1 John

What to Do When You Sin

1 John 2:1-2
(Sermon audio is unavailable for this message.) When we as believers sin (whether in thought, word, action, or omission), we must realize the reality of sin (what it is and does), and our relationship with Christ, who is our Helper and has solved our sin problem, and has transformed us from habitual sinners to God’s dear children, his saints who desire to overcome sin’s power.

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True Believers: People of the Light

1 John 1:5-10
True believers have seen the Light, Jesus Christ, by an experience of life-changing conversion; and true believers keep on walking in the Light, demonstrating a personal relationship with Christ, enjoying fellowship with God’s people, freedom from sin’s power, and have received a calling to spread the light of Christ in our sphere of influence.

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A Motivated Disciple

1 John 1:1-4
In the opening verses of John’s first letter, the Apostle-Pastor expresses his purpose for writing this letter, revealing for us what should be the motivation for every follower of Christ. A motivated disciple is convinced about the reality of Christ, converted by an experience with Christ, and is concerned to share the message of Christ.

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Love One Another

1 John 4:7-21

Love is central to the Christian life. But what is love? The word itself is one of the most overused and ill-defined words in the English language. In this passage, John explains what love is by tracing it to its source, namely God. Then he gives us a very uncomfortable command: “If God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

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Little Children, Keep Yourselves from Idols

1 John 5:21
John’s teaching method in this letter has been described as cyclical. He introduces a topic and then leaves it momentarily, only to return later. John uses this method to explain three evidences of true faith: truth, love, and obedience. In chapter five, he shows how each of them are rooted in the work of God’s indwelling Spirit. If the Spirit is present, then the evidences will be the fruit of his work. He closes his letter with a short, but not disconnected statement: “keep yourselves from idols.” Idolatry is a key concept in the Bible. In this sermon, we’ll see how it relates to the work of the Spirit.

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The Proper Place of Theology in the Christian Life

1 John 4:21-5:13
First John is a cyclical letter with three central threads or evidences of the Christian life. These three are love, truth, and faith. In this message, we pull each of these threads out for closer examination in order that we might see, in the end, how they all relate to the Christian’s daily life.

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Love is From God

1 John 4:7-5:1
Love is something common to everyone. We all love someone or something, yet love is often love is hard to define or describe. John traces the experience of love (“love one another”) back to its theological source (‘God is love”). By understanding that love originates in God, we can navigate the many questions (and problems) that arise from the need for love.

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Test the Spirits

1 John 4:1-6
Why does truth matter and can anyone claim to know the truth? In this passage, John agrees with the rest of Scripture by telling us that there are many voices who make religious claims. The task of the church is to discern the truth from error. He commands, “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” How are we to make this discernment? John gives us at least one important test.

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