Week 16

1 John 3:23-24

Believe, Love, Obey—these three have been recurring themes in John’s first letter. In these two verses we get a concise summary of what John is calling his readers to do and the interplay of these three commands. We are first to “believe in the Name of His Son, Jesus Christ.” That belief should then manifest in our love for one another and our willingness to obey His every command. John also indicates that the Holy Spirit confirms our belonging to Him. I want to talk more about that…

The assignment: 1.) Take a deeper look at the phrase “believe in the name…” What exactly does this mean? Are there other names we might believe in (not for salvation obviously, but perhaps for other things)?

2.) John also mentions the Holy Spirit as confirmation that He abides with us. Have you felt the confirmation of the Holy Spirit? How have you felt that confirmation? 

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Week 15

1 John 3:18-22

https://youtu.be/8_aFf5v4Ixg 

John offers us here a test, a sort of self-diagnostic. He is pointing out that if we love others (as Jesus instructed us to), it indicates that we are in right standing with God our Father. This is not a requirement for salvation, but rather a “fruit inspection” that we can use for ourselves.  It’s offered kindly as a means of reassuring us that we really belong to Him.

The assignment: 1.) Run the self-diagnostic on yourself. Do you love others merely with words or tongue? OR do you love them with truth and action? If you find yourself coming up short, what you really need is more connection with Jesus. When you spend more time with Him, you will love more of what He loves.

2.) Have you ever gone through a period of doubt? Spend some time reflecting on what brought you out of it. If you’re in the midst of it, reach out to someone who will encourage you the way John encourages us here.

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Week 14

1 John 3:11-18

In this passage, John shifts our attention away from our vertical relationship with God to our horizontal relationship with our brothers and sisters. Going all the way back to the very first brothers, we can see that horizontal relationships are fraught with competition, rivalry, jealousy, and even murderous hatred. We have an example in Jesus of another way. We are called by these verses to follow His example and love with action and show the world there is another way.

The assignment:

1.) Refresh your memory of Cain and Abel by reading Genesis 4:1-16. Why did Cain kill Abel?

2.) Verse 15 equates hatred and murder. Jesus taught the same principle in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Why is hatred the same as murder? Isn’t it an accomplishment to refrain from acting out our hatred? Isn’t that enough?

3.) How can you, your family, or your church love “in action and in truth” this year?

Find out more about Good Hope Family Fellowship at GHFF.net

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The video version of this podcast is available on YouTube (https://youtu.be/19f0rISdBF4)