How Love Defeats Fear - Group Guide
Primary Passage
1 John 4:11–21 — Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Summary
On Easter, we celebrate the victory of God’s perfect love over death, fear, and sin. In 1 John 4:11–21, John shows that the resurrection doesn’t just display love—it invites us to abide in it. As we remain in God's love, fear loses its power. The empty tomb is proof that perfect love doesn’t just comfort us—it drives out fear completely. God’s love, fully revealed in Jesus, transforms how we see ourselves, others, and the future.
Discussion Questions
What does it mean that “perfect love casts out fear” (v.18)? How have you seen or experienced this power?
According to this passage, how does abiding in God’s love empower us to love others more freely? Why was (and is) the cross necessary for this empowerment?
Where is fear showing up in your life this week? How do you need the power of Jesus’ resurrection to overcome these fears?
Supporting Passages
John 20:19–22 – Jesus appears to his fearful disciples and says, “Peace be with you.”
Isaiah 41:10 – “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God.”
2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
Additional Resources
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer – Encourages a lifestyle of abiding in God’s presence.
Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright – Explores the meaning of resurrection and its power for everyday life.
“Easter Sunday” (BibleProject video) – A visual guide to Jesus’ resurrection and victory over fear and death.
