We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. – 1 John 3:14 ESV

CONSIDER
In this week’s video, we give you a brief behind the scenes look into the making of a series and specifically into this new “For the Love!” series. So what would happen if we went “behind the scenes” in each others’ lives? What would we find? Certainly we would learn more about each other and discover new things, but there are significant markers of who we are that are clear right up front. And that’s called fruit – evidence, proof, if you will. Of what? Of what’s behind the scenes.

Some may read verse 14 and think that if we just love well enough, then surely we will move from death to life, that mustering up love for each other will earn our salvation. But that’s not true. What John is saying is that if you have been saved and transformed by Jesus, the fruit of that is loving others. The fruit gives us a behind the scenes look without ever pulling back the proverbial curtain, not the other way around. By being strong, do I become a weightlifter or by being a weightlifter do I become strong? John tells us that we can know whether we are spiritually dead or alive by looking at the fruit of our lives. Loving others doesn’t cause God to love us; being loved by God causes us to love others.

How will I display life-giving love this week? It must begin by receiving the love of Jesus ourselves, by having a right understanding of gospel-centered love (not love as the world defines it), and by remembering that the fruit of our lives is on display for a watching world. So (for the love!) let’s be intentional about abiding in Jesus so that others may also know his love!

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How will I display life-giving love this week?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. – 1 John 3:14 ESV

CONSIDER
On Monday we covered how loving each other is the effect of being spiritually alive, not the cause of it. But there’s more to tackle because that word “love” in verse 14 may stop us in our tracks. For a word we use so often, most of us may actually have a hard time defining it. Think of the last time you said “I love…” There’s pretty good chance it had more to do with you enjoying or liking something than having a biblical love for it. We find ourselves saying we “love” our family members and in the next sentence that we “love” ice cream. And so the danger in this week’s application question is how we define love. The world throws around its own definitions of love that pervade our thinking, and even within scripture we find various meanings of the word. In our key verse, though, love the brothers (note: brothers refers to all fellow believers, not just males) is the word agapáō, which in the greek means the following: to love, prefer, wish well to, regard the welfare of, take pleasure in, long for. A word study reveals that agapáō is always defined by God because he is love, so to love or prefer another means actively doing what the Lord prefers, with him (by his power and direction). That should make us breathe a sigh of relief right now. We don’t have to muster it up, feel warm fuzzy feelings toward, have something in common with, or even agree with another person before displaying life-giving love. We just have to be available to work in partnership with the Holy Spirit who knows us and who knows exactly how we can love those in our spheres of influence. In fact, our love looks like prompt obedience to what God is asking and empowering us to do.

How will I display life-giving love this week? Pause right now to ask the Holy Spirit what to do. Here are some additional questions to shape this important conversation:

• What obstacles do I seem to be facing in displaying life-giving love?
• What unhealthy notions of love do I need to replace with God’s definition of it?
• How might I position myself to be in relationship with other believers?
• What can I adjust in my schedule to be available to what You’re asking me to do?

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How will I display life-giving love this week?

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. – 1 John 3:14 ESV

CONSIDER
You ever hear the saying that someone “has one foot in the grave”? The implication, of course, is that they’re very close to death, either because of illness or participating in something dangerous that could lead to death. While this saying conveys a particular message, it’s certainly not accurate or literal; we’re either dead or we’re not.

Our key verse uses the phrase “we have passed” out of death into life. We have passed (metabebēkamen) means to change my place (abode), leave, depart, remove, pass over. John often uses the contrast of life & death, light & dark, love & hate. And this phrase reminds us that we can’t have one foot in one extreme and one foot in the other. We’re not mostly alive and a smidge dead, nor can we love while hating a little, or walk partly in light and partly in darkness. The only way to break camp with death is to move to life. We do that by choosing to abide in Christ. And what is the evidence of said move? Love. We’re praying John 13:35 over every person who reads this… that we will be known by our love for one another.

