Discussion Topic: GRATEFULLY, PAY IT FORWARD!

Anchor Verse: Romans 13:8

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one
another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law”.
A woman and her husband came to the pastor and said, “Were going to get
a divorce, but we want to come to make sure that you approve of it.” There
are people who come to the pastor hoping that when they say there is no
feeling left in their marriage, the pastor will say, “Well, if there’s no feeling
left, then, the only thing you can do is split.” Instead, the pastor says to the
husband, “The Bible says you’re to love your wife as Jesus Christ loved the
church.” He says,
“Oh, I can’t do that.”
The pastor says, “If you can’t begin at that level, then begin on a lower
level. You’re supposed to love your neighbor as you love yourself. Can you
at least love her as you would love a neighbor?” The husband says, “No.
That’s still too high a level.”
The pastor says, “The Bible says, ‘Love your enemies. Why don’t you start
there.’?”
Romans 13:8 talks about our primary debt, and it is to love our neighbor.
When it comes to the debt of love we owe, we will never completely pay it
off. We’re always indebted, we can just keep on gratefully paying it forward.
Have you ever owed someone money? Has an individual ever loaned you
money, and every time you see that individual, what do you think about? “I
owe that guy money.”
This verse is saying we all ought to look at everyone else, and every time
we see another person, we ought to say, “You know, I owe that person
something. I owe that person love. I owe that person acceptance. I owe
that person compassion. I’m indebted to that person.”
How did you incur this debt? How did you become indebted? Jesus paid
your sin debt when you were flat broke.
How do you repay this debt? By writing checks of love, kindness and
forgiveness to others; “for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law”.
2 Corinthians 1: 3-5 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who
comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble
with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share
abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through
Christ.

Discussion starters:
1. Relate an instance when you felt somebody gave you
love or kindness, maybe when you really needed it.
2. Relate an instance when you gave somebody love or
kindness