Sermon Central
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1 John
Contributed by Dennis Davidson on Sep 30, 2012 (message contributor)
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1. Praying With Confidence
Contributed on Mar 18, 2013
There is great confidence that comes from knowing that we have eternal life right now. But what about the needs & problems of daily life? Jesus helped people when He was here on earth; does He still help us? Is He responsible for & responsive to His child
1 JOHN 5: 14-17 [LIFE, LIGHT & LOVE SERIES] PRAYING WITH CONFIDENCE [James 5:14-20] It is wonderful to know that Jesus is God, and to know Him through His abiding-through His living- in our life. There is also great confidence that comes from knowing that we have eternal life right now. ...read more
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2. Abiding In The Truth
Contributed on Dec 9, 2012
Our passage speak about abiding in Christ. To abide in Christ is to abide in His Word & way. As we abide in His Word & way the Holy Spirit teaches us & molds us into the image of God’s Son. Abiding in Christ is the practice of righteous, which is the w
1 JOHN 2: 24-29 ABIDING IN THE TRUTH [John 15: 1-11] We reveal our value of Jesus Christ by the degree to which we allow the life of Christ to be reproduced in our lives. To know that Jesus Christ was characterized by love & yet not demonstrate His love proves that we think little of ...read more
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3. God's Privileged Children
Contributed on Dec 17, 2012
Since God has shown us such great love in dying for us & saving us, we should respond with love for Him. As we do, our Father transforms us into the children He would have us be. Are you the Christian God would have you be?
1 JOHN 3: 1-3 [LIFE, LIGHT & LOVE SERIES] GOD'S PRIVILEGED CHILDREN [Romans 8:14-18] One of the great blessings about being a pastor is the opportunity to rejoice with the parents when a NEW BABY IS BORN. I enjoy visiting the mother and her baby on the day of birth. What a joy it is to ...read more
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4. Living In Love Or Death
Contributed on Jan 14, 2013
We are taught here in John that we know that we have passed out of death into life because we love the brethren. Love of the brethren is a proof of sonship. People with a heart for God have a heart for people.
1 JOHN 3: 11-18 [LIFE, LIGHT & LOVE SERIES] LIVING IN LOVE OR DEATH [Matthew 22: 35-40 / John 15:12-14 / Luke 10:25-27] In his book Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home, Richard Foster tells of an OLD SAGE who asked his disciples, "How can we know when the darkness is leaving and the ...read more
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5. The Assured Heart
Contributed on Jan 21, 2013
Three wonderful blessings are promised in these verses to those that continue believing in Jesus and loving the brethren. These blessing are assurance in God's presence, answered prayers, & the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit.
1 JOHN 3: 18-24 THE ASSURED HEART [Hebrews 9:13-22] There is a warm assurance, a sound persuasion of heart, that loving people in deed and truth gives the believer. Such love provides us with a confidence that we can go into God's presence and ask and receive whatever we need. These ...read more
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6. Test The Spirits
Contributed on Jan 28, 2013
You test the spirit behind religious teachers by knowing the truth & walking in the Spirit of Truth. You need to know how to walk in the Spirit of God & test the spirits because there are many deceiving spirits in the world today.
1 JOHN 4: 1-6 TEST THE SPIRITS [1 Peter 2:1-10] Close to the BATTLE LINES during the Korean War a sentry was walking his post one night. He heard a sound in the darkness, and he challenged, "Halt! Who goes there? Friend or foe?" A voice replied, "Friend!" The sentry said, "Repeat the ...read more
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7. Love Perfected
Contributed on Feb 11, 2013
We have just seen that God's love is proclaimed in the Word, proven at the Cross & now we will find it is perfected in believers. Those believers who abide in God will find God's love being perfected in their lives.
1 JOHN 4:12-19 [LIFE, LIGHT & LOVE SERIES] LOVE PERFECTED [Romans 8:1-17] God’s love is a selfless love. It considers the welfare of those He loves. If God considered only Himself; He would not have created such rebellious beings much less sent the Lord Jesus Christ into the ...read more
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8. The Objects Of Our Love
Contributed on Feb 18, 2013
We are to respond to God's love by abiding in God’s love, as we do, He reproduces His love in us. This love is not in the abstract. We are to love God & His children through attitude & action. We love God & His children by keeping God's commandments.
1 JOHN 4:20, 21; 5:1-3 [LIFE, LIGHT & LOVE SERIES] THE OBJECTS OF OUR LOVE [Mark 12:29-31] A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with a class of five and six year olds. After explaining to the children what honoring their Fathers and Mothers meant, and exploring a ...read more
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9. Believe The Witness
Contributed on Mar 4, 2013
God gave & gives witness to His Son. This witness is of the highest, the most important & the most extraordinary kind. God bears witness through the Spirit, the water & the blood. These witnesses sustain our faith & prove that Jesus is God to all who hon
1 JOHN 5: 6-10 BELIEVE THE WITNESS [John 5:31-40 / 16:13-14] An AGNOSTIC professor condescendingly confronted a little girl who believed in Jesus. “There are many throughout history who have claimed they were God. How can you be sure who told the truth? Which one of these men can ...read more
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10. Do You Know You're Saved?
Contributed on Mar 11, 2013
God doesn't want you to face eternity uncertain about whether you will go to heaven or hell. He wants you to be able to say with certainty, "I know that I have eternal life & when I die I will go to heaven.”
