Built On Love (Study Guide)
Strengthening Your Relationship with God, Yourself, and Others
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I want to be honest with you: for much of my life especially before becoming a Christian at 26, I struggled with fear, insecurity, and not knowing my worth. I didn’t know how to love myself, and that made loving others—and even connecting with God—more difficult. For example, when I first joined the church choir, I was terrified to sing in front of other people, so I hid in the back, singing softly. I thought I had found a way I could do what I loved without being noticed. But God had other plans. A few months later, I was asked to sing in a duet. My heart was racing, and I felt paralyzed with fear. I prayed, “God, if You want me to do this, make it clear. I cannot do it without You.” God gave me courage, and I stepped out in faith and sang my part of the duet. Singing in church became part of my ministry, and I am so thankful I trusted that God’s love for me was enough and I listened. That small moment taught me that God’s love can transform fear into freedom. Growing up as a twin, I rarely experienced being truly alone. In my twenties, I realized I had to learn who I was as an individual when my sister became romantically involved with someone and I was still single. I started spending time reading, journaling, walking, and listening to worship music. At first, it felt awkward. But over time, I discovered the joy of solitude and that I could hear God more clearly when I was alone. That was a turning point in learning to love myself and enjoy His presence. This Bible study is about learning to build genuine, healthy, lasting love in your own life, for the benefit of yourself and others. In the Word Matthew 22:37–39 Psalm 145:8 1 John 4:19 Psalm 139:14 Proverbs 18:21 John 13:34 Key Scripture Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:37–39 Jesus summarized the entire law into two commandments: Love God. Love others as yourself. At the heart of it all is love that begins with God and transforms every relationship we have, including those with ourselves and others. At the Center: Love What I share in this study comes from real, broken places—places where God met me with His love, His healing, and His truth and taught me the importance of healthy relationships. I’m teaching you what I've learned, praying that you can learn from both my mistakes and my victories. I wrote this study because I know what it is like to be the one who desperately needs God and His love. Early on in my life, I was broken. For a long time, I thought love had to be earned. I strived to be perfect for people and for God, hoping it would make me worthy of love. I didn’t know God well then, and my understanding of Him was shaped by my relationship with my earthly father. Dad had high expectations of me and did his best to love me and be a good parent, but he struggled with alcohol abuse and mental illness. He was also very strict, and he could get angry quite easily, so it was hard for me to see God for who He truly was. Because my father wasn’t a good example of a loving father, I grew up with a distorted view of God’s heart and His unconditional love for me. I kept trying to be perfect to gain love, but that always left me feeling tired and empty. The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. Psalm 145:8 I know now that God is a loving, compassionate and patient Father, but I struggled to see Him that way when I was you because of my experience with my earthly father. As a result of this imperfect relationship, I lacked self-confidence and spoke harshly about myself. (I still struggle with this, at times.) I even allowed others to speak negative things over me. For years, I believed the lies of the Enemy and lived bound by chains of pain, trauma, and fear. But God changed everything. It wasn’t until I encountered the truth of God’s words that I realized love starts with Him. God is love! Through my relationship with Him, reading His Word, meditating on His promises, and seeking His wisdom, I learned to love Him, and His love set me free. And I want you to be free too. We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19
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Built on Love: Strengthening Your Relationship with God, Yourself, and Others What does it really mean to love God, love yourself, and love others—the way Jesus commanded us to do in Matthew 22:37–39? Built on Love is a heartfelt Bible study that invites us to understand what it truly means to build your faith, identity, and relationships on the unshakable foundation of God’s love. Author and teacher Jenn Lee shares her personal journey of transformation from fear and insecurity to freedom and confidence in Christ through her acceptance of His great love. Along the way, she offers biblical truth, practical wisdom, and real-life stories to help others do the same. Most people struggle with at least one of these areas; Jenn’s vulnerability allows us to see that we are not alone and that there is hope for growth in our lives, too. Through three powerful sessions about loving God, loving yourself, and loving others, you’ll learn how to: • Deepen your relationship with God and move from routine to real connection • Embrace self-love centered on Christ by seeing yourself through God’s eyes • Build healthy, intentional relationships that reflect His love to the world This study isn’t about perfection—it’s about continued growth and transformation. It’s about letting go of fear, healing from the past, and learning to love from the inside out through God’s truth. Each session includes scripture, reflection questions, and prayer prompts to help you grow in faith and apply His Word to your everyday life. In Matthew 22:37–39, Jesus gives us two commands: to love God and to love others as we love ourselves. These words are the heart of this study. Whether you’re walking through a storm, seeking deeper connection, longing to rebuild your faith, or wanting to learn to love yourself God’s and love others more deeply, Built on Love will guide you what matters most: a life built on the transforming love of Christ. Because when your life—and your love for yourself and others—is intentionally built on God’s love, everything changes.
About the Author
Jenn Lee is the founder of Jenn Lee Ministries and a passionate Bible teacher, leader, speaker, and author. She has been teaching Bible studies for over a decade and writing them for the past eight years. Jenn gave her life to Christ at age 26, and her life was then forever transformed by His love. That transformation ignited her passion to help others experience the same freedom, healing, and purpose found in Jesus. Through her ministry, Jenn has helped many people receive Christ and grow deeper in their faith. She is the author of Strong and Courageous and her newest study, Built on Love, with more studies on the way. Through her teaching, writing, and mentorship, Jenn equips women to strengthen their relationship with God, themselves, and others by building their lives on the foundation of His Word. Jenn lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with her husband and their three boys. When she’s not teaching or writing, she enjoys being outdoors, playing sports, and cheering from the sidelines at her sons’ games.