Week 7: Belief in Action – 1 John 3:10-24
1 John was written “so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). So, how do you know? 1 John 3:10-24 gives us The LOVE Test: Am I loving others as Jesus would?
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DISCUSSION/REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
- What was a favorite costume you dressed up in for Halloween as a kid?
- Who is one of the most loving people you know? How do they show their love to you and others?
- Can you think of a time when you saw love change another person’s life? If so, please describe the circumstances and the changes that took place.
READ: 1 John 3:1, 10-24.
Spend some time SOAPing this passage. You can either spend time SOAPing individually and documenting for a several minutes and then spend time sharing with each -OR- SOAP in real time with each other. Either way make as many observations as you can.
- Observations: What are the things that stand out to you about this passage?
- How would you summarize this passage in one sentence?
- What does this passage tell me about who God is?
- What does this passage tell me about who I am?
- One of John’s tests for knowing if someone has a genuine faith is The LOVE Test: Am I loving others the way Christ would? Why is the love test so important?
READ: 1 John 3:16-18. What keeps us from loving others in actions and truth?
READ: 1 John 3:12:13. What is John trying to emphasize about Cain murdering his brother? And what does it have to do with the theme of this section of loving others?
Discuss the following questions Doug gave to help us think about loving others the way Jesus would:
Am I loving others as Christ would?
WHO am I NOT loving the way Jesus would?
WHY am I not loving others the way Jesus would?
HOW will I seek to love others this week?
- Am I living in the lavished love of God? (1 John 3:1)
- How could I love others with the lavish love of God?
- What else stood out from this week’s sermon?
APPLICATION: What is your big takeaway from this week’s sermon? Be specific.
NEXT STEPS:
Everyone has a next step to apply what we have learned. What is your next step?Be specific.
MEMORY VERSE: *Challenge yourself or your group to commit this verse to memory:
1 John 3:16 “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”
PRAYER:
Spend some time praying for each other.
Scripture References:
1 John 5:13; 1 John 3:1, 10-24; John 13:34-35; 15:12-14; Genesis 4:1-10; Hebrews 11:4; Matthew 5:21-24; Matthew 5:43-48; Ephesians 5:1-2