1 JOHN 5:11-13 [LIFE, LIGHT & LOVE SERIES] DO YOU KNOW YOU'RE SAVED? [John 10:24-33] In 1990’s Northwest Airlines offered some unusual round-trip passages aboard one of their planes. Fifty-nine dollars bought a "Mystery Fare" ticket that provided a one-day trip to an unknown ...read more
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11. The Keeping Power Of God
Contributed on Mar 18, 2013
It is out of our personal relationship with God that we come to know with assurance certain things in the Christian life. These closing assurances are intended to be great encouragements to us.
1 JOHN 5: 18-21 [LIFE, LIGHT & LOVE SERIES] THE KEEPING POWER OF GOD John here reaches the end of what he wants to write. He has clearly shown the differences between the true believer and the false, and now he concludes by reiterating his purpose, which is to assure his readers who ...read more
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12. The Word Of Life
Contributed on Sep 30, 2012
Satisfying reality is not to be found in things or thrills, but in a Person--Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. This life is what his readers must grasp if they too would have real life. For our faith is not just a "story." It’s based on real eve
1 JOHN 1: 1-4 THE WORD OF LIFE [John 1:1-10] "Once upon a time...." Remember how exciting those words used to be? They opened the door into an exciting world of make-believe, into a dreamworld that helped you forget all the problems of childhood. Then--pow! You turned a corner one ...read more
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13. A Cleansing Fellowship
Contributed on Oct 8, 2012
If we are walking with God we must live in God’s light. A redemptive joyful fellowship is only possible as we abide or walk in God’s light. If we will live in God’s light, the blood of Jesus Christ will continually cleanse us from all sin.
1 JOHN 1: 5-7 [LIFE, LIGHT & LOVE SERIES] A CLEANSING FELLOWSHIP [Last week if you remember I spoked about establishing fellowship with God.] All Christian fellowship originates in God. To have fellowship with God opens the door to fellowship with the brethren. The right kind of ...read more
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14. Confession For Cleansing Of Sin
Contributed on Oct 15, 2012
We rid ourselves of sin by confessing it to God. No one can live in light without being overwhelmingly convinced that he still sins. Honesty before God results in forgiveness & cleansing.
1 JOHN 1: (5) 8-10 [LIFE, LIGHT & LOVE SERIES] CONFESSION FOR CLEANSING OF SIN [Romans 3:23-26] Every form of life has its enemies. Insects have to watch out for hungry birds, and birds must keep an eye on hungry cats and dogs. Even human beings have to dodge automobiles and fight off ...read more
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15. The Basis Of Obedience & Forgiveness
Contributed on Oct 22, 2012
The believer who craves to grow more Christ-like must go to the Advocate & through Jesus' sacrifice find the cleansing & the conviction necessary to leave the horror of sin. Those who have done so will abide in God’s Word & walk in Christ-likeness.
1 JOHN 2:1-6 [LIFE, LIGHT & LOVE SERIES] THE BASIS OF OBEDIENCE AND FORGIVENESS [John 14:23-24] The Apostle continues discussing the believers condition and conduct which he has personally discovered by walking in God’s light. Having revealed that even Christians sin daily, John ...read more
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16. Love The Brethren
Contributed on Oct 29, 2012
The Christian way of life or walking in the light involves not only fellowship with God & with the brethren (1:5-7), consciousness & confession of sin (1:8-10), obedience by imitation of Christ (2:1-6). Walking in the light also requires love of the breth
1 JOHN 2: 7-11 [LIFE, LIGHT & LOVE SERIES] LOVE THE BRETHREN [Romans 13:8-10] "I just love that hat!" "Man, I really love the old-fashioned kind of baked beans!" “But, Mom, don’t you realize that Tim and I love each other?" Words, like coins, can be in circulation for such a ...read more
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17. Spiritual Stages
Contributed on Nov 11, 2012
Three groups of persons within the family of faith are addressed. What is said of each group doesn’t appear to be age related. These groups may represent different levels of Christian maturity within the community. We could call them three stages of spir
1 JOHN 2: 12-14 [LIFE, LIGHT & LOVE SERIES] SPIRITUAL STAGES [Ephesians 6:10-20] In the introduction or prologue John indicated that the general purpose of his letter was to help believers mature into Christ-likeness. Having laid down ...read more
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18. Sin's Fountains
Contributed on Nov 20, 2012
In this concluding section concerning light & love, God has an important warning. We are warned that there is no place for both God & the world in our lives (Mt. 6:24). You cannot love God & love the world. One reason we are not to love the world is be
1 JOHN 2: 15-17 [LIFE, LIGHT & LOVE SERIES] SIN'S FOUNTAINS [Matthew 6:19-24] A group of first-graders had just completed a TOUR OF A HOSPITAL, and the nurse who had directed them was asking for questions. Immediately a hand went up. “How come the people who work here are ...read more
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19. Christians & Antichrists
Contributed on Dec 2, 2012
The Christian who is real builds his life on truth, not superstition or lies. It is impossible to live a life that is truly spiritual by believing lies. That’s why it is essential to get our thinking right about Jesus Christ.
1 JOHN 2: 18-23 CHRISTIANS AND ANTICHRISTS Have you heard the statement, “It makes no difference what you believe, just as long as you are sincere!” That statement expresses the personal philosophy of many people today, but it’s doubtful whether most of those who make it have really thought ...read more