At the start this message may sound like a history lesson but what we have is a great anecdote to the increasing fear and anxiety which abounds today. As we look at the ancient history we see many parallels to our own time and more importantly, we see God's very own cure for this age old problem.

This message continues where last week's left off, namely, in verse 6 where we saw that walking in darkness is walking in the realm or kingdom of darkness. From this kingdom there can be no holistic fellowship with God. In this message we consider John's contrast, namely, walking in the light. Walking in the light is walking in the realm or kingdom of light. This contrast has led some to conclude the Christian should walk in sinless perfection. While that is attractive it is impossible in this life. Because of its historic popularity in the Ohio Valley we spend some time with it concluding with some remarks on what it is to walk in the light.

When John says, "if we say we have fellowship with God but walk in darkness we lie and do not practice the truth," who is he referring to? The false teachers? Antinomians? Nominal Christians? True believers who have sinned? True believers with besetting sins? True believers who have fallen into a pattern of sin? All the above? If yes to all the above, can the true believer lose fellowship with God? In this message we answer this important query.

In 1 John 1:5, John begins to share the message he had heard and proclaimed. As others have pointed out, one of the great lessons of verse 5 is found in John's starting point. We may have expected John to begin with the love of God. But instead, John begins with the character of God. In this message, Rick Anderson develops John's starting point, shows the implications of it for evangelism, shows how it leads us to ask the right questions, and finally, how it helps us face difficulties and tragedies.

Last time we began to look at the amazing subject of fellowship with God, and we began by looking at this fellowship from God's side of the relationship. In this message, Paster Rick Anderson continues the discussion on fellowship with God, this time looking at this fellowship from our side of the relationship.

Earlier in this study it was argued that the heart or essence of the Christian faith is fellowship with God. In this message Pastor Rick Anderson digs a little deeper into this fellowship by looking at what this fellowship is from God's side of the relationship. The answers are absolutely staggering and uplifting.

As wonderful as it is, the purpose of Jesus’ earthly ministry goes far beyond forgiveness of sins. There is an inherent danger today of stopping too early and seeing forgiveness of sins as the essence of the Christian faith. In this message, Rick Anderson shows us the true essence of the Christian faith is fellowship with God.

This week we begin a new series in John's first letter. The opening verses of this short letter are lofty. And in order to begin to appreciate the loftiness of these verses we begin by looking at some introductory material--things that had we been part of the original audience we would have known. From there we look at the amazing fact that the "word of life" has appeared and the apostles bear witness to it!

In this series, we have been looking at who God is and what He has done. So far we have looked at the Father and the Son. In this message we now turn to the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

In this series, we have been looking at who God is and what He has done. And for most of us, if not all of us, we first learn about who God is by learning what He has done, namely, what He has done on the cross. On the cross, Jesus, the Son of God, suffered. He was buried and on the third day He rose from the dead and ascended to the right hand of the Father in absolute authority. He shall come again in glory to judge both the living and the dead. And His kingdom shall endure forever. In this glorious kingdom there shall be neither tears nor suffering nor evil of any kind but only perfect love in the visible presence of the Lord!