I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. – 2 John 1:4 ESV

CONSIDER
Whether you belong to a gym or not, it’s hard to miss the trend in physical fitness these days known as circuit training. This kind of workout involves quickly moving between different forms of exercise in order to maximize aerobic and endurance benefits. What makes circuit training so valuable is that your health goals are achieved by targeting them from multiple angles. But circuit training doesn’t have to only apply to the gym. This imagery saturates the Greek word for walking that John uses in today’s verse, and it’s so specific that this is the only time this verb is used in all of John’s writings. He rejoiced greatly to find that some were walking in the truth, but we miss the richness of his thought if all we think of is someone taking a walk. John blends the word “walk” with the word “around,” so the word literally means to walk around in a complete circuit. Our author has in mind a group of people who carry truth with them from time they get out of bed until they get back in. They always prioritize living out truth regardless of where their walking takes them. At the end of the day, after they had completed a full circuit of activities, truth is still their companion. This text encourages us to take the truth into every conversation, every decision and every experience we have today. When our goal is to live on mission and act in a way that is consistent with our beliefs, circuit walking with truth will serve to target those goals effectively, and help shape us into Christ’s image.

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How can I choose to walk in love this week?

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

And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. – 2 John 1:6 ESV

CONSIDER
In 1967 the Beatles released their iconic hit “All You Need is Love.” The lyrics were intentionally designed to be simplistic, since it was written to debut at a televised, international music festival. The song is catchy and memorable, with a message that has been universally celebrated. But what happens when people have multiple definitions of love? For example, if a teacher thinks a loving gesture is to stay after school to work with a failing student, while the student feels as if a loving gesture would be for the teacher to just change the grade and move on, there’s going to be a problem. Or worse, suppose one country agrees that the most loving thing to do for people is to wipe out their enemy. If love is just a feeling or sentiment, we run the risk of changing love’s definition almost daily.  Thankfully, John defines love for his readers in a way that is neither trite nor overly emotional. He says that this is love, that we walk according to his commandments. In this way, John begins his definition with God as the starting point, challenging us to live in a way that lines up with his precepts. We can do this because Jesus’ commands are not burdensome (1 John 5:3) and are fulfilled by loving people (Mark 12:31). When we agree on the definition of love, we are free to truly walk in that love without being motivated by fear or mere religion obligation.
How can I choose to walk in love 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:

·       Can you identify any people in your life who could use some encouragement? If so, what are some practical ways you could offer this?

·       What areas of your life have you chosen not to walk in love? What will repentance look like in that case?

·       Are there any rhythms that could be implemented in your life that might increase your capacity to love?

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How can I choose to walk in love this week?

And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. – 2 John 1:6 ESV

CONSIDER
For many of us, the reminder that “life is a marathon, not a sprint” is very helpful. This thought puts time into perspective, suggesting that we should plan and prepare for a big picture journey rather than burn out by myopically using up our energy in the short term. In a marathon, runners don’t sprint out of the starting gate, yet neither do they stop and lay down every time they feel tired. When John uses the phrase from the beginning in our key verse this week, he uses a Greek noun that borrows imagery from a starting line. In essence, he is saying that at the starting point of our faith in Jesus we were given a goal – what John calls “the commandment” – and as we continue our adventure we don’t have the luxury of stopping short of that goal or changing the layout of the course. Walking in love is a daily exercise that we don’t complete until our marathon is finished. Our pace may not be consistent along the route, but regardless of how we feel in the moment, our mandate is to keep moving in the direction God has commanded us.

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How can I choose to walk in love this week?

For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. – 2 John 1:7 ESV

CONSIDER
José Salvador Alvarenga holds a record that no one wants any part of. On November 17, 2012, Alvarenga’s fishing boat was blown by a storm from the Mexican coast and out to sea. Surviving on rainwater, fish & small birds, Alvarenga was adrift for a record 438 days, traveling over 6,700 miles until being rescued on January 29th, 2014. His vessel drifted a relatively small distance per day, averaging just over 15 miles, or less than 1 mile per hour. However by the time his journey ended, Alvarenga had gone more than a quarter of the way around the globe!
John uses similar imagery in warning his readers about those who don’t confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. He calls them planoi – deceivers – which literally translates to roamers or wanderers. These are people who have veered off course and attempt to lead God’s people away from the gospel. For John, planoi are subtle, incrementally asking others to take their eyes off the real Jesus. Their deception might seem harmless, but over the course of time can cause people to drift a quarter of a world away.

