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God commands us to love one another as God loves us. This quarter begins with God’s laws requiring care and concern for the poor and needy, loving and embracing of the stranger, and the demands of love for one another in the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels. These sessions elaborate on themes of love for one another in the epistles of Paul and James and the expressions of love in the early formations of the church in Acts. The last quarter examines God’s call in stories from the New Testament. The greatest call came to Jesus. Other calls in the New Testament led to the extension of Christian ministry into the known world.

UNIT 1—INCLUSIVE LOVE

Unit I, “Inclusive Love,” has four sessions that center on love for the stranger, the poor, and enemies as well as divine love reflected in human life. First Samuel shows David’s love for others. Luke explores the teachings of Jesus regarding love for one’s enemies and Jesus’ parable of the good Samaritan. First Corinthians explores the sermon on love from Paul’s writing, which depicts the height of human love coming from divine love.

UNIT 2—GODLY LOVE AMONG BELIEVERS

Unit II, “Godly Love among Believers,” contains five sessions. John elaborates on how believers love by serving and portrays Jesus’ explanation of the intertwining love of God for Jesus and for those who abide in Christ. First John clarifies the abiding love of God through the Holy Spirit, which makes it possible for us to love one another. Acts reveals the expression of the love of God in the formation of the early Christian community by the workings of the Holy Spirit. James tells of the love of neighbor as the fulfillment of the law of God.

UNIT 3—THE BEGINNING OF A CALL

The lessons in Unit III, “The Beginning of a Call,” has four sessions from the Gospel of Matthew. Session one highlights the heritage of Jesus. Session two tells the story of Jesus’ birth. Session three speaks of the witness of the Magi to Jesus’ call as the Messiah. Session four tells of the call of John the Baptist.