I John 3:11-24 (ESV)

11For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 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. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 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? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 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. 24 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.

So what do “we know”?

– We have passed from death to life

– Love, because He laid down His life for us

– We are of the truth and He knows everything

– He abides in us

1 John 3:4-10 (ESV)

4 Themes:

1. Our allegiance is evident by what we practice

2. God is without sin and is our righteousness

3. Jesus manifested to defeat sin

4. Our life in Him is not characterized by sin

a. When we abide in God we do not live in sin

b. When we are born of God we cannot keep sinning

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. 

• John’s first point is that “sin is lawlessness”. It is to disobey God and his laws. It is rebellion, obstruction and disobedience. Sin is the ugly, smug dismissal of God’s desire for how we are to live and to act as if we know better.

•Romans 3:10 is quoting the Psalms when it says that “none is righteous, no, not one”. 

•To see Jesus is supposed to change our life. If we keep on sinning, if we continue to cling to our old lives of rebellion and lawlessness, John says we certainly haven’t seen or experienced the real Jesus. The Jesus who has no sin who came to the world to take away our sins wants you to know him. Jesus wants us to abide in Him, he wants to be our shepherd and comfort. 

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, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 

• The Greek word teknon or teknion is a good literal translation, but some versions that are more “idea for idea” might say “dear children”

• Imagine the affection he has for all these believers as he looks around as an old man in the faith and sees the great work God is doing in the world.

• We can practice righteousness. We ourselves are not good, but we are seen as righteous because of the spirit that lives in us. His advocate that lives in us IS righteous. 

• John gives us another variation, v8 combines themes 1 and 2. Where previously sin is called lawlessness, here it is called the work of the devil.

• Being a Christian involves rebirth, dying to our old self and being raised to life with Jesus.

10 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.

• With all that in mind, everything he’s told us twice in the last 6 verses, he gets to his conclusion. We are to be known as Children of the perfect God by the outpouring of righteousness in our own lives.

• John writes that the same is true for us; we can recognize the children of God by the way they live, how they practice righteousness.

• We are identified by our actions. If we are full of righteousness, it is because we have been given the righteousness of Jesus. If we are still making a practice of sin, we have not been born of Him.

• Regardless of what people tell you, they reveal their beliefs by how they act. If they do not love their brother, how on earth could they be of God? If God is love, and love is not found in that person, then certainly God’s seed does not abide and is not growing in Him.

Application:

What is my practice?

24 Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living.   Amos 5:24 (NLT)

– Am I practicing evil or practicing righteousness? 

What makes you right before God?

– Are you holding on to something that you do that makes you better than the rest of us sinners? 

What sin has Jesus defeated in my life?

– What victories are you celebrating right now? How can we celebrate with you? How can you encourage those around you of the victory you’ve seen in their life?

2 Corinthians 5:21

21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

I John 3:1-3 (ESV)

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.

Takeaways:

– Are you born of God?

  – If yes, your nature will change.

  – If yes, your life will be new.

  – If yes, you will share a family resemblance to your Father and His other kids.

– Have you called on the name of the Lord?

  – Do you follow Him?

  – Is He your hope? His return?

  – His way is narrow, particular, specific.

  – Christianity is His way, His will.

I John 2:18-29 (ESV)

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 to 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. 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.

KEY TAKEWAYS:

– Get going with growing in the Lord and serving Him. (Time is short)

– There are deceivers/false teachers (Antichrists). But fear not!

– Stay (abide) in the Lord and His Word. (What you have heard)

– His Spirit (anointing) will stay with you.

– Being born of God will produce a family resemblance in us. (Practicing righteousness = born of Him)

Andy Manzo

1 John 2: 7-17 (ESV)

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 know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
    because you have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, children,
    because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
    because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
    because you are strong,
    and the word of God abides in you,
    and you have overcome the evil one.

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.

1 John 2:1-6
11 May 2025

The word of God is an encouragement, today is no exception. John says things that at first glance sound bad. In fact, they might terrify you and discourage you. But all is not lost. We sin, we mess up time and time again, and there is still good news. Our hope is in something more powerful than ourselves

1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

•       An advocate with the father. Jesus is leaning over in to God’s ear, whispering things about you. Tipping the scale in our favor. What power Jesus has to be in such a position!
•       Not just anyone can do that, John tells us that Christ Jesus is the righteous one. Your bible might have this as a proper noun, as a title. This is a title unique to him, which means what church? We are certainly NOT righteous.
•       We are morally bankrupt; we lack goodness and justification before God. But there is more good news.

