1. This document discusses the difference between counterfeit and true love. Counterfeit love justifies wrong actions, agrees with selfishness, and avoids speaking difficult truths. 2. True love is described as patient, kind, truthful, and selfless. It involves looking out for others' interests above your own and holding them accountable through speaking the truth with a motivation of love. 3. For our relationship with God, the document says we must choose Him above all else, acknowledge Him before others, and act as shepherds by leading, teaching, and protecting those in our sphere of influence like Jesus did with His disciples.

1. 1
LOVE
COUNTERFEIT OR TRUE
▲ “TELL ME THE TRUTH….. I WILL NOT BE OFFENDED!”
BUT…..
• In reality they don’t want you to tell them the truth, they want you to tell
them….what they want to hear!
2 Timothy 4: 2-4 (GOD’S WORD OR MAN’S WORD)
2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and
encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when
people will not put up with sound doctrine (the Word of God). Instead, to suit their own
desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching
ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth (God’s Word) and turn
aside to myths (Man’s Word).
COUNTERFEIT LOVE
• Justifies your immoral actions
• Agrees with your selfish motives
• Feeds your vanity with shallow compliments
• Stokes the fires of hate that you may have for someone
▲ SO WHY ARE WE FEARFUL OF SPEAKING THE TRUTH TO
SOMEONE WE SUPPOSEDLY LOVE?
• WE BELIEVE:
ü People will turn against us
ü Not love us back
ü Look down on us
ü Speak Negative behind our back
ü Try and discredit us
* “You are being self-righteous!”
* “You hypocrite, you sin like me!”
* “Don’t judge me!”

2. 2
▲ WHY DO WE NOT WANT TO HEAR THE TRUTH?
• BECAUSE, WE MUST CHANGE:
ü Changes requires:
* Commitment
* Clarity
* Self Review
* Endurance
* Perseverance
* Study
* Belief in something different
• WE ARE COMFORTABLE AND CONTENT WITH WHERE WE ARE AND
WHO WE ARE.
▲ COUNTERFEIT LOVE FOR OUR GOD
Matthew 7: 21-23 (RELATIONSHIP)
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but
only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on
that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out
demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I
never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
• WOW! DO NOT BE DECEIVED! GOD KNOWS OUR MOTIVES / HEART.
Matthew 10: 32-33 (ACKNOWLEDGE)
32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father
in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in
heaven.
• ARE WE REAL OR FAKE?
Matthew 10: 34-39 (GOD 1ST
)
34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring
peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn “ ‘a man against his father, a daughter
against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— 36 a man’s enemies
will be the members of his own household.’ 37 “Anyone who loves their father or
mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more
than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is
not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for
my sake will find it.
• WE MUST CHOOSE WHO OUR GOD REALLY IS!

3. 3
TRUE LOVE
1 Corinthians 13: 4-8a (LOVE)
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It
does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no
record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always
protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.
• Love For:
√ Our Wife
√ Our Family
√ Our Friends
√ Our God
1 Corinthians 16: 13-14 (TRUTH IN LOVE)
13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 14 Do everything
in love.
• Love trumps everything!
• If you truly love someone, you will always tell them the truth….with LOVE as the
motivation.
▲ TRUE LOVE:
• Always put others 1st
.
Philippians 2: 2-4 (SELFLESS)
2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in
spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in
humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of
you to the interests of the others.
• Others 1st.
• Hold the person you love accountable.

4. 4
▲ DO WE TRULY LOVE OUR GOD?
John 21: 15-17 (PETER)
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do
you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus
said, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He
answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt
because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all
things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”
• Feed my lambs (Teaching and Instruction “Our” Children)
• Take care of my Sheep (Protection)
• Feed My Sheep (Teaching & Instruction, Our Sphere of Influence)
1 Peter 5: 2-4 (SHEPHERD OF YOUR FLOCK)
2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because
you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest
gain, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples
to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory
that will never fade away.
Jesus always loved to use examples of:
• Shepherds (Leader, Responsible)
• Sheep (Follow, Dependent)
• Lambs (Innocent, Young)
WHY?
• BE SHEPHERDS OF THE SHEEP:
√ Lead them, be responsible for my lambs (youth), sheep (family), sphere of influence.
• BECAUSE YOU ARE WILLING:
√ Let me see your true motive, your heart.

5. 5
• EAGER TO SERVE:
√ Selfless motives, others first attitude like a good shepherd for his flock.
• NOT LORDING OVER THOSE ENTRUSTED TO YOU:
√ Lead with love, not a heavy hand… How does God shepherd us?
√ God has given us these precious sheep for only a season; then He will take us all
back one day!
• BE A GODLY EXAMPLE TO YOUR FLOCK:
√ Lead by example, as Christ did.
▲ A WIN, WIN!
• DO WHAT IS RIGHT AS A SHEPHERD FOR HIS SHEEP AND YOU WILL BE
REWARDED BY GOD… ETERNAL LIFE!