SCRIPTURE: 1 John 5:1-12 OBSERVATION: Somehow, Jesus (the Son of God) is the key, to everything. To life, to love, to God, to hope. Apart from the Son of God, there is no life, no love, no God, no hope. I have come to a place where I believe this. My understanding of God and creation reality…
Author: Norm
Mar 10 — 1 John 4:7-21
SCRIPTURE: 1 John 4:7-21 OBSERVATION: John is very clear that the primary distinctive that sets Christ-followers apart from others is their radical, self-denying love. Faith in Jesus + indwelling Spirit = radical love for God and others. No love, no faith in Jesus. Is this how the church has defined love? Have we found alternatives to set…
Mar 9 — 1 John 4:1-6
SCRIPTURE: 1 John 4:1-6 OBSERVATION: How do we discern truth from error? John says to look at how the message sees Jesus. If it denies Jesus as the incarnation of divinity in human flesh, then the message is rooted in another spirit. It may contain wisdom and half-truth, but at its core it is misleading. John calls…
Mar 8 — 1 John 3:11-24
SCRIPTURE: 1 John 3:11-24 OBSERVATION: The key to healthy, holy living is LOVE. Not mushy, sentimental niceness, but selfless, sacrificial concern for the good of others. Love sees people as children of God in need of His love, mercy, kindness, assistance. And love sees ourselves as God’s agents to share these things with them. Our actions and…
Mar 7 — 1 John 3:4-10
SCRIPTURE: 1 John 3:4-10 OBSERVATION: John has affirmed the amazing news that God views us as His children, and that He is transforming us to be like Jesus: pure, holy, loving, good, etc. Based on this, he challenges the moral apathy evident among Christ-followers then (and now), since afterall, we are forgiven, saved, not saved by works,…
Mar 6 — 1 John 2:28-3:3
SCRIPTURE: 1 John 2:28-3:3 OBSERVATION: John is urging us to hang on, to persevere in faith and following Jesus, becoming like Him. Those who claim to follow Jesus will strive to be like Him, and one day will like He is. This goal is what drives us to imitate Jesus now, today, in the daily details of…
No one who lives in Jesus keeps on sinning
No one who lives in (Jesus) keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him. (1 John 3:6) What do we make of this verse? It seems to suggest that true Christ-followers will be sinless, and that anyone who sins is therefore not an authentic Christ-follower. Read the rest of…
Mar 5 — 1 John 2:18-27
SCRIPTURE: 1 John 2:18-27 OBSERVATION: Apparently there were some among these believers that were not true believers (among them, but not of them), who were misleading the other believers away from faith in Jesus. John calls these people anti (against)-Christ. Those who do believe have the Holy Spirit (anointing), and the Spirit equips them to know, to…
Mar 4 — 1 John 2:9-17
SCRIPTURE: 1 John 2:9-17 OBSERVATION: John is writing to 3 generations of believers (new, growing and long-time Christians, “children, sons, fathers”), encouraging each one to keep their hearts and lives focused on God, and on love, and aware of the attacks of the enemy. The evil one is good at distracting us with the fleeting pleasures of…
Mar 3 — 1 John 2:1-8
SCRIPTURE: 1 John 2:1-8 OBSERVATION: Sin (living and being contrary to God’s good design, intention) is very serious; its like mishandling nuclear waste, very serious consequences. God’s way has always been the way of love (mercy, goodness, patience, grace, generosity, respect, etc.), but what makes this new is that now God has shown it to us in…