Patient - actively waits without resentment.

Kind - acting for the good of others without benefit for me.

Not Jealous/Envious - sets self aside to celebrate others' success.

Boastful - self-promoting, self-praising

Proud - confidence in self above all others and expectation of others to feel the same

Rude - insists on self-expression at the expense of others.

Self-seeking/demand its own way - satisfying own needs before someone else

Irritable - seeing others as an obstacle to my goal, rather than seeing people as the goal

No record of wrongs - is not resentful, offers the same forgiveness I have received and want

Does not rejoice at injustice but rejoices in truth - let God be God

Never gives up - not limited by what is "reasonable" or what other people would "put up with"

Never loses faith - chooses trust over suspicion

Always hopeful - roots for victory

Endures - even when it is difficult

Last forever - real love is eternal

START TALKING

When have you seen the source starved and it made something not work? (i.e. run out of gas, battery died, etc.)

When have you seen that something good starved the source of something bad? (i.e. fertilizing your yard to get rid of weeds, good defense kept the other team from scoring, etc.)

START THINKING

Read 1 Peter 4:7-8. What is the connection between verse 7 and verse 8? How does verse 7 bring perspective to what verse 8 tells us to do?

How is the idea of "love covers a multitude of sins" seen in a relationship between a parent and a child? How did you experience that from your parents? If you have kids, how do you experience that toward your children?

START SHARING

Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Of the 14 actions that we see love does, which ones are most difficult for you in your flesh? Which ones come most naturally? Why?

As you think about this list of 14, which ones have you experienced from someone else and how did it impact you? Share a story of when you have experienced at least one of those toward you.

Go through the list of love in action verbs (see the notes above). How do each of those show the nature and character of Jesus? Give an example of each one where Jesus could have easily done the opposite, but chose and chooses to do what you see listed in this passage.

How would following 1 Peter 4:7-8 and 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 starve the source of drama in your family? In your church? Where you work or spend most of your time?

START DOING

What do you sense the Holy Spirit telling you to do with the list of love-action verbs we've discussed? And what are you going to do about it?

How will you pray this week and what will your prayer be so that you can put these ideas into action and look more like Jesus as you do?

START PRAYING

Pray for each other and what you shared in the previous question. Pray that we each shine like lights in this world as we live out the difficult but important mission that being a Kingdom ambassador is for each of us!