2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

•       Jesus IS the sacrifice for our sins. What we cannot do, Jesus did.
•       Our sin is gross and messy and there is nothing we can do about it. But again, there is good news here, it is all on Jesus. It is His sacrifice that atones. It is not our lives lived in a manner worthy of anything, not even worth saving. Romans 5:8 “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”. He atones for our sin.
•       Galatians 3:28 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.

•       We have all been saved by Jesus’s atonement for our sins. And the spirit gives us assurance of our faith. If we find ourselves obeying the word of God, we have come to know him. We have certainty of our knowledge of God when we follow his commands.
•       Our actions, the way our life is lived, is a testimony to the truth that we really do know Him! Those actions are not what saves us, let me refer you to verse 2. But the lack of obedience is incompatible with truly knowing God.

5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

•       Likewise, when we obey God, it draws us closer to him. We experience first-hand the life he wants for all of us. Our love for him grows as we obey his words and live it out.
•       It’s hard to live like someone if you don’t know them. As we conclude our text today, let’s look at some examples. How did Jesus live? What characteristics come to mind when you think of the life of Jesus?
•       Jesus was (and still is) patient with his creation. Jesus loved others, especially the ones the religious leaders neglected. He was obedient to the father.

We have hope in Jesus
•       What is your hope in? Even though we cannot keep ourselves from sinning, the gospel brings the message of salvation apart from anything we have done to earn it.

Knowing God results in obedience to Him.
•       Is the way you are orienting your life based on your personal knowledge of who God is and the love that He has for us?
•       Do you know Jesus? Are you spending time learning about who he is, what he teaches and how it impacts your life today?

Through obedience our love is made complete
•       Does your love for God feel complete, or empty? Something missing?
•       When our actions don’t match our words, it betrays how we really feel.
•       What areas is your love of God hypocritical? Confessing and repenting is step 1
•       what are growth areas for you to be more Christlike?

To live in Jesus is to live like Jesus
•       We have a model of what obedience to God is.
•       What ways does your life look like Jesus’s?
•       What has encouraged you in your life to see where he’s making you more like himself?

This last point to take away is an encouragement to us, not a reason for shame or guilt. We should not read this and be burdened at the prospect of being like Jesus, God gave us this as a blessing and a calling for our lives.

1 John 1: 5-10 (ESV)

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.

Takeaways/Application:

Do you affirm scripture that there is no wrong or darkness in God? Or do you believe that
He can’t be all true about what He did and who He is.

What are specific things in your life you may believe God is purposely hiding or keeping
from you that alter his being in your mind.

Unconfessed and unrepentant sin enslaves you to fellowship with darkness. Having heard
that God is light will you truly repent and walk in the light and have fellowship with Him?

Do you confess and repent of sin daily? Monthly? Yearly? Never? Your awareness of sin
may reveal how close your fellowship with God truly is.

What does your fellowship with God ultimately look like after today? Has it changed you in
the past or are you still the same?

Fellowship with God should lead to repentance which should cause actual change and
genuine sanctification to be seen and felt among others.

Do you believe that you are wiser than God and that he lies about your sin and need for a
savior?

1 John 1:1-4 ESV

27 APR 2025

1John 5:13 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.”

He wrote this letter, we have it still and we are reading it today, so that we may know of the eternal life offered to us by our Creator. This letter is primarily to encourage us.

We will study the first 4 verses of chapter 1 (one sentence!) and in this short text this morning we see John start on two important threads: the incarnation and the fellowship it brings. Both of these ideas will be talked about again as we go through the letter. John tells the church how important it is to understand who Jesus is and how that should affect our lives and our relationships with others. 

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 
•       John is writing to tell us about something that has existed since the very beginning. there is only one thing: God.
•       And this God has been seen by his own eyes, touched with his own hands. 
•       He is talking about Jesus, who was and is God himself, and John is writing this letter because of his position as a witness to it all! 
•       He calls him “That which was from the beginning”. Jesus has always existed. He took on a human body the better part of 2 millennium ago, but he has always existed. He is the uncreated God.

