July 14, 2026 – A Study of Matthew – Practical Love

Practical Love

Leviticus 19:14-18 – New International Version (NIV)

¹⁴ “‘Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the Lord.

¹⁵ “‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.

¹⁶ “‘Do not go about spreading slander among your people.

“‘Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord.

¹⁷ “‘Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt.

¹⁸ “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

In your opinion, what would happen if you “put a stumbling block in front of the blind” (verse 14)?

What should not be shown to the poor (verse 15)?

What should not be shown to the great (verse 15)?

Where should slander not be spread (verse 16)?

Who should not be endangered (verse 16)?

Who should not be hated (verse 17)?

How should a neighbor be loved (verse 18)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about practical love?

Matthew 18:15-22 - New International Version (NIV)

¹⁵ “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. ¹⁶ But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ ¹⁷ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

¹⁸ “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

¹⁹ “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

²¹ Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

²² Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

How many people should initially be taken when a Christian goes to point out a fault (verse 15)?

Why should “one or two” be taken the next time (verse 16)?

What is to happen if they “refuse to listen even to the church” (verse 17)?

Where will whatever is loosed on earth also be loosed (verse 18)?

Who will do what two agree about and ask for (verse 19)?

Where will Jesus be (verse 20)?

How many times did Peter think he should have to forgive his brother or sister (verse 21)?

How many times did Jesus say that Peter should forgive his brother or sister (verse 22)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about practical love?

In your opinion, how does Jesus’s instructions in Matthew 18:15-22 follow the instructions of Deuteronomy 17:2-13?

2 Thessalonians 3:6-15 - New International Version (NIV)

⁶ In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. ⁷ For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, ⁸ nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. ⁹ We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. ¹⁰ For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”

¹¹ We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. ¹² Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. ¹³ And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.

¹⁴ Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them, in order that they may feel ashamed. ¹⁵ Yet do not regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you would a fellow believer.

Who are Christian “brothers and sisters” to keep away from (verse 6)?

What did Paul and his companions do while they were among the Thessalonians (verses 7-8)?

Why did they do this (verse 9)?

What rule did they give (verse 10)?

How did the “busybodies” behave (verse 11)?

What are these people commanded and urged “in the Lord Jesus Christ” to do (verse 12)?

What should “brothers and sisters” never tire of (verse 13)?

Why are the people who don’t obey this instruction to not be associated with (verse 14)?

How are they not to be regarded (verse 15)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about practical love?

In your opinion, what are the similarities between the instructions in Deuteronomy 17:2-13 and in 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15?

In your opinion, what does 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15 help us understand about the instructions of Jesus in Matthew 18:15-22 “treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector”?

1 John 3:18-24 - New International Version (NIV)

¹⁸ Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

¹⁹ This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: ²⁰ If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. ²¹ Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God ²² and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. ²³ And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. ²⁴ The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

How does John say we should not love (verse 18)?

How does John say we should love (verse 18)?

In your opinion, how does knowing that “God is greater than our hearts” set our hearts at rest “in his presence” (verses 19-20)?

When do we have “confidence before God” (verse 21)?

In your opinion, how is keeping his commands and doing what pleases God related to receiving from God “anything we ask” (verses 21-22)?

What is God’s command for us related to Jesus Christ (verse 23)?

What is God’s command for us related to “one another” (verse 23)?

How do we know that “he lives in us” (verse 24)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about practical love?

In your opinion, what does it mean that the list of “do nots” in Deuteronomy 17:2-13 ends in a command to “love your neighbor” and the positive and affirming passage in 1 John 3:18-24 contains the similar command to “love one another”?

In your opinion, how do Jesus’s instructions in Matthew 18:15-22 help us implement the command in 1 John 3:18-24 to love “with actions and in truth”?

In your opinion, how could loving “with words or speech” which 1 John 3:18-24 warns against be similar to the “idle and disruptive” believer of 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15?

In your opinion, what do these passages from Deuteronomy, Matthew, 2 Thessalonians, and 1 John teach us about living as a Christian among other Christians?

In your opinion, how do we share practical love in our interactions with other Christians today?

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)