Confident – Fork Christian Church

Confident: Held Back No Longer

October 1, 2023

Description: What is holding you back? Everyone has a step to take. Everyone has a battle in front of them. Yet, many times there is something in our hearts, in our minds, deep in our souls that is holding us back. John concludes this letter we call 1 John by erasing the barriers of restraint by considering our obedience to Jesus and the eternal life he offers to give us in order to have the confidence we need in order to take our next step.

Dig In Questions

In light of this week’s message, we encourage you to consider these questions and dig in a little deeper with your personal study, with your family, or with your small group.

(Optional icebreaker if in a group) What was something you were always afraid of doing, but when you overcame your fear and did it, you shouldn’t have been that afraid?
Read 1 John 5:1-5. What are some commandments Jesus gave for us to obey? (for a list go to: https://carm.org/about-jesus/what-commandments-did-jesus-give-us/) When reading a few of these, why do you think they are not considered burdensome?
Read 1 John 5:6-12. What evidence was mentioned about Jesus? What significance does baptism, the blood, and the Spirit play in both the evidence of Jesus and eternal life?
Read 1 John 5:13-19. What is significant about God answering our prayers that “pleases him”? What is the significance of those “who make a practice of sinning”? What is the difference between someone who sins vs those who make a practice of sinning?
Read 1 John 5:20-21. What is so powerful in this passage in how John concludes it?
What is the biggest take away you have from this series on 1 John? What is the next step in confidence God is calling you to take? Pray for one another on that answer.

Confident: Truth & Love

September 24, 2023

Description: There is a fight taking place in the hearts and lives of each person here in this culture. A fight against deception and a fight for confidence that there is an objective truth and you can know it and be confident in it. It’s time to take a stand on truth! It’s time to be found in love! It’s time to discover how you can have confidence in your eternal life because you know the real truth, you know real love, and this truth and love can set you free!

Dig In Questions

In light of this week’s message, we encourage you to consider these questions and dig in a little deeper with your personal study, with your family, or with your small group.

(Optional icebreaker if in a group) Play 2 truths and a lie. Share 2 truths about yourself and one lie and see if the group can guess what is true and what is a lie.
How do you know if something is true? Why do you think saying something is objectively true vs “all truth is relative” is so controversial for many in our culture today?
Read Genesis 3:1-5. How did the devil “serpent” try to deceive? How is the manipulation and questioning of God’s word/authority taking place today?
Read John 18:37-38. What stands out about what Jesus is saying about truth? Why is truth so important to Jesus?
Read 1 John 4:1-6. What is John trying to warn us of and how does this “viewpoint of the world” vs. the viewpoint of the spirit play out in our lives?
(Optional) Read Ephesians 4:11-15. How does love impact truth and truth impact love?
Read 1 John 4:7-18. What is love as described in these passages? How do we complete this love and have confidence on the day of judgment?
How can you pray for one another and our world in the midst of deception and the need for truth and love?

Confident: Belonging

September 17, 2023

Description: Belonging impacts behavior. As we continue in 1 John 3 we encounter a new development in building our confidence in the assurance of our eternal life in Jesus. Who you belong to will impact you, so the question is, do you belong to Jesus or not?

Dig In Questions

In light of this week’s message, we encourage you to consider these questions and dig in a little deeper with your personal study, with your family, or with your small group.

How does owning something vs renting something change behavior? Do you drive a rental car differently than you do your own car? According to a study by the Journal of Advanced Transportation found that inattention, poor driving, poor handling and aggressive driving are all associated more with rental cars than non-rental cars. Why do you think that is the case?
Read 1 John 2:28-3:10. What stands out to what John is saying about belonging to God (God’s children) vs. belonging to the world/devil? What is an addiction or a habit of sinning today that applies to the types of sinning John is referring to in vs. 3:4-8?
Read 1 John 3:11-15. Here we see a contrast of loving fellow believers and hating fellow believers. What are some practical ways to harbor hatred in your heart to other believers? Why would this be so important to overcome?
Read 1 John 3:16-19. Are you numb to the needs of the brothers and sisters in Christ around you? What are some specific ways and some specific people you could care for as a brother or sister in Christ in need?
Read 1 John 3:20-24. What is at the core of this teaching as we wrestle with our belonging and our behavior? What is one action step you need to take as a result of this teaching?

Confident: Right Love, Right Jesus

September 10, 2023

Description: Who is Jesus to you? A dangerous question with a multitude of answers no doubt. The right question to ask is, “Who is Jesus?” There is only one correct answer to this question. In this message, we continue to build our confidence of eternal life in Jesus but we have to be able to make sure we are loving the right things and knowing the right and true Jesus.

Dig In Questions

In light of this week’s message, we encourage you to consider these questions and dig in a little deeper with your personal study, with your family, or with your small group.

“Who is Jesus?” vs “Who is Jesus ‘to you’?” In our study today we see people who manipulated who Jesus was “to them.” The term “to you” is a way relativism can impact our worldview without even realizing it. Relativism is the belief that “there’s no absolute truth, only the truths that a particular individual or culture happen to believe. If you believe in relativism, then you think different people can have different views about what’s moral and immoral.” How have you seen this modern theory of relativism impact the world around you and how it can impact people’s view of Jesus?
Read 1 John 2:6-11. Why do you think people in the church hating one another would be so important to Jesus? What type of impacts could hating a brother or sister in Christ do to the church and your testimony?
Read 1 John 2:15-17. What does John mean by “love this world?” What are some practical ways you can know if you love things in this world?
Read 1 John 2:18-25. Who are the antichrists John is referring to and what are the characteristics they exhibit? What were they trying to say about Jesus and how could that try to creep into the church today?
Has relativism been creeping into your perspective of Jesus or morality? What are you living too much in this world that needs to change or prayed for? Share with one another and pray for each other.

Confident: Confident Joy

September 3, 2023

Description: How do I know I am truly saved? How confident am I really? What about my loved ones? How confident am I that they are saved? John, an apostle of Jesus, author of the gospel of John and Revelations, addresses believers who were hearing false teachings and confused.

Dig In Questions

In light of this week’s message, we encourage you to consider these questions and dig in a little deeper with your personal study, with your family, or with your small group.

Have you ever put confidence in someone or something only to be let down? Share what happened. How has that experience affected your willingness to put your trust in that person or thing again?
Read 1 John 5:13. How are people deceived about eternal life? How confident are you that you are truly saved?
Read 1 John 1-2:6. What stands out about John’s focus on light and darkness? How do you both admit to being a sinner yet not live in darkness?
How does 1 John 1-2:6 fight against nominal “Christianity?” Whats a practical example of darkness and an example of light?
John writes in verse 4 that he shares the good news of Christ so that your joy might be complete. Is this true for you? What is one way you can step into confident joy this week and step in light and away from darkness?