Experiencing God - Day 31
Day 31 - Monday, March 18
Read 1 John 1
Highlight
This week we are wrapping up our series on Experiencing God by digging deeper into the truth that: You come to know God by experience as you obey Him and He accomplishes His work through you. For the rest of this week we’re going to walk through the book of 1 John. For an overview, take some time to watch this video from the Bible Project:
Books of 1-3 John Summary.
The author of 1 John is anonymous, however, 2 & 3 John are written by someone referred to as ‘the Elder’. The style of all 3 letters are identical not just to one another, but also to the Gospel of John. Most scholars believe that all 4 works were written by the disciple John, “whom Jesus loved” (John 21:20-24). It’s clear that John is writing to house churches he is overseeing in Ephesus, which are made up primarily of Jewish believers who have recently gone through a painful departure of former followers of Jesus who have left the church. John is writing to encourage those who have remained to continue being obedient to Jesus and his Gospel and that God loves them and is with them.
In the opening of his letter John is reminding the church that he and the other apostles were eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life and teachings. He is assuring them that the message they’ve received and put their trust in is true. He then emphasizes that the way they will know if someone is a true follower of Jesus is not that they will live a perfect life, but they will demonstrate God's light and love the way Jesus did.
Reflection & Prayer
For this reading plan we will be using a tool to guide our study of Scripture that’s called the S.O.A.P. Method. It stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. We recommend you use a journal with this method and write out your thoughts on each of these areas for each day of reading. It doesn’t have to be long-winded and you don’t need a fancy journal. But for anyone that has not journaled before, the benefit is that it often helps us focus and avoid distractions during prayer and Bible study.
S.O.A.P. Method
Scripture - Pick a verse or two that stood out to you and write it in your journal. Be looking for a “Holy Spirit Highlight.” What did you read and think “I needed to hear that” or felt like it was written just for you?
Observation - Now write some observations about the verse(s) or passage. What is this passage or verse saying? About God? About people? How is Jesus revealed in these verses?
Application - Now write a few sentences on how this passage applies to your life. Is there truth about God that you are to believe? A promise to receive? Is the Holy Spirit convicting you of something you need to do or stop doing in light of God’s truth?
Prayer - Now write out a prayer to God in response to this Scripture. This is a way to turn God’s Word to you back to Him. Be honest and express your heart to Him. God always listens and He delights in your prayers. (Psalm 34:15; Proverbs 15:8)
Read 1 John 1
Highlight
This week we are wrapping up our series on Experiencing God by digging deeper into the truth that: You come to know God by experience as you obey Him and He accomplishes His work through you. For the rest of this week we’re going to walk through the book of 1 John. For an overview, take some time to watch this video from the Bible Project:
Books of 1-3 John Summary.
The author of 1 John is anonymous, however, 2 & 3 John are written by someone referred to as ‘the Elder’. The style of all 3 letters are identical not just to one another, but also to the Gospel of John. Most scholars believe that all 4 works were written by the disciple John, “whom Jesus loved” (John 21:20-24). It’s clear that John is writing to house churches he is overseeing in Ephesus, which are made up primarily of Jewish believers who have recently gone through a painful departure of former followers of Jesus who have left the church. John is writing to encourage those who have remained to continue being obedient to Jesus and his Gospel and that God loves them and is with them.
In the opening of his letter John is reminding the church that he and the other apostles were eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life and teachings. He is assuring them that the message they’ve received and put their trust in is true. He then emphasizes that the way they will know if someone is a true follower of Jesus is not that they will live a perfect life, but they will demonstrate God's light and love the way Jesus did.
Reflection & Prayer
For this reading plan we will be using a tool to guide our study of Scripture that’s called the S.O.A.P. Method. It stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. We recommend you use a journal with this method and write out your thoughts on each of these areas for each day of reading. It doesn’t have to be long-winded and you don’t need a fancy journal. But for anyone that has not journaled before, the benefit is that it often helps us focus and avoid distractions during prayer and Bible study.
S.O.A.P. Method
Scripture - Pick a verse or two that stood out to you and write it in your journal. Be looking for a “Holy Spirit Highlight.” What did you read and think “I needed to hear that” or felt like it was written just for you?
Observation - Now write some observations about the verse(s) or passage. What is this passage or verse saying? About God? About people? How is Jesus revealed in these verses?
Application - Now write a few sentences on how this passage applies to your life. Is there truth about God that you are to believe? A promise to receive? Is the Holy Spirit convicting you of something you need to do or stop doing in light of God’s truth?
Prayer - Now write out a prayer to God in response to this Scripture. This is a way to turn God’s Word to you back to Him. Be honest and express your heart to Him. God always listens and He delights in your prayers. (Psalm 34:15; Proverbs 15:8)
Posted in Experiencing God