A friendly reminder that’s it’s not too late to display life-giving love this week. Continue to pray for the awareness of opportunities and position yourself to do just that.

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How will I display life-giving love this week?

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. – 1 John 3:16 ESV

CONSIDER
Babies are notoriously self-centered. They are constantly thinking about their own comfort, hunger and enjoyment without seeming to give a thought to anyone else’s. No one faults them for this; it’s understood that babies are helpless to fend for themselves (and it doesn’t hurt that they are cute). But it’s a false assumption that babies eventually grow out of their self-centeredness. Selfishness is on display in them because newborns are incapable of masking it, but over time humans develop strategies that allow their self-serving tendencies to flourish while hidden. Most often, selfishness gets justified in phrases such as “I deserve this” or romanticized by telling ourselves and others that “the heart wants what it wants.” Even if we never verbalize it, what we’re really saying by implementing these strategies is that I’m ok with life being about me and my needs. But as mentioned in the video above, Jesus demonstrates what true love looks like at the cross, and this both motivates us and provides the energy for us to look beyond our needs. When we pursue Jesus, we have access to the strategy that will move us from selfish to giver without ever having to try to find the strength to do so internally.

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What will I give this week?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. – 1 John 3:14 ESV

CONSIDER
Think back to the last time you experienced a season of need. Whether you have to go way back in your mind or this is your current reality, you have most likely prayed for God to intervene. Psalm 46:1 reveals that God is an ever-present help in times of trouble, so we take heart that God cares about us and our needs. But where we could get tripped up is trying to dictate the method in which he should intervene in your time of need. We may think it best for God to instantly remove us from troubles and trials, but chances are he worked by bringing people into your life to walk alongside you and bless you. Jesus often loves to work through the obedience of his followers in order to put his care on display. So the question isn’t “What is God going to do to solve our problems?” Rather in this verse John would ask “What are God’s people going to do to respond to Jesus and the work he’s called us to?”
What will I give this week? Take a moment right now to consider this question. Whether life makes perfect sense or you find it confusing, you can trust God to speak a timely, life-giving word. If an answer doesn’t immediately come to mind, here are some reflection questions to shape this important conversation with God:

• Where have I been uniquely positioned to make a difference with my life?
• Are there any resources that I consider “off limits” for God to use? If so, why is this?
• What would I say is the greatest need the world has? What am I doing about it? If nothing, what’s stopping me from addressing that need?

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How will I display life-giving love this week?

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. – 1 John 3:18 ESV

CONSIDER
Athanasius is on the short list of important church fathers that you’ve probably never heard of. At the very first Church Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, he led the minority group of Christian leaders who held to the truth that there is one God, and Jesus His Son is co-equal with him. Most theologians argued that this isn’t a logical position – that God has no equal and if we maintain that the Son is equal to the Father, Christianity then loses its belief in one God (monotheism). The tide was so strong against Athanasius that a popular slogan of the time was “Athanasius against the world.” Thankfully this man didn’t back down when the cultural & popular odds were against him, and the Biblical position that Jesus is God was confirmed. C.S. Lewis would later have this to say about Athanasius: “It is his glory that he did not move with the times; it is his reward that he now remains when those times, as all times do, have moved away.”
In our interactions with others, the temptation is often to love them within the bounds of personal comfort. Ask the majority of people in our culture and they will tell you that your obligation to others ends when it requires you to give too much of yourself. But the Greek word John uses for deed in this verse is ergō, and it literally means to work. So we cannot settle for the kind of love that does just enough to be considered acceptable by society; we must emulate Jesus, roll up our sleeves and put effort into the way we care for those around us. When words and talk fall short of solving the problem, we can take comfort in the reality that the ergō of love accomplished by Jesus on our behalf gives us the strength to work at loving others effectively.

