Truth Unites . . . and Separates Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 2 John 9 In John’s first epistle, the apostle emphasized that those who truly know God walk in his truth and love his children—the recipe …
1 John 4
Three Portraits of Love Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another … if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is made complete in us. 1 John 4:11–12 God’s love “made complete in us.” What picture forms in your mind when you read that phrase? A bride and a groom? …
1 John 2
Is It Genuine or Counterfeit? As [Jesus’s] anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him. 1 John 2:27 My husband and I enjoy watching Antiques Roadshow. People on the show are always amazed when something they considered ugly is worth thousands of dollars. Other people are …
Introduction to The Epistles of John
Live As Jesus Lived This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. 1 John 2:5–6 The apostle John walked with Jesus for three years. He was part of the inner circle of disciples—along with Peter and James—who witnessed Jesus’s transfiguration (Matthew 17:1), the resurrection of Jairus’s daughter (Mark …
Proverbs 31:10-31
The Perfect Wife Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Proverbs 31:30 Proverbs 31:10-31 is often the text for a Mothers’ Day sermon and used to praise all women who have qualities like these, whether mothers or not. But it was given by a woman to her son so …
Proverbs 30:1-5
What Do I Know? Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Proverbs 30:5 Have you ever felt like Augur who said, “Surely I am only a brute, not a man; I do not have human understanding. I have not learned wisdom, nor have I attained to the knowledge of the …
Proverbs 29:22
The High Cost of Anger An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins. Proverbs 29:22 “Must we bring you water out of this rock?” With the force of forty years’ frustration, Moses slammed his staff against the rock. Water gushed out in a torrent, creating a creek bed that extended for miles—enough water for two …