If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9 ESV

CONSIDER
Our key verse this week brings to mind a famous Psalm of thanksgiving. In Psalm 32 David sings of a worshipper who gives thanks because their sin is forgiven. They are thankful not because they are moral or because they have nothing to repent of; on the contrary they are celebrating the freedom that comes from repentance. The Psalmist even tells us that when he tried to keep silent about his sin, his strength was dried up (verse 3). David was looking forward to the day when forgiveness wasn’t attached to the act of personal sacrifice, but to simply confessing with our mouths the sin that has ensnared us. As we abide in Jesus’ love, John reassures us that His work is all that is needed to be free from the effects of sin. So your confession is actually a declaration that you both believe his word is true and that you trust your life to his loving character! Both David and John reaffirm the truth that confession puts the majesty of God’s nature on display in the life of the worshipper. Only a love like God’s can take something as terrible as the guilt of sin and turn it into the joy of worship. Lean into this truth!

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Where in my life do I need to be transparent with God?

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

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9 ESV

CONSIDER
“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,” – John 6:68

The disciples seemed to have more questions than answers. Did Jesus really say we needed to eat his flesh to experience real life? Why can’t he just go back to performing miracles? Jesus was saying some difficult things; people were leaving in droves, and there were rumblings that even these men would walk away from Jesus, too. But in the midst of a dark and confusing time, Peter responded to Jesus in a way that brought clarity for the rest of his followers. Jesus pointedly asked the twelve whether they were leaving, too, and their spokesman replied with a question and a declaration: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” It would have been easy for Peter to justify closing himself off to Jesus, since Jesus seemed to be saying and doing things that were intentionally harmful to their cause. But Peter’s transparency was connected to his trust in Jesus. He reveals that there was nowhere else to turn, since Peter knew that Jesus declared the way that led to life. In his darkest moments, this truth guided Peter’s actions.

Where in my life do I need to be transparent with 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:

• How comfortable am I with praying to God?
• Is there any area of disappointment in my life that I’m currently blaming God for?
• If a trusted friend spoke to me about an area of life that I’ve made more important than God, how would I respond? What might that area be?

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Where in my life do I need to be transparent with God?

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

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9 ESV

CONSIDER
Cubic silicon nitride is an intensely strong ceramic that is used in ball bearings and high performance engine parts. People have been using the chemical compound for decades, but recently researchers in Germany were able to alter it in such a way that the originally opaque substance became optically crystal clear and yet maintained its super strength. This promises to have incredible applications for the military, school buildings, and so much more. So what does this have to do with 1 John? The transparency of cubic silicon nitride is created by subjecting it to incredible amounts of heat and pressure. Anyone who has lived long enough to read these words will understand that life constantly subjects us to the same elements. They seem to take the actions and attitudes we often like to conceal and expose what we’re made of. We can allow the heat and pressure of life to burn us out and squeeze us up, or we can use the strength of God’s loving character in us and become transparent with him. The choice is clear, since our key verse shows us that when we’re transparent with the God of light, he forgives and cleanses! Rather than being afraid of punishment and judgment, this truth allows us to live in the freedom of an unblemished conscience. So being transparent with God about the sin we need to confess does nothing to diminish our strength.

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Where in my life do I need to be transparent with God?

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

He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. – 1 John 2:2 ESV

CONSIDER
The Old Testament prophet Habakkuk is known for his honest conversations with God. One of them, found in Habakkuk 3:2 ends with the phrase “in wrath, remember mercy.” Essentially, the prophet is pleading that God’s wrath wouldn’t be poured out in the measure that we deserve. John reveals to his readers that Habakkuk – and everyone else who has asked God for the same thing – have reason to rejoice. Jesus has become our propitiation, which means an offering to appease the anger of God. Sin deserves the execution of God’s wrath, but because Jesus took our place, God’s wrath and God’s mercy intersected on the cross. And now, even though our sin requires a wrathful response, that wrath was exchanged for the mercy Jesus paid with his life to provide.

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In what ways will I abide in Jesus this week?

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

He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. – 1 John 2:2 ESV

CONSIDER
Have you ever thought about why God gets so upset at sin? If a propitiation is an atoning sacrifice that satisfies the wrath of God, what specifically does God get wrathful about? John masterfully unpacks the answer to that question in this epistle, and comes to the conclusion that his anger with sin is inextricably linked to his love for us. Due to the fact that sin short-circuits the good plan God intends for our life, his wrath is not poured out because God hates people who sin and wants us miserable, but rather because sin deeply hurts those he loves. The more we abide in God’s presence, the clearer we can see our sin for what it really is.
In what ways will I abide in Christ 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 is my comfort level with being still? Why is this either a strength or a weakness in my life?

