LOVE according to

1 John

Connect Group Participants Guide

RISEN SAVIOR LUTHERAN CHURCH

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Connect Group Discussions

Word of LIFE........................................................................... 3

Walk in the LIGHT .............................................................. 10

Walk Like JESUS ................................................................ 17

Choose Your LOVE .......................................................... 26

Children of GOD ................................................................. 33

LOVE One Another ........................................................... 39

God's LOVE and Ours ..................................................... 45

FAITH in the Son ................................................................ 53

Prayer Requests ............................................................... 60

Written by Robin Duclos Director of Group Ministry

Risen Savior Lutheran Church

www.rslc.org

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Get Started! You know how sometimes you struggle to learn something, like a hobby or a foreign language? Then, something will “click” and you’ll “get it”? It often takes one big concept and then we are on our way to a whole new level of understanding. For the disciple John, that concept was love. In John’s first letter he explores the doctrine of love. He basically expands on John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (possibly THE most famous verse in the Bible!). John understood that when Christ came He showed us a whole new way to love God and each other. Understanding this kind of love turned John’s life inside out. It can do the same for us.

Connect: Welcome to the first session of

Simple ≠ Easy:

Love according to 1 John

Nestled in the back of your Bible is one of the shortest and yet most profound books of Scripture. Turn to the book of 1 John in your Bible. This book is more than it seems. John’s writing seems simple, even simplistic, almost childlike. But in these simple phrases lie majestic theological truths and insights of great depth into the majesty of God, his loving rescue plan, and his high expectations for believers’ lives. Do you dare to love the world like God loves you?

Warm Up:

What was the last personal, hand written letter you received? Who was it from? Why did the sender send it to you?

Session 1:

Word of LIFE

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Think about this: Then, as now, the world was full of self-taught, self-appointed religious hustlers. “I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.” (1 John 2:26). John wanted people to believe his testimony about Christ because he was an eye-witness to all of it from the beginning. With his own senses, he witnessed:

- Jesus’ sermons day-after-day for three years - Shrieks of demons being cast out from miserable people - Lazarus rising from the tomb, still wrapped like a mummy - Violent lake storms shushed silent instantly - Blind and crippled men seeing and walking - Fishing nets hauling miraculous catches - Five thousand people sharing 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread - The smell of perfume being splashed on Jesus’ feet - The presence of God’s Son in the bread and wine on the first

Lord’s Supper - God’s own voice on the Mount of Transfiguration - Jesus speaking with Moses and Elijah

And why is this important? Because all people are born dying on a dying planet. Because all people at birth are sinful, outside of God’s family, spiritually dead, facing a life of pain, certain death, and condemnation in hell. The Word that brings life to people comes through the message of the apostles. That message works faith in people’s hearts, which then reconnects people into fellowship with God the Father, with His Son, and with all other believers. John was worried that his readers were losing their confidence in the message and in the original messengers, and so he wrote this vigorous letter so they (and we) also may have fellowship with the apostles, with the Father, and with the Son, to wake them (us) up and shake them (us) up. Make our joy complete! Listen!

1. Based on your experiences, what life lessons would you like to pass down to the next generation?

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Opening Prayer: Heavenly Father, you sent your Son Jesus Christ to bring life to us. He showed us the way, the truth, and the life in Him. Help us to have eyes to see and ears to hear the testimony of John, His disciple concerning this life. In Jesus name. Amen.

2. What was “from the beginning”?

(See John 1:1-4)

3. Why is John so passionate about sharing his testimony with those he wrote this letter to?

4. How does this make his “joy complete”?

Bible: Read 1 John 1:1-4 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our own hands, concerning the word of life – the life made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us – that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

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Video Notes

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Fellowship If you’ve been part of a church community, you may have noticed how some words acquire “churchy” meanings—like “fellowship.” When is the last time you got together with your colleagues after work for “fellowship”? Never. But in church, we have fellowship luncheons that are held in fellowship centers and we get together for fellowship in our fellowship groups. When we overuse a word, it can lose its meaning. Our overuse of “fellowship” makes an important point in 1 John fall flat.

We all long for fellowship. We want to be close to people and feel really connected. But for many reasons, we can’t. Sometimes we blame others for a lack of real fellowship. But often the problem is in ourselves. What’s the problem? It’s our pride. It’s our fear of being vulnerable, of admitting our needs, of asking help, of admitting when we’ve been wrong. It’s often our fear of revealing things about ourselves that we’re ashamed of. But in the light of God, we have nothing to be ashamed of. In the light of God, we’re free to be totally transparent with others. And in the light of God, we’re free to love and forgive. Fellowship becomes real, and grows, as we mutually walk in the light.

5. Why is fellowship reserved only for believers?

What do you think or how to you feel about that?

6. Besides your Connect group, who are you in koinonia with?

7. How is your relationship with other believers different than your relationship with non-believers?

Fellowship – The Greek word

behind the English term “fellowship” is

Koinonia (κοινωνία).

