1 John 1:9

The Chapel Fort Wayne

1 John 1:9

The Big "If"

April 30, 2024 • Pastor Mike Fanning • 1 John 1:9

Salvation through Jesus Christ delivers us from the penalty and power of the sin in our lives that separates us from God. For the believer, and I want to be clear on this, the presence of sin in my life is not an issue of “am I still saved?” or “have I lost my salvation?” But rather, it is an issue of whether or not I am living in right fellowship (think intimate relationship) with God. Think about how this works in human relationships. When a husband says something hurtful (sinful) to his wife, they are still married but the quality of their fellowship is damaged. But if he confesses his sinful words and asks for forgiveness then their closeness is restored. In the same way, when I sin it effects my relationship with God.

God’s remedy for restoration is for me to confess that sin to Him. To “confess” means to call sin what it is! Don’t minimize it, don’t deny it, don’t excuse it, OWN IT! And don’t confess your sins generically (“Father, forgive me for all my sins”).

Confess your sins specifically (“Father, forgive me for the harsh way I treated Bob”) and confess your sins repentantly (“Father, this harsh manner in me is evidence of a prideful spirit in me and is displeasing to You and gets in the way of me loving others well and for Your glory. Father, forgive me, cleanse me, change me.”) And because we still have a sin nature, confession before the Father (and others) needs to be a regular rhythm in our lives!

PASSAGE: 1 John 1:9 - "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

PAUSE: “If we confess our sins” is a conditional statement. Whether we confess our sins or not, the choice is ours. Confession of sins is the entryway into a deeper walk with our Heavenly Father. Confession of sins restores our relationship with God and allows us to be honest with ourselves and others.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, forgive me. Today, I pause to confess my known sins and those I don’t even realize. Cleanse me, and please revive my soul today!

Proverbs 1:7

May 17, 2024 • Pastor Josh Lewis • Proverbs 1:7

PASSAGE: Proverbs 1:7 - "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." PAUSE: The world is going to try and raise your child from a godless, secular worldview. They will try to provide answers to life's biggest questions, and they will try to tell them right from wrong without having a solid foundation to ground their morality. They will lean on whatever is culturally acceptable--whatever is right in their own eyes. Parents, we must show our children Jesus and then show them how Jesus changes everything! When we begin understand the character of God, we can begin to understand how he is good and loving, while at the same time, perfectly wise and just. This wisdom gives us a foundation to understand right from wrong. It gives us the moral framework to understand why instruction and proper obedience is a good thing. When we begin to see the world through the lenses of God's good and perfect character, we will no longer despise the correction we need from His wisdom and instruction, but instead, it will be life-giving! PRAYER: Lord, help me to live in AWE of You and to effectively pass this on to my children. Help me to raise them up with a God-saturated worldview, to see all of life through the reality of Your Presence and Your Purpose. Amen.

Proverbs 10:9

May 16, 2024 • Pastor Josh Lewis • Proverbs 10:9

PASSAGE: Proverbs 10:9 - "Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out." PAUSE: Establishing honesty in the character of your child is one of your most important jobs as a parent. It will save them from a life of trouble and prepare them to be a blessing to others. This is something I'm forever grateful that my parents instilled in me. Growing up, my brother and I would fight and argue as brothers do, but when one of us needed a straight answer from the other, we would ask "Do you promise?" This was the trump card, and we both knew it. We had an unbroken level of trust with each other, knowing that our promise meant truthfulness. No exceptions. This is the type of integrity and honesty we need to model for our children, grandchildren, and those we have an influence on. The impact of unwavering honesty will carry with them the rest of their lives. It may start as just a positive impact on a sibling relationship, but it will carry on to bring blessings in their lives and the lives of those they interact with. PRAYER: Lord, help me to model integrity to my children and then help me to help them become people of integrity. Amen.

Proverbs 22:15

May 15, 2024 • Pastor Mike Fanning • Proverbs 22:15

PASSAGE: Proverbs 22:15 - "Folly (lit. foolishness) is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline with drive it far from him." PAUSE: You do not have to teach your child to be sinful or foolish! They arrive with a selfish sinful nature that will be on display before you know it. The question is, what are you going to do about it? Now let me be clear as you consider this verse. I’m going to assume that all who read this have hearts full of love and kindness and goodness that they are ready to consistently pour into their children and grandchildren. Amen! But one key aspect of that love is the willingness to bring consistent discipline (correction) into their lives. To fail at this is to hate your children! (See Prov. 13:24). Foolish (selfish & unloving) behavior must be met with a corrective response that has teeth! The “rod” in Proverbs does not merely mean corporal punishment (spanking). It represents a corrective response from the one in authority. (That’s you parent). It should NEVER be done out of anger or in anger! (That leads to child abuse = EVIL). It is the parent, under self-control, bringing a corrective response to the child’s foolishness (lack of self-control) for the purpose teaching the child self-control. Which they will need, by the way, for the rest of their lives. PRAYER: Lord, help me to train foolish selfishness out of my child and wisdom and self-control into them. And help me to do it to myself first if I still need it. Amen.