Sermon Study Guide | Series: Love Is | Sermon: More Than a Feeling | Scripture: 1 John 4:7–12; 1 Corinthians 13 | Date: February 1, 2026

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If you’d like to dig deeper take a look at our Series Resource Guide: 📘 Love Is — Resource Guide

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CONNECT - “A Personal Reflection”

This section is designed to help you relate personally to the theme of the sermon. It encourages you to reflect on your own life experiences and how they connect to the message.

This week, we’re diving into something that may sound familiar, love. But we’re not talking about chocolate hearts or dating apps. We’re talking about the real kind; the kind that holds you up when everything else falls down. Take a minute to reflect:

When have you experienced a version of love that wasn’t just a feeling, but a foundation—something that held you up when you couldn’t hold yourself up?

Maybe it was a friend who didn’t leave. A spouse who stayed. A parent who forgave. Or maybe… you’re still searching for that kind of love. Be honest and share with your group.

ENGAGE - “Exploring the Scripture”

This section invites you to dive into the biblical passage, discuss its meaning, and apply it to your life through thoughtful questions.

Read 1 John 4:7–12 and 1 Corinthians 13 together. Then discuss:

• What stands out to you most about John’s description of love being rooted in God’s nature?
  
  
• Why do you think it’s significant that John—once called a “Son of Thunder”—became the one to write, “God is love”?
  
  
• In your own words, how would you contrast the culture’s version of love with God’s version of love?
  
  
• 1 Corinthians 13 describes love not as a vibe or spark, but as a set of costly actions. Which part of this list is hardest for you to live out? Why?
  
  
• Consider the phrase: “You can’t emulate what you haven’t experienced.” How have you personally experienced the kind of love Paul describes?
  
  
• Where in your life are you chasing balloons: relationships based on emotion, convenience, or chemistry; and where are you investing in anchors: relationships rooted in godly character, self-sacrifice, and faithfulness?

APPLY - “Putting the Scriptures into Action”

This section challenges us to take what we’ve learned and implement it in practical ways in our daily lives.
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• Take some time alone this week and rewrite the phrase “Love is…” with an action rather than a feeling. For example:
  
  “Love is doing the dishes.”
  
  “Love is being patient when I want to rush.”
  
  “Love is forgiving, even when I don’t feel like it.”
  
  Come up with one each day this week and post it somewhere you’ll see it.
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• Evaluate your close relationships using the Sandpaper / Scalpel / Sledgehammer framework:
  
  
  • Who is sandpaper in your life—someone who annoys you but sharpens you?
    
    
  • Who has permission to use a scalpel—someone you’ve entrusted with speaking truth in love?
    
    
  • Are there any sledgehammers—people you need to set boundaries with for your safety?
    
    What is one next step God might be prompting you to take in one of those relationships?
    
    
• Read 1 Corinthians 13 again—but this time, substitute “Jesus” for the word “love.” How does that shift the way you read it?

PRAY - “Seeking God’s Guidance”

This section offers a short prayer to help us center our hearts and invite God to work in our lives through his scripture.

God of Love, Thank you that love isn’t just something you feel—it’s who you are. Thank you that you loved us first, even when we were unlovable. Help us anchor our lives not in our emotions or circumstances but in your unchanging character. Where we are proud, humble us. Where we are hurt, heal us. Where we are selfish, reshape us.

Teach us to love like you: patiently, kindly, sacrificially. Remind us today that love isn’t a decoration—it’s the foundation you’ve laid for us. And because you are love, we are never without it. Amen.

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