Ever since our first parents, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God in the garden and then tried to cover up and hide from God, we have all tried to do the same with the sin we find in our own lives. This study in 1 John speaks to this predisposition in our lives. The Apostle John spells out several ways people attempt to deal with their guilt and shame only one of which will set us free. There is a way to be freed from the regrets of the past and the opportunity to start over

John spoke as a firsthand witness who had heard, seen, and even touched Jesus. His proclamation came out of his personal experience. We live generations past this historical event of the Incarnation. Can we also be certain of Jesus’ existence? Can we experience the Word of Life today? The answer to this question can be found in what John is saying in the opening verses of his letter. This message explores how we can have an authentic experience with Jesus which in turn leads to sharing this good news with others around us.

The early church faced a major dilemma – they struggled to reconcile their suffering with Christ’s victory. They wondered, “If Jesus has won the battle, why are we not experiencing the victory?” This is also one of the most relevant questions for us today. In Revelation 5 we see one of the greatest paradoxes of the Bible: Jesus as both the lion and the lamb. He is the Lion who conquered as a Lamb; the only one worthy to unfold God's redemptive plan for our world.

This sermon begins a study in I John. The key reason the apostle wrote this letter is found in chapter 5:13 “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know you have eternal life.” He gives three tests that reveal whether or not a person is truly a Christ-follower: Test #1: What do you believe about Christ? Test #2: How are you living like Christ? Test #3: How are you loving like Christ? The first two tests are the focus of this sermon.

We live in an age of rage. It is seen it everywhere – in our homes, our schools, our places of work and of course on our city streets and freeways. Every day we see or hear numerous accounts of the carnage created by uncontrolled anger. The Emoji Series of sermons continues as we look at this topic. The focus of this sermon is on what anger is and how to Biblically deal with it.