As we round the corner into the books of 2 & 3 John, we encounter several reoccurring themes that John has been bringing to light. Yet even in this repetition, John is adding layers of nuance for us. The core message is the same but the specific images and challenges continue to grow!
When we live a life of faith in Jesus, we walk with Him. Yet, there are times we see others of faith who seem to have “more” than we do. It feels like they have a deeper faith… a more dynamic faith… a more confident faith. It almost feels like they added on or upgraded […]
The lawyer stands up, presents the entire case… the who, the what, the why… all in one short statement. Now it is your turn to deliberate and come to a conclusion, a verdict. This is what John does for us today as we come to his final chapter. He has shared a lot with us […]
Today on Mother’s Day, we typically turn our attention to our mom’s love for us and our love for her. But what if our mom’s love was only the shadow of an even greater love? 1 John 4 tells us that God IS love. This is a powerful statement that not only helps us understand […]
You don’t just tune in to watch the game… you often find yourself turning on the sports channel an hour before the game to listen to all the pre-game discussion and team line ups. You want to know who is playing this week and what condition they are in. This is a good metaphor for […]
Driving down the interstate, you will encounter many signs designed to warn you of potential dangers ahead as well as guardrails to help keep you on the road. These things are for your safety and assistance to help get you to where you are going. Our spiritual journeys are much the same. God provides warning […]
How do we love God? It’s an easy expression to make… “I love God!”… but what does it look like, practically speaking, to love God? This is the topic John turns his attention to next as we continue in the book of 1 John. Let’s look at 3 ways to love God in our day […]
In the opening words to John’s first letter, he invites us to know and experience God has he has. He invites us into fellowship (friendship!) with God Himself. This is an attractive offer… to have God has your friend. Yet, John would also have us understand that this fellowship has implications for us and the […]
Today on Easter, we launch out in a new series exploring the words and experiences of the Apostle John. On Easter morning, he was one of the first to see the empty tomb and ponder the implications. He saw the Risen Savior that very night. He spent the rest of his life living out those […]