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What idol have I allowed in my life that needs to be removed?

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

Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. – 2 John 1:8 ESV

CONSIDER
A recent BBC article took the time to explore a growing problem in our world today: productivity addiction. At first glance this phrase may seem humorous or even commendable, but in reality its effects can ruin lives. Experts insist that because most people with this issue equate success with long hours and hard work, they cannot properly define success for any other area of their life. This leads to a lack of focus on the big picture joys of life (family, rest, exploring, etc), resulting in working for a life that can’t hold up under the weight of their own high standards. People become products, only staying in their lives as long as they bring working value to it. Not only do these productivity addicts repel healthy relationships, they often take pride in their identity as a workaholic.
When John asks his readers to “watch yourselves,” he means to take a big picture assessment or inventory of your entire lives. He asks us to do this so that the work done among them won’t be lost. Work is good and important, but if we take a step back and assess that it’s the most important thing, we’ve identified what defines our lives and needs to be addressed.
What idol have I allowed in my life that needs to be removed? 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 you look to for fulfillment? How about peace? If that thing was unavailable, how would you react?

·       How would you describe your experience with prayer?

·       As you identify what holds the ultimate place in your life, what is the first step you need to take to replace that thing with Jesus?

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What idol have I allowed in my life that needs to be removed?

If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, – 2 John 1:10 ESV

CONSIDER
One of the many unique byproducts of the national pause on non-essential businesses is the rise of “speakeasy gyms.” These exercise facilities operate illegally, often behind locked doors and with members working out in the dark at times. Gym owners need to be vigilant in these environments; only people with an invitation can pass through the doors and patrons have to prove themselves trustworthy through various means. The cost of welcoming the wrong person into the gym (either for viral or legal reasons) is sadly, a risk these owners are willing to take.
John advises against this kind of spiritual risk when he writes about welcoming deceivers and false teachers. He tells us not to receive them into our homes or even greet them. When we do so, we are by default approving of their doctrine. In John’s opinion, the truth of the gospel needs to be protected so vehemently that even personal decisions ought to be evaluated based on their implications. We may not have the opportunity to show hospitality to traveling heretical preachers, but in our modern context we still must guard against what we welcome into our lives. Do the posts we like and the comments we make online safeguard the truth of Christ, or are we dangerously taking a risk without counting the cost? If Jesus is our focus, John tells us that making the right choices might not become easier, but they should become clearer & clearer.

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What idol have I allowed in my life that needs to be removed?

Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth. – 3 John 1:8 ESV

CONSIDER
When John uses the term “fellow worker” in his conversation about supporting those who work for the truth, he uses a word that many of us are familiar with. The Greek word synergoi is used here to refer to those co-laborers with John who work for the truth as he does (see above video). Our english word synergycomes from here, and it’s designed to show how when people work together for the truth, they can produce something bigger than themselves. Sometimes we confuse the concept of synergy with another concept derived from a Greek word: symbiosis. Both words speak to the idea of two or more things or people working together, but the goals represented by these words are miles apart. If a relationship is symbiotic, the two parties work together in order to benefit each other. But a synergistic relationship consists of two parties who work together for a goal beyond anything to their personal advantage. It’s as if John is saying that the people you surround yourself with in advancing the truth must have a similar vision to yours. If we want our lives to carry potential beyond what we can accomplish alone, we must be willing to lift our eyes beyond our personal preferences and biases and work with like-minded synergoi.

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How will I be part of advancing the Gospel this week?