• What is God currently working on in my life?

• Where has my relationship with God grown the most stagnant? The most vibrant?

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In what ways will I abide in Jesus this week?

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

He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. – 1 John 2:2 ESV

CONSIDER
From the beginning of the Levitical system, when the Israelites needed a sacrifice to atone for their sin they would select an unblemished animal. This meant the animal was free of physical defects and imperfections. Fast forward to Jesus’ life and ministry, when his perfect sacrifice atoned for the sins of the world. John tells us that Jesus is our propitiation (atoning sacrifice) and then goes on to tell us that if we claim to abide in him we ought to walk in the same way he walked. So does that mean we need to be perfect in order to abide in him? Thankfully the answer is absolutely not! In Matthew 11 Jesus invites us to take his yoke and place it on ourselves, which he promises will be easy and light. The Greek word Matthew uses for yoke is a term that taken figuratively is something that unites two people to move in unison. When we’re yoked up with someone else, we abide with them both positionally (next to them) and directionally (where one goes, the other goes). So even though we won’t perfectly journey through life, and indeed there may be seasons in which we’re too weak to blaze ahead, when we abide in Jesus and willingly submit ourselves to his yoke, we will walk in the same way he walks and work toward what he does. We can trust that Jesus is compassionate enough to bear the weight of our inconsistency and patient enough to walk with us at a pace that won’t overwhelm.

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In what ways will I abide in Jesus this week?

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

Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. – 1 John 2:9 ESV

CONSIDER
“The defense rests.” This iconic phrase is used in the legal system by a lawyer indicating that they have finished arguing their case and are ready for the judge or jury to decide it. This is also the idea behind the Greek word that is broadly translated “says” in our key verse this week. By using the word legōn (laying an argument to rest, bringing a message to closure), John is explaining that a person is in darkness if he hates his brother but rests his case that he is in the light. In other words, if you make your argument for being in the light without including a genuine love for people, you’re lying to yourself and your case is anything but airtight. The astute among us will quickly realize that this poses a problem on two fronts: even on our best days we don’t love everyone we meet perfectly, and it seems as though everyone we meet has a different standard of what love should look like. But take heart – the good news is that Jesus has solved both of those problems for us! When we were still sinners he died for us (Romans 5:8), so as we abide in him, our imperfections are absorbed by his perfect love, allowing us to care for people with his supernatural strength and patience. Not only that, John will go on to tell us that God is love. So this perfection unified the standard of love, and now when we as humans debate its definition or get fearful of the implication of resting our own spiritual case, all we have to do is look to the cross.

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Who do I need to articulate love to this week?

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

Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. – 1 John 2:9 ESV

CONSIDER
For a few of us, this week’s key verse may beg some form of the following response: “I don’t hate the person in question, but they’ve wounded me so deeply I don’t think I could ever forgive them.” While scripture never condones placing yourself in an abusive situation, it will challenge our logic behind withholding grace, forgiveness or compassion toward others. As humans we have a natural instinct for self-preservation, and often our assumption is that keeping people in need at arm’s length from us will make it easier to focus on our own needs. But John shows us here that when we think that way we are still in darkness. Being in the dark is not the safest place to be. Without the light of grace-infused love shining along our path, we will be unable to see pitfalls and snares along the way. The moon may only reflect 3-12% of the sun’s rays, but at its brightest it can seem to light up the night. So it is with us – we don’t conjure up our own love, but reflect the love Christ showed us to a world held captive by darkness.
Who do I need to articulate love to 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 currently holding a grudge against anyone? If no one comes to mind, do I know of anyone holding a grudge against me?

• When was the last time the people I love most in this life heard me verbalize that love?

• How have I expressed love to God lately? What quality of his have I neglected to praise him for this past week?

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Who do I need to articulate love to this week?