Koinonia depicts

an interactive relationship

between God and believers who are sharing new life through Christ.

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Make Our Joy Complete If there is one thing people believe in, it is the pursuit of happiness. Unfortunately, it will always be that; a pursuit. They will never get there. Solomon told us that he had learned that centuries ago when he wrote Ecclesiastes. If they would pursue joy they could have greater success. Joy is something we can have now, which will only get better. John the Baptist, Jesus, and John the Evangelist all mention joy being complete. John’s joy in the Lord could not be complete unless his readers shared the true knowledge of the Christ. In John’s second letter, he stresses that he will come in person and share face-to-face his testimony to the people, so that “our joy may be complete”. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul asks the people to make his joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. In John 15, the famous chapter of the vine and the branches, Jesus tells us how to have complete joy by having an abiding relationship with Christ. But perhaps to our discomfort, he connects this with obedience. In verses 9-11 he says, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in His love. I have told you so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” Jesus then is telling us that our joy is made complete by remaining in the love we enjoy from God which Jesus says we do as we keep his commands. Some people interpret keeping the commands negatively as a legalistic approach, saying, “Who wants a dry religion?” and others positively, “I can do that!” thinking that by keeping them one earns salvation, that they can control their future. Neither is what God intends.

8. Is joy the same as happiness? How is it similar? How is it different?

9. In what practical ways can we strive to “make our joy complete”?

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Reflect on This: Words that LIVE

The message that is proclaimed, the Word of Life, originates in the words and works of Jesus. Because Jesus was a real human being of flesh and blood, John can write that the life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father. Believers--like John's readers and like us today--who have "not seen and yet have believed" (Jn 20:29) are no less in touch with the Word of life who was made manifest.

Name three “things” that give you joy: How are these connected to your relationship with Jesus? To other Christians? What actions can I take to make that joyful relationship even better?

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Connect: During the last session, we learned that John personally witnessed who Jesus was – Son of God sent to redeem us to a right relationship with the Father so that we could spend eternity together with Him and other believers. John testified to all he had experienced in his time with Jesus on earth so that all believers would understand and be in fellowship with the Word of Life who existed from the beginning. This is Joy Complete! Share some thoughts about how your relationship with Christ has given you joy.

Warm Up: Would you rather take a long walk at night or during the day? Why? What’s different about daylight and nightfall?

Session 2:

Walk in the LIGHT

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Think about This: John teaches us a lesson. It’s something we really should know anyway. We already understand this lesson when we are talking about loving each other. If someone says they love you, but they treat you like dirt, you don’t really believe they love you, do you? What if they say they love you, but they constantly do things that annoy you and even upset you? Do you really believe they love you? John teaches us that we show our love for God by our obedience to Him. If we say we love God, but we treat Him like He doesn’t matter or constantly do things that upset Him, do we really love Him? That’s why obedience matters in love.

John doesn’t just tell us to love people. He tells us why. He doesn’t tell us to love people because they are always loveable. They aren’t. God doesn’t tell us to love people just because He says so. He could have. He doesn’t tell us to love people because they love us. Sometimes, they don’t. What John tells us to do is to love people because God loved us. He even tells us to love people the way God loves us. The message God sent through John is simple: Obeying God means loving people – they go hand in hand.

1. Who is God asking you to love right now?

Integrity –

the quality of

being honest and having strong

moral principles; moral

uprightness; doing what you

say. Words = Actions

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Opening Prayer: Gracious Father, you sent your Son to be the Light of the World. Help us to reflect your light and to love your people as you love them. Show us the way through your Son Jesus Christ. In His name we pray. Amen.

2. Why does John say, “God is light” rather than “God is like a light”?

3. What two things does John say result from walking in the light? How important are these to you and why?

4. How were some believers deceiving themselves? Why do we tend to deny our wrong-doings?

Bible: Read 1 John 1:5-10

This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

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Video Notes

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God is Light 1 John 1:5b says, “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” Note that we are not told that God is a light but that He is light. Light is part of His essence, as is love. The message is that God is completely, unreservedly holy, with no admixture of sin, no taint of iniquity, and no hint of injustice. If we do not have the light, we do not know God. Those who know God, who walk with Him, are of the light and walk in the light. God is light, and so is His Son. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). To “walk” is to make progress. Therefore, we can infer from this verse that Christians are meant to grow in holiness and to mature in faith as they follow Jesus. God is light, and it is His plan that believers shine forth His light, becoming more like Christ every day. “You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness” (1 Thessalonians 5:5). God is the Creator of physical light as well as the Giver of spiritual light by which we can see the truth. Light exposes that which is hidden in darkness; it shows things as they really are. To walk in the light means to know God, understand the truth, and live in righteousness. Light is uncomfortable to those accustomed to the dark (John 3:20). Jesus, the sinless Son of God, is the “true light” (John 1:9). As adopted sons of God, we are to reflect His light into a world darkened by sin. Our goal in witnessing to the unsaved is “to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God” (Acts 26:18).