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What will I give this week?

for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. – 1 John 3:20 ESV

CONSIDER
On September 11, 2001, the early edition of the New York Times ran a front page article about a serious debate happening in our culture at the time – public school dress codes. Hours later, the terrorist events in New York, Pennsylvania and D.C. made that story exponentially insignificant. Imagine walking into a coffeehouse on that fateful day and insisting on talking to the barista about your perspective on dress codes! Doing so would make you appear oblivious to what’s really going on in our world. It may have mattered at the beginning of the day, but something greater changed the course of history and by extension, our reality.
That’s a smaller version of what John is articulating in our verse today. Our hearts rightly remind us of the ways we have fallen short of God’s glory and commands, and condemn our ability to belong to the truth. But God is so much greater than our hearts that he creates a new reality in us! And being aware of that reality can also provide an awareness of God’s ripple effects through our lives. By sending Jesus to forgive us, God has made our sin old news. He envelops our condemnation in his glory and grace, so now there’s no point in dwelling on our failures. Doing so would make you appear oblivious to what’s really going on in our world!

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What action will I take out of obedience to God?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. – 1 John 3:23 ESV

CONSIDER
What comes to mind when you think of love? For all the cultural ideology that reminds us love should be rooted in action, we still tend to first think of love as an emotion that makes me feel a certain way. But John paints a picture of obedience to God’s commandment that extends way past observing rules, and instead connects it to displays of authentic love. He explains that our obedience will start with believing in the name of Jesus Christ, and then include loving one another, just as he has commanded us. It might be helpful to re-read the verse and in your mind remove the comma after love one another. John wants us to love one another the way Jesus commanded us to! Jesus didn’t just ask that we love each other and then leave love’s interpretation up to the individual. Rather, he taught that sacrificial love would look like giving to anyone who asks and not demanding your rights be upheld in interpersonal relationships (Luke 6:30). Not only that, Jesus put that kind of love on display by laying down his rights to die in our place. So if we read today’s verse and think that keeping his commandments can be equated to thinking happy thoughts toward people we get along with, John wants us to look beyond our modern western worldview and fix our eyes on Jesus. He invites us to the difficult task of loving, but promises that it will have implications far beyond the way you feel.

What action will I take out of obedience to God? Take a moment right now to consider this question. Whether life makes perfect sense or you find it confusing, you can trust God to speak a timely, life-giving word. If an answer doesn’t immediately come to mind, here are some reflection questions to shape this important conversation with God:

• What are my most prized “possessions”? This could include intangible possessions like reputation, self-sufficiency, etc.
• When I think about my motivation for obeying God, would I consider myself driven more by self-preservation or God’s glory?
• Who is God directing me to invest energy into? How can I point to Jesus through this?

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What action will I take out of obedience to God?

Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us. – 1 John 3:24 ESV

CONSIDER
There’s an urban legend that claims a wealthy CEO took out a relatively small $5,000 loan before leaving New York City on a business trip. For collateral, he put up his brand new car – a Bentley Continental worth over $200,000. The bank left the car in their garage for the entire two weeks the man was out of town. Upon returning, he repaid the loan along with the accumulated interest of $15.41 to get his car back. When the loan officer asked why someone so obviously wealthy would bother securing so small a loan, the CEO replied, “Where else in this city can you park so long for only $15!”
This story highlights the logic behind the concept of collateral. Talk is cheap, so in order to trust someone’s promise, one person is asked to give the other party something significant. This way if they don’t do what they said they would do, something valuable has been exchanged to make up for it. What does this have to do with 1 John? Our verse today says we know God abides in us by the Spirit whom he has given us. The Greek word for our phrase he has given is edōken, and paired with a noun it implies that the giver is granting something that significantly matters to him or her. So as proof that God wants to abide with us, he has given (edōken) the priceless gift of his Spirit! Even though we can take God at his word, he went to great lengths to showcase his faithfulness. However, unlike typical collateral, the gift of the Spirit will remain with us, even after God’s amazing promise to abide with us has been fulfilled. What a generous God we serve! He demonstrates love to us by giving his Son, and then takes action to continually manifest that love by giving his Spirit. Seeing this gift with clarity will inevitably cause us to become more generous the longer we abide in Him.