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

Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. – 1 John 2:10 ESV

CONSIDER

Zelmyra and Herbert Fisher were married on May 13th, 1924 in a small town in North Carolina. Their marriage lasted 87 years and set a Guinness World Record, until Herbert passed away at the age of 105. Obviously these two knew something about teamwork! When asked how they managed to grow as individuals and still grow together as a couple, Hebert reflected on a unique truth: “[the one who] plants a seed and [the one who] harvests the crop celebrate together. We are individuals, but accomplish more together.” There’s something about working toward an agreed upon goal that links our hearts to one another. Both members of a marriage have a unique part to play, but when they are working to hit the same target their love expresses itself in unity, joy and purpose.

When we commit to the hard work of love, John says we abide in the light, and in us there is no cause for stumbling (v. 10). The phrase “cause for stumbling” is actually a single Greek word – skandalon. Not only is this where we get our english word “scandal,” skandalon is a noun that literally refers to the stick that holds up a trap for an unsuspecting animal! Therefore living in love will ensure that we avoid setting off the traps that come from disunity. Abiding in love provides a safe space for us to set our sights on the goals that matter to God.

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Who do I need to articulate love to this week?

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

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. – 1 John 2:15 ESV

CONSIDER
As mentioned in our devotional video above, the specific word for love in the phrase “Do not love the world” is agapate. This form of the Greek word agape literally means to prize whatever you direct love toward above everything else. John seems to be saying that this kind of love should solely be reserved for the Father. But the interesting thing about agapate is that it’s the same word Jesus uses in Matthew 5 when he tells us to love our enemies! It’s also used by Jesus in John 13 when he gives us his new command to love one another, and by Paul in Ephesians 5 when he tells husbands to love their wives. By this use we see that the Bible isn’t telling us to love God and hate everything else; rather, we demonstrate our adherence to God’s kingdom by our love for people – enemies, friends or otherwise! In fact, of the 15 times agapate is used in the Bible, only twice is it used to describe love for something other than people, and both of those instances (here and in Luke 11) that love is warned against. The stuff of this world shouldn’t have our heart, but Jesus’ command is that a heart for people should be a key component to demonstrating our love for God.

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What will I do this week to build on a lasting legacy?

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

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. – 1 John 2:15 ESV

CONSIDER
Six times in his gospel, John calls himself “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” As the self-titled best friend of Jesus, even the passages he authors as warnings seems to exude compassion! Our key verse this week is no exception. In it, he cautions us to not love the world or the things in the world, then tells us that if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. To a culture that tells us we can have it all, this might not seem fair. We often want to keep our options open, and call it a sacrifice if we willingly make a choice that will close a door on pleasure. In fact, when King Edward VIII chose to abdicate the throne in order to marry commoner Wallis Simpson, it was heralded by many as the most romantic gesture of the 20th century. Why? Because given the choice between retaining the privilege of monarchy or pursuing a love interest, Edward gave it all up for love. But John is not asking us to choose between two options, he’s actually asking us to avoid death by choosing life. The world and its contents are crumbling, and if we pursue them with our energy and heart we will be destroyed along with them. So what sounds like a threat to our freedom is actually a blueprint to cultivate a godly heritage.
What will I do this week to build on a lasting legacy? 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 do I want to be remembered for? As I honestly assess my life, are there areas that I need to grow in?

• What would people close to me say I value most in life? Would that line up with my stated values?

• What is the next logical step in my spiritual development?

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What will I do this week to build on a lasting legacy?

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

And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. – 1 John 2:17 ESV

CONSIDER
“I think I get out of bed because I love to eat.” On February 12, 2020 Joey Chestnut broke the World Record for eating Big Macs by devouring 32 sandwiches in just over 38 minutes. In case you’re wondering, that’s 18,016 calories and 15.36 lbs of food! By all accounts Chestnut has the physical and mental make-up for competitive eating. He loves to eat, keeps his body weight relatively low and exercises his jaw so he can effortlessly bite, chew and swallow in one fluid motion. Chestnut’s 40 competitive eating records include hot dogs (74 in 10 minutes), twinkies (121 in 6 minutes) and grilled cheese sandwiches (47 in 10 minutes).
Whether you’re inspired or repulsed by this man, Joey Chestnut is probably more similar to you than you think. By his own admission he’s following his passion, doing what he feels he was born for and works tirelessly to make a name for himself. It’s just that the legacy he’s building is, by its nature, a fleeting one. The Greek word paragetai (“is passing away” in today’s verse) literally means to be carried off or carried away. It’s like John is saying “the world is being carried off by some force, away from where it wants to be.” This is an important reminder that whatever we build with our lives will be dismantled. If we live for world records, they will be replaced by the efforts of someone else. If we live to provide a stable financial base, its fate will be determined by the one who manages those funds after us. But John offers an antidote to the temporal trappings of this life when he tells us that whoever does the will of God abides forever. In the context of John’s writing, the will of God includes confessing our sins to a faithful God (1:8-9), obeying even when it’s difficult (2:4-5) and loving people when others see reason for hatred (2:9). These are the decisions and commitments that can never be carried away! In terms of a lasting legacy, the will of God should be at the center of why we get out of bed.

