Love is one of the most misunderstood words in the world. Most of us think of the love we receive rather than the love we give. Love is giving. "For God so loved the world that he gave is on and only son..." (John 3:16). Love is giving the greatest good to the greatest number. When God gave, He gave His very best--His own Son, Jesus Christ. He also gave Him to the greatest number--the whole world. That's love at it's very best. Learning to love means learning to give. Begin by giving yourself to God. He deserves to be your first priority (He'll accept nothing less, in fact). He deserves your highest love. What's more, He desires it. As you give yourself to God, you will experience His love more fully each day. The second step is learning to love others. As you experience God's love, you will be able to love others more and more deeply in word and deed. Start sharing God's love with others. Give your very best. Give your all--first to God, then to others.

Read John 15:12 and Romans 5:6-8. How did Christ show His love for you? Read Matthew 22:37-38. What is the first and greatest commandment? Read Deuteronomy 10:12. Name four things God expects of His people (that's you). REad John 14:23. What commitment does God make to those who love Him? Read Ephesians 5:1-2. How are you to live for God? REad 1 John 4:7. According to this verse, what do you have to be in order to really love? Read 1 John 4:20-21. How should your love for others affect your relationship with others?

The word love occurs 42 times in 1 John in one form or another. Read this letter and underline every reference to love in it. The tell us what you learned about love from 1 John.