Guest Speaker: Jonathan Foster - "Love"

Redemption Church KC Sermon Podcast

1. In his talk today, Jonathan Foster shared this definition of love:

“Love is an uncontrolling, nonbinary, non-violent, non-scapegoating energy in relationship with God and others, meant for the flourishing of everyone.”

Consider this definition. What are some of the ideas and thoughts that surface for you? If you were able to hear his sermon, what did you think when you first heard the definition?

As Dr. Foster expanded on the specific parts of this definition, what stood out? Where did you find yourself particularly in agreement? What parts left you feeling uneasy? What parts left you with questions? What are those questions?

2. Jonathan said, “some people use the words of the Bible to define love; some people use love to define the words of the Bible.” He went on to strongly endorse the latter approach.

Spend some time as a group articulating these two approaches in your own language. What do they mean? What does each look like in practice?

What are your words thoughts and opinions about embracing the latter over the former or vice versa?

3. Toward the end of his sermon, Jonathan invited each of us to take this definition of love into our worlds and embody it in our lives.

Where do you see the strongest need for this kind of love to be embodied in the places and relationships with which your life intersects? How might you accept Jonathan’s invitation and embody this love in your life? Are there circumstances in which you can imagine this clarity & definition especially functioning as an asset? Share with the group.