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What will I do this week to build on a lasting legacy?

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

Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. – 1 John 2:24 ESV

CONSIDER
A recent controversial New York Times article revealed that from March 1st to May 1st, about 420,000 people left New York City for another residence. This translates to nearly 5% of the city’s population. The demographics reveal that this group is overwhelmingly young and/or wealthy compared to the rest of the city. One reason this article is so contentious was the opinions of residents who stuck around. Points of view as to why people left ranged from being “too soft” for life in the Big Apple to having no sense of loyalty to boiling the city down to experiences while forsaking the people who live there. Whatever the reason, the truth that resounded above the assessment of opinionated New Yorkers is this: those who left the city permanently were unwilling to abide in their current reality. 
The epistle of 1 John was written to a group of people who were also contemplating a decision to flee their current reality. The fear of political upheaval had mixed with spiritual confusion to create tension in the early church. What should they believe? Who should they follow? Where should they live in order to remain faithful to God? These questions form the backdrop for this week’s key verse. John’s exhortation is that wherever you find yourself – physically or spiritually – the truth you have heard from the beginning should abide in you. In other words, the simplicity and heart of the gospel should be what anchors our faith. It turns out where you abide isn’t nearly as important as what abides in you.

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What lie will I replace with truth this week?

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

Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. – 1 John 2:24 ESV

Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.  – 1 John 2:24 ESV

CONSIDER
One of our Because and Therefore statements reads like this: Because we’ve been awarded grace we value AUTHENTICITY therefore we honestly do life together, don’t try to hide our mess, and don’t lead second rate versions of our one and only life. Melissa Chu, developer of the blog “Jumpstart Your Dream Life” shares that one of the biggest reasons we are able to lie to ourselves is because we believe those lies will help us get to that first rate life quicker. Her articles show the destructive power of lying to yourself from a career-oriented perspective, but what if the dream life has nothing to do with how far we advance at work? At Centerway, we believe that a first-rate life is lived when Jesus is placed at the center of it and is allowed to inform every decision we make. And once we realize how much grace God has given us, we are free to step out from behind any lie we’ve been using to shield others from seeing who we really are. Jesus came to bring abundant life (John 10:10), and he also came not to call the righteous, but sinners (Mark 2:17). As we draw closer to Jesus we get a glimpse of the power of forgiveness, and often the person we need to forgive the most is ourselves! We can take heart in the truth that when we lean in to the grace Jesus provides, we can see the clearest path to avoiding the traps that ensure we settle for a second rate version of our one and only life.

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What lie will I replace with truth this week?

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

And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. – 1 John 2:28 ESV

CONSIDER
There’s a tendency to believe that guilt and shame are the same thing. When we experience these emotions, they feel very close internally and can be traced to similar sources. However, psychologists offer an important distinction between these two feelings: we are far more likely to admit our guilt than to publicize our shame. This is due in part to the reality that while we feel guilty for something that was done, we think of shame in terms of who we are. As a result, shame becomes an isolating emotion that separates us from people and keeps us from the very thing that would bring healing. And therein lies one of the most beautiful aspects of our key verse: John reveals that abiding in Jesus is the antidote to our shame! When we were tempted to shrink back in shame from him, Jesus moved toward us. He not only bore the punishment for our shame, he offers us eternal healing from it. Now we are able to move forward in our journey toward healing, free from the very thing that tries to isolate us.

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How can I rest in the confidence that the Gospel provides?

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

And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. – 1 John 2:28 ESV

CONSIDER
In Jewish tradition, the day which God came to finally judge the world would be dreadful and terrifying. He would arrive on the scene to destroy his enemies and wipe out anyone who is disobedient to his will. But John tells us that the gospel has something to say about this. When Jesus appears, those who abide in him won’t have to be afraid of his judgment. That’s because being still and allowing yourself to be wrapped in his presence heightens our awareness of the gospel. As humans we regularly find ourselves disobedient to his will, but Jesus chose to take our punishment. Paul said it this way, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
How can I rest in the confidence that the Gospel provides? 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:

• Are there situations in my life that I’m ashamed of? How am I seeking healing for this area?

