Icebreaker:
- How has Jesus given you confidence in your life?
- How do you maintain that confidence?
Going deeper:
Read: 1 John 2:18-29
Verses 18-23 discuss one of Pastor Doug’s favorite points – ideas matter. What you believe about Jesus Christ matters. If you don’t believe he is the Son of God, you are against Christ, an antichrist according to 1 John. There are many people and belief systems in this world that deny that Jesus is the risen Son of God, but none of them can offer you real purpose or clarity for your life. Only Jesus offers true freedom, true life, and true hope.
This is what you have been taught.
- Do you believe what you’ve been taught?
- Why do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?
- Are you willing to stand for those beliefs?
- Why do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?
- What aspects of your life deny Christ as Lord of your life?
- How can your actions and speech affirm rather than deny Christ?
- How can the body of Christ help hold you to that higher standard?
- How can you allow Christ to hold you to that higher standard?
Verses 24-29 inspire confidence in those who believe in Jesus Christ and the Bible. These verses tell us to be confident in our beliefs, knowing that the Father and Son will be faithful to us, present in our lives. These verses promise active participation from the Holy Spirit, as well. The Spirit will teach us what is right and continue to guide us in the truth. We won’t need to worry about being misled. We will know who God is, who we are, and what we’re supposed to do (what God wants us to do/what he made us for).
- Does this section give you confidence in your life?
- How have the Father and Son been faithful to you?
- What is the extent or duration of God’s faithfulness to you (verse 25)?
- How does this give you confidence?
- How has the Holy Spirit guided you in your life?
- Do you ever ignore the Spirit’s influence in your life?
- How can you be more attentive to the Spirit?
- Why is it important for you to choose?
- Why is it important for you to choose right now?
- What is the result of waiting to decide?
Reflect:
- What have you decided about your belief in the Son of God today?
- Pray for submission to the power and will of the Holy Spirit in your life.
