 13.  Write out ways to express through actions the "love is…" statements in that chapter.  Capture how God has demonstrated His love for you.

3. PRACTICE "CHOOSING TO ACT" IN LOVING WAYS.

"Let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love!" 1 John 3:18 (MSG)

ACTION PLAN: Who could use a smile from you?  Who could you lend an ear to and be a friend to?  What needs of others are you already aware of?  Who could you enlist to help you meet some of those needs?  Make a to-love list and start checking off boxes this week once you put those ideas into action