“The Son of God has come, and has given us understanding”

Download discussion questions:  1 John 5:5-21
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John brings his letter to a close.  After warnings and exhortations and encouragements, how does he want to leave his readers?  What lasting impressions will he leave with them, and with us? Continue reading →

“Inseparable: love God in others and others in God”

Download discussion questions:  1 John 4:12-5:4
Download marked passage:  1 John 4:12-5:4 Reminders
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John is nearing the end of his first letter.  What does he do to impress his beloved “little children” with the importance of what he has written?  How does he fit together the various threads interwoven throughout his message? Continue reading →

“We cannot expect the world to believe unless…”

Download discussion questions: 1 John 3:23-4:13
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This passage displays some structure that suggests John’s thought process as he was writing.  The same ideas enclose what he says, like “bookends” at 1 John 3:24 and 4:13.  Even his wording is similar at the beginning and at the end of this section.  Within those boundaries John addresses his readers as “beloved” three times.  In each of those three paragraphs he gives related exhortations before coming back to his starting point: “abiding in Him.” Continue reading →

“letting go of my self”

Download discussion questions:  1 John 3:10-4:1
Download highlighted:  1 John 3:10-4:1
Download “We Know by This”:  1 John 3:10-4:1
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Last week some people in our group said that they found the passage “scary.’ In the past they had even avoided reading it.  This week one description of the text was “hard things that encourage.”  What changed? Continue reading →

“The believer may fall into sin, but he will not walk in it.”

Download discussion questions:  1 John 2:28-3:12
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More than one person in our group shared the experience (either in the past or in the present) of avoiding this first letter of John, especially the present passage in 1 John 3.  The message was described as “scary” and “unyielding.”  Reading John’s inflexible pronouncements about sin in terms of “everyone” and “anyone” and “no one” can stimulate uncomfortable doubts about salvation. Continue reading →

“Now, little children, abide in Him”

Download discussion questions:  1 John 2:21-29
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The discussion in the previous week finished on the topic of abiding.  John has already mentioned “abiding” or “remaining” several times in his brief letter:  abiding in Christ (1 John 2:6), abiding in the light (2:10), the Word of God that was from the beginning abiding in believers (2:14, 24a), and believers abiding in the Son and in the Father (2:24b).  And John is just getting started on that topic.  He will come back to the importance of abiding over a dozen times in the rest of his letter. Continue reading →

“what ‘they’ said, or what you heard from the beginning”

Download discussion questions:  1 John 2:18-25
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This section of John’s letter begins to sound just a little like the “end times” frenzy that was in vogue in the 1970’s (the days of The Late, Great Planet Earth).  John brings up the “passing away” of the world, the “last hour” and the antichrist.  How does the beloved Apostle approach those topics?  How does he compare with modern responses to prophetic Scriptures? Continue reading →

“What is really, really important?”

Download discussion questions:  1 John 2:9-17 Two Formats
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This week’s discussion continued exploring how John’s “totally weird break” (in the words of one participant) in verses 12-14 of chapter 2 fit into or even connect his encouragements and exhortations before and after that section. Continue reading →

“This is what you are.  Live into it.”

Download discussion questions:  1 John 2:12-14 Two Sequences
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This brief section of John’s letter stands out in its repetition and rhythm, almost poetic in its form.  We explored several questions to see how this section relates to what comes before it, what comes after it, and how this section ties them together. Continue reading →