Love for Love: Ch 1 - I Believe in Love

For a limited time, as a "Christmas gift" to our listeners, please enjoy our full discussion from our I Believe in Love book study on the first chapter of this life changing book. Here we discuss our relationship with Christ, whether or not we see ourselves as a "joy" for Jesus, and what it means to "abide" in Him. Shorter than a typical episode of Draw Near, but also a bit more personal at times, we hope and pray, but also believe, that these discussions will be a blessing to you (whether you have read the book or not - but we hope you will!).

For the Book Study (or for going deeper):
This book, "I Believe in Love," is a personal retreat based on the teachings of St. Therese of Lisieux written by Fr Jean C J D'Elbee

1. Read the Forward, Preface, and Chapter 1 (pgs 3-24)
2. Listen to this discussion of Conference 1 between Fred and Kara from [Draw Near](drawnear.me)!
3. Discuss the following discussion questions with a friend OR in the "discussion" feed within the book study on Suscipe You can also click on this link to join the study! It's not too late!

For your convenience, here are the questions:

1. One of the goals of this study is to provide an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to transform your heart. "There are persons... who pass their whole lives on earth without ever having experienced this heart-to-heart relationship with the Father in Heaven, their Creator and Savior" (pg.23). Reflect on this. How would you describe your relationship with God (stranger, genie, Father, best friend, etc.)? How is God calling you to grow closer to him?

2. In John 15:5, Jesus declares, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." What does this passage have to do with the theme of this week's conference -"love"?

3. Take a few minutes to meditate on Phillipians 2:7-8: "[He] emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross." What do these words reveal to you about the incredible love of God?

4. Do you think you are a "joy for Jesus"? What about you brings Him joy?

5. Reflect on these words from the text:
   "I should like to ask you urgently... never let your past sins be an obstacle between you and Jesus. It is a ruse of the Devil to keep putting our sins before our eyes in order to make them like a screen between the Savior and us. Think of your past sins for your own humiliation or to persuade yourself once again of your weakness, of your unworthiness; think of them in order to find happiness in expiation, in order to confirm your firm resolution not to fall again... but especially in order to bless Jesus for having pardoned you, for having purified you, for having cast all your sins to the bottom of the sea... Do not go looking for them at the bottom of the sea!"

In what ways have you allowed past faults, struggles, failures and sins to be an obstacle in receiving the love and mercy of God? How might this be overcome?

Learn more about (or purchase) the book, I Believe in Love here!

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