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What action will I take out of obedience to God?

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. – 1 John 4:1 ESV

CONSIDER
The fourth verse of Adelaide Pollard’s classic hymn “Have Thine Own Way, Lord” reads like a prayer:
Have Thine own way, Lord,
Have Thine own way;
Hold o’er my being
Absolute sway.
Fill with Thy Spirit
Till all shall see
Christ only, always,
Living in me.

Pollard connects the filling of the Holy Spirit with a sanctification that removes the clutter of our lives so that Jesus can be clearly seen. And according to John, Jesus is the test that the Spirit is truly sent from God. The spirits that do not come from God are tempting to listen to, because they point forward and prophesy of things to come. But where these spirits are connected to false prophets in this verse, the Spirit of truth will point back to Jesus and remind us of his words and teachings (John 14:26). We sometimes get tempted to believe that prophecy should always predict the future, but John reassures us that authentic prophecy details how Jesus has already spoken to our situation. When we realize this fully, our hearts can be comforted by the promises of Jesus to walk through difficulty and overcome the world we are troubled by. And when this is called to mind, our lives are refined “Till all shall see Christ only, always, living in me.”

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What lie will I take authority over this week?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. – 1 John 4:1 ESV

CONSIDER
Koko, the sign-language proficient Gorilla, once tore a kitchen sink off the wall. When zoologists asked her what had happened to the sink, Koko signed “cat did it.” It turns out, you don’t have to be human to take advantage of the benefit of deception! Psychologists note that as young as 6 months old, we grasp that falsehood like fake crying or laughing can draw attention to us or help us out of a jam. That’s some of what John is warning against in today’s verse. Even if we are cognizant of the truth that many false prophets are proffering lies and deception, it could be tempting to take advantage of them. But John would have us test the spirits to see whether they are from God, and in a way we are simultaneously testing our hearts. Am I willing to reject false spirits and false prophets, even if I can leverage some personal advantage from them? Being willing to honestly assess the lies that seize our heart will shine a light on what authority the gospel has in it.
What lie will I take authority over this week? Take a moment right now to consider this question. Whether life makes perfect sense or you find it confusing, you can trust God to speak a timely, life-giving word. If an answer doesn’t immediately come to mind, here are some reflection questions to shape this important conversation with God:

• Am I hanging on to a word for my life that I know isn’t truth? If so, what is it and why have I allowed it to linger?
• What aspect of my everyday life do I find myself most vulnerable to the lies of our enemy?
• How can I turn my act of taking authority over lies and use it to glorify God as I connect with those closest to me?

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What action will I take out of obedience to God?

Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. – 1 John 4:4 ESV

CONSIDER
One of the most encouraging things about the life and ministry of Jesus is his consistency. Whether he was addressing a large crowd, sharing a meal with his friends or performing a miracle for a single person in need, Jesus provided hope and pointed to the kingdom of God above all else. In John 16, the night before his crucifixion, Jesus wasn’t preoccupied with his own fate and instead was just as concerned for the well-being of his disciples as he was on the day he called them. His words were honest yet hopeful, culminating in the exhortation found in verse 33: “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” The Greek word John uses for overcome has the same root as the one he uses in 1 John 4:4. More than that, both Greek verbs are written in the perfect tense. This means the action has already been completed! John tells his “little children” that they have already overcome the false teachings of antichrists, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. As encouraging as this truth is, we may think that this means we will never be tempted to believe lies or false teachings. But just because we live our reality of an overcomer does not mean these lies won’t still try to overcome us. Jesus told us that even though he had overcome the world, we would still experience trouble. The message of lies, false prophets and antichrists may still entice us, but our victory doesn’t come from how well we argue or articulate our point of view. Rather, the one who is in us has already secured the victory and is far greater than the whispers and murmurs of the world.

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What lie will I take authority over this week?

