The book of 1 John doesn’t become more complicated as you read it—it’s complicated from the very beginning! John may have been a 90-year-old former fisherman, but he and the Holy Spirit wrote a profound, vitally important letter. Chuck Swindoll uses the context of these verses today to describe how you can deepen your relationship with God.

When you read the New Testament, it’s helpful to understand the cultural context in which the passage was written. Today Chuck Swindoll opens the pages of 1 John and gives a historical context for this powerful and passionate book. The first four verses, which serve as a preface to the letter, represent a grammatical knot. Let’s untie it together.

More and more, it seems that those who follow God are in the minority. So how do you stand firm in your faith when the world is battling against you? Chuck Swindoll draws from John’s wisdom and passion in order to reignite the flame of devotion. Where indifference sets in, cults and heresy are not far behind. Let’s heed John’s words, which remain vital today.

It’s not easy living a godly lifestyle in a world that’s going in the opposite direction. And that’s the direction that John found the church moving toward as erosion had set in beside a subtle, lethargic boredom. The excitement modeled by those early followers of Jesus was being forgotten by second- and third-generation Christians. John’s pen set out to change that!

What does it take to follow God in a world that’s lost its way? How do you resist the powerful momentum of a culture that’s unsympathetic to biblical values? You’ll find answers to these questions and others as Chuck Swindoll begins a brand new series today in the book of 1 John. John wrote this book to return his readers to a contagious walk with Christ.

The earthquake, the rolled-away stone, Mary Magdalene’s angelic conversation, John and Peter’s race to see the empty tomb—experience the confusion and fear as well as the wonder and awe and relief as Saturday night became Sunday morning, as Jesus who was crucified became Jesus who is resurrected. Discover with them the death-defying miraculous.

Imagine what it was like for the disciples to experience Good Friday in real time. It was anything but a “good Friday.” In fact, those who were friends of Jesus were completely confused. How could the Son of God succumb to brutal punishment by His adversaries? Chuck Swindoll allows this story to unfold to help us enter into the fullness of the Easter miracle.

For the follower of Jesus, there’s no holiday any grander than Easter. It represents the culmination of biblical prophecy and the very foundation of our Christian faith. Today we’ll place our current series on hold and focus entirely on the biblical record in Matthew 28. For the next three days, we’ll trace the footsteps of the eyewitnesses to the miraculous Easter weekend.

Could it be that you have never taken the chance to examine, in depth, what the Bible teaches about knowing and training your child? Frankly, that is where most mums and dads—believers and unbelievers alike—find themselves. If we hope to get parenting right, we must know and follow the vital truths and timeless principles God has recorded for us in His Word.