Weekly challenge to focus on and practice LOVE through protecting.

Sunday- God’s protection toward us

John 3:16  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Challenge: Have you thought about God loving you by giving you protection?  God protects us from sin, death, eternal punishment and separation from Him.  God demonstrates his protecting love by sacrificing His one and only Son so that we can have a relationship with Him.  Have you accepted His love by believing in Him and following Him?  What else does he protect you from?  Thank God for his protection.

Monday – Our showing love toward God through protection

James 1:27  Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Challenge: Our love for God is shown how we treat others and protect/take care of them.  Especially, those that are in need.  Take a moment and write down the names of some people that you can show you love for God by taking care of them.  Be God’s hands and feet today and show his love through protecting and taking care of others.

Tuesday- Our protection toward our Family

1 Peter 4:8  Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Challenge: Love is reluctant to drag a person into scandal in front of everybody else.  It protects in the sense of being disposed to cover the ugliness rather than make sure everybody knows about it.  Aren’t you glad that you have family that loves you in spite of your faults?  Thank someone in your family for showing you this protecting love.  Thank God for your family.  Show protecting love to a family member today.

Wednesday- Our protection toward our Friends

1 John 3:16  This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.

Challenge: We love our friends by protecting them and being willing to sacrifice for them.  Show a friend Jesus’ love by protecting them.  List specific things that you can do for a friend that show your protecting love for them.  Do one thing today. 

Thursday- Our protection toward our Neighbor

Proverbs 10:12    Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.

Challenge: Hatred pulls out a magnifying glass and looks for faults but protecting love covers wrongs.  Think about how to have protecting love toward your neighbor.  Show love to your neighbor by being gracious to them and overlooking their faults.  

Friday- Our protection toward our Enemies

1 Samuel 24:8-12  ⁸ Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. ⁹ He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when men say, ‘David is bent on harming you’? ¹⁰ This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed.’ ¹¹ See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. See that there is nothing in my hand to indicate that I am guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. ¹² May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you.

Challenge:  Is this what it looks like to love and protect your enemy?  How did David protect his enemy?  Do you have someone that you would consider an enemy?  How can you show them love by protecting them?  Ask for strength from God to show love to them. 

Saturday- Our protection toward the Lost

Luke 15:3-7  ³ Then Jesus told them this parable: ⁴ “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? ⁵ And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶ and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ ⁷ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Challenge: Love will warn, and love will exhort and love will rebuke and love will discipline but love will cover… not expose.  It is a beautiful characteristic of love.  Love is genuine and it wants to help and protect others.  Jesus tells the parable of the lost sheep to Pharisee’s and teachers of the law that were bent on judging the lost rather than trying to save them.  Is your love for the lost genuine?  Do you want to help and protect the lost by sharing what they could have in Jesus?  Choose someone that needs to know about Jesus and share with them how he has changed your life.