Dominic Jackson closes 1 John by arguing that Scripture frames the true opposite of love not as hate but fear—“perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4). He traces how fear is instilled in us through advertising, news, and social media, then shows how our anger and hatred often mask deeper fears—of loss, insignificance, or lack of control. Drawing on voices like Nouwen, Thurman, and Baldwin, he shows how beneath each sin lies a temporary identity crisis. In Christ, however, Paul’s “to live is Christ, to die is gain” becomes a settled posture that defangs fear.

Practically, the path isn’t sin-management but turning toward God in the moment of fear—through prayer, community, and “seeking first the kingdom” (Matthew 6). The closing “homework” from 1 Corinthians 13 (replace “love” with your own name) exposes our limits and points to Jesus as the only one who truly fits that definition. His perfect love—not our performance—drives out fear.

John warns his churches, “Don’t believe every spirit—test the spirits” (1 John 2:26–27; 4:1). In this sermon, Dominic Jackson names how half-true “American gospels” can sound biblical yet quietly edit the good news. This week he focuses on two influential versions—Christian nationalism and the liberation/social gospel—asking one simple question of each: Is this the gospel?

Anchoring in 1 Corinthians 15, he re-centers us on the crucified and risen Jesus as the only gospel, inviting self-examination: Where have we added qualifiers, swapped persuasion for power, or confused social outcomes with heart transformation? The call is to remain in Christ, let the gospel stay the gospel, and let everything else be a response to it.

Dominic Jackson explores the theme of false teaching, drawing from the biblical text of 1 John 4:1-3. He begins by contextualizing the New Testament's warnings against false teachers, noting that unlike Old Testament warnings about external threats, these were about dangers arising from within the church. Dominic argues that the most dangerous false teachings today are not outright lies but are partial truths, similar to the Gnosticism John was addressing.

He analyzes several modern "American gospels," such as the "Doomsday Gospel," the "Evangelical Gospel," and the "Prosperity Gospel," evaluating the truths they contain and the ways they distort or fall short of the complete biblical gospel. Dominic concludes the first part of this two-part sermon by restating the core gospel from the scriptures and encouraging us to reflect on which pseudo-gospels we might be tempted to follow and to re-engage with the biblical accounts of Jesus' life.

Exploring 1 John 3, Matt Crummy challenges us to imagine love not only as sentiment but as embodied action. “Let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth,” John writes—and Matt walks us through what it looks like to hold love and truth together without collapsing one into the other. He explores how genuine Christian love is not defined by emotional intensity or external performance, but by a Spirit-formed posture of active care and obedience.

Matt also addresses how this kind of love reshapes our relationship to self-doubt and guilt. When our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts. When our hearts are at peace, we are emboldened to live with confidence before God. Assurance, then, is not found in sinlessness but in a love that flows from abiding in Christ. This passage points us to a new kind of interior life—one grounded in obedience, trust, and the Spirit’s witness that we truly belong to God.

In this sermon on 1 John 3, Matt Crummy explores the astonishing truth that we are called children of God—not metaphorically or aspirationally, but as a present and permanent identity rooted in God’s initiating love. This identity, given not earned, shapes how we see ourselves, how we respond to sin, and how we live in hopeful anticipation of what we will become. Matt contrasts being named by the world with being named by God, calling us to resist self-definition and instead live from the reality of our belovedness. Rather than viewing sin as legal infraction, he points to a relational vision of holiness—one shaped by the love of the Father and the hope of becoming like Christ.

Dominic Jackson teaches from 1 John 2, where John draws a sharp contrast between love for the world and love for the Father. In a culture shaped by craving, self-promotion, and fleeting promises, John warns that the desires of the flesh, the eyes, and pride are all passing away. Instead, those who do the will of God remain forever. This passage also introduces the idea of “antichrists”—those who depart from the church and deny Jesus. Rather than stir up panic or suspicion, John urges the church to remain rooted in Christ and confident in the truth they have received. In a time of cultural confusion and religious distortion, we’re invited to ask where our love and loyalty truly lie.

Dominic Jackson continues our journey through 1 John by exploring what it means to live in the light through the command to love. Though John calls it both an “old” and “new” command, the heart of it is simple: love one another. But this love is not a vague sentiment or shallow tolerance; it’s a love defined by the life and self-giving of Jesus. When we withhold love, John says, we walk in darkness, no matter what we claim to believe. To walk in the light is to live in a way that makes space for others to be seen, known, and welcomed. This passage challenges us to ask whether we are just avoiding hate or actively practicing love.

Dominic Jackson opens our series on 1 John by reflecting on how the Christian faith begins not with ideas or inspiration, but with a person—Jesus Christ—whom John and the apostles heard, saw, and touched. The letter begins with eyewitness testimony and a call to deeper fellowship: not just with God, but with one another. In a world where many are uncertain what is true or who can be trusted, John grounds faith in what is real, embodied, and eternal. The invitation is not to escape into private spirituality, but to enter a shared life animated by joy, honesty, and love. This is how we walk in the light—not alone, but together in the truth.

Dominic Jackson teaches on the parable of the mustard seed from Matthew 13, where Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to something small, hidden, and slow-growing. The seed’s size hides its true power; it becomes a tree that offers rest, hospitality, and shelter. In an era that prizes instant results and visible success, Jesus invites us to trust the quiet power of small beginnings. The kingdom grows not by force but by faithfulness. Our task is not to obsess over outcomes but to sow and tend, even when progress feels invisible. Through this parable, we’re reminded that God’s work often begins beneath notice, but it never stays that way.

Dominic Jackson teaches on Jesus’ parable of the rich fool in Luke 12, where a man builds bigger barns to store his abundance but loses his life before he can enjoy it. The story is not a simple condemnation of wealth, but a confrontation with greed—the subtle shift of trust and allegiance away from God and toward self-sufficiency. Jesus names this as a vision problem: a darkened eye sees the world through scarcity and fear, while a clear eye sees generosity and grace. The parable calls us to loosen our grip on what we cannot keep and to become rich toward God—not by earning status, but by opening our lives to the kingdom’s abundance. What we do with our money reveals what we believe about God.