Hilltop Community Church of Christ

1.      I MUST ACCEPT OTHERS LIKE JESUS ACCEPTS ME.

How does Jesus treat those that are given to him, according to John 6:37?

• What makes God’s acceptance of us amazing?

Where can a person who is rejected by their parents go for acceptance, as stated in Psalm 27:10?

• How does God’s love compare with a parent’s love?

What has Jesus done on our behalf, according to Titus 3:7?

• Describe Jesus’ acceptance of us as heirs.

How should we accept others, as declared in Romans 15:7?

• Name some ways to show acceptance to people.

What does Romans 15:2 say we should think about as we deal with our neighbor?

• How can we help a friend or neighbor who has doubts and fears?

Connecting -We all have things in our lives that make us difficult to love. Jesus showed us acceptance, and now we can show someone else that same acceptance. Who do you know that is hard to love? Find a way to show that person acceptance this week with a small gesture of love.

2.      I MUST VALUE OTHERS LIKE JESUS VALUES ME.

In Luke 12:6–7, describe how God compares the life of a sparrow to a person.

• If the hairs on our heads are each numbered, what does that say about God’s attention to detail?

Value depends on who made it.

Read Ephesians 2:10 and describe how God values each of us.

• If our value as individuals derives from who created us, discuss what it means to be “God’s workmanship.”

Value depends on what someone will pay for it.

According to 1 Peter 1:19, what value did God put on mankind?

• Sometimes we underestimate our own value in the eyes of God. If you were in God’s shoes, would you have placed such a high value on yourself or your friends as he did? Why or why not?

After reading Isaiah 49:15–16, who does God compare himself to in the way he loves us?

• It’s possible for parents to lose their love for their children for a variety of reasons. But God says it’s impossible for him to do so. What do you think is the significance of the fact that he says, “I have engraved you on the palms of my hands”?

What way are we to treat everyone we meet according to 1 Peter 2:17?

• What specific ways can we act dignified toward others when they are rude to us?

Welcoming - It’s often difficult to practice love in the details of our lives, particularly when we’re pressed by the pressures of life. In our hurried lifestyles, we often slough off the opportunities to show love to those who are in our way, or who we don’t agree with. What can you specifically do this week to practice love by expressing yourself with dignity and love to someone in particular?

3.              I  MUST SACRIFICE FOR OTHERS LIKE JESUS SACRIFICES FOR ME 

Ephesians 5:2 ^“and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

• Living a life of love involves giving ourselves up for others.  In what ways can you live a life of love to those around you? 
• When can giving yourself up for others become unhealthy?

Romans 12:1-3 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

• Based on this passage, what is the motivation for being a living sacrifice to God and how does that motivate you to love others?
• How is being a “living sacrifice” a form of worship?

1 Peter 1:18-21 “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, ¹⁹but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”