1.Read 1 Corinthians 13:4–8. In what way does 1 Corinthians 13 show what kind of people we should be?

1 Corinthians 13:4–8 is one of the best-known Bible passages about love – and at the same time a powerful mirror that shows us what kind of people we should be.
🔍 What does it say?

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (according to Luther 2017)

💡 What does this tell us about our humanity?
This passage is not just a poetic description but a concrete standard for our daily behavior. It shows:

1. Who we should be – in character:

   Patient instead of impatient

   • Kind instead of harsh or dismissive

   • Humble instead of proud or selfish

   • Willing to forgive instead of harboring grudges

   • Truth-loving instead of hypocritical

2. How we should treat others:

   In relationships, family, church, work – love means understanding, trust, hope, and endurance.

   • Not every conflict must be “won” but rather carried with love.

3. What God expects from us:

   Not perfection, but a heart that grows in love.

   • This love is not a human achievement, but the fruit of the Spirit (cf. Galatians 5:22).

❤️ Conclusion:
1 Corinthians 13 shows us the way to a life shaped by God’s love. It challenges us, not through pressure – but through the invitation to let our hearts be formed by God so that we can love as Christ loves us.
This is how we should be: people for whom love is not just a word but a lived reality.

2.What distinguishes the sheep from the goats in Matthew 25:31–46? How can we understand what Jesus says here in such a way that salvation does not come from works?

In Matthew 25:31–46, Jesus describes the final judgment with a strong image: the Son of Man separates people like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
🐑 What distinguishes the sheep from the goats?
The sheep:
have fed the hungry,
• given drink to the thirsty,
• welcomed the stranger,
• clothed the naked,
• visited the sick,
• and remembered the imprisoned.
The goats, on the other hand, did none of these things.
The decisive difference lies not in religious declarations or external forms, but in the concrete actions of love towards the “least of these brothers.”

❓ How can we understand this without it sounding like “salvation by works”?
Jesus is not saying that we are saved by good deeds – rather, that good deeds are proof of a genuine relationship with Him.
🧡 The deeds are not the foundation of salvation, but the fruit of it.
The Bible makes it clear:
• Salvation happens solely through grace, through faith in Jesus Christ (cf. Ephesians 2:8–9).
• The deeds follow as a natural consequence of a renewed heart – they are an expression of true discipleship.

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40)
This shows: True love for Jesus is demonstrated in love for other people.

✨ Conclusion:
The sheep act out of love because their hearts have been transformed.
The goats, on the other hand, show that they never received or understood this love.
👉 It is not works that save us – but whoever is saved will not be without works.
They are the visible sign of an invisible faith.

3.What does the statement mean for you: “If this command is fulfilled by us, if we love the world as He has loved it, then His commission to us is fulfilled. We are ready for heaven, for we carry it in our hearts” (see Thursday section)? What does this say about both the nature of God and the nature of heaven? How can we, in this respect, live more like citizens of heaven, spreading God’s love in a way that brings light and justice to the oppressed?

This statement – “If this command is fulfilled by us, if we love the world as He has loved it, then His commission to us is fulfilled. We are ready for heaven, for we carry it in our hearts” – is profound and moves both heart and mind. It sums up the essence of the Christian faith and discipleship.

🌟 What does this mean for us personally?
It means: Heaven does not only begin after death – but in a heart that lives in the love of Christ.
If we truly love as Jesus loved – selflessly, mercifully, without partiality – then it is evident that we are part of His kingdom. Then we are not only “ready” for heaven, but we already carry it within us.

✨ What does this say about the nature of God?
• God is love (1 John 4:8). This love is not abstract, but acts concretely: it turns to the weak, forgives sin, and heals wounds.
• God does not measure our lives by religious achievements, but by how much we receive and pass on this love.
• God’s command is not complicated: Love! Just as I have loved you. (John 13:34)

🕊️ What does this say about the nature of heaven?
• Heaven is not just a place, but a state of the heart – a kingdom of love, peace, and justice.
• Whoever seeks heaven must learn to love – not just in words, but in deeds.
• Heaven is where people serve each other, uplift one another, and truly see one another – just as Jesus did.

🌍 How can we live as citizens of heaven and bring light?

1. By walking through life with open eyes:

   Where are people being overlooked, hurt, or excluded? How can I concretely help today?

2. By standing up for justice:

   God’s love is not passive – it also confronts injustice, brings healing and hope, especially for the oppressed.

3. By learning to forgive:

   Love that cannot forgive remains stuck in the past. Heaven begins where we let go and start anew – just as God does with us.

4. By living the Gospel – not just preaching it:

   Sometimes a helping hand or an open ear is more of the Gospel than a thousand words.

❤️ Conclusion:
This statement reminds us:
Heaven is where love reigns – and where love reigns, God becomes visible.
If we learn to see the world through Jesus’ eyes, to love it with His heart, and to live His commission in our daily lives, then we are truly on our way home – taking others along with us.

4.What practical steps should be taken in your local church community to reflect God’s concern for love and justice in your municipality? What are you doing well in your environment? What must you improve and bring more into focus? What concrete steps can you personally and collectively take to put into practice what we have learned about God’s love and justice?

These questions go deep – they challenge us not only to listen and believe but to act. They invite us, as a community, to live out in a very concrete way what we have learned about God’s love and justice.

✅ What are we (perhaps) already doing well?
Many churches are already engaged in important areas:
• 🤝 Food distributions, clothing pantries, or support for food banks for those in need
• 🧓 Visits to the elderly, lonely, or sick
• 🧒 Children’s and youth work that gives love, structure, and support
• 🌍 Mission projects or fundraising for people in need around the world
• 🕊️ Prayer groups, pastoral care – spiritual strengthening for others
All of these are important expressions of God’s love in everyday life!

⚠️ What could we improve or emphasize more?
• 🔍 Consciously noticing the silent need on-site:
Often we see the need in distant countries but overlook the lonely, refugees, single parents, homeless people right in our city.
• 🗣️ Listening more and judging less:
Sometimes people need not a sermon first, but a heart that listens.
• 🧑🤝🧑 Inclusion instead of exclusivity:
Are all truly welcome in our churches – including “the others”? (social outcasts, dissenters, people with broken lives?)
• 🛠️ Sustainable aid rather than one-off actions:
Instead of helping only sporadically, structural partnerships could be formed – for example, regular tutoring, mentoring, household assistance, accompanying people on official errands.

🏡 What concrete steps can we take personally and together?
🔹 Personally:
• Ask daily: “Lord, to whom may I show Your love today?”
• Accompany a person intentionally – for example, a child with a difficult background, a refugee, or a lonely neighbor
• Actively participate in diaconal projects or even bring in your own ideas
• Stand up for justice – for example, by writing a letter to politics, engaging in local initiatives
🔹 As a church:
• Start a “Love Challenge”: every week, the church intentionally does good
• Offer social counseling days with lawyers, pastoral counselors, social workers
• Cooperate with other churches, NGOs, and initiatives in the city
• Create open spaces: not just for worship, but for encounter, listening, and help

✨ Conclusion:
God’s love is not just an idea – it is a commission.
A church that loves changes its surroundings.
It brings hope where there is resignation.
It brings light where darkness prevails.
And it shows: Heaven begins right here – through people who act.

“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:18)

True love is not shown in grand words but in small deeds of the heart.

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