A note from the author: Get ready to be stretched. I believe the Holy Spirit is going to open up things that perhaps you have never seen before. When He does His wonderful work in us, He also stretches our ability to believe and our faith to receive. So, get ready!

1.  Bonus Points and Shopping Discounts (Chapter 11)

Who among us doesn’t enjoy bonus points and shopping discounts? I know I do. I find myself participating more just because of the perks. The younger generation call it “girl math,” and while the guys in the family are rolling their eyes, I totally get it!

In our modern world, such buying deals are called “an exchange.” We do one thing and the other party does another thing, and we both come away with some type of value. Chapter 11 in my book addresses the topic of exchange when it comes to our relationship with God. Let’s see if we can learn what kind of deal God made for us.

The most familiar exchange in the Bible is that of Jesus dying for our sins—if, we will give our earthly lives to Him. It is nearly an unbelievable exchange because the cost to Jesus was huge, and we get to go free. He was falsely accused, severely beaten, spat upon, and nailed to a wooden cross to die a criminal’s death while His Father in Heaven watched this horrific abuse as it happened.

Since there is no comparison in the cost of the two things that are being exchanged, it causes us to wonder why God agreed to such a deal. What was the reason God did this? There is only one answer—love! Let’s explore this in God’s Word.

Ephesians 1:4-5 (NLT) Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

Have you ever considered why God loves us so much? Explain your answer.

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2.  Let’s Talk about Love (Chapter 11)

I believe love is the greatest need in the human heart. And, since we are made in God’s own image, then love is also the greatest need in God’s heart. The thing we don’t understand about love is that it is always costly. In fact, every time we open ourselves up to love, we are also opening ourselves up to pain—including God.

In my book I quote the line from Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s poem, “Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” You see, love is so amazing that it is worth the risk of the pain it could inflict upon us. Do we believe it is worth the risk? How about you, do you believe love is worth the pain of loss? Explain.

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The following statistics are mind-boggling, but it’s important that we consider them. Even if we all have a devastating story about love and loss, we will never understand the risk God took to create mankind and love us the way He does.

For starters, there are 8 billion people in the world today and the number of Christians is 2.4 billion. That yields a 30% chance of God being loved by His creations. But what about the 70% chance of God being rejected by those who don’t love Him? The pain would be more than double the size of the pleasure.

To carry that a little further, demographers say since the beginning of time 109 billion people have lived on earth. That plus the 8 billion living now equals 117 billion humans that have lived on earth. Using the 30% Christian to 70% Non-Christian ratio, God has been loved 35 billion times and rejected 82 billion times.

We simply cannot understand God’s pain. The cost to God in giving Jesus to die in our place was astronomical, but does God think it was worth it? In my book I made this statement: “God took the risk of loving us because the pain of loss does not outweigh the pleasure of love.”

Try wrapping your mind around that statement and decide if you believe it or not. Has loving someone cost you so much pain that you wouldn’t love again? Explain.

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I believe God took the risk of loving us and allowing Jesus to die in our place because He didn’t want an eternal heaven without us. Heaven would have been the loneliest place of all. So, He traded the perfect Son, the Prince of Heaven, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God in exchange for millions of ordinary, sin-stained, flawed and unworthy human beings that would love Him. Had God not done that, the outcome would have been very clear: No sacrifice—no saints! No blood—no brethren! No cross—no Christians!

“Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God.” 1 John 3:1a (NKJV)

As born-again believers, you and I are the reason God agreed to such a lopsided exchange. He did it for us! He did it for LOVE! The question we must ask ourselves is this: Can we meet part of the need for love in God’s heart today? Of course, we can.

3.  The Final Exchange (Chapter 11)

We have looked in depth at God’s love for mankind. Yet, someday when you and I come to the end of our journey, it will not be an issue of whether or not God has loved us—it will be an issue of whether or not we have loved God. God’s love can be found everywhere we look—every sunrise, every sunset, every tree, every flower, every raindrop, every newborn thing, every new day and every new beginning. His vast love speaks volumes to our hearts.

Yet, the raw truth when put on the balancing scale reveals God’s expressions of love far outweigh our expressions. We seem to be unhindered when it comes to cheering for our favorite football team or rock star; yet if we get a little over zealous in cheering for God, we could be shunned, if not ostracized. If someone lives a holy life dedicated to their Savior, they often are considered too far out there. It’s even true that those of us who love God fervently prefer to keep our emotions under wrap, just in case it upsets the unrighteous among us. What are your feelings about showing love for God publicly? Share your thoughts below.

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So, what can we do about this inequality of showing our love to and for God? After all, He is the One we should be concerned about. Here is a short writing by Gerhard Tersteegen, a German writer and theologian from the 16^th century. It is written in first person; therefore, it is God Himself that is speaking to us:

Am I not enough, Mine own?

Enough Mine own for thee?…

Am I not enough Mine own?

I forever and alone,

I, needing thee?

It breaks my heart to think that we are so concerned about God loving us or others loving us, yet it hardly crosses our minds that the One who loves us most, needs us most. Have you ever considered God “needing” your love, your attention, your companionship? The closer we get to God in prayer and worship, the more He reveals to us that a genuine love relationship must go both ways. Love must be given and love must be received. Does anything come to mind that you could do or change that would help you express your love to the Lover of your soul?

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4.  What Kind of Legacy Do We Want to Leave? (Chapter 12)

It certainly seems as if our current world values are upside down. Values held dear by many generations are being tossed aside—but for what? I’m certain that legacy means different things to different people; but shouldn’t everybody think that a good legacy is leaving something behind that makes our world a better place to live?

Below is a list of “greater than” statements. See if you agree with each of them. Take them in slowly, pondering their value, and then circle agree or disagree.

Wisdom is greater than wealth. Agree or Disagree

Peace is greater than power. Agree or Disagree

Contentment is greater than fame. Agree or Disagree

Joy is greater than success. Agree or Disagree

Integrity is greater than position. Agree or Disagree

Love is greater than popularity. Agree or Disagree

Eternal life is greater than pleasure. Agree or Disagree

One thing that rings true for any generation is that those who teach must also be those who live by example. Would our world be better off if Christians (30% of us) lived by those seven statements? What if we changed what we are seeking most in life for what is of most value to our world? And what if we modeled just one of those seven statement each day—would not this world be a better place to live?

I sometimes wonder if today’s parents are trying to instill these values in the lives of their children, or are they leaving it to teachers, professors, and friends. Social media is a huge disruption in our ability to shape and train those entrusted to us. Yet, we must not throw in the towel and say, “It’s too hard. It’s not my responsibility. It’s not possible in this culture.”

I don’t know what your legacy plans are, but I do know that time is short. The psalmist prayed, “Teach us to realize the brevity of life.” Psalm 90:12 (NLT) If we don’t start now, then when?

I know that a great legacy starts with you, me, and any other person who gives God permission to use their lives. He has ideas and plans that we don’t know about unless we are talking to Him regularly. If you need ideas, then ask the Father and He will gladly answer you. If you aren’t sure what to teach your children, then ask Him that, too. He will lead you to His truths written in His Word, and His Word will never fail. That’s a promise.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I have read many things in this study guide that have stirred my heart. I thank you for loving me when I don’t deserve it, and I am sorry that I have not returned my love to you. I want to do better at living a life that shows you and the world that I indeed love you. Teach me your truths and help me teach them to my children. I need your help. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.