The Greatest Commandment

Mark 12:30
Purpose: Love God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength. Give yourself to God completely!

Teachers

1. Develop aspect with definitions, illustrations and experiences
2. Apply aspect to the students lives. What would it mean for them to love God in this way in their daily lives?
3. Verses (from NIV) will help you understand how the Bible uses the term.
4. Application

 

1. Heart
   (read the narrative in Mark 12:28-34.)
1. What does God really want from us?
2. Heart = seat of affection, intellect and imagination; the source of action, will
3. VERSES
4. Application
   1. Complete devotion
   2. Decide to follow God completely
   3. Submit will and motives to God
   4. Pray daily to give yourself to God for his use
   5. Center your desires and actions around God's priorities
2. Soul
   1. The animating and vital principle in human beings, credited with the faculties of thought, action, and emotion and often conceived as an immaterial entity (deep, eternal part of ourselves that responds to the world in profound ways; the seat of value of a person).
   2. Verses
   3. Application
      • Put your hope in God
      • Pour out your soul to God
      • Be completely open w/ God
      • Get really personal w/ God
      • Be honest about your emotions w/ God and other people
3. Mind
   1. The collective conscious and unconscious processes in a sentient organism that direct and influence mental and physical behavior, thoughts and attitudes (study, learn, judge, know).
   2. Verses
   3. Application
      • Think about things above (Phil. 3:1,2)
      • Develop your mind
      • School, studying, practice (Heb. 5:14)
      • Don't be stupid!
4. Strength
   1. Capacity or potential for effective action (talent, gifting, aptitude, ability)
   2. Verses
   3. Application
      • Use your talents to serve God and others
      • Not just for glory
      • Music, art, speech, giving, helps, sports, thinking, learning, discernment, etc
      • Use everything you're good at to serve God and others
      • Use weaknesses, too