Common Sense Conversations

John begins chapter 4 with the topic of testing the spirits and false teaching and false prophets. This is something the young believers struggled with in John’s day and we still do today. So what does it look like to test the spirits? That’s what this podcast will discuss.

Looking at the last few verses of 1st John 3, we will see how John shows that daily deepening in the understanding of learning how much Jesus loves us brings reassurance in our lives.

As John has just finished discussing doubt, now he moves to confidence. However, these verses are those that can easily be taken out of context concerning prayer. What do these verses teach us and what is the right context to view them? That’s what this podcast will discuss.

John continues talking about the difficulty with doubts and the assurance we have in Jesus. This podcast will take a look at misconceptions of doubt, how we walk through doubt, and how we get victory from doubt.

We all face times of doubt and uncertainty. It was no different for the believers in John’s day. John writes this passage to bring some encouragement and reassurance to them in times of doubt.

John describes how that as a Christ follower we can know love and know that we belong to Jesus. That’s what this podcast will discuss.

John gives us a very tough passage here where he states if we do not have the love of Jesus in us and showing through us we are murderers. Does this apply to you and me? How do we handle this passage? That’s what this podcast will discuss.

John is going to talk about where our heart lies, with God or being dominated by self. He will go back to the example of Cain and show how that our decisions are always a choice and matter of where our heart aligns: with God or self.

John is continuing with the distinguishing marks of a Christ follower by pointing to love and a lack of love. He is going to talk about envy as that lack of love. I believe that envy is an “under the radar” sin that more people struggle with than will admit. That’s what this podcast will discuss.

John will talk about the difference between a real believer and a religious believer. There should be characteristics in our life that shows we belong to Jesus, not religion. That’s what this podcast will discuss.