3 John - 6.20.24

3 John 5-6

S - 5 Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you. 6 They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God.

O – At the writing of this, Jesus’ final epistle, John, was nearing the end of his life. He was writing this personal letter to Gaius who lived a life of hospitality, to affirm and thank him for his Christian lifestyle, and to encourage him in his faith. There are 3 men talked about in this chapter, Gaius, the example of one who follows Christ and loves others, Diotrephes, the self-proclaimed church leader who does not reflect God’s values, and Demetrius who also follows the truth.

A – We could, and should, take a lesson from Gaius’ life and generously give to others and by opening up our homes to them. This is one way in which we actively can show the love of God. At DSC people are our priority. Showing hospitality to others—particularly strangers—requires a level of trust and acceptance that is not necessarily required of us in our everyday lives. It forces us to rely on a common bond in Jesus Christ, rather than a particular blood relationship or shared experience. It forces us out of our comfort zones and into a territory where we must place our trust in God. Although in the church’s early days it was common for traveling prophets and teachers to be helped along the way by people like Gaius who housed and fed them, it is even more important today to open our homes and show people we care. There are a lot of hurting people. As a church we still come across missionaries, speakers, or other Christian families visiting our city that may need a meal or a place to stay and we have an opportunity to partner with God in providing that. We also can do this on any ordinary day. We live in a very self-centered world with many lonely people who go through life wondering if anyone would even notice if they lived or died. We have many lonely people in our churches. Why not invite one of them into your home for a meal? I know this doesn’t come easy for everyone, but it is God’s will for us to use the blessings He gave us to bless and refresh others. That may mean getting out of our comfort zones and opening our homes to someone(s) we may not normally invite in.

P – Lord, help us as a church to really SEE the needs of others and DO something about it. Help us to live out making people our priority and put aside any self-centeredness that may dwell in our hearts. Help us want to open the doors of our comfortable homes to others who might not have what we have. Help us not take for granted that what we have is ALL because of You! Help us to see the lonely and bring joy and love to them by letting them into our lives. Even though hospitality always costs us something - whether it be time, energy (cleaning and cooking), or finances, help us remember the cost it cost YOU to give us Your son, and to see people as the unique creations of a loving God and not as objects or inconveniences. Help us to welcome people into our lives as you have welcomed us into your family! AMEN

- Crystal Flory

Proverbs 16 - 6.19.24

Scripture: Proverbs 16:2-3

 All a person’s ways seem pure to them,
    but motives are weighed by the Lord.

Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
    and he will establish your plans.

Observation

We must guard against doing what is right in our eyes and seek God’s direction in every area of our lives.

Application

Humans are skilled at justifying their behavior. It starts very early. I hit my sister because she called me a name – she deserved it. I took a cookie after mom told me not to because I was STARVING. And it continues throughout our life, justifying why we speed, fudge on our taxes, and on and on. We want to decide in our own minds what is right. And sometimes we make our own plan, even with the best intentions, without seeking God’s direction.

“The conclusion of the matter is that we deceive ourselves so easily and therefore cannot fully evaluate ourselves. God, by his Spirit and through his Word, provides the penetrating evaluation.” (Ross)

In Hebrew, the word commit is to roll – roll your burdens, your to-do list, your concerns, your plans onto God. Lay it all before Him in prayer. Everyday. And then leave it there. Submit to Him and HE will establish your plans.

“The wisdom of the world is foolishness to God, but the wisdom of God is life and health to those that obey Him.”

Prayer

Why do I choose to shoulder the burden of plans and decisions on my own? And then run to you when I have problems? Why would I not choose to roll them over to you and stand free and unburdened in the middle of your will?  Help me to battle my foolishness and arrogance, thinking I have things under control, and choose to submit daily to your guidance and direction.

- Debbie Dunn

1 John 5 - 6.18.24

SCRIPTURE:  1 John 5:1-5 

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. (NIV) 

OBSERVATION 

This section, along with quite a bit of 1 John, covers how love is intertwined in our Christian life here on earth along with what gave us eternal life: God’s love.

Verse 1 begins with the basics of our Christian love: if we believe Jesus is born of God, and love the father, then you’ll love his child: Jesus and all other believers. Love is the fabric that covers our Christian life. Love is where our faith begins and also how it grows deeper through love.

John further elaborates in verse 2 that love is how we’ll know those who are children of God is by their love of God and how they carry out His commands each day.  Love is something tangible that can be seen, felt, and shared. Love is how we carry ourselves around others and how we treat everyone we encounter each day. We can have confidence in our faith and salvation by living out love in action towards others and to God.

Our love for God is further confirmed in verse 3 by not only keeping His commands BUT to also not see the commands as a burden. When love is at the core of your life as a believer, following any of God’s commands shouldn’t be a burden. Jesus gave us the greatest command in John 13:34-35:  “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” How can we take every command as not a burden? The only way is through love. Have you ever had the chance to be so in love with someone that you would do anything for that person? That’s love in action. Take that love and apply it to knowing the depth of God’s love for us in Romans 5:8: “ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  Even though we were not worthy, we were sinners and an enemy to God, He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to be the pure and undefiled sacrifice for each and every person. His love is what can fuel a passion to love Him (“We love because he first loved us” 1 John 4:19) and can be the motivation to follow his commands without feeling like they’re a burden.

Verse 4 shares love is how we overcome the world and have victory. We live in a fallen world that lacks love for one another. As a believer, through love and Christ’s death, we have overcome the world. Christ broke the curse of sin and death as 1 Corinthians 15:22 says  “Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.”  Christ’s death and love for us is how we overcome this world and have victory. In verse 5 John confirms who overcomes the world is reserved exclusively for “Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” If you believe then you have overcome the world!

APPLICATION

Love is what motivated God to send Jesus as a sacrifice and atonement for our sins. When we ask Christ into our lives, love is what motivates us to follow His commands. Through His great love, we can love others – even those who are enemies, who mistreat us, and even those who hurt us. In Matthew 5:43 - 45, Jesus shared “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.”  Loving your enemy might be the hardest part of loving others yet it’s an opportunity for Christ’s love to overcome the sinful nature of this world. When I’ve encountered situations or people that are hurtful, all I can think of “this is who Christ died for – and loved.” Somehow shifting the focus off my own hurtful feelings and turning them to how Christ views the person or situation always changes my response. First Peter 4:8 says it best: “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

PRAYER

Lord, thank you for loving me in spite of my sinful nature. Thank you for saving me from the curse of this world and giving me victory. Your love is bigger than anything and everything! I’m so thankful for your love which motivates me to follow your commands. Help me to have your love for people and to show your love in every situation, even to those who might hurt me or my family. Guide me to say loving things, do loving gestures, and actions and sharing love to those in need. Ultimately I pray your love will shine through all that I do so others see and find you. In Jesus name I pray! Amen

- Mary Oberg