Week 6

1 John 2:7-11

Verses 7-11 uses a lot of light and dark imagery. John is trying to convey to us the key differences that distinguish us from the rest of the world and just how severe the contrast should be.

The assignment:

1.) Take some time to create some space to record instances when each key theme is addressed. For example, if you have a notebook or journal, you might write one theme at the top of a page and use the rest of the page to add notes and references for that theme. The next page would be your next theme, and so on… Do what works for you, but the goal is to be able to look back at one theme and trace the development and use of that them throughout the letter.

2.) New commandment, old commandment, WHICH IS IT???!!?! In addition to the passage here, look at John 13:34 and Leviticus 19:18, and try to understand what John might be driving at with this expression.

3.) Look for ways to make this a group project. Make some time with some friends to discuss this together OR join in the discussion in the comments. You can both add value for others and gain deeper understanding by sharing your insights with others. (And you DO have insights)

Join us in the comments in our Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/349127529814376

The video version of this podcast is available on YouTube (https://youtu.be/stfcE3tviOg)

Find out more about Good Hope Family Fellowship at GHFF.net

Week 5

In this week’s passage we find a word that is only used 5 times in the New Testament and only in works by John: “Advocate”. As we move into chapter 2, look for words related to your list of themes and see if you find any development on those themes here in verses 1-6.

The assignment:

1.)Check 1 John 2:1-6 for any of the theme words from the list you made when we read the whole letter (your Theme List). If any are here, you might summarize a few thoughts about that theme that you gather from this passage.

2.) Dig deeper into the word “Advocate”; find definitions, cross-references, etc. What do we learn about Jesus in relation to this term?

3.) Share your tips for making study time more effective, (and maybe try some suggested by others or employ some you may have forgotten)

The video to this podcast is available on our YouTube channel:https://youtu.be/OK2_LnWxTsQ

Find out more about Good Hope Family Fellowship at GHFF.net

Week 4

Time to slow down and dig in! This week we take a more in-depth look at 1 John 1:9. This is a powerful verse containing an incredible promise from God. Sometimes we can get moving too fast when the Holy Spirit wants us to slow down. So we are going to spend this week meditating on just one verse of Scripture.

The assignment: 1) Memorize 1 John 1:9. This is an excellent practice for our spiritual development. Don’t skip it; don’t do it half-way; put it on a card and have a friend, spouse, child, or your waitress check you while you recite it from memory. (We might work out some rewards for this…)

2.) Do a word study for each key word in the verse. Use a concordance or a Bible dictionary, but try to get as much out of each word so that you have a richer understanding of the verse as a whole.

3.) Read up on the cross-references. I’ve included the ones in my Bibles below, but check if your Bible has different references and share those with the rest of us.

4.) Share what stands out the most to you in the Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/349127529814376

The video where this audio came from is on YouTube ( https://youtu.be/-x7j9_PO51w )

Find out more about Good Hope Family Fellowship at GHFF.net

Cross References for 1 John 1:9

Psalms 32:5

Psalms 103:3

Proverbs 28:13

Jeremiah 31:34

Matthew 9:6

Matthew 26:28

Colossians 1:14

Titus 2:14

James 5:15

In week 3, we clarify that using other resources to understand the Bible is not “cheating” and look at some online resources available. Specifically we look at a website that allows you to look at the original languages and search for other occurrences of the key words in the Scriptures we’re studying. After a recap from the last passage, we looked at verses 5-9. John introduces several themes that get repeated throughout the letter in these introductory verses. He also shows a contrast between what we choose to do about sin: We can lie to ourselves and try to cover it up, or we can confess it.

The assignment: 1.) See if any themes from your original list jump out of these verses and dig a little deeper to see where else they might show up in Scripture. (I think we may make a comment thread for each theme that shows up and share our thoughts in replies below each theme.)

2.) Think of a time when you may have learned a difficult lesson about confession: either you didn’t and should have, or you did and it paid off. (Use discretion in sharing these responses, some stories are just for close trusted friends)

Please share your responses in the "Good Hope Weekly" Facebook group. ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/349127529814376 ) If you need help joining it, comment below or email [email protected]

The video of this podcast is available on YouTube (https://youtu.be/ymp1gd0lu00)

Find out more about Good Hope Family Fellowship at GHFF.net

In week 2 we talk about our lists of key words or themes from last week and discuss the first 4 verses of the letter from John to the early church. John clearly wants the church to know what he knows which he learned from a first-hand account. And he indicates that this will make his joy complete as it fosters a greater fellowship among them all.

The assignment: 1.) Follow John's example and write your own first-hand account of something you have learned about the scriptures.

2.) Read what John is saying about FELLOWSHIP in this passage and find other passages on the topic and write out a definition of the word in the Biblical context.

Please share your responses in the "Good Hope Weekly" Facebook group.( https://www.facebook.com/groups/349127529814376 ) If you need help joining it, comment below or email [email protected]

The video of this podcast is available on YouTube. https://youtu.be/rw8oKvLfduA

Find out more about Good Hope Family Fellowship at GHFF.net

We are starting something new! I’m going to create a weekly podcast, (5-10 minutes typically), in which we will work our way through books of the Bible. There will be homework and I hope that you will use the comments section below to engage in discussion and leave feedback according to that week’s discussion. This video is extra long because I spend the last 15 minutes just reading the entire letter of 1 John. Feel free to just watch the introduction and then do your own reading on your own time.

Assignment: Read all of 1 John at one time. Make a list of 5-10 key words that seem to stand out or get repeated a lot, that might give us an idea of the overall theme of the letter.

Share your list in the comments at ghff.net/weekly

Thanks for tuning in,

JP