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. – 1 John 4:9 ESV

CONSIDER
When faced with a fear-inducing situation, our brains engage in the “fight or flight” process. God has wired us to take action in moments of fear because fear naturally paralyzes us. The phobias of our life will keep us tethered to mediocrity unless God does something to alleviate those fears. Thankfully, John tells us in this verse that God sent his only son Jesus into the world, and in so doing the love of God ephanerōthē, or was made manifest. What’s interesting about this specific word is that its root comes from the word for light, and specifically carries the idea of bringing something into the light that was hidden in the dark. God spared no expense to illuminate our understanding that God’s character is love, and that love casts out fear (4:18). We don’t get to create our own definition of love, but true and perfect love gets revealed through fixing our eyes on Jesus. When we hold to a vague sense of who God is, or when we insist on developing our own personal idea of God’s character (see video above), we miss out on the richness of the love that the God of the Bible promises will sustain us through fearful situations.

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What area of fear is God asking me to give over to Him?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. – 1 John 4:15-16 ESV

CONSIDER
In the book Good To Great, author Jim Collins introduced his wide audience to a concept he coined called The Stockdale Paradox. The claim is that James Stockdale, a POW held for over 7 years during the Vietnam War, needed to focus on both the hope of rescue AND the horrors of his reality in order to survive such a difficult experience. What’s interesting is that Stockdale went on to claim that those POW’s who didn’t survive the ordeal were those who refused to accept their current reality and only held on to an optimistic hope of rescue. When optimism faded for these prisoners, Stockdale told Collins “they died of a broken heart.”
Recently, psychologists have coined a phrase for a similar response to the reality of our everyday lives. Toxic positivity is the claim that we should never allow negative emotions or thoughts to enter our minds. Especially during difficult seasons individually or as a society, bad news and pessimistic ideas seem to come at us from all angles. One response to this is to crowd out this reality with unwarranted optimism. In fact, we’ve probably been told (verbally or with a t-shirt) to have “positive vibes only.” While this is well meaning and sometimes wise advice, the issue becomes that by denying or avoiding problems, they can actually become bigger. Toxic positivity comes from pretending that so long as I focus on good things and run from bad things, life will be good.
Our verses today are a great reminder that God offers a better way. As Christians, we believe it’s unhealthy to focus on negative things, and equally unhealthy to pretend they don’t exist. So John emphasizes that the strength to properly navigate reality is not found in things, but in proximity to God! If God is love and we are able to abide in God, then the source for a healthy perspective on life has nothing to do with whether things appear to be going our way. His love is our anchor, a reality that can never change. As a result we never have to fake optimism or force ourselves to feel an emotion that isn’t there, but neither do we have to succomb to the pain and heartache of our experiences. By drawing near to him, we can address those things that cause fear or sadness without pretending an alternate reality exists.

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What area of fear is God asking me to give over to Him?

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. – 1 John 4:18 ESV

CONSIDER
In our key verse this week, John is dealing with humanity’s natural chronophobia, or fear of the future. He reassures us that God’s perfect love casts out – ballein – fear, which literally means to throw (that’s where we get our English word for ball!) away for a specific purpose. In the context of John’s writing, this means we no longer have to worry about whether God will condemn us for our sin. When we fear what our future judgment may hold, perfect love throws it away so that it no longer keeps us in its grip. In truth, all of our fears are connected to some degree of fear of the future. We feel afraid when we’re unsure of some particular outcome, be it physical harm, relational issues or something else personal to us. In this sense our fears actually reveal where our trust in God may need to be strengthened. John’s reminder to us that God’s perfect love displayed in Jesus tosses fear like a ball can buoy our trust in Him and provide the safe space for us to honestly assess the reasons we fear in the first place.
What area of fear is God asking me to give over to Him? Take a moment right now to consider this question. Whether life makes perfect sense or you find it confusing, you can trust God to speak a timely, life-giving word. If an answer doesn’t immediately come to mind, here are some reflection questions to shape this important conversation with God:

• • Have I identified the thing in my life that I’m most fearful of? If so, why does this thing cause me to dread so much?
  • What is one buffer I have set up in my life to keep me from dealing with my issues?
  • Where does my fear correlate to a lack of trust in God’s care and love for me? How can giving that area over to Him and repentance go hand in hand?

