II. God Stretches Us Beyond Our Comfort Zone

• We are most useful and effective when we are stretched.
• Our world is increasingly marked by division and polarization.
• Jesus challenges us to move beyond “us vs. them.”  We are called to unity, not uniformity.
  

II. Jesus Calls Us to Love Our Enemies

• “You have heard…But I tell you…” — Jesus addresses the heart.
• Love is a choice.
• Prayer is powerful.
• Loving and praying for others reflects the nature of God.

III. God’s Love Is Our Example

• God shows kindness to both the righteous and unrighteous.
• Jesus loved us while we were still sinners.
• We are called to have a “family resemblance” to our heavenly Father.

IV. Three Ways We Respond to God’s Love

1. Receive the amazing love of God
• Salvation is a gift of grace through faith.

2. Respond to the unconditional love of God
• Allow the Holy Spirit to work in us and grow us.
• Pursue Scripture, community, service, and spiritual growth.

3. Reach out to others with God’s love
• Be willing to be stretched for the sake of others.
• Speak the truth in love without compromising truth.

V. The Goal: Become More Like Jesus

• “Be perfect” means mature, complete, whole, or reaching the goal.
• Christian maturity is demonstrated through Christlike love.
• The more we stretch, the more we love like Jesus—the more we resemble Jesus.

Application:

May we be stretched by the love of Christ so that His love can overflow through us to others.