5. How do you let your light shine in the world? What is the source of this light?

6. What are some practical ways to remain in God’s light and not walk in darkness?

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Darkness Hatred comes from hell, from Satan, the king of the haters. Already in the earliest pages of Scripture we see Cain, the flagrant brother-hater, and we see its miserable outcome (Genesis 4). Jacob and Joseph both suffered from family hatred. Haters do not get what they want – after the brief blast of adrenaline that comes with hating and fighting, the hater is left with corrosive anger, depression, and increased emptiness, for hatred drives other people away. Hatred doesn’t make your life better; it makes it bitter. People have limits to their capacity for emotion. The fuller your tank is with hatred, the less room there is for love. If I say that I have never hated, I deceive myself and the truth is not in me. But as I confess my hate-sins to Christ and trust in Him, His perfection becomes my own. He gives me not only His forgiveness but His Spirit, and that Spirit gives us the ability to say yes to God, to submit to His will, to obey His command, to replace hate with love. Enlightened by Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, Christians can drive hatred from their hearts and learn to show love to people. Showing love, though, requires a conscious act of will, a conscious choice. Having empowered us to make good choices, Christ then blesses us, and our lives are better!

7. What is the result of confessing your sin? Why would someone claim to be without sin?

8. How do you need to change the way you relate to others to develop a deeper relationship with God?

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Reflect on This: Walk in the LIGHT

Take 15-20 minutes this week to journal the following:

What practical choices will I make today

to walk in God’s LIGHT avoid the darkness?

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Connect: During the last session, we learned that we often deny the things we do to hurt others and separate ourselves from God’s light. We are not truthful with ourselves. This doesn’t mean God doesn’t still love us – He does! Even when we don’t deserve it. He does not want us to walk in darkness, in sin. It only leads to hate and bitterness. He wants us to make choices to love, i.e., to be obedient to Him. His Word, His Light tells us how. How did you walk in God’s light since the last Connect Group session?

Warm Up: When and why might someone need an attorney?

Think about This: One of the purposes of John’s first epistle was to inoculate against sin. “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.” (1 John 2:1) Of course, human beings are weak, and even the most conscientious sin. And so, provision is made: "if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

What is an “Advocate”? It derives from a Greek word suggesting “to call to one’s side”, like an attorney. Christ is our attorney, pleading our case before the Father. What a thrilling concept! Observe also that His qualification to function in this role is that He is “the righteous.” Absolutely righteous. Because of His own perfect life and sacrificial death, He can plead for mercy for us on the basis of what He did.

1. Why might it be hard to admit we are wrong?

Session 3:

Walk Like JESUS

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Opening Prayer: Righteous Father, You are a God who is fair

and just. We are sorry for the things we do

that hurt you and hurt others. For the sake of

your Son, Jesus Christ, forgive us for what we

do. Help us to walk in your ways and be in

close fellowship with You forever. In Jesus

name. Amen.

Advocate – The Greek word

behind the English term “advocate” is Parakletos

Parakletos means one who speaks in our defense.

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Bible: Read 1 John 2:1-14 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. I am writing to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. I am writing to you, fathers, Because you have known him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, Because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, dear children, Because you have known the Father. I write to you, fathers, Because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

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2. What hope does John give when we fail to live in the light of God’s love and walk in the ways of Jesus?

3. Explain in your own words what it means that Jesus is the advocate, the righteous one, and the atoning sacrifice.

4. What or who is the “true light that is already shining”? How does this change the old commandment that John’s readers have heard from the beginning?

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Video Notes

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Abide in Him

What does it mean for us to abide in Jesus?

One of Jesus’ most vivid and powerful illustrations for the believer’s relationship with him is the vine and branches from John 15.

Consider these three interwoven aspects of abiding:

1. Connection

Abiding in Jesus means having a life-giving connection to him. A branch is connected to the vine, and a vine to the branch. This is what theologians frequently describe as “union with Christ.” Notice that this connection, this union, is mutual. We abide in him and he abides in us. If there is no connection, there is no life, no fruit.

2. Dependence

But abiding also implies dependence. This aspect of abiding, unlike connection, is not reciprocal. The branch is dependent on the vine, but the vine is not dependent on the branch. The branch derives its life and power from the vine. Without the vine, the branch is useless, lifeless, powerless. Sap flows from the vine to the branch, supplying it with water, minerals, and nutrients that make it grow. And believers receive the “sap” of Christ’s grace through our life-giving connection to him. We are completely dependent upon Jesus for everything that counts as spiritual fruit. Apart from him, we can do nothing.

3. Continuance

Abiding also involves continuance. In fact, “abide” (Greek, meno) means to remain, or stay, or continue. In John 1:38-39, two of the disciples who first encountered Jesus asked him “Where are you staying?” They wanted to know where Jesus made his residence. The word “staying” is the same word translated “abide” in John 15. To abide is to reside. To abide is to continue, to stay, to remain. This shows us that another aspect of abiding in Jesus is remaining in Jesus. This simply means that we go on trusting, that we keep on depending, that we never stop believing. To abide in Jesus is to persevere in Jesus and his teaching. Jesus said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

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5. How are you connected to Jesus? What evidence do your family, neighbors and friends see that proves you are connected to Jesus?

