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Week 8: I Love God

Coach's Corner

Warm-Up

“And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” – Mark 12:30

Shout and clap out loud if you really love these things:

  • Pizza!
  • Sports!
  • School!
  • [Insert Favorite Local Team]!
  • Anchovies!
  • Ice Cream!
  • Anchovy Ice Cream!
  1. What does the word “love” mean to you?
  2. What is something that you love?

Workout

When you really love someone, you want to be around that person as much as you can and get to know him or her better.

If that person is an important part of your life (a parent, a coach, a teacher, a pastor), you want to help them or do whatever they ask you to do. We’ve already talked about how much God loves us. Because of that love for us, we should then love Him with all of our hearts and want to respond to His love.

First of all, when we love God, we will want to spend time with Him and talk with Him. James 4:8a tell us to, “Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

Secondly, when we love God, we will want to learn about Him. We can do that through His Word (the Bible): “For the word of God is alive and powerful.” – Hebrews 4:12a

And finally, our love for God means we obey Him and do what He asks us to do.

In John 5:3a, we learn that, “Loving God means keeping his commandments.”

So, those who love God want to do these three important things:

  1. Pray to God – Just talk with him…He’s listening.
  2. Read the Bible – This holds the wisdom for our lives.
  3. Obey the Lord – Simply do what He asks us to do in the Bible.

As we do those things, not only will we get stronger in our faith, but our love for God will continue to grow every day!

Wrap-Up

Let’s close in prayer together:

“Dear God, I want to love you more every day—with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Let my love for You help me get closer to You, learn more about You, and obey your commandments. Amen.”