Called to Help

When we "see our brother in need" (1 John 3:17), how might we close our heart against him or her? To our shame, we do often close the door of opportunity and blessing to meet another's need. Do you have any personal examples of how you might have done this? How did God use that situation to help you grow?

Called to Love

1 John 3:16 reveals that as Christians, we are to love others and even lay down our own life for our brothers. How can that be done? What does this look like in the life of the believer? Does God really want us to suffer for the good of another? As we look into Scripture we see the command to think of others before ourselves, yet when someone has a need, we are tempted to give an excuse as to why we cannot help. True love is shown when we show it by our actions. Consider James 2:15-17. How can you fulfill that today?

Let's Talk About Love

What is love? 1 John 3:16 tells us we can KNOW love. Christ died for us! We know love by God and God alone. The love that we show others, proves our love for God. We'll be talking the next several days about love, it's characteristics, as well as share some personal examples of what love "fleshed out" has looked like in our lives

Hatred = Murder

1 John 3:15 tells me that if I hate my brother, I am a murderer. Wow! Have you ever hated someone? Cain hated his brother and his hatred let him to kill his brother. You might think that you would never be capable of doing something so severe, but the Bible tells us that if we hate someone it is just like murder in God's eyes. Is there a relationship you need to reconcile? If so, pray that God would give you opportunity and grace to reconcile that relationship. Ask Him to help you confess any wrongs you have done toward the other person that Christ may be glorified! Don't let hatred boil in your heart.

Do Not Be Surprised!

Do you love surprises? I do...when they are for special celebrations or just because. But I hate being surprised by a scary noise in the dark! Well, we have a warning here in 1 John 3:13 - it says, "Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you." Why would the world hate you? Should the world hate you? What should your reaction be to their hate?

A Bad Example

1 John 3:12 tells us that we should not be like Cain. We will spend the next couple of days studying the story of Cain from Genesis 4:1-16. Cain's attitude and behavior are bad examples to follow. Is your life full of selfishness, anger, depression and rejection of biblical counsel? Be warned! Cain had these same attitudes and he murdered!

The Message to Love

Over the next two weeks, we will be talking about 1 John 3:4-11. John begins this section with a reminder about loving others. Don't we all need reminders? John does this for our benefit so that we would not forget to love others. The command to love others was given from the beginning of our faith in Christ. I can't get over the power of Romans 5:5, "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit," and 1 Thessalonians 4:9 that says, "you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another." If God has poured love into our hearts and we ought to love others - then we have no excuse to not share God's love to others. People need to see the love of God - especially unbelievers! Are you sharing God's love? What evidence is there in your life that you are?

Questions for Thought

As we conclude this section of 1 John 3:4-10, ask yourself the following questions to evaluate your life: 1.Do I have the divine nature within me or am I merely pretending to be a Christian? 2.Do I cultivate this divine nature by daily Bible reading and prayer? 3.Has any unconfessed sin defiled my inner self? 4.Am I willing to confess and forsake it? 5.Do I allow my flesh to control my thoughts and desires, or does the divine nature rule me? 6.When temptation comes, do I “play with it” or do I flee from it? Do I immediately yield to the divine nature within me?

The Children of God

How do we identify the children of God. Well, 1 John 3:10 tells us! It says, " By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother." Over the next few days, we will talk about verse 10 and it's implications.

Sin in the beliver's life

Sin - ugh.... The thought of sin in my life torments me. I grapple with the question of why do I continue to sin? Do you? As a believer, we still have that ugly sin nature a part of us, but the Bible tells us that we have been given a new nature to follow righteousness. 1 John 3:9 tells us that we cannot keep on sinning because we have been born of God. How is that true? The next couple of days we will be talking about this verse. But here are some reasons we give as to why Christians cannot continue to sin: 1. Sin is incompatible with the law of God which believers love (Psalm 119:97, Romans 7:22). 2. Sin is incompatible with the work of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). 3. Christ came to destroy the works of Satan (1 John 3:8). 4. Sin is incompatible with the ministry of the Holy Spirit who has imparted a new nature into the believer (2 Corinthians 5:17).

The Devil

1 John 3:8 helps us understand the devil and gives us HOPE as we seek to follow Christ rather than Satan. Christ came to destroy the works of the devil and in that truth believers can have HOPE! We do not have to live in bondage to sin. Our question for verse 8 is: What do you learn about the devil and how does that help you in your spiritual battles? We would love to hear how God has helped you overcome the devil in your quest for spiritual growth and Christlikeness.

