This Sunday, Greg Pinkner concludes our series on 1 John. These verses emphasize the testimony of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit testifies that God gave us eternal life and that life is in His Son through the crucifixion. The book of 1 John is about following the Lord and the things He said while He was here on earth so that we can be a part of a kingdom we haven't seen yet.
Just Do It
July 23, 2023 • RD McClenagan • 1 John 5:1–5
This Sunday, RD McClenagan speaks on the commands of God and our obedience to them. Religion tells us how we must follow God's commands and it exhausts us. But, His commands are not a heavy yoke; they are an invitation. We need to be driven to obedience by God's heart for us, not our own vision. His love for us is the only thing that can sustain our obedience.
You're Afraid... and We Love You
July 16, 2023 • JC Neely • 1 John 4:17–21
This Sunday, JC Neely speaks on how our enemy's goal is to bring fear and uncertainty into our lives about our relationship with Christ. But, we are secure in the love of God because He has given us His Spirit. Our security comes from what He has done, not what we are doing. Experiencing God's love is better than just having an understanding of it. The Gospel is the fear that the enemy has put in our hearts and minds being met with the love of Christ.
God is Love: Learning and Unlearning
July 9, 2023 • Rick Dunn • 1 John 4:7–11
This Sunday, Rick Dunn teaches on "God is Love." Our circumstances do not prove God's love for us. Love matters and we need affection and affirmation. God is love, gives us that affection and affirmation, and moves us toward loving others in the same way.
The Spirit of the Age
July 2, 2023 • Greg Pinkner • 1 John 4:1–6
This Sunday, Gospel Sunday, Greg Pinkner continues the section of 1 John that speaks to us being either children of God or children of the devil. We are one of the other, there is no grey. As children of God, the Holy Spirit points us to the person of Jesus and His teaching, but false teachers are coming and teaching false doctrine. The truth of Scripture makes the error of the world evident. The world tells us we must earn our salvation, but we will always fail. The Gospel tells us to come to Christ, and He will give us rest.
Love One Another
June 25, 2023 • Greg Pinkner • 1 John 3:11–24
This Sunday, Greg Pinkner teaches on I John 3:11-14. This scripture is about the brothers and sisters in Christ and the call to love them. We are to love the church and one another, as fellow Christians, more than we love the world. However, we are also called to love the world even when we are hated by it. Love is a decision we make. It is not a feeling or something we get, it is an action.
The Children of God
June 18, 2023 • Greg Pinkner • 1 John 2:28–29, 1 John 3:1–10
This Sunday, Greg Pinkner teaches on the black and white of Scripture. In a culture that loves gray, 1 John states the either/or very frankly. When we go to Christ and become believers, we set ourselves against the world. We are either children of righteousness or children of wickedness - there is no in-between. Legalism has long been an issue in Christianity, but the call to holiness is not legalism it is a command.
Longing for a Good Father
June 11, 2023 • Rick Dunn • 1 John 2:15–17
This Sunday, Rick Dunn speaks on the question we ask God, "How can this be if You are good?" In sin, it is easy for us to doubt the goodness of God. Sin forms in our hearts when our flesh chooses to be god over our god-formed longings for pleasure, passion, and power. But, we must believe that He is good to be able to align ourselves with Him. Christ transforms our whole being, by the Spirit, to commit to the Father.
From a Child to a Father
June 4, 2023 • RD McClenagan • 1 John 2:12–14
This Sunday, RD McClenagan looks at the different stages of spiritual maturity from 1 John 2:12-14. In these verses, when John speaks of children, young men, and fathers, he is not speaking of specific ages, but of the formation and maturity of one's heart. We are to receive forgiveness for our sins like children. We are to walk in the confidence that evil has been overcome like young men. And as we grow up in Jesus as fathers, we depend on Him more so we can pour ourselves out into others.
Grace for Sin. Grace for Obedience.
May 28, 2023 • JC Neely • 1 John 2:1–6
This Sunday, JC Neely explores the idea of joyful obedience. John is urging believers to stop settling for a life of sin and instead marvel at the incredible gospel of Jesus Christ. He emphasizes that they have an advocate in Jesus, who is righteous and fights for them. John highlights the concept of propitiation, explaining that Jesus not only forgives their sins but also removes God's wrath. John warns against lying about knowing God while not obeying His commandments, as it breaks trust and reveals a lack of faith in Jesus as an advocate. He encourages believers to walk in the same way Jesus walked, to honor Him and experience His grace. Ultimately, John envisions a community where the love of God is perfected in the lives of believers.
That Which We Have Seen
May 21, 2023 • Greg Pinkner • 1 John 1
This Sunday, Greg Pinkner begins our summer series in 1 John. The Gospel of John was written to tell who Jesus was and is, but the Epistle of John was written to show what our life has to be like because we now know who He is.