6. How can you be sure you are depending on Jesus? Is it easier to “give up” in a crisis or “take charge” when you are depending on Jesus to be with you?

7. How does the truth set someone free? How does this change the way believers treat each other?

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Walk in the Same Way

John says that if we are truly living in Christ, we must walk as Jesus did. How did Jesus walk? He healed the sick. He perceived the needs and situations of others supernaturally. He spoke boldly into the lives of the unsaved. He met the needs of people by leading them to the Kingdom of God. Jesus says we must walk as He did. So, if we are each called to live this way, we can be assured that He will also equip us to live this way.

How did Jesus walk? He walked on earth as a human being, not as God, yet He was God. His miracles were done as a human being who tapped into the power of His Heavenly Father. This is why He can urge us to live like He did, not as deity, but as a human being who could tap into all the Father had for him. This is what He means when He says, “live as He lived.” We are to exercise obedience and faith just as He did.

We live and work in a skeptical society. It takes more than reasoning to see others come to Christ. People are trained to see past phonies. So, it will require the genuine love and power of Christ to be present to break through to an atheist neighbor, a power-driven executive, or a foul-mouthed family member.

Jesus modeled a way of reaching the lost. He did not use reasoning to convince a person to follow him. He often operated in the supernatural revelation about a need in that person’s life. Such was the case of the Samaritan woman. This encounter not only led to a woman placing her faith in the Messiah, but it led to the transformation of a city.

8. Jesus paid attention to people enough to know

what they needed. Who needs something from you that shows the light of Jesus?

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Reflect on This: Walk Like JESUS

Modeling Jesus’ ways in a tough world is not easy. But you are called to do so and will be equipped by God Himself. In your spiritual life, how are you: 1. Like a “child”, just beginning to catch on?

2. Like a “young man” at the peak of strength? 3. Like a “father” who has known God from the beginning and is

a seasoned veteran? What one thing will you do this week to align yourself with Jesus’ ways of relating to the Father and to others?

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Connect: John taught us in our last session that to walk like Jesus walked means we need to do the things that Jesus did while he was here on earth with us in the flesh. If we abide in him, stay continually connected to Him, we will be able to walk like Jesus. We will recognize the needs of the world that God is calling us to address and help others to see Christ. How well did you model Jesus’ walk since our last session?

Warm Up: What food do you crave that you know is not healthy for you? How do you deal with your craving?

Think about This: We can love God, or we can love what the world has to offer us. We cannot love both. We want to be happy, to feel good about ourselves, to lower the stress in our lives. But our sinful nature urges us to take shortcuts to happiness that usually leave us anything but happy. Loving the world could mean drinking heavily, selling illegal drugs to make money, seeking pornography, or preferring gambling or stealing over working. All these things are driven by internal evil cravings, and all conflict with God’s word. They may promise fulfillment, but none deliver. On top of that, there are people in the world teaching you another way to salvation besides Christ. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

1. What groups of people are trying to lead believers astray today?

Session 4:

Choose Your LOVE

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Opening Prayer: Merciful God, we are so easily distracted by the comforts of this world. We are weak and confess that we are not strong enough to resist temptation without You. The world is full of dangers, yet it is a beautiful place, created by You. Help us to see the world through Your eyes. Be with us and deliver us from evil. In Jesus name. Amen.

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2. What does John mean by “the world”?

3. Do human desires contradict God’s will: a. Always? b. Sometimes? c. Never?

Bible: 1 John 2:15-27 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. For all that is in the world – the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life – is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore, we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 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. And this is the promise that He made to us – eternal life. I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

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Video Notes

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Dangers to Avoid In John 3:16, it says, “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.” Now John tells us not to love the world. What does this mean? He tells us: avoid the lust or cravings of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. These attitudes are sinful and rebellious against God and His will for us. The lust of the flesh includes sin such as sexual immorality, gluttony, and other indulgences. The lust of the eyes is the root of covetousness. It is the greedy desire for the material riches and possessions of this world. Finally, the pride of life is boasting of ambition and achievement, a thirst for the honor bestowed by and the applause received from the world. The pride of life leads to boasting about what we have or do. Even though we ought to love the people in the world and enjoy the good gifts God bestows on us, we must always be careful not to elevate any of them to first place in our hearts and lives.

4. How can you help people with addictions (cravings

of the flesh) see the dangers in John’s warning here?

