BJ Not BK

1 John 2:12-17 12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. 14 I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. Have you ever been embarrassed over an email you sent out by mistake? Maybe you sent it to the wrong "Terry"...

In Chapter 1:1-4 John quickly dives into the meat of the book, does away with the chit chat and the talky talky, and as we discussed last week, gives his testimony, "I heard about Jesus, what He was doing, I heard Jesus teach and preach, and I personally heard Jesus as He spoke to me, calling me to follow Him. Not only did I hear Him but I saw the incredible things that Jesus did, the miracles, the crucifixion, and the glorious resurrection....and I personally ate with the physical, resurrected Jesus!" John's letter forgoes any salutation and it leads me to believe that he did this because his message was urgent, purposeful, and he wanted us to pay attention. I asked this question in class...."anyone remember the tag line from the E.F. Hutton commercials?" I think I seriously dated myself as the class looked at me like I had a large tumor on my face and the crickets chirped. So, for all you young whipper snappers here is a short clip, (the video quality is horrible...

What makes you happy? What gives you joy? Me? I love my wife, I love seeing my children, playing with them watching them grow. That gives me joy. I enjoy music, almost any kind, except the "new country". Don't get me wrong, I was country when country wasn't cool with the likes of Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Don Williams but it's just all this hokey, fast paced....I'd walk a mile through a field of wildflowers just to check you for ticks...lyrics I can't stand. I like technology, gadgets, gear, electronics. Food is not too bad either when I come to think of it. A fountain of chocolate fondue with a plate of fresh strawberries and a cup of rich, dark coffee...sound nice? Some get great joy with their social status, their career, their accomplishments, and their achievements while others find it quite nice to sit and do nothing. Still others immerse themselves into hobbies, clubs, sports, and such. And as each of these are different in that they appeal to...

Today we are begin our new, 12 week study on the letter of 1John. This morning I want to: 1. Give some background on John. Who was he and what did he do? 2. Go into some detail on 1John. Why was it written? What was the purpose of the letter and is it still applicable to us today? 3. Wrap up the lesson with a sneak peek of the upcoming lessons. Point #1. John…the artist formerly known as John, son of Zebedee. Matthew 4:18-22 18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Jesus, the King of...