• Where do I lack confidence in my spiritual life or otherwise?

• How does the love of God address my areas of perceived inadequacy? 

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How can I rest in the confidence that the Gospel provides?

And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. – 1 John 2:28 ESV

CONSIDER
Food culture trends in some pretty interesting directions. One of those unique trends is “theme tasting” at high-end restaurants. Guests are seated at a special table, and without given a menu or any choice, the chef serves several courses they believe will provide the guest with the best meal possible. This seems to defy convention, because often in our culture we are told that our best life is directly connected to the amount of options we have. But when you have explicit confidence in someone, you trust whatever they put in front of you. In fact, the enjoyment of theme tasting is directly linked to giving control to a chef whose reputation precedes them.
John references this kind of trust when he speaks of Jesus’ second coming. Using the Greek word parrēsian (bold confidence), John is expressing a spiritual boldness that God’s reputation precedes him. We can trust God knows what he’s doing no matter what he allows us to experience. When we abide in Jesus we get to know, love and trust his character. This brings us confidence that even though we are familiar with our sin, Jesus’ sacrifice has eliminated our shame and paved the way for us to run to him without fear!

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How can I rest in the confidence that the Gospel provides?

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

No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.  – 1 John 3:9 ESV

CONSIDER
Most of us are aware that a person gets half their genetic makeup from their mother and the other half from their father. But a famous scientific discovery also claims that humans share roughly 60% of the same genes as chickens, fruit flies, and bananas! We believe the Author of Life has used a remarkable “blueprint” for creation, but this also ensures a distinct pattern for procreation and reproduction. A banana seed is not going to reproduce a fruit fly, and a chicken is not going to lay an egg and reproduce a human. This is what John is expressing in our verse as he speaks of being born of God. Using the Greek verb gegennētai (which gets translated “they have been born of” at the end of the verse), John is using a word that literally means God has parented us! And if that is true, then he has chosen to reproduce his character and love in those in whom his seed remains. Does John mean we can attain to his divine perfection by saying those born of God cannot go on sinning? No. However, the more we get to know him, the more we will love what he loves and hate what he hates, exhibiting his spiritual DNA in increasing measure.

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What is God making new in my life?

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

No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.  – 1 John 3:9 ESV

CONSIDER
In his teaching in 1 John, the church father St. Augustine of Hippo asked a poignant question: How do we reconcile John’s teaching that no one who is born of God will continue to sin (3:9) with his earlier teaching that if we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth of God is not in us (1:8)? These seem like two incompatible truths. John seems to be saying we have sin, and then declaring that if we have sin we cannot be born of God. For Augustine, the answer lies in adhering to the new commandment. In John 13:34, Jesus declares, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” So any time we neglect to love others we sin, but because Jesus went to the cross and thereby loved us sacrificially, we are able to claim his sinless life as our own. Now we are able to confess that though we don’t love perfectly (and therefore cannot claim to be without sin) we are walking in the newness of life that Jesus’ perfect love and fulfillment of the new commandment secured for us.
What is God making new in my life? 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 have I allowed to become stagnant in my life? Was this intentional?

• Have I minimized the power of confessing my sin to trusted people in my world? If so, who will I talk to about this?

• What miracle do I need God to perform in me?

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What is God making new in my life?

No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. – 1 John 3:9 ESV

CONSIDER
What habits do you consistently develop in your life? Whether it’s something enjoyable (like a hobby) or difficult but with the promise of future dividends (like a career) what we regularly work on becomes a big part of our legacy. It’s been said that you are the sum of your habits; therefore how we spend our time today has a significant impact on what we will be known for later on. That’s why this verse is such an inspiring admonition for those of us who feel overwhelmed with the pace and load of life. Found only here in the entire Bible, John uses the word hamartanein (continue to sin) to communicate an activity that is practiced so frequently it becomes a habit. The beauty of this verse is that if we are born of God, sin no longer has the power to be a pattern in our life! At times we can be deceived into thinking that we are controlled by habitual wrongdoing. But John would have us know that when God’s seed remains in us, we have the tools available to us to reject the bondage of sin and forge a legacy that matters. Life may feel complicated or burdensome, but the ability to be still and abide in his presence can still be the habit that our legacy is built on.

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What is God making new in my life?

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