5. America is a prosperous nation. How do you avoid loving the things you own?

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Antichrists John warns of an inside betrayer whom he terms “antichrist”. Here he intends to alert us to false teachings rather than naming specific false teachers. John wants us to stay strong and keep the gospel message straight in our ministries. Much is at stake: the truth is the church’s only power and its great treasure. Falling away from the truth means falling away from God. That truth is that salvation comes through Christ alone and knowledge of that salvation through the Holy Scriptures. John says that the spirit of the antichrist denies that Jesus Christ came in the flesh, that spirit is already here, and there are many of them. Do you see the danger? Christ is the only thing that connects us with God, and so Satan attacks there to cut us off. The centerpiece of his plan is to destroy our confidence that Jesus is truly and fully God, coequal with the Father in the Holy Trinity, and that God the Son was incarnate fully as a human being, just as the Old Testament Scriptures said the Messiah would be. As John predicted, the entire history of the New Testament church has been marred by anti-Christian teachers who were once within Bible-believing congregations but then left and succeeded in drawing people away from Christ. “If they belonged to us, they would have remained with us,” says John. When religious teachers can no longer stand the constraints and accountability of working within a Christian fellowship and strike out on their own, that’s a terrible danger sign.

6. What groups do you know of today that do not believe in the Holy Trinity or the divine nature of Jesus?

7. What can you say to a friend that doesn’t understand who Jesus is?

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Reflect on This: Choose Your LOVE

1. Who is Jesus Christ? a. Elijah b. A prophet c. A very good man d. The Son of God

2. Jesus Christ is fully God. a. True b. False

3. Jesus Christ is fully man. a. True b. False

4. A person comes into a right relationship with God by:

a. God’s grace b. Faith in Jesus Christ c. Doing good deeds d. Both a and b

5. Jesus existed at the beginning of the world. a. True b. False

6. The most important commandment is: a. Do not murder b. Love one another c. Do not lie d. Be baptized

7. I have worth because: a. I am good at my job b. I was born in America c. I have super powers d. I am a child of God

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Connect: Resisting the creature comforts of this world can be a challenge. In our

last session we learned that because we abide in our loving and merciful

God, we can resist the temptations and false teachings that surround us.

We know God and He knows us. We are in fellowship with Him and so

the devil has no power over us. And when we fail, our gracious God picks

us back up again and sets us on the right path toward eternal life. What

else did your Connect Group take away from the last session?

Warm Up: What would you do today if you had all the confidence in the world? What about in 6 months? A year?

Think about This: Children of God! Amazing! But it was not always so. When we first entered the world, it was as God’s enemies. God had other adjectives to describe our first status – foolish, disobedient, enslaved. The dominant emotions that govern the lives of sinful rebels are malice, envy, and hatred, says Paul in Titus 3:3.

1. What is sin?

Opening Prayer: Dear God, you know my heart and you know I love you. I’m trying to do my best to follow you, but sometimes I get tripped up. Sometimes I lose focus. Sometimes I forget who I am in you and start looking to the world to tell me who I am. Fill me with the confidence to know who I am in you and that I can live knowing I have been rescued, free and called to do great things. In Jesus name. Amen.

Session 5:

Children of GOD

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2. Why did John encourage his readers to abide in Christ? If Jesus returned today, would you be confident or shrink in shame?

3. What will happen to the children of God when they see Christ?

4. What does John say is the reason Jesus appeared? What else did Jesus do for you here on earth?

Bible: Read 1 John 2:28 – 3:10 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. If you know that He is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him. See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so, we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure. Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that He appeared in order to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen Him or known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as He is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

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Video Notes

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Confidence Cult leaders and other evils of this world draw Jesus followers away by making them doubt – doubt God’s love, doubt their salvation, doubt the Bible, doubt the apostles, and doubt their former teachers. John wants to help his readers move from doubt to confidence by rejoicing with them in all the things that they could be sure of. He demonstrates that a Christian life is not a fearful and miserable thing, but a joyful walk of certainty, for it is built on the promises of the gospel that comes from God’s Word. In the Apostles’ Creed, we say that our Lord Jesus Christ “will come again to judge the living and the dead.” We know from Matthew 25:32-33 that at this time, He will separate the believers from the unbelievers and give to each of them their eternal reward or punishment. Those who put their trust in Christ will go “into eternal life” (Mt. 25:46). Each of us is only a heart-beat away from meeting God face-to-face. We are confident in our salvation through Jesus Christ because of our close fellowship with Him. When we are judged, we will not need to be embarrassed about our lives and lifestyles. Instead of shame, a faithful believer can have confidence in a righteous acceptance by the Father because the Son, Jesus, paid the penalty for their sins.

5. When do you question God’s love for you?

6. What is your confidence level (see the Confidence Meter above) that you will have eternal life?

7. Who can you help be more confident in God’s love and salvation? How would you help them?

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God’s Children God calls believers by various names: we are His servants, a nation, royal subjects, priests, soldiers. But the dearest term of all is that He calls us His children. Not as an honorary title, but He has literally adopted us into His family. That means we are brothers and sisters of His Son, Jesus.

Paul writes in Galatians 3:26 that we are all God’s children through faith in Christ Jesus, for all who have been baptized into Christ have been clothed in Christ. Our baptismal certificates are also our adoption papers. God, the Father, has solemnly obligated himself to do for us what all good fathers do for their children – provide for our daily needs, protection, and guidance. We have great worth and are precious in His sight!