2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 
•       Jesus came to earth from the spiritual realm. He “was made manifest” means he took up a body, became like you and me with flesh and blood, hair and limitations.
•       And the purpose of his letter is so we will know that Jesus was not some legend or myth, but that he really was a man, who lived and taught what he did.
•       We have a letter that a man you and I never met, written two thousand years ago. He is using what he’s got at his disposal to impart the importance and the evidence behind what he saw.

3 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. 
•       God became man. We saw it with our eyes! And now, we are telling you about it, so that you can be in fellowship with us.
•       What did John see? Transfiguration, crucifixion, Jesus asks him to take care of his mother, he leans up against Jesus and asks who will betray him. He knew who Jesus was.
•       The point of this letter is so that you and I can be in fellowship with other believers, the ones who did see it and experience it first-hand.
•       The truth of Christ Jesus bonds us together unlike anything else.
•       Matthew 12:48, Jesus says: “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
•       John desires to tell us these things; he knows the truth and he wants to share it with us. He has a responsibility to share, I believe he was compelled because of the spirit in him, and because he knows his spiritual satisfaction will only increase by sharing it further!
•       This is true for all of us today; a Christian takes joy in sharing the good news, in declaring the truth about God. We call the gospel the good news because we believe that! It is exciting to talk about and we love to see others embrace it!

Takeaways

What is your reaction to the witness accounts of the bible?
•       As I researched this book I was comforted and amazed at how robust the historical record is surrounding this. The legitimacy of the manuscripts, the amount of referencing and quoting by other early church fathers
•       Talk to me after if you have questions on this, I am no expert but I spent a lot of time looking in to it and was encouraged and would love to share it with you.

Are we in fellowship with other believers over the things of God?
•       Fellowship in Jesus is unlike anything else
•       Find your teammates. Pick each other up. Allow yourself to be held accountable to your brothers and sisters. Be one in Jesus.
•       “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” Psalm 133:1

Am I sharing? 
•       It can be tough to share our faith. It is personal, and sometimes private. This is hard for me
•       John is a great example however, that a Christian should wear it on his sleeve. The truth that we know about the world is draped over us, and we can get the same outcome as John. Our joy is made complete in sharing the work God has done in our lives.
•       Do I believe that my joy will grow?
•       Encourage you this morning to complete your joy, don’t keep it to yourself
•       Knowing who Christ is, believing what he has done and living in fellowship with Him and fellow believers brings us complete joy.

1 John is not a to-do list for Christians. Instead, it is a letter proclaiming what has been done, in sending his son to die for us. 

Luke 24:13-36 (ESV)

4/20/25

That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!”

Key Takeaways:
– As the Lord taught the Scriptures to the two disciples, their hearts burned. If you are indifferent to the Bible, that’s a warning sign.

– When is the last time the Bible read you?

– He laid down His life. He took it up again. He lives forever in a glorified resurrection body. We celebrate Him today and every day, and when He returns, “we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (I John 3:2)

– He said, “Because I live, you also will live.” (John 14:19) Death is no longer death for those who know and love Him. When our body goes dormant to rest, we’ll be more alive than we’ve ever been.

John 14:15-31 (ESV)

13 April, 2025

The focus of our text today is what’s about to happen. Jesus’ disciples don’t really know what is coming next, even though he’s been hinting at it and outright telling them for a while now. We’ll read Him tell them one last time what must happen, that they will face a world without him physically there.

The presence of the Holy Spirit changes our lives in many ways; it transforms us a certain way. We’ll see where Paul gets his teaching of the fruits of the spirit, it’s from Jesus himself. We’ll look at 4 things the Spirit brings: truthobedienceknowledgepeace.

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

 “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus” Phil 1:6

• This spirit brings truth, it is through Him that we have understanding. The disciples are so uneasy about what Jesus says to them. They want it one way, and it feels incompatible with what God has planned. The spirit of truth reconciles our will with His.

o Truth is agreement with God, the way the world works is the way He says it is.

• True love is marked by willing obedience.

