August Desktop Wallpaper

Desktop wallpaper for August 2023. Click on the picture for a full-sized version.

1 John - week 11 (1 John 4:1-6)

In this session, we go over 1 John 4:1-6.

1 John - week 11 - chapter 4:1-6 (audio)

If you are looking to dig more into 1 John, here are some resources I recommend:
The Letters of John by Gary M. Burge
Letters of John by Colin Kruse
The Letters of John by John R. W. Stott
Calvin’s Commentary on 1 John 4 (online resource)

You can find other posts in this series here.

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Looking for some encouragement in your walk with Jesus? I’ve written a devotional book designed to remind you of God’s abundant grace.
Connect with me on Instagram and Pinterest.
My merch store. My Etsy store.

1 John - week 10 (1 John 3:11-3:24)

In this session, we go over 1 John 3:11-24.

1 John - week 10 - chapter 3:11-24 (audio)

If you are looking to dig more into 1 John, here are some resources I recommend:
The Letters of John by Gary M. Burge
Letters of John by Colin Kruse
The Letters of John by John R. W. Stott
Calvin’s Commentary on 1 John 3 (online resource)

You can find other posts in this series here.

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Looking for some encouragement in your walk with Jesus? I’ve written a devotional book designed to remind you of God’s abundant grace.
Connect with me on Instagram and Pinterest.
My merch store. My Etsy store.

1 John - week 9 (1 John 3:4-3:10)

There is no audio from this week, so I’ve posted my notes below.

“Sin is Lawlessness” and “the Devil Has Sinned from the Beginning” (3:4 and 8)
- John here defines what sin is.
- lawlessness: refers to a breaking of the law; refers to not having right standing with the law
- All sin is lawlessness. This also implies an attitude of rebellion against God, a rejection of the rules that God has set out in His word. He also explains where sin comes from: the one practicing sin is of the devil, for “the devil has been sinning from the beginning.”

“The Son of God was Manifested” (3:5 and 8)
- Jesus came to take away our sins (see also 1 John 2:1-2 and week 4).
- He also came to “destroy the works of the devil”. No longer are we held in captivity by and to the devil. Our citizenship has been transferred to a different kingdom. We serve a new master. We are free in Christ.
- Why was Jesus able to take away our sins? Because “in Him there is no sin”. He is righteous (2:29).
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

“Does Not Sin” vs “Sins” (3:6-7 and 9-10)
- John uses again the phrase “abides in Him” to refer to a follower of Jesus (see also (2:6, 2:24, 27, and 28 and John 15:1-7).
- “Does not sin” - cannot refer to never sinning. John has already addressed that in chapter 1 and the beginning of chapter 2 (weeks 3 and 4). John here is addressing a habitual practice. The one who habitually sins evidences that he has neither seen nor known Jesus. Here is another time where John is pointing to the fact that our habitual practice evidences the internal, spiritual life (or lack thereof). Apple trees that are alive must, at some point, actually bear fruit. And an apple tree will bear apples, not bananas. The fruit that is produced communicates what type of tree the tree is. Likewise, what we produce externally — our habits of speech, actions, how we spend our time and money and energy — points to what type of spiritual life we have (see James 2:26).
- Once again, this does not mean that practicing externals produces internal, spiritual life. Apples that are growing on a tree don’t cause the tree to be alive. They are evidence — or the product — of the life that the tree has. We need to make sure to not confuse the two.
- Why does the one who has been born of God not sin? Because he has been changed (both by the word of God and by the Holy Spirit), and his old man has been crucified with Christ (see Romans 6:1-14).
- Not only does this play out in our response to sin, it also plays out in our response to others. As John has emphasized repeatedly, the inward spiritual renewal that we have experienced will evidence itself in our outward actions. In this case, he emphasizes that those who are children of God love their brothers. He will expound on this more in the verses to follow.

