In our information driven age, claims of spiritual truth and insight abound from all kinds of sources. Even within the church claims of revelation and leading from the Holy Spirit are common. God calls his people to be discerning, and the apostle John tells us specifically to '"test the spirits to see if they are from God."

Sometimes the traits and qualities of parents are so obviously reflected in their children that we say a child is "a chip off the old block." That can either be good or bad. Spiritually the same is true, those who are true children of God will reflect in their lives the qualities of their heavenly Father. Listen as we continue to study what 1 John says about being a true child of God.

When something new comes along, people like to talk about whether or not it has 'staying power’. As newness fades or when challenging trials and failures come, many wonder about its capacity to continue without weakening or ceasing altogether. The apostle John is very concerned about the staying power of the blossoming faith of those he is writing to. Some of the ones who used to be a part of the church have now departed from the faith and have gone out, teaching things that are contrary to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. How can these believers stand strong in the face of such lies, and how can they persevere in their own faith? Here we consider how the Word of God and the Spirit of God work together in our lives to guard us from deception and ensure that our faith has the staying power necessary for us to receive the promise of eternal life.

How do you test if something is the real thing, if it is genuine. Those who test to see if money is counterfeit or a gemstone is flawed often will hold them up to light detect if they are the real thing. The bible says that we can determine if our fellowship with God through Christ is real and genuine by holding up our lives to the light of God's truth. We continue in 1 John and look at several "tests" that help us to know that we truly know God.

Trying to find your way around in darkness can be dangerous business. You can get lost not knowing where you're going. You can get hurt not being able to see danger. You can miss out on wonderful things because you cannot see what's around you. The same is true spiritually. The bible says that God is light, and one of the ways we know that we know God is we will walk in the light of his truth and not in the darkness of sin.

The apostle John wrote his first letter to believers facing the challenge of increasing spiritual uncertainty. Early distortions of Christianity were creeping into the church, and the resulting confusion was causing people to question if you really could know God and how. John wrote his letter to counter that confusion by pointing to the person of Christ and how we can know that we know him and have eternal life through him. Join us in our study of 1 John as we look at how we know that we know.

Who can pass up a great invitation? In the Matthew's gospel, Jesus gives one of the greatest invitations you'll ever receive, and the fine print - even the part about yokes - makes it more compelling. Guest speaker Dr. Ed Welch, author and counselor with CCEF, encourages us to hear and heed Jesus' great invitation to "Come!"

Most of us would rather not look in the mirror first thing after we wake up. We'd rather fix ourselves up a bit first. But the reality is that if we don't see the ugly truth first, we don't really know or see the need for being fixed up. Through the gospel, the apostle Paul came to see himself as the worst of sinners, but that only magnified the amazing grace of God's salvation through Jesus Christ. Join us Sunday as we take a look at the how the gospel works to transform sinners like us into gracious servants for God's glory.

On our own, we are crippled, fearful, and unworthy to have a relationship with the King of creation. And God, like David, had the authority and power to kill or esteem. Yet, because of Jesus, He chooses to restore our relationship and treat us a beloved sons and daughter on no merit of our own. And because God treats us with “kindness” for Jesus sake, we can experience forgiveness, provision, and sonship even when we feel unworthy.