August-September 2024

The author of this “Love Letter” is the Apostle John - who is credited with writing five books in the New Testament (The Gospel of John, I John, II John, III John, and Revelation). Near the end of his long life, he became known as, “The Apostle of Love.” This is quite a transformation considering that many years earlier when he first met Christ, Jesus gave John and his brother the nickname, “Sons of Thunder” because they wanted to call down “fire from Heaven” and destroy an unsuspecting Samaritan village (Luke 9:54). Walking with Jesus for many years can have a loving effect on one’s life, and that’s the emphasis John brings out in this letter. John wrote this letter in part to ensure that Christ’s true followers were experiencing God’s love intimately and expressing God’s love actively.

 

Are you experiencing God’s love today? Unlike human love, God’s love is never-ending, unconditional, and deeply satisfying. Why? Because God doesn’t just have love – God is love (I John 4:8b). We experience God’s love through the sacrificial work of His Son, Jesus Christ. As we surrender our lives completely to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, God’s love begins to fill our hearts with a deep sense of acceptance and approval like nothing else can provide. So, if you and I want to experience real love in our lives today, we need to discover it through an abiding, life-giving relationship with the resurrected Messiah, Jesus Christ. God loves people so much that He gave His one and only Son in the hope that everyone will receive Christ and be reunited with Him in love together for all eternity (John 3:16). That’s our prayer for you today!

 

The love of Christ is one of the main themes in I John. He is writing to young believers reminding them that God is love and if they are truly children of God they must “love one another” (I John 3:11). Throughout this book, John reassures young believers along their
journey of faith, corrects false teachings about who Christ is, and presents God as light (I John 1:5), love (I John 4:8), and life (I John 1:2). John emphasizes that true followers of Christ experience God’s love by walking in truth (I John 1:6; 1:8; 2:4; 2:8; 3:18) and not falling for the lies of the enemy (I John 2:22; 4:1; 5:10; 5:21).

 

NEW! We have some exciting new changes for the I John Scripture Journal! We have added multiple pages for…

• Sermon Notes
• Small Group Discussion Guide
• Family Devotion Guide

We really hope this I John journal helps you experience personal transformation by growing in God’s word and understanding His ways through prayer, journaling, and discovery. By engaging in this I John journal over the next 30 days, you will embark on a Scripture-based journey of walking closer to Jesus by gaining a deeper understanding of God’s word as you deepen your relationship with Him. As always, we will be passing out free copies of this journal. However, If you missed getting a free copy, you can purchase a copy of the I John Scripture Journals here:

JOURNAL

Key Verse: “This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” I John 4:10, NLT ©

Key Themes:

1. Experiencing the Love of Christ by Walking in God’s Light (I John. 1:1 – 2:14)
2. Experiencing the Love of Christ by Walking in God’s Love (I John. 2:15 – 3:10)
3. Experiencing the Love of Christ by Walking in Love Toward Others (I John. 3:11 – 4:12)
4. Experiencing the Love of Christ by Walking Victoriously in Truth (I John. 4:13 – 5:21