For now, the world does not see this father-child relationship. But even if we don’t get any respect from the rest of the world, that is no cause to doubt the Father’s love. Most of the world couldn’t figure out that Jesus was God’s Son either.

8. How is being a child of God different than being God’s servant, a citizen of the Kingdom of God, or a royal priesthood?

Baptism – by water and God’s

Word, we are received into

fellowship with the triune God.

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9. Reflect on This: Children of GOD

“Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as He is righteous “

Children of God practice righteousness because we have been born of God. God’s laws, as given in the Bible, both describe His own character and constitute the plumb line

by which He measures human righteousness.

Evaluate your life according to these Commandments:

I struggle Praise God with this for the

strength to obey Him

God’s reign in my life has been replaced by another object or person I would rather serve. I love other things more than I love and obey God.

I fail to take time off for rest, spiritual rejuvenation, and worship. My “sabbath” is just like any other day of the week. I have shown disrespect for my parents and withheld my care from them. I have been unable to appreciate them as gifts from God and refuse to take their views into consideration. I have been unfaithful to my spouse. Lust and a wandering eye are affecting my relationship with my mate. I have taken things or ideas that were not mine. I consider cheating in my business or on my taxes to be an acceptable option for my personal benefit. I have lied about another person or hidden the truth to protect myself at another’s expense.

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Connect:

In our last session, John comforts us with the

message that we are God’s very own children,

adopted into His family at our baptism. What a

privilege! Then, John challenges us to act like

God’s children. There is a seamless

connection between our justification and our

sanctification. The former costs us nothing.

The latter costs us everything.

Warm Up: Describe one of your most romantic moments.

Think about This: “Love one another” is not some peripheral, optional teaching in Christianity. It is central to the New Testament message. Shortly after the first Lord’s Supper, Jesus uttered his majestic “new commandment”. His disciples were to love one another so much that it would be obvious to everyone that they were His disciples (John 13:34,35).

1. When do you struggle with loving other Christians?

Opening Prayer: Gracious God, we want to be humble proclaimers of Your grace. We pray that You would keep our own sin and our need for You at the forefront of our minds so that we would not boast in ourselves as we tell others about You. Help us to love one another as You have loved us. In Jesus name. Amen.

Justification – God’s “not

guilty” verdict. Sanctification – The way we live

our lives for God.

Session 6:

LOVE One Another

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2. What was the message that we have heard from the beginning? Why is this significant?

3. What question did John ask his readers? As prosperous people, how do we respond?

4. What is God’s command? Are these two commands of equal importance? Why or why not?

Bible: Read 1 John 3:11-24 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in Him. By this we know love, that He laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before Him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do what pleases Him. 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. 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.

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Video Notes

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Lay Down Your Life The source of all love and the ultimate example and pattern for love is Jesus Christ. His magnificent sacrifice on Calvary’s cross not only bought for us the forgiveness we needed to be God’s children again, it also inspires us to love and forgive people in our lives. His sacrifice is the motivating fire that drives all we do. What a joy it is to honor Christ by showing compassion to other people! The very opposite of Cain’s murderous hatred is a Christian’s willingness to sacrifice himself for a brother or sister. Sacrifices of time, energy, emotion, money, and intellect are given to help another. It is no coincidence that Christians have been leaders in developing ministries of mercy in many communities all over the world – sometimes placing themselves in great danger to bring Christ’s love to another person. Talking the talk without walking the walk doesn’t fool too many people. As James points out in his second chapter, if you have a spare blanket and all you can do for a shivering person is say, “keep warm”, your so-called faith must be dead. Christian love acts and makes a sacrifice; it is not passive. Your actions tell what you really think.

5. How will you show sacrificial love to your family this week?

6. You are obligated to love and care for your family. And you do! But how are you showing sacrificial love to your friends? Others you don’t even know?

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Of the Truth John tells us we are to love one another by righteous deeds, deeds which are produced by the truth. It is by these expressions of love that believers can assure themselves that they belong to the truth, because the outward action reflects the inward reality of their relationship with God. It is difficult to love our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ that annoy us or have trespassed against us. But God calls us to a higher standard of relationship with other believers. He wants us to work toward reconciliation, just as He sent His own Son to reconcile our relationship with Him. We can be sure that the Holy Spirit is alive in us to make this reconciliation possible. Paul wrote to the young pastor Timothy: “The Spirit that God has given us does not make us timid; instead, His Spirit fills us with power, love, and self-control” (2 Tim. 1:7). It is with this Spirit that we know we are of the truth. We can love God’s people as He loves us, His imperfect children.

7. How can you

express love to a believer who has been cruel to you?

What action steps would you take?

8. How long do you keep up the reconciliation process with a fellow believer, if it continues to be a stressful relationship?

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Reflect on This: LOVE One Another

Take 15-20 minutes this week to journal the following:

What practical choices will I make today

to LOVE One Another?

