Hate Is a Strong Word

1 John 3:11–18 Words matter. Yet few words have become as casually used in our culture as the word hate. We hear it all the time: “I hate Mondays.” “I hate traffic.” “I hate that team.” “I hate that politician.” We often use the word to express frustration or preference, …

Practice and Perfection

1 John 3:4-10 One of the most common phrases heard today is, “People never change.” We hear it in different forms. “That is just who I am.” “I have always been this way.” “Once an addict, always an addict.” “Once angry, always angry.” The world often assumes that people can …

A Place for Our Hearts

1 John 2:28–3:3 Every person is searching for a place where they belong. Children long for acceptance. Teenagers search for identity. Adults seek security. Older generations desire assurance. The search may take different forms, but the longing remains the same. People look for fulfillment in careers, relationships, accomplishments, possessions, hobbies, …

Losing and Giving: Why the World Cannot Deliver What the Father Already Has

There is a reason buyer’s remorse is so common. Something looked perfect in the advertisement. The product promised satisfaction. The salesman assured that it would solve the problem. Then it arrives, the excitement fades, and the realization sets in: this is not what was promised. The world works much the …

Walking with the One

In a world filled with spiritual confusion, customized morality, and self-made religion, many people want a version of Christianity that fits comfortably into their lifestyle. The Apostle John confronts that mindset directly in 1 John 2:3–11. True Christianity is not something assembled according to personal preference. It is not “a …

Sent with Power

Acts 1:8, Romans 10:9, 14–15 There is something many remember from growing up. Standing on the side, waiting to be picked for a team. Sometimes chosen early, sometimes not. And if chosen late, there was something inside that said, “Now prove it. Play hard. Show that it matters.” In a …