To Know the Love of Christ

In concluding season 6, we study the third epistle of John. He writes this letter specifically to Gaius, another Christian with whom John has a personal connection. He writes about a situation in which a man named Diotrephes appears to have taken control over a congregation. John also speaks of another named Demetrius, who is an encouragement to many, including John, and whom John wants Gaius to b...

In this episode, we study the second epistle of John, which is written to "the elect lady." Who is she, and why is John writing to her? John addresses many of the points that he details in his first letter: truth, love, and antichrists. Today, we share additional cultural information to help us understand John's letter to the elect lady. This one-chapter, 13-verse letter is a quick r...

Chapter 5 is the conclusion of John's first epistle to Christians. In this chapter, he sums up his entire letter. He emphasizes that everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. We can know who other believers are because they, too, obey His commandments, which are not burdensome. Because Jesus has overcome the world, we can have the confidence that His believers will too. Th...

Test the spirits, John says. It is the Christians' responsibility to discern truth from worldly views. To know the truth is to know the Lord. The motivating factor in truth is love. Deep, true, soul-saving love comes from Him and abides in His people. It should permeate our hearts and radiate from us. It comes from above so that it extends all around. Where do you see the love of Christ in thi...

In this episode, we explore 1 John 3, discussing the profound themes of God's love, our identity as children of God, and the importance of practicing righteousness. We talk a little more about John's continued thoughts on light and darkness, but also the call to love one another, and the assurance we have in knowledge of God and His love. Our conversation highlights John's emphasis of...

In this week's episode, we see that John has gone from a shot-in-the-arm confidence booster to a severe warning about the world. John talks about antichrists and liars. And he tells us again who we are anchored to and how and what the outcome will be if we continue to abide in Christ. Let us know where you have seen the love of Christ this week. Feel free to comment on our social media post. Y...

1 John 2 is the longest chapter of this book. Because there is so much to cover, we decided to study it in 2 episodes. We first apologize for some echo (most of Dee's audio) in this episode. We had a technical difficulty, but didn't know it until after we recorded. We hope that it is not too distracting. We did get it corrected for the next episode. * * * * * * * Chapter 2 begins with one...

John is excitedly telling his reader about the reality of Jesus, the Light of Life. He defends his reasons for this absolute truth. This week, Stephanie and Dee dive into this 10-verse chapter. They talk about light and darkness, lies and truth, and the ongoing forgiveness of Jesus' blood. Where do you find the love of Christ in this chapter? Let us know on Facebook or Instagram. You can also...

Welcome back to Season 6, where we return to the New Testament! We will study the 1-3 John epistles! For starters, we discuss the many reasons why John is widely believed to be the author of these letters, including his writing style, the history of the books, and the purpose and reasons for his writing. John was one of the first apostles chosen, had the closest relationship with Jesus, witnessed...

"Vengeance is mine, I will repay" says the Lord - Hebrews 10:30, Romans 12:19, Deuteronomy 32:35 After warning and blessing the children of Zion, the Lord addresses the oppressor of His people. He doesn't punish for the sake of punishment. He's a just & patient God. After awarding the multiple opportunities to repent, He will carry out due recompense. Judgment is inevitable.

There was so much to cover in Chapter 2 that we wanted to take our time and not squeeze it all into one episode. Starting with verse 18, God first tells His people that He will restore them, then how He will dismantle the force that oppressed them, and how He will bless them abundantly. It is the blessing He leaves behind for their repentance. Chapter 2 is all about repentance for the Israelites b...

The locusts are gone but have left a destructive path that affected so many areas of their lives. Now, the people are being warned that another day of the Lord is coming soon! It's described in the most dreadful way. However, the Lord tells them (yet again) what they must do to avoid this utter destruction. In Chapter 2, the image of Israel's destiny is reflected back with a hopeful pictur...

The prophet Joel conveys the Lord's severe and eye-opening warning to the people. Its message shows the consequences of their sin and the long-lasting effects on their lives. However, the Lord, staying true to Exodus 34:6, also gives them the opportunity to repent by telling them how. He does not just want repentance. He wants true and wholehearted repentance. The difference is evident.

We are switching it up a bit. We are continuing season 5 by studying another book, Joel, rather than ending the season. Before introducing the book, we discuss why we chose these two books, the importance of studying the books of the prophets, why they are commonly referred to as major or minor prophets, and the impact on the readers' lives. Although this book is vague in one way, it is insigh...

The Day of the Lord! Is it an apocalyptic phrase? Does it mean a day which the Lord has made? Or could it be a hopeful promise? The end of Malachi leads directly from rebukes & warnings to silence & significant changes for the Israelite nation. What does it all mean, and what can we learn from these six verses?

This is the final warning. Because The Lord does not change, Israel has been spared thus far. However, they are given one last chance to understand the drastic measures He is about to take if they do not repent. It is scary for those who choose not to repent or feel that it's in vain to follow Him. However, there is hope for the one who endures, for the one who believes in the promises of God. The...

The last chapter was filled with rebukes from God. Here the priests are getting warnings from God: change or else. God does not dole warnings without reason. He directs the priests' attention to the importance of various covenants, the responsibilities of those involved, and God's view of broken promises.

Let's dive right in! The people of Israel have been out of Babylonian captivity for approximately 100 years and are several generations removed. The cycle of faithfulness and unfaithfulness of God's people continues. God is now speaking through His prophet Malachi to a nation that has grown indifferent, complacent, and arrogant in their heritage and worship of God. This is God's final...

Welcome to Season 5! We are planning to study the Old Testament prophetic books of Malachi and Joel. Today's episode is a background and overview of Malachi. In the next four episodes, we will dive into the text in more detail. Then we will study Joel. We are excited for this season and excited that you are joining us!

The conclusion of the whole matter is..... The author brings his book of wisdom to a close with a plea and its reason. Hevel. What does it mean? Where does it take us? Let the truth goad the reader as well as the son.

The proverbs of Ecclesiastes continue in this chapter. We went from learning how to spot the fool to realizing that in all our wisdom, we still won't know everything. There are things that happen in life that we just cannot know the how's and why's about them.

Can we really spot a fool? Chapter 10 details some examples of spotting a fool both visibly and by their words. This proverb-type chapter also serves as a warning not to become a fool. Send us a message (or answer the question posted if you listen on Spotify) with your thoughts of verse 11.

The living dog is better than the dead lion. How is that? "even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table" Matthew 15:27 . There is hope while we are alive - eat, drink, and be merry! The poor wise man saved a little city. He was soon forgotten yet is written in the Bible to always be remembered because of his wisdom. This chapter almost reads like it's another...

Hevel is the theme of the book, with death as one of the recurring topics. We go from the "gloomy proverbs" of chapter 7 to what we consider to be a non-linear way to answer the author's own question, "Who is like the wise?" Why does he ask this question? After all, is anyone wise?

We wooo.... We wiiii.... Wait whaaat... I forgot what you said... And to think, this is just two and a half minutes of our bloopers. There was an infinite well to draw from! Hope you giggle as much as we did! We will be back soon with Season 2.