October 12 - The Teachings of Jesus

Love God. Love Neighbor.

Icebreaker

What’s the most “neighborly” thing someone has ever done for you — and what’s the most un-neighborly thing you’ve seen?

Study Questions

1. Read Matthew 22:34–40 and Matthew 7:12. Why do you think Jesus links loving God and loving neighbor together instead of treating them as separate commands?
2. In what ways does the Golden Rule (“do to others what you would have them do to you”) help explain what it means to love your neighbor as yourself?
3. Jesus said all the Law and the Prophets “hang” on these two commands. What does that image suggest about the relationship between love and obedience?
4. According to 1 John 4:19–20, why is it impossible to truly love God without loving others?
5. How does Jesus’ redefinition of “neighbor” in Luke 10:25-37 challenge cultural or religious assumptions about who is “worthy” of our love?

Application Questions

1. When you think about loving God with your heart, soul, and mind, which area feels most natural for you — and which area needs the most growth right now?
2. What barriers keep us from loving people who are different from us — in background, beliefs, or politics — the way Jesus describes?
3. How does remembering that “we love because God first loved us” change the way you approach difficult people or strained relationships?
4. Jesus changed the question from “Who is my neighbor?” to “Who can I be a neighbor to?” Who might God be calling you to be a neighbor to this week?
5. How would our community look different if every believer lived as though loving God and loving neighbor were truly inseparable?

Prayer
Spend time thanking God for His love that pursued you first.
Pray for a heart that loves God more deeply — and for eyes to see the people around you as He sees them.
Invite each person to name one specific person or group they feel called to “neighbor” this week, and pray for opportunities to show mercy and love in action.