289th Week, I John Introduction - Chapter 4 (Click on Title for Video Intro)

Click on Title for Video Intro

Monday, I John Intro

1 John

Introduction

Bart Strayer

Hello everyone. Here is a brief introduction to John. We will start Chapter 1 tomorrow. 

THOUGHT

John's letter contains some of my favorite material in the Bible. John's letters contain a broad sweeping of Biblical truths and inspiring notations. More notably, part of John's letter speaks of strengthening vital aspects of our faith so that we are more equipped to understand Christian truths from error. It is so important in this day to understand God's doctrine so that we may guard ourselves from the teachers that can lead us astray. That is why it is so important for ALL of us to be in the Word on a daily basis.  Thank God for the Salt Shakers! 

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, help us to 1earn more about You. Help strengthen our knowledge and faith through your word written by the Apostle John. We pray that you will help us understand the truths you speak of through the Bible.  We are so thankful for this little group.  Help us offer each other support and accountability.  We pray all of this in Jesus Name.  AMEN

Tuesday, I John Chapter 1

I John 1

Verse 7

Jane Jones

Verse 7:  “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

THOUGHT

How does Jesus’ blood purify us from every sin?  Jesus did not die for His own sins; He had none.  Instead by a transaction that we may never fully understand, He died for the sins of the world. When we commit our lives to Christ and thus identity ourselves with Him, His death becomes ours.  He has paid the penalty for our sins, and His blood has purified us.  Just as Christ rose from the grave, we rise to a new life of fellowship with Him.  

The next time we stop and reevaluate our sinful life, may we be more mindful and more appreciative of what Christ did for us.  He bore the entire load for us.  What a God we serve.  

PRAYER

God is the light of the world.  He carried our sins to the cross for us and died so that we might be saved.  How could we not serve such a loving, forgiving Man?  May we be more aware of our sinful selves, so that we are reminded daily of what our Savior, Jesus Christ, did for us.  AMEN

Wednesday, I John Chapter 2

I John 2

Verses 15-17

Bart Strayer

Verses 15-17:  “Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For everything in the world-the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-comes not from the Father but from the world.  The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”

THOUGHT

Some Comments

These verses are just plain good counsel.  At times, it is easy for us to cross the line from spiritual lives with Christ, to worldly lives and pleasures.  We must guard our hearts against the three major areas outlined in the verses above:

1. The cravings of sinful man.

2. The lust of his eyes.

3. The boasting of what he has and does.

As stated in our application Bibles:

“When the serpent tempted Eve, he tempted her in these areas.  Also, when the devil tempted Jesus in the desert, these were his three areas of attack.”

It is important to take time to consider how the world has/and can affect our lives in these three areas.  After several mentions in the Bible, in addition to a personal attack on Christ from the devil, we can expect to struggle with these 3 sins at some point in our lives.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, thank You for the good counsel of Your Word.  Help us as we struggle at times with worldly pleasures.  Help us to rely more and more on You for Your strength and guidance.  As Your Word states, “The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”  We thank You for being the rock in our lives that will never pass away.  We pray all of this in Jesus Name.  AMEN 

Thursday, I John Chapter 3

I John 3

Verse 16

Jane Jones

Verse 16:  “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”

THOUGHT

It is very likely that the Lord had me do this chapter today on love. I John 3 speaks of love and tells us that “God is love”. Our teaching today at church was on God’s love and how God truly is love.  Verse 16 shares with us, ”This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”

A perfect example of what love is and how much we lay down our life for our brother was when I took Micah, Kate, and Mason to the pool so that Kristen and Baby McCoy could get some sleep on Friday afternoon.  Mason was playing with a small rocket and diving under the water for it.  A friend of Mason’s asked if he could play with it, and Mason shared it.  Soon the rocket was lost.  We finally found it in the hands of a much older girl (12) saying that when approached, she had brought it from home.  She was telling a lie, and she was stealing. Micah got so upset because she took it from Mason.  Micah stood up for his little brother and wanted to tell the lifeguard.  Another mother heard what was going on and approached the girl that stole it. She found that the 12 year old had thrown it in the deep end by the high diving board.  This mother made the girl retrieve the small rocket and give it back. Micah said that it was very wrong to lie and steal and take a toy from a small boy. Micah stood up for his brother.

This story is not exactly ‘lay down our lives for our brothers’, but it was indeed an example of where Micah stepped in and stood up to this bullying experience for his brother.  Thanks to Micah and the other mother, the rocket was saved.  Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  Let us do likewise and rescue other rockets for our family and friends.

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, as we face another day in Your Kingdom, may we realize that ‘God is love’.  For we read in I John 3:14, ”Anyone who does not love, remains in death”.  Let’s work today to love and live. In Jesus Name. AMEN

Friday, I John Chapter 4

I John 4

Verses 7-8; 19-21

Delores Little

Verses 7-8: “Beloved, let us love one another for love is of God; and everyone that loves is born of God, and knows God. He that loves not knows not God; for God is love." 

Verses 19-21:  "We love Him, because He first loved us. If a man says, “I love God.” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he that loves not his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him, that he who loves God loves his brother also." 

THOUGHT

This chapter is so full of the love God wants us to see and be. 

1. He loved us first and then we Him. 

2. We are to love one another if we are born of God. Now here is where the test comes in for all of us. It is easy to love people who believe like we do, but what about others who do not believe in God?  Well, we have to pray God will give us His love for them also. He will do it. Even in our own family we sometimes have trouble loving. God wants us to love them, or how can we say we love God if we don't love them. 

It boils down to the fact that we are not to look at what they are doing wrong, but ask God how He sees them and let us do the same. Just love them for where they are at and pray for them.

3. We are to be those LOVE LIGHTS OF GOD TO THE WORLD. Let us pick up the cross and do so by His grace and love and mercy. 

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, forgive us when we fall short of Your glory daily and teach us to be the loving people You want us to be to everyone. Open our eyes to Your ways not ours. Let us be those loving lights of Jesus. In Jesus Name. AMEN