Proof of Life: Handling the Truth

1 John 1

Connect:

• Share how you have seen God in the Highs and Lows of your week.

Prayer:

Pray that God would lead your discussion time and bring fresh insight, conviction, and hope through your time together.

Review:

This weekend we launch into a new series, Proof of Life, looking at how we KNOW that we are saved, born of the Spirit, alive in Christ… and what that looks like in our daily walk! This week we looked at how we handle the truth of God’s Word to us in Scripture…

The Grand Tour of the message: Thinking back on what you heard this Sunday…

o What did you learn about God?

o What did you learn about people?

o What did you learn about yourself?

o What do you want to commit to putting into practice?

Reflection:

Personal Experience:

• Mystery novels, films and TV series are among the most popular genres ever to hit the screen! Why do we love a mystery?

  Group Discussion:

• Read 1 John 1:1-4

  • In this letter, the apostle John was responding to false teachers who were “gnostics”— people who were saying Jesus was just a Spirit (i.e., didn’t actually ‘die for us’ because there was no body, ever).

    • How would that teaching of the Gnostics affect the message of the Gospel?

    • Break out into pairs for 3 mins to go through the statements John is making, and try to explain “Here’s why this piece is so important to getting the Gospel right”:

      • Pair 1: From the beginning

      • Pair 2: We have heard and see and our hands have touched

      • Pair 4: Jesus as the Word of Life Who was with the Father

  • How does “proclaiming what [John] had seen and heard” allow the recipients of the letter to “have fellowship”…

    • With John and the other disciples who carry the testimony about Jesus

    • With the Father and Son

    • What kind of “fellowship” are we talking about here? (John 17:20-23, Heb 10:24-25, Eph 4:1-3, Col 3:16, Phil 2: 1-2)

• Read 1 John 1:5-7

  • Scott said, “If we claim to be close to God while we live in contrast to the will & character of God, we’re a liar”. Talk about that. (John 23:34-35, 1 John 4:11-12, Acts 2:42, 46-47, 1 Cor 1:9-10, Col 3:12-14)

  • In Rev 2:6, Jesus says He ‘hates’ the teachings of the Nicolatians (that dismissed the difference between right & wrong, light & darkness). Why would Jesus hate this— what’s the big deal? (1 Peter 1: 14-16, 2 Cor 7:1, 1 Thes 4:1-3, Col 1:10, Romans 8:1-11, Romans 12:1-2, Heb 12:14, Gal 5:16-17, Titus 2:11-12)

• Read 1 John 1:8-2:2

  • It is very clear here that sin is part of the human condition but that confession of sin as sin (an offense against the Holy Creator God) leads to forgiveness! Talk about how that works (PS 51:1-5, Prov 28:13, John 3:16-18, James 5:16 Acts 3:19)

Application: 

What are some specific ways that we proclaim something true of God with our words but deny it by our actions? How can we get ahead of that— to sense the difference and redirect to doing things that please God?

Prayer:

David once prayed, restore to me the joy of Your salvation and renew a right spirit within me. Take some time to let God shine some light where light is needed, and pray that He will give you the strength and courage to follow Him where He leads in those specific areas.

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