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Connect: Last time we learned what Jesus means when He says, “Love One Another.” It is an unconditional, sacrificial love. You give up your time, energy, possessions for one another. You expect nothing in return. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But, it’s not easy.

Warm Up: What characteristics or strengths did you get from your father? Your mother?

Think about This: Your family can really test your ability to love. They know you so well. They know what makes you cringe and what make you cry. They can understand you (sometimes) better than anyone else. They can irritate you to no end, but God says that if you love Him, you have to love them. He says that if you don’t, you’re a liar. If you don’t love people you can see, then God says you can’t possibly love Him, the One you haven’t seen. Getting along with your family means you’ll get lots of practice at forgiveness. The best thing that could happen is that you’ll become really good friends with the people God put right in your home when you were a child. He can do anything. So love and just watch Him!

1. What are some examples of demonstrating love to a family member?

Opening Prayer: Loving Father, You loved us first, sending your Son to reconcile our relationship with You. We thank you for that. Help us to love You like You love us so that we can be in unity with You. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit so that we can love others by our actions. In Jesus name. Amen.

Session 7:

God’s LOVE and Ours

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Bible: Read 1 John 4 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. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 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. They are from the world; therefore, they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 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. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. 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. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as He is so also are we in this world. 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. We love because He first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

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2. What is the relationship between loving and

knowing God?

3. What does John say is the result of loving one

another?

4. When you have difficulty loving other believers,

what is it that makes it so?

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Video Notes

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God’s Love All love has its origin in the dear heart of God. He sent His Son to take on human flesh, humble himself, and present himself as an atoning sacrifice for our sins so that we might live through him. “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us.” Everybody needs to feel loved. Love makes us feel worth, that we belong.

But doubts creep in when we look at the world around us. How can a loving God allow polio, cancer, divorce, war, etc.? Unbelievers conclude quickly that God is either powerless, mean, or imaginary. But Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter change everything. God has in fact prepared the greatest response possible to all human misery – He has found a way to let us come to live in His world. For free. Through Jesus. The more we become aware of the mercy God has showed us, the more we are compelled to show mercy to others. Love stimulates more love, and in this way, hatred is melted, wounds are healed, grudges are forgotten, grievances forgiven, hope shared, emptiness filled, and loneliness eased in human hearts. The Father’s love is so great that He sent His Son and the Holy Spirit to dwell among and within us. His love is generated through us, producing loving thoughts, words, and deeds toward other people. Our love is evidence that God’s Spirit is alive in us, that we know God, and He knows us.

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5. Love is mentioned 27 times in today’s passage. What models of love does God show us?

6. How does Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter change human misery?

7. Do you believe love stimulates more love? Why or why not?

8. What factors might limit your ability to love the unlovable?

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Our Love “God is love.” Its twin statement is “God is light.” God provides illumination to help us think straight and provides love power to help us act right. What a comforting thought! When John says you should love one another, you don’t have to come up with that on your own. It’s already there! God has placed it in your heart – it’s your part to use what you already have. Let it out! John says, living in love is like basking in God’s presence. “In this world we are like Him.” “Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in Him.” Who wouldn’t want that? Also, letting love be your dominant mindset in life drives out fear. Who wants to live in constant fear? Nobody! Living in love expresses the love God first gave you and gives you confidence that God must really think you’re valuable. The hardships of your life are not “punishment”. You can head into judgment day whistling, because your fear of eternal punishment is gone!

So, if our love is provided by God, God has given us all the abilities we need to love others, and we have no fear, then it is natural, even automatic, to show love for other people. How do we show our love? In deeds and in truth. It is fairly easy to pretend to love by saying the right things occasionally. But that’s just talk. Deeds are reality. The fact is, the way you treat other people (whom you can see) shows what you really think of God (whom you can’t see).

9. How did you treat your spouse and/or children this week? Did that accurately reflect your love for God? (If your response is negative, remember we have an advocate in Jesus Christ. Apologize to the one you may have trespassed against and ask God for forgiveness.)

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Reflect on This: God’s LOVE and Ours John tells us that love is active, it is expressed in truth and in deeds (sometimes called “acts of service”). It is not passive, nor is it an emotion as so often portrayed in Hollywood movies. Expressing our love for others builds and nurtures our relationship with them.

Who is someone in your life that needs your love right now? How will you demonstrate your love for this person? When?

Idea Starters for Acts of Service 1. Make them a cup of tea. 2. Do a simple repair project off their to -do list. 3. Make a favorite meal . 4. Surprise them at work with their favorite coffee drink . 5. Get an oil change for their car or do it yourself. 6. Make a special dessert . 7. Have dinner ready when they get home. 8. Walk the dog. 9. Do their least-favorite chore for them. 10. Put a love note in their lunch. 11. Make them a lunch for work . 12. Surprise them with their favorite treat .