APPLY
What lie will I take authority over this week?

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. – 1 John 5:3 ESV

CONSIDER
At Centerway, we have a Because and Therefore statement that reads like this: Because God sees what we can’t we value GOD-RISKS therefore we respond when God speaks, pursue efforts that require supernatural intervention to succeed, and – while we aren’t irresponsible – we resist the comfort zone and don’t maintain or play it safe out of fear. For some who read this statement it might seem to contradict our verse today, since John tells us that God’s commandments are not burdensome. You might even be thinking “God-risks sound extremely burdensome to me!” But once we begin to grasp even a sliver of the scope of God’s love, our motivation for keeping his commandments completely changes. We no longer adhere to a set of regulations in order to appease God or revel in our own accomplishments. Rather, because our hearts are now drawn to what moves the heart of the Father, we willingly say yes to God and His plan for us. If our faith was motivated by self-preservation, a God-risk wouldn’t be worth the danger to what defines our life. Thankfully, the love of God is so powerful that it redefines our life and changes our notion of what’s comfortable, risky, and safe.

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What life-giving decision will I make because of my faith?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. – 1 John 5:4 ESV

CONSIDER
Most historians agree that the shortest war in history took place on August 27th, 1896 and lasted a grand total of 40 minutes. Known as the Anglo-Zanzibar War, it began when Khālid ibn Barghash refused to recognize Britain’s choice to succeed the former sultan, and instead occupied the throne himself. Prepared to do battle with nearly 3,000 soldiers, Khālid surrendered less than one hour after British warships began firing on his position. Due to the sheer size and might of the British forces compared with how few people and resources the Zanzibaran army had, you could say the war was over before it even started.
John uses the illustration of a battle when writing about those born of God and the world. He tells us it’s our faith that has already secured victory in this war against evil and darkness, using the past tense has overcome to describe the status of the fight. According to John, our faith is mightier than warships or armies because of Who we place our faith in! Because of Jesus, we may be engaged in a spiritual war, but his display of love on the cross and in the empty tomb has ensured our battle is over before it even started.
What life-giving decision will I make because of my faith? Take a moment right now to consider this question. Whether life makes perfect sense or you find it confusing, you can trust God to speak a timely, life-giving word. If an answer doesn’t immediately come to mind, here are some reflection questions to shape this important conversation with God:

• What, if anything, scares me the most about taking a risk for God?
• When was the last time I made a tough decision because of my faith? What lessons did I learn from that experience that I could bring into my next faith-driven choices?
• As I reflect on the influence I have, is there a clear decision I could make this week that would release blessing on those around me?

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What life-giving decision will I make because of my faith?

Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.  – 1 John 5:12 ESV

CONSIDER
Embedded in the fabric of today’s verse is a glimpse into the nature of God that we might miss if we read it too quickly. John uses a verb to describe our connection to the Son, saying that whoever echōn (has, holds onto, possesses) the Son has life. We have been taught from a young age that a verb is an action word – one that shows us something is acting on another thing. John is profoundly telling us that the Son has made himself able to be held onto; a God who lowered himself to be reached by humanity knowing that humanity couldn’t lift itself high enough to reach God. Jesus himself invites all who are weary and burdened to come to him (Matthew 11:28). 1 John doesn’t say that whoever has knowledge of the Son has life, nor does it say that whoever has the right theology about the Son has life. Our God simply invites us to hold onto himself, and thereby possess the life we are all in pursuit of.

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What life-giving decision will I make because of my faith?

