Love Your Neighbor
June 18 | DNA Guide
Be Real Together:
Take a few minutes to catch up, tell stories, and laugh together. Trust and friendship take time to build. If you’re launching a new DNA, one person should tell their story — what do we need to know about you? Next week, have another person in your DNA share their story.
Read Together: Luke 10:25-37 CSB
After teaching the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus instructed us to, “go and do the same.” (Luke 10:37) So, how do we love our neighbor?
1) Acknowledge that they bear God's image (Genesis 1:26-27). The way the Samaritan man took care of the Jewish man shows a scenario in which racial and cultural divisions are stripped away, and all that's left is one human coming to the aid of another.
2) Embrace the awkwardness and do something. Evil triumphs when we turn a blind eye to the problems and injustices around us for the sake of our own comfort.
3) Recognize that Jesus loved us in our time of need. When we were laid low (in the ditch), Christ stooped to our level, bound our wounds, and carried us to a place of respite, so we could be restored at his own expense on the cross.
1) Acknowledge that they bear God's image (Genesis 1:26-27). The way the Samaritan man took care of the Jewish man shows a scenario in which racial and cultural divisions are stripped away, and all that's left is one human coming to the aid of another.
2) Embrace the awkwardness and do something. Evil triumphs when we turn a blind eye to the problems and injustices around us for the sake of our own comfort.
3) Recognize that Jesus loved us in our time of need. When we were laid low (in the ditch), Christ stooped to our level, bound our wounds, and carried us to a place of respite, so we could be restored at his own expense on the cross.
The One Question:
Ask this question at your family meal or DNA.
How does the parable of the Good Samaritan challenge our understanding of who our neighbors are and how we should love them?
Grow Together:
Use these questions to go deeper with your DNA or for personal study.
- Do you see your neighbor (anyone you meet) as a bearer of the image of God?
- Edmund Burke said, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Where in your life have you allowed your comfort to stifle your ability to minister to a neighbor in need?
- How can we overcome our biases and prejudices in order to love our neighbors unconditionally, regardless of their background or circumstances?
- What are some practical ways we can actively show love and care for those who are marginalized or in need within our own communities?
- How can we extend love and support to individuals or groups that we may find difficult to relate to or have disagreements with?
Pray Together:
Take time to pray with and for each other.