How do we know someone (or we ourselves) is a follower of Jesus?
What fruit are we producing? Does it look like the fruit of the Spirit? Does it look like the characteristics that John has been discussing?
Are we abiding in Jesus?
Are we practicing righteousness?
Are we loving our brothers?

Key characteristic of a follower of Jesus: Following Jesus means practicing righteousness.

If you are looking to dig more into 1 John, here are some resources I recommend:
The Letters of John by Gary M. Burge
Letters of John by Colin Kruse
The Letters of John by John R. W. Stott
Calvin’s Commentary on 1 John 3 (online resource)

You can find other posts in this series here.

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Looking for some encouragement in your walk with Jesus? I’ve written a devotional book designed to remind you of God’s abundant grace.
Connect with me on Instagram and Pinterest.

1 John - week 8 (1 John 2:28-3:3)

There is no audio from this week, so I’ve posted my notes below.

Having Confidence (2:28-29)
- Since it is the “last hour,” John is exhorting us to practice righteousness so that we may not be ashamed when Christ comes.
- “Thus the anticipated appearing of Jesus in glory forms the climax of the believer’s relationship to him in the present. As such, Christ’s final manifestation may fill the members of his Church with hope, and encourage them (further) to continue in an ethical practice which should in any case characterize their present and ongoing walk with him” (Smalley page 130).
- Our confidence comes from having a right relationship with God. If we are abiding in him, we will be in a right relationship with him.
- Two sides of the same coin: “have confidence” and “not be ashamed”
- Why righteousness? Because God Himself is righteous.
- What is righteousness? It is having a right moral standing with God.
- How do we practice righteousness? By obeying God's word through the power of the Holy Spirit.
- Practicing righteousness is another evidence that we are followers of Jesus (“born of Him”) (see also John 1:12-13).
- “Christians are able to walk in the light and they should therefore do so” (Smalley page 137).

Know
- In these verses, there are three things that John points out that we can know.
- We “know that He is righteous” (2:29) - this is a key characteristic of Jesus. He is (and was) without sin. John will circle back to this in 3:5.
- We “know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him” (2:29) - not only is this evidence of spiritual life, but it is something that we can know both about ourselves and about others.
- We “know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him” (3:2) - this is a promise that we can cling to. Jesus will not forsake us (Hebrews 13:5) and He is coming back for us and we will be with Him (John 14:3).

The Father's Love (3:1-3)
- In these verses, John reminds us why we should practice righteousness. John reminds us that the fact that we are called children of God shows the magnitude of God's love toward us.
- John also explains that the reason the world does not know us – why we don't “fit in” – is because the world did not know God,
- What is meant by “the world”? See week 6. - John reassures us that although we do not know all the details of the future, that we can rest assured that we shall be like Christ for we will be able to see Him as He is.
- Because we hope – confidently expect – to see Christ, we purify ourselves. Because He is pure. Because we are earnestly pursuing righteousness. Because He is righteous. (see also Romans 12:1)

How do we know someone (or we ourselves) is a follower of Jesus?
- Do we confidently stand before God since we know that through Jesus we have a right standing with God?
- Do we find comfort in knowing that we are the children of God?
- Do we rest in God even though the world rejects us?
- Do we confidently rest in God’s control of the (our) future?
- Do we purify ourselves?

Key characteristic of a follower of Jesus: Following Jesus means practicing righteousness. This means obeying God's word and avoiding sin.

If you are looking to dig more into 1 John, here are some resources I recommend:
The Letters of John by Gary M. Burge
Letters of John by Colin Kruse
1, 2, and 3 John, Volume 51 by Stephen Smalley
The Letters of John by John R. W. Stott
Calvin’s Commentary on 1 John 2 (online resource)

You can find other posts in this series here.

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Looking for some encouragement in your walk with Jesus? I’ve written a devotional book designed to remind you of God’s abundant grace.
Connect with me on Instagram and Pinterest.

July Desktop Wallpaper

Desktop wallpaper for July 2023. Click on the picture for a full-sized version.