“This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another” (1 John 3:11, NLT). 1 John 3:11 serves as the transitional verse between section one and section two of the epistle. During the first half of the book, John has written under the theme, “God is Light.” Now he turns…
Category: Keeping In Stride
The Hardest Part of Christianity:: 1
Last week I participated in a peer learning community that discussed an ARTICLE written by a pastor who had experienced a tragic illness. He was misdiagnosed which led to even further health decline. At his lowest moment, he contemplated how he would spend his remaining days. One of the conclusions he came to was that…
The Light at the End of the Tunnel:: 3
John has counseled his audience to live confidently and embrace their true identity in Christ. His final movement was to challenge his readers to maintain purity. 1 John 3:3 simply encourage us this way: “And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.” So the big question is,…
The Light at the End of the Tunnel:: 2
The second thing John called his readers to do was to embrace their true identity in Christ. 1 John 3:1-2 says, “See how much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children…
The Light at the End of the Tunnel
So far, John’s has fulfilled two purposes in the epistle we know as 1 John. He wanted to expose false teachers and their distortions of truth. Additionally, he offered words of reassurance to those who were staying the course. While much of John’s exhortation is polemic, he real goal is to build up his readers…
Do We All Have to Believe the Exact Same Thing?
Do we all have to believe the exact same thing in order to worship together? For years I’ve used a statement by Rick Warren to help our church members sort through this question. Warren presents it this way: “In the essential things we have unity; in the non-essential things we have liberty; and in all…
True or False?
Like you, I took a lot of tests during school. Back in the day there were six kinds of questions that faculty members would utilize to measure learning. There were true or false, multiple choice, matching, fill in the blank, short answer and essay. Some instructors or courses designed tests that could measure objective or…
Stuff About Stuff:: 3
In the passage, John explains the rationale behind his position. First, the things from the world are not from God. We have not been wired to find our fulfillment or our identity in pleasure or from possessions or recognition. Second, all of these things are transient. They do not last. It has been said, “He…
Stuff About Stuff:: 2
So how does the world compete for our affections? What is the attraction? John spelled it out in verse 16. First there is the craving for physical pleasure. Some writers think that this is a direct reference to sensuality, but the general consensus is that the language is so broad it is very inclusive. Next…
Stuff About Stuff:: 1
In order to do what I do each Sunday morning, I have developed a routine that I maintain. When the alarm goes off I get up and put the dog out. I make a pot of coffee and feed the dog. While I will enjoy a cup of coffee I will not eat anything before…