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.  – 1 John 5:14 ESV

CONSIDER
This week marks not only the culmination of our “For The Love!” series, but also the completion of our study through the epistle of 1 John! After thirteen weeks and 96 verses we finally arrive at the section in which John tells us the purpose for writing his letter, saying in verse 13 “so that you may know you have eternal life.” Adding to that thought is today’s verse, showing us that we should have confidence toward Jesus, that he will hear us if we ask anything according to his will. What’s encouraging about the Greek word for confidence (parrēsia) is that it literally means to go public or be bold because of your certainty. We trust that God loves us so much that we can pray bold prayers, guided by the assurance that however God answers them will be for our good. John also links this confidence to Jesus and the access to the Heavenly Father his sacrifice has granted to us. Rather than demanding our own way because of our own merit, Jesus has secured a place in the royal family for us, so that our confidence comes directly from a relationship with the Triune God. As Dr. Timothy Keller famously said, “The only person who dares wake up a king at 3:00 AM for a glass of water is a child. We have that kind of access.”

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What will I pray about this week?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. – 1 John 5:18 ESV

CONSIDER
There’s a story in the Gospel of John that shares the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ first miracle – turning water into wine. Common sense and Jewish tradition both called for the best quality wine to be brought out first, then once people’s senses had dulled, the lesser quality stock could be released to the party. The wine that Jesus made from water was so excellent that it prompted the master of the banquet to comment “you have kept the good wine until now.” The verb kept in that verse carries with it the idea of holding back, or guarding something. The master of the banquet assumed the barrels of wine were being held back, guarded like a warden securing an inmate. And it’s interesting to note that John uses a version of that same verb to describe how God keeps us from the evil one. It gets translated protects in today’s verse, reminding us that sometimes God’s protection comes in the form of holding us back! Most of us would rather imagine God’s protection as a Monopoly “get out of jail free” card, so that when we land in a tough spot he can guard us from the consequences of our action. But there are times when even though we pray for it, God won’t allow us to move forward in a certain area in order to protect us from consequences that we can’t see yet. It will probably seem as confusing to us as why the best wine was held back until last, but when we trust God has a perspective that we don’t have, we will see our seemingly unanswered prayers as an opportunity for a miracle.

What will I pray about this week? Take a moment right now to consider this question. Whether life makes perfect sense or you find it confusing, you can trust God to speak a timely, life-giving word. If an answer doesn’t immediately come to mind, here are some reflection questions to shape this important conversation with God:

• What would you pray for if you knew God was going to hear and respond to you? What does this prayer reveal about your perspective?
• What would you consider the world’s greatest need to be? How about your family’s greatest need?
• Reflect on a time when God seemed to hold you back from something. What lessons can you take from that experience? However you felt coming out of that experience, spend some time connecting with God about this.

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What will I pray about this week?

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. – 1 John 5:21 ESV

CONSIDER
After going through the entire book of 1 John, you would expect the last verse of this epistle to wrap up the main theme of John’s writings. As a church, we’ve explored the big picture ideas of abiding in God’s presence and loving others because of our love for Jesus. So John’s final statement might leave us a little bewildered. He hasn’t really said much about idols at all and now that’s what John chooses to leave us with? But actually, this warning perfectly encapsulates what John has been cautioning us about all along.
An idol is anything (usually a good thing) that takes God’s rightful place in our life. To John, our idols promise the same blessings that God gives, however they can never deliver on that promise. We’re sometimes tempted to find our rest in the quality of a vacation or in changing our routine rather than resting in God’s presence. As important as a vacation is, when we put our hope in it we inevitably end up disappointed. There are many reasons for this; things don’t go as planned, we realize all vacations must come to an end, etc. The same concept applies to where we give and derive our love. Parents, spouses and children are all examples of gifts we rightfully hold dear but if we derive our worth from our family’s love, their imperfections will destroy us. Our idols will always ultimately let us down. Thankfully, John reminds us that the antidote to idolatry can be found in the content of his letter. Only Jesus has both the grace to endure our shortcomings and the depth to meet every need we have. If we’re looking for rest or to be loved fully, the final verse of 1 John is actually our starting point!

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What will I pray about this week?