Cell Notes: Sunday 16th September

Sermon Series: Taking on the Family Likeness

Fruit of the Spirit: Love Read Luke 15: 11 - 32 (The Lost Son)

What does Christ look like? According to Paul, if you want to know what Christ looks like, we have to start talking about the Fruit of the Spirit. And were not talking about physical attributes: how tall someone was, hair or eye colour. Were talking about character. To be a Christian is to carry Christs Spirit within us. To carry Christs Spirit within us is to begin a journey of being transformed into Christlikeness, to begin to resemble Him. And what is Christ like? If Christs Spirit is within you, says Paul, you will begin to show signs of the Fruit of the Spirit: of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And who do these qualities describe? Where do we see them? In the personality of Christ. We are becoming like him. In the parable (or story) of the Prodigal Son a story that could also be called, perhaps more accurately, The Fathers Love Jesus shows us the kind of love that God has for us. It is a self-sacrificial love, prepared to be humiliated in order to protect and serve the beloved, ready to overlook wrongs, not interested in calculating how much the beloved deserves to be loved. The Father loves us unconditionally: and we see the Fathers love in Christ, who, in dying for us on the cross, expresses the Fathers profound and undeserved love for us. But if Christ is the likeness of the Father, so also we, when we have the Spirit within us, start to become like Christ: we start to share in the family resemblance. When we have the Spirit within us, we start to show the fruit of the Spirit, the first of which is love: being part of Gods family, we start to love as Christ loves, and so the very nature of God can be glimpsed within us. Questions: 1. What does our surrounding culture tell us about Love? 2. What is the most powerful experience of Love that youve had? 3. What do you think is the opposite of Love? 4. Do you think the word Love is overused in Church and has thus lost its power? If yes, how can we re-capture its power? 5. Is there evidence of Gods love in the world? 6. Is love always kind, pleasant, enjoyable, pleasurable?

7. Its easy to substitute real acts of love with abstract ideas of love: where in your life is there an opportunity, or need, for real acts of love?
8. Each cell has received a number of Alpha and Marriage Course leaflets. Brainstorm who you could invite to one or other of these. Encourage one another by praying for these people and asking for God to give you an opportunity to invite them (there are more invites available at the church

office or there is information on the Springfield website and an online signup). It would be so great to see both courses packed this autumn. Note: Alpha and Marriage Course both start at 7.30pm on Wednesday 26th September. There is a cost of 70 for a couple on the marriage course (bursaries available if needed). The Alpha course is free.