The Victory Plan

Today we begin discussing The Victory Plan as we seek to do what is right. Listed here are the points that we will cover over the next several days. These points can also be found on the study notes. 1. Meaningful devotions (James 1:22-25) 2. Faithful involvement in a good local church (Hebrews 10:24) 3. Develop Godly friendships (2 Timothy 2:22) 4. Institute Accountability (Hebrews 3:13, 14; Romans 12:10, 16) 5. Proper diet, rest and exercise (1 Timothy 4:8, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Ecclesiastes 5:12) Book suggestion: Love to Eat Hate to Eat by Elyse Fitzpatrick 6. Commit to serve others (Matthew 20:25-28) 7. Use your time wisely (Ephesians 5:15-16) 8. Avoid certain people, places and practices (1 Corinthians 15:44, Psalm 1:1, 1 Corinthians 10:12).

What does it mean to do right?

1 John 3:7 says"Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous." So what does it mean to do right? We will spend the next couple of weeks answering this question. We will also introduce you to the "Victory Plan." Please share any thoughts you have.

Am I different?

In our study of 1 John 3:6, we are asking ourselves this question: How is a person who lives like Christ unusual?" Over the next 5 days we will be answering this question. As a Christian, are YOU different? In what ways can unbelievers see the difference in you? We hope you will study along with us!

What is lawlessness?

Over the next several days, we will be discussing lawlessness. This word, "lawlessness," used in 1 John 3:4 is not a word we often use, yet Scripture uses it to be clear that it is an intentional rebellion against God's will. Lawlessness does refer to sin, but the meaning behind the word is so much more - it truly gives the idea of one's choice to rebel against God's plan. Through this word study, the ladies will be answering the question "What is lawlessness?" The answers they give with Scripture text are listed on the online study notes. How has this study helped you to understand lawlessness?

Sanctification

In the study of 1 John 3:3, the ladies talked today about sanctification. What is God's part in our sanctification and what is our part? God's Part 1. He eliminated the authority of the flesh in the life of believers. Romans 6:6-14 2. God illuminates the Word of God in the mind of believers. 1 Corinthians 2:12 3. God instills the fruit of the Spirit in the life of believers. Galatians 5:22-23 Our Part 1. We need to mortify the flesh. Romans 8:13 2. We need to mediate on God's Word. Psalm 19:14 3. We need to manifest Christ's likeness. Ephesians 5:1 What is the hardest part in sanctification for you? What struggles do you have? How might you overcome these difficulties?

Questions for Reflection

As the ladies reflect today on 1 John 3:2, they asked these questions. How might you answer them? What verses would you use to guide you in your answer? 1) Why don't I act like the world? 2) Why don't I cheat on my time card when other's won't find out? 3) Why do I strive to treat others better than myself? 4) Why would I get up on Sunday morning when I could sleep in? 5) Why do I give money to the church rather than spending it on myself?

God's Love

As the ladies discuss today 1 John 3:1, we can see that God has given us His love. The best example of His love for us is found in John 3:16 - that He sent His Son to pay the penalty for our sins. He died for YOU because He loves you! How does God's love for you affect you? Have you accepted His love, His salvation? Has there been a difficult circumstance in your life where God's love has been a comfort to you? We pray that you will find comfort in God's love and that if you haven't accepted His free gift of salvation, that you will do so today!

1 John 3:1-3

Today, the ladies begin discussing chapter 3 in 1 John. Study notes are on the right of our blog if you are interested in printing them and following along. The first question in this section is this: What has the Father lavished on us (or given to us) and how does that affect us? (verse 1) Please share your thoughts as we look into the many blessings the Father has given to us. If you'd like to share a personal testimony - that would be an encouragement as well. Have a wonderful weekend!

God's Righteousness

1 John 2:29 tells us that God is righteous. What a comfort know and believe His righteousness! But how do we know that God is righteous? We know in God's Word that He tells us He is righteous. Here are some verses that talk about God's righteousness. 1) Psalm 7:9 - Righteousness is part of God's character. 2) Psalm 71:15 - we cannot comprehend the dept of his righteousness. 3) John 17:25 - Christ acknowledges God's righteousness. Psalm 119:172 - His righteousness is exhibited in His commandments. Do we acknowledge His righteousness? How does God's righteousness affect us in how we see His plan, how we walk, talk and behave?