Jesus came to rescue and redeem his creation. So which is it-love or hate? Are we to forsake all worldly pleasures? Session Five But then you come to a passage like this, where John warns us not to love the world or anything in the world. On one hand, the most famous verse in the Bible tells us that "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son." If God loves the world that much, it seems like we should, too. What does that say about us as Christians? What do we do about it? Session FourĬhristians have always had a love/hate relationship with the world. We want to live deeper in Christ, but something happens. They explained that it had fallen into disuse and was no longer relevant to younger generations. In fact, a few years ago, the Oxford Junior Dictionary actually removed the word sin from its contents. We're more comfortable with words like dysfunction, disease, mistakes, even failures. You don't hear the word sin much these days. Our sin is real, but our God willingly forgives. Are they all Christians? How do you know if you are a Christian? Session Three How do you know if someone's a real Christian? Is it the amount of time spent serving in the community or the Bible on the desk? Is it that they don't use bad words or that they go to church a lot? The problem is, lots of people don't swear, help in the community, or go to church. We were made to live substantive lives in Jesus Christ. And where better to begin than reflecting on how to have deeper joy in Christ? Session Two And the letter's original purpose was to strengthen and assure new believers.īut spiritual depth isn't simply about knowledge (a common misconception), but about everyday life and relationships. The cyclical structure of the book invites deeper reflection on these themes. The subject matter is simple and straightforward: truth (right doctrine), obedience (right living), and love (right relationships). For a variety of reasons, 1 John fits the bill. With this in mind, we wanted to create a Bible study that would be exegetically strong and focused on personal spiritual vitality. Sincere Christians universally want to "go deeper" in faith and knowledge of the Scripture. To know deep, lasting joy, we have to truly know Christ.
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