3 Minute Devotional | 1 John 3:18-20
18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.19 Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God.20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.
(3:18). John addresses the readers as “little children”. This is an expression of either fatherly love or a statement of their spiritual condition. Apparently John’s readers had a problem with lip service without actual service. The word for “deed” means work or performance. This verse uses the previous verse as a springboard. After telling the readers that if they do not provide for fellow believers, they do not have eternal life. He adds to the command by telling them to show their love rather than talk about it.
(3:19). John reaches a conclusion for the test of providing for fellow believers. It was a test for genuineness, not an act of earning salvation. The word for “know” means to be acquainted with a person, to know or understand. The word for “assure” means to make confident, free from fear or doubt, to depend upon, or have confidence. John uses two words to express that the results of this test are absolute, leaving no room for doubt.
(3:20). John picks up in this verse where the last verse concluded. This was on the ability of the heart to condemn or justify. The heart was an expression used for the mind. In other words, if an object whose ability of right and wrong has been greatly diminished condemns us, we can be sure that God who is able to discern all truth.
Action Steps: - What specific action can you show your love to your family, friends and co-workers today?
Source SM Recap: Volume #21
Current Series: “A Christmas Story”Main Thought: The size of your story depends on the size of your God. The Word: Luke 1:26-38, 30-37.
Message explanation: Have you ever been asked to do something that you never thought you could do?
We can make Christmas all about presents and not His presence.
We are going to look at the Christmas through the eyes of Mary and Joseph. Have you ever wondered why God chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus? Was it because she was an elite, perfect, holy woman? Let’s find out…
Luke 1:26-29: In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
Christmas through the eyes of Mary. Mary was a simple girl from Nazareth – around 13+-15+ years old (Middle schooler!). She was just a normal teenage girl. Nazareth was a small town with only one water well. It wasn’t the most cultured or the “Top spots” for a vacation!
Luke 1:30-37: "Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God. Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.