What Does Love Mean to You? (3-Week Worship Series)

This particular set lists are divided for a three-week series for praise and worship as we explore the nature of God's love for us - His sacrificial love, His merciful love and His faithful love.

WEEK 1: SACRIFICE
I used to think that love was just a feeling - an emotional attachment. It was often influenced by music, media and literature. However, that kind of feeling wasn't always enough to satisfy my inner soul. As I started to drown myself with God's Word, I found there was a greater love that was beyond my own understanding.

Love is costly. It's easy to give without loving, but we can't just love without giving - giving up what we value the most. God's love is a sacrificial kind of love that we can read about in 1 John 4:8-10.

"But does anyone who does not love does not know God - for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending His only Son into the world that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love. It is not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." 

Worship Game Plan: 
1. Made to Worship - Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash, Stephen Conley Sharp
2. I Could Sing of Your Love - Martin Smith
3. Beautiful Exchange - Joel Housten
4. How Deep the Father's Love for Us - Stuart Townend

**Optional (either to add or replace): Our God is Love - Joel Housten, Scott Ligertwood

WEEK 2: MERCY
God's love is so wide, full of grace and mercy. I always think about how much I really don't deserve His mercy. I mean, what have I done to deserve His love? As I walk down the memory lane, I see I've done so many things straying away from His will for my life. I've taken advantage knowing that God will always forgive me, His child. The intentional sin always starts simple, even at a young age. One time, I saw different flavours of Bubbalicious at a convenience store and I just HAD to try all of them. I didn't have enough money, so when I saw the opportunity to just slip them in my bag...I did. Then it became so easy to fall into the trap of lying to my parents about skipping classes to making up stories for my friends at school to impress them. It came to the point where I honestly knew what I was doing was wrong, but yet I still gave up the one thing I regret doing - my purity. The funny thing is, it wasn't like it was worth it. My point is, we, as humans, constantly fail to stand up for what is true and do what is right, because we always think we need to find that temporary happiness for some kind of fulfillment. Even though I'm paying for the consequences for my mistakes, God is still teaching me that He is always willing to extend his merciful love to me.

He loved us first, before we loved Him. Jeremiah 31:3
He continues to love us no matter what. Psalm 103:17. Luke 1:50
He showed His love to us through His Son. John 3:16
He pours His love to us thorugh the Holy Spirit. Romans 5:5
He heals us and loves us freely when we still fall back and sin. Hosea 14:4

I don't deserve His love. I don't deserve His forgiveness.
I don't deserve His grace or His mercy.
His own child, who he called out of darkness, walked right back into darkness, knowing it was wrong to begin with.

BUT, HIS LOVE IS STILL MERCIFUL.
He guides us with his love each day.
Each time we realize we've done something wrong, remember His forgiving love is there to pick you up when you fall and guide you back to Him.

Worship Game Plan:
1. Your Grace is Enough - Matt Maher
2. I Lift My Hands- Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio, Matt Maher
3. Power of Your Love - Geoff Bullock
4. Where the Love Lasts Forever - Joel Housten

WEEK 3: FAITHFUL
God's love is faithful. It is loyal and true. It is consistent and gives us a strong assurance. You see, God's faithfulness is not about doing something right once. He is faithful over and over and over again from his people in the Biblical to his people nowadays. God has not changed, does not change, will not change. He is the same God - yesterday, today and forever.

In Exodus, God is the Great "I AM". Because of his eternal existence, God's character remains the same (Malachi 3:6). Because His character remains the same, His truth - His Word - does not change (1 Peter 1:25). Because His truth does not change, His purpose stays the same (Psalm 33:11)

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV 

Worship Game Plan:
1. Forever - Chris Tomlin
2. You Never Let Go - Beth Redman, Matt Redman
3. Mighty to Save - Ben Fielding, Reuben Morgan
4. Your Love, Oh Lord - Brad Avery, David Carr, Mac Powell, Mark Lee, Tai Anderson


All for Him! xBN