In a time when our nation deals once again with the presence of racism, John's message on love that we'll deal with today could not be more timely. Racism is a sin and like all sin produces actions, attitudes, feelings, and practices that hurt other people who are created in the image of God. Sin is a matter of the heart and only God changes hearts. As needed as other actions are to reduce the incidence of racism, we need heart change more than anything. When God's love fills our hearts that love isn't limited by the color of a person's skin, their economic status, level of education, background, or even their behavior. We'll learn about the nature of God's love, how we know he loves us, and discover two reasons God wants his children to love others in this important passage.