Sunday, November 2, 2025
The Art of Neighbouring: Why Do You Live Where You Live?
"Liking and Loving"
1 Thessalonians 2:1-12 

Is there a difference between liking people and loving them? Paul goes through a range of ways people will interact; it's kind of a 'do not do' list of behaviour. If I'm honest I know that my default is in his list - the way I will come to people when I want something from them or think they should do something. But he uses another image or metaphor to guide how we need to be with one another. What difference does it make when we come to each other like brothers and sisters, like mothers and fathers?

What did Jesus mean when he called us "the light of the world" in the sermon on the mount? (Matthew 5:14-16). I thought Jesus was the light of the world. And what does it means to be a "hidden light"? or a revealed light?

Going Deeper...
Read and meditate on 1 John 4:18 - 19. Moving past simply liking people, who do I struggle to love? When do I have difficulty loving them? If love casts out fear, what does my response to that person tell me about what I am afraid of?

 Looking ahead for next week... Read Luke 10 again. What instruction does Jesus give the 72 before they go? Is there anything that surprises you in his directions? What would change in the way we come to our neighbours if our posture toward our neighbours was shaped by these Jesus' words? How might our church "outreach programs" be changed?
~ Pastor Joe