With All Your Heart, and Soul, Mind: A Bible Study of our Love, Faith, Grace in Action

Jesus, Paul, James, and other writers in the Bible ask us to reflect on ouractions to be sure that we follow Christ rather than our worldly beliefsand desires. As they talk to us, they use action verbs, such as "do," "give,""forgive," "pray," "bless," "love," and "rejoice." Paul says, "Be kind andcompassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ Godforgave you" (Ephesians 4:32). Jesus, Paul, James, John, and others connectlove and forgiveness, telling us to treat love and forgiveness as actions weshould take. The Bible tells us that God gives us grace and love, and we mustgive 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 towardsharing God's unconditional love, we must rely on the Bible, the HolySpirit, and other believers for understanding. This study leans on prayer,scripture, storytelling, autobiography, and reflection to show how Jesusspeaks of love, faith, and grace as intentional practices, not idealized theories.