Daily Gains 90

🤝 Laying It Down: The Call to Sacrificial Love Dave and Jeremy are asking a big question today: Whose face do you see when you think about laying down your life? It’s easy to show up at the altar like a sheep waving a knife, but it’s much harder to actually serve your siblings in the messy reality of daily life. We live in a consumer culture that tells us we are the commodity, but Jesus shows us...

Could a simple internal disposition of hate actually be viewed as the sin of murder in the eyes of God? Dave and Jeremy explore the chilling connection between premeditated hate and the lack of eternal life remaining in the heart. They reflect on Peter’s awkward interaction with Cornelius to show how latent animosity can hide under the surface of our religious explanations. It is a call to move fr...

How do you truly know if you have passed from spiritual death into the vibrant, eternal life of God? The guys dive into the sweetness of John’s assumption that believers already love one another through active, daily service. Jeremy shares a touching story about his son helping a neighbor move, illustrating how loving our siblings in Christ is simply the family business. It’s not just a test to se...

Ever feel like the world just doesn't get you or, worse, actively works against your faith in Jesus Christ? Dave and Jeremy discuss why we shouldn't be shocked by hostility from the world around us. They connect John’s warning to Jesus’ words in the Upper Room and the ancient story of Cain, reminding us that being on the winning team doesn't mean skipping the storm. We are here to represent the Fa...

We examine the antithesis of love in 1 John 3:12: "Not as Cain who was of the evil one and murdered his brother... because his own deeds were evil, but his brothers were righteous". We remind ourselves that the context is the command to love one another. I (Jeremy) argued that Cain's action stemmed from being angry at God and blaming Him, using his brother as a convenient scapegoat....

We meditate on 1 John 3:11: "For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we are to love one another". I (Dave) noted that this word "love" is tough because we often rationalize our love, viewing our misbehavior as love toward others. I (Jeremy) questioned where this message "from the beginning" originated, noting that while Jesus spoke of lov...

1 John 3:10 provides the conclusion to this section, creating a clear binary distinction: "By this, the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious",. The test involves two core practices: doing righteousness AND loving our brother. I (Jeremy) believe John spent time on this because we are easily deceived. We are challenged not to let the seasons of life (like comfort or ca...

1 John 3:9 provides powerful security: "No one who has been born of God practices sin because his seed remains in him". Jeremy clarifies that God's seed is a deposit of Himself that marks us as authentic and begins growth from the inside out. I (Dave) trust that because I am God's, He will act as a protective Father, ensuring I do not continue in sin and praying that He moves me...

1 John 3:8 is blunt: "The one who practices sin is of the devil... The son of God appeared for this purpose to destroy the work of the devil". I (Dave) noted that "sin" feels too small for the widespread practice of lawlessness and pride we rationalize daily,. Jeremy pointed out that this practice is a rejection of reality, mirroring the arrogance of Satan. If we are practicing...

We explore 1 John 3:7: "Little children, make sure no one deceives you. The one who practices righteousness is righteous just as he is righteous". This warning is necessary because we are easily deceived,. The standard is Christ’s righteousness. We must actively practice righteousness, not just claim a label. I (Dave) am currently wrestling with what intentional righteous living looks li...

We meditate on 1 John 3:6, emphasizing that "No one who remains in him sins continually". We stress that "sins continually" refers to a choice of allegiance, not an accidental slip. This creates a powerful binary: we are either with Him or against Him, lacking a happy middle ground. When we wander off instead of remaining where God told us to stay, that is pride, believing we c...

We open on 1 John 3:5, which focuses on the hope that "He appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin". This sets up both the need (sin) and the remedy (Christ). I (Jeremy) confess I sometimes want to indulge my anger and wish the "Jesus in me" would go on vacation,. This verse reminds me He came precisely to take away my sins. We see that Jesus appeared hum...

Meditating on 1 John 3:4, Dave and Jeremy explore the relationship between sin and lawlessness. They suggest that "sin" is too simple a word, and "lawlessness" better captures the severity and cost. The most challenging word in the verse is "practices," as practicing sin means striving to get better at disobedience until it becomes an unconscious habit. This sets up a...

1 John 3:3 connects the hope of future perfection directly to present action: "Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself just as he is pure". This purification addresses our relationship to ourselves, requiring us to remove what doesn't belong and actively demonstrate the characteristics associated with our family identity. The hosts emphasize that this righteous life ca...

Meditating on 1 John 3:2, "Beloved, now we are children of God," the hosts celebrate our secure present identity and our powerful future hope: "We know that when he appears, we will be like him". This verse is encouraging but also challenging, requiring faith to persist while serving as ambassadors tethered to a heavenly home. Dave analyzes the Parable of the Talents, noting th...

Dave and Jeremy meditate on 1 John 3:1, calling listeners to "Behold, see how great a love the Father has given us, that we would be called children of God". They discuss how this concept of sonship was unique and not extended to the people of Israel until the Son was revealed. It's easy to lose the wonder of this profound identity because the concept feels "pedestrian". Th...

1 John 2:29 reveals the consequence of our secure identity: "If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him". This righteousness is not achieved by perfectly keeping the law, but is granted by virtue of being born of God. This spiritual birth causes believers to act and walk righteously. The righteous life must impact the community, c...

1 John 2:28 commands: "And now, dear children, continue in him so that when he appears, we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming". The phrase "dear children" reminds believers of their identity and what they should do: ask for help, reach out, and obey. Continuing in Christ means seeking proximity, being vulnerable, and being personal. The aim is to achieve a...

1 John 2:27 affirms the direct guidance of the Holy Spirit: "The anointing you received from him remains in you. And you do not need anyone to teach you... remain in him". The Anointing refers to the Holy Spirit, the good Teacher who is real and not counterfeit. This verse does not reject the necessity of community or teaching, but warns against placing an intermediary between oneself an...

The purpose of John's letter, stated in 1 John 2:26, is protection: "These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you". Here’s the warning - deceivers can be within the church, functioning as Satan's mouthpieces, often appealing to our hurts or desires. Deceivers often present well, suggesting, like Satan in the Garden, that God "didn't r...

Remember the thrill of a cereal box prize falling into your bowl? This episode explores the ultimate promise that outlasts every childhood toy. Dave and Jeremy dive into the awe-inspiring reality of eternal life as promised in 1 John. We discuss why this future hope should actually transform our present mindset, breaking the boundary between here and there. Instead of fearing forever, we find joy...

1 John 2:24 commands believers to "See that what you’ve heard from the beginning remains in you... you also will remain in the Son and in the Father". The strength required for remaining (abiding) is often diminished by cultural distraction and comfort. Jesus warned that due to increasing lawlessness, "most people’s love will become cold". John implicitly urges believers to mai...

1 John 2:23 reiterates the necessity of both persons of the Trinity: "Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also". Confession is twofold: proclaiming belief with the mouth (like baptism or Romans 10) and bearing witness to the truth with one's life. Living a bifurcated (hypocritical) life is only sustainable for a temporary time...

Uncover what it means to truly believe in Jesus as the Christ rather than living like a spiritual outlaw without God's law. Dave and Jeremy explore the weight of 1 John 2:22, discussing how denying the Father and the Son is more than just a spoken lie; it is a lifestyle. They challenge listeners to examine if their hearts have grown cold or if they are treating Jesus as a mere security blanket...

1 John 2:21 reassures believers: John writes not because they lack knowledge, but "because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth". This statement is meant to edify and build them up, not condescend or condemn them in their hardship. Knowing the truth is intrinsically linked to being in God, as God is light, life, and truth. John establishes a binary matrix for truth: it is e...