• To obey God is a hard thing to do, but the encouraging thing here is that Jesus understands. He was a man like you and me; he knew the challenge. Look no further than what he was about to go through!

• Jesus knows this will be difficult, to keep his commandments. 

• I can’t help but think that in this moment, the human part of Jesus needed to hear this reminder. He has a command from the Father that he needs to follow. And because of his Love for the father, he would obey his command to go to the cross. 

18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 

• He then leaves them with a statement that they could not possibly understand until later

• “Because I live, you also will live.” We get the luxury of hearing those words knowing what happens on Easter Sunday. But imagine those words ringing around in the disciple’s minds as he hangs on a cross. I would guess that their fear finds a real foothold in those words, they know their lives depend on him.

21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

• Those who love God will have the spirit of obedience, and He will “make our home within him”. He is promising to dwell inside our very beings. 

• The word “home” here also means “dwelling place”. God himself will be at home in us. This is pretty hard to grasp because there is nothing like it in our human world today.

• The Jews knew a little bit about this, I want us to turn to Exodus for just a minute. If you know the story, the Jews were called out of Slavery in Egypt by their God. He performed miracle after miracle, orchestrating the exit of his people for one reason. The climax of this whole story is in Chapter 40

• “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle” Exodus 40:34-35

• The whole point of the exodus, the entire reason he brought them out of slavery, was so that he could dwell amongst his people. Jesus describes that is what is going to happen in us.

25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 

• Our last fruit of the spirit is the one that I need to hear the most often. The Holy Spirit is a spirit of Peace. His spirit brings peace in a way unlike anything found anywhere else. It does not JUST talk about the absence of conflict. This word meant “all is well”.

• The peace of the Spirit drives out worry and doubt, peace eradicates fear. It is distinct.

• There are knock offs everywhere. The world tells you that you’ll find peace once you make enough money. You’ll have peace once you get married, pay off your house or retire. Once we get through this crazy month. 

• But this peace that Jesus leaves with us, a peace between God and man, is unlike anything the world has ever known before. End to the strife between us and God.

28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 

• Jesus begins to wrap up by reiterating; I don’t want you to be surprised when these things come about. They have been told, but they still did not have the ears to hear. 

30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

• The ruler of this world is Satan; this is his domain. But be very certain about what is coming next week. Jesus was not outsmarted; the Christ was not overtaken. All of this was according to plan.

• Jesus is our model, and he obeys the father. 

• From here he does go. Jesus would go out of the upper room, to the garden where he would be betrayed. He would keep going until he was on the cross, to lay down his life out of love for the father and of love for us.

Summary

Be in the word together.

Mark 11, John 13, Matthew 26, John 18, and Luke 23

How can people be encouraged to come in to greater agreement with the Spirit?

Application

Truth

• “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen, not ONLY because I see it, but because by it I see everything else”. -C.S.L “Is Theology Poetry”

• Are there things you’d rather not think about, rather not ask God about? Areas where you are more content to live as you are? Not align your will with God’s?

• It can be uncomfortable to think about how destructive sin is in our lives, and how much God hates it. About loved ones who aren’t believers. Do you trust Him rather than seeking comfort of your own understanding and desires? God can handle these difficult matters, come to Him.

Obedience – Fall in love with Jesus

• It’s easy to read that and get really discouraged. I don’t keep his commandments; what does that say about me?

• What do we do if we aren’t obeying Jesus? Does it mean we don’t love him? How do we love him? Hard to love someone you don’t know.

• What ways are you learning more about Jesus? Who are you talking to about Jesus? 

• Get to know him, read his word. Spend time talking to his people. Pray for an ignition of love

• Obedience will follow

Knowledge

• Do you understand scripture? Do you read it as the living word of God?

o “A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding” Proverbs 14:6

• Desire the spirit of truth to reveal things to you.

• When you read scripture are you approaching it with your own mental capacity? What you can comprehend on your own. We’ve got a lot of smart people in this room. Or do you ask the spirit to increase your understanding, to give you knowledge. 

Peace

• Luke 12:24 “Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!”

• We know God because he dwells with us and in us. What a promise! Through it we have peace.

• Do you have peace with God? Is there animosity between you and your creator?