Having pastored a church without small groups, and now having pastored a church where always at least half of the congregation is in a small group, I can tell you the latter is preferable. People need to know each other. People need to interact with healthy Christians. People need community.

Each week throughout 2021, I will share a Bible study blog post taking us through the letter of 1 John. Only five chapters long, this brief book is worthy of our consideration. Whether you drop in for one post or many, I pray that you enjoy them. Access all posts here.

Sinless and unbroken, Adam and Eve had a beautiful innocence about them. They were both naked and were not ashamed (25). The implication is that shame would come due to the fall, but Adam and Eve didn't have it. They were to enjoy each other in every way, including sexually.

The pillars of ancient Greek buildings were designed to connect the entire structure above to the foundation below. As we've already seen, David was a man with a foundation. In the passage before us, someone will say of David, “The LORD is with him.” That was David’s foundation, the rock upon which he stood. God was with David. David belonged to God, and God belonged to David. God was David's foundation.

Each week throughout 2021, I will share a Bible study blog post taking us through the letter of 1 John. Only five chapters long, this brief book is worthy of our consideration. Whether you drop in for one post or many, I pray that you enjoy them. Access all posts here.

There was once an old man of incredible talents. He had ability rarely found in the world. But in his latter years he sat alone. Poverty had overtaken the man, for he was slothful.

OK, I admit it. I don’t like it when Acts 2:42 is presented as the mission statement of the church. Sometimes it sounds to me like Acts must have ended with that verse. Like Pentecost happened and 3K souls were added to the church and then — BOOM! — hangout and Bible study time started!

Why did you do it, Ananias? How could you try to lie to God with your donation? You could have kept it all for yourself. You didn't need to give a dime.

In this section of 1 John, we are learning to let God's love have its perfect work in us (1 John 4:13-21). Two weeks ago we considered the importance of growing in an understanding of God's love (4:13-16). Last week, John explained how God's love is perfected in us (4:17-18). The final point of this section is that we must agree with God about how love works (4:19-21).

So John wants us to, first, consider the season we are in. Second, he wants us to confess Jesus as the Son. Third, and finally, we learn in these verses, he wants us to continue in the Spirit's teachin