With All Your Heart, And With All Your Soul, And With All Your Mind: A Bible Study of our Love, Fait

Jesus, Paul, James, and other writers in the Bible ask us to reflect on our actions to be sure that we follow Christ rather than our worldly beliefs and desires. As they talk to us, they use action verbs, such as "do," "give," "forgive," "pray," "bless," "love," and "rejoice." Paul says, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32). Jesus, Paul, James, John, and others connect love and forgiveness, telling us to treat love and forgiveness as actions we should take. The Bible tells us that God gives us grace and love, and we must give love and grace to those around us. "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (James 1:22). To strive toward sharing God's unconditional love, we must rely on the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and other believers for understanding. This study leans on prayer, scripture, storytelling, autobiography, and reflection to show how Jesus speaks of love, faith, and grace as intentional practices, not idealized theories.