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Connect: Last session, we learned that God has given us His Spirit of love to

share with the world’s people. He has enlightened you, for God is Light,

and you know how to love His people. Share with your Connect Group

what you did last week to demonstrate what you learned?

Warm Up: In Aesop’s fable, “The Tortoise and the Hare”, are you more like the steady, persistent tortoise, or the fast-starting, easily distracted hare?

Think about This: If your job is consuming your time so much that it’s affecting the important people in your life, then you need a God-solution. It’s time to ask God for direction. You can be confident that He’ll listen. He does care about the details of your life. In fact, your prayers have already been answered. Begin to pray specifically about what to do. Pray through the different options as they come up. Watch for God’s answer. It may be a solution you haven’t thought about before. It may require you to be more disciplined or more efficient. It may require more sacrifices. It may just mean you’ve got to rearrange your time. When you see where God is working, and where He is leading, then follow. Go with Him and praise Him for His interest in your life.

1. How often do you pray? How do you pray?

Opening Prayer: Faithful Father, I believe that Jesus is the Christ and is born of You. He

came by water and by blood. In this You have given us eternal life, and

this life is in Your Son. We have confidence to approach You and know

You will hear us. Help us to be faithful in our obedience to You. In Jesus

name. Amen.

Session 8:

Faith in the SON

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Bible: Read 1 John 5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is He who came by water and blood – Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that He has borne concerning His Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning His Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him. If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death. 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.

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2. Who has been born of God?

3. What does it mean to have “overcome the world”? Give an example of how we have overcome the world with our faith in who Jesus is.

4. What was the last instruction John left with his readers? Why do you suppose this was?

We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

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Video Notes

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Prayer

“If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” If you are going to pray according to God’s will, you have to know what God’s will is. That means you need to know your Bible, so when you pray in the Lord’s prayer “Thy will be done,” you know what God wants, and you open yourself to be the first place God starts. “Thy will be done, starting with me!” The best prayers begin not with telling God what you want, but in preparing your heart for obedience to what God wants. Our reason for praying is not to impose our will on how God is running the world. It is to make our lives better and the lives of one another better. And who knows best what His children need? Dads who love their kids listen to every request, but they don’t let them juggle with sharp knives or set fires in the house. “Seek first God’s Kingdom” (Mt. 6:33). In other words, get your priorities straight. His Kingdom coming is more important than your kingdom coming. Get in tune with spiritual things first, with your relationship with your God. “In Jesus’ Name” is a steady reminder of how we can even approach God at all. Only through Jesus do we have access to the Father in the first place. While seeking the will of God for our lives, it is important to remember that the Bible doesn’t present God as having a specific will for every one of life’s decisions. God has laid down some sound advice about money, relationships, advisors, and serving Him. The rest He leaves to your judgement and freedom. In this way, He matures us into being more like Him and growing in our own ability to discern and choose.

5. Can you change God’s mind when you “pray boldly” for the healing of a loved one?

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Faith

Anybody who believes that the man Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, that is, everything the Old Testament predicted about the Christ must have been reborn by God’s initiative and power. Paul states in 1 Corinthians 12:3 that “No one can say, “Jesus is Lord”, except by the Holy Spirit.” If you have been born again, you love God. If you love God, you automatically love people. If you love the Father, you will love His children too. Seamless. Real faith and real love are inseparable. They are like heads and tails of a coin.

What is impossible for an unbeliever is not only possible but essential in the life of a believer. In a believer, God has forever forgiven the guilt of past sin, changed our clothes from sinful rags to righteous robes, snapped the power of sin to control, implanted the Holy Spirit, and changed our mindsets. The goal of saving us was not merely negative – to get us out of hell – but to transform us into something positive, to be men and women who think and act like God. Here’s another surprise: God’s commands now become joyful to obey! The yoke is easy, and the burden is light.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" Hebrews 11:1. Faith is the connecting power into the spiritual realm, which links us with God and makes Him become a tangible reality to a believer. Faith is the basic ingredient to begin a relationship with God.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9). “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.” (Romans 3:28).

6. How do you know God is real? How does He

reveal Himself to you?

7. How does your faith spur on good works?

8. How can you share your faith with an unbeliever in such a way as to not turn them off?

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Reflect on This: FAITH in the Son

1. Who do you believe Jesus is?

2. What does “God is Love” mean?

3. What does “God is Light” mean?

4. How does God bring us out of darkness?

5. How should I pray?

6. What should my relationship be to the people of this world?

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Connect Group Prayer Requests

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Connect Group Prayer Requests

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Sources

Concordia Self-Study Bible (NIV), CPH

BibleGateway.com (ESV), Zondervan

Serendipity Bible for Groups (NIV), Serendipity House

Extreme Word Bible (NKJV), Thomas Nelson Publishing

People’s Bible Commentary, CPH

The General Epistles, Mark A. Jeske

John, Gary P. Baumler

Revelation, Wayne D. Mueller

GotQuestions.org, Got Questions Ministry

Commentary by W. Hall Harris III, Bible.org

New Testament Lesson Maker, Navpress

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