John 15:9-17

“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you….”  Surely, this is one of the most precious verses in the Bible.   We are blessed with love from God through his Son.  And in perfect sequence, Jesus tells us, we are to “love one another, as I have loved you.”
 
When we know the blessing of love, we have love to give to others.  Love that is received and given away is like the inexhaustible meal and oil which Elijah gave to the widow of Zarephath.  Love gives warmth and comfort and light.  Poet Sara Teasdale wrote about the light of love.
 
                        “And a woman I used to know
                        Who loved one man from her  youth…
                        Never spoke of this thing,
                        But hearing his name by chance,
                        A light would pass over her face.”      
 
Discussion:      What expression crosses our faces when people ask, “What church do you attend?”        
 
Activity:          Practice reflecting the light of love.