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

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. – 3 John 1:4 ESV

CONSIDER
In John 15, we see Jesus encouraging us to connect to him like a branch connects to a vine. Then in verse 11, Jesus says this: “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” It’s interesting to note that this verse about joy begins in the same Greek case as our verse about joy today does. Now, if you’re tempted to stop reading after hearing the phrase “Greek case” and “interesting” in the same sentence, fight that urge because there is a direct connection to your life! Written in the accusative case, the adjective greater in this verse answers the question “what or to whom.” In other words, if someone were to accuse John of being joyful, all he would have to do is point to his children and their decision to walk in the truth as proof that this was true.
If someone were to accuse you of wanting to advance the gospel, what would you point to as proof? As Christians, our lives should be marked with examples of the decisions we’ve made that would reveal our hunger for the Good News of Jesus to be advanced. If we cannot readily articulate a specific decision, that doesn’t mean we’re bad Christ-followers or that we’ve failed in our faith. It simply reminds us of our need for grace, and the call to connect to him that Jesus gives his people. This mandate to advance the Gospel isn’t founded on fear that we will be punished by God, but is a reaction to the joy that we experience from being changed by it.
How will I be part of advancing the Gospel 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 do you see God at work in the world? What about your own life?
• Is there a God-risk you’ve been hesitant to take recently? If so, why do you think this is?
• Who has permission in your life to challenge you spiritually? How could you bring up this subject to them so that they could hold you accountable to act?

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How will I be part of advancing the Gospel this week?

Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, – 3 John 1:5 ESV

CONSIDER
Some of the sternest warnings in scripture are given to those who refuse to open their life up to strangers. From the mandate in the Old Testament to welcome the foreigner and immigrant, to the declaration in the New Testament that people who entertain strangers have entertained angels without knowing it, caring for those with whom you have little in common really matters. It’s as if there’s a bigger issue at play than merely being friendly to people we don’t know.
In this verse, John uses the Greek word xenos (strangers) to describe fellow Christians who were unfamiliar to his readers. Xenos does mean a stranger, but its scope is so much bigger than that. Anyone who is foreign to you for any reason – be it where you live, who you know or your cultural background  –  falls under this term. This rendering cuts to the heart of a growing issue in our world today: the lack of regard and care for anyone who seems strange to us. John applauds the church he is writing to because they work to serve believers with whom they had little in common from an earthly standpoint. When we welcome the stranger, we are declaring that our identity is tied to something bigger than national, political or cultural affiliation. We are defined by who God declares us to be, a claim that unites even the most naturally characterized xenos.

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How will I be part of advancing the Gospel this week?

I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. – 3 John 1:9 ESV

CONSIDER
If you were to accuse someone of acting like the complete opposite of Jesus, how do you imagine them acting? As we wrap up our time in the epistles of John, our verse today contains a potential answer to that question. Maybe in your mind they are being mean to others, short-tempered or not living very wisely. John however uses the word philopróteuó – likes to put himself first – to contrast the way Diotrephes lives with the way we ought to follow Jesus. In every way possible, Jesus refused to put himself first even though he had every right to do so. He could have chosen his will over his Father’s, demanded others serve him rather than serve others, and escaped any kind of discomfort or affliction by demanding angels come and minister to him. Instead, Jesus exemplified authentic leadership, refusing the urge to philopróteuó. Diotrephes is identified as an example of poor leadership even though he was simply acting in a way that is accepted in modern circles. He claimed his rights as a person in a leadership position and, based on John’s use of the word, loved the spotlight while making decisions that benefited him. May we be people who follow our Leader, lay down our rights and leverage our positions to serve those we lead.

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What aspect of gospel truth will I act on this week?

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

So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church. – 3 John 1:10 ESV

CONSIDER
History points to the reality that our natural response to being wronged by someone seems to be to retaliate in the same way we were mistreated. Laws have been famously written from Hammurabi to Napoleon giving permission to demand eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth. But living with Jesus at the center of our lives means that we must deny any urge to “settle the score” with others and instead allow God in his grace and sovereignty to handle retribution. A great example of this playing out in real world relationships is found in our verse today. Diotrephes was talking wicked nonsense (gossip) against John and his coworkers. As the elder over a network of churches, John needed to address this toxic situation. We don’t know for sure, but John’s first thought could have been to talk wicked nonsense right back at this would-be leader! But instead he writes to another leader in the church, Gaius, and says I will bring up what he is doing. The word John uses in Greek (hypomnēsō) literally means to remind quietly, but firmly. Quite the opposite reaction in response to a gossip! Taking action in light of the gospel may not look like your flesh wants it to, but when submitted to the Holy Spirit will be effective and compelling.
What aspect of gospel truth will I act on 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 place does the gospel command in your life? Is there evidence for your answer to this question?
• What is one good intention you’ve had that hasn’t materialized into action? Without making excuses or blaming others, why has this idea stalled out?
• What is one example of a godly act performed by someone else that changed your life?

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What aspect of gospel truth will I act on this week?