In the Word

Bible Studies Written For YOU

YOUth

1 John

“I write these things to you who believe in

the name of the Son of God that you may
know you have eternal life.”
- 1 John 5:13
The Bible is more than a book you find in a Exodus. If you want to know how a Christian should live, turn to the
hotel dresser Epistles.
Written over a time span of 4,000 years, by 40 different authors, on three
separate continents – the Bible is God’s Word to us. It is not an ancient How do I study the the Bible?
history book. It is just as relevant today as it was 4,000 years ago. Always start studying the Bible by asking God to help you as you study
Hebrews 4:12 says that God’s Word is living and active. Every time you His Word. Then study it just like you would study for anything. How
open the Bible, God wants it to change you. would you study for a test at school? You would read it over once or
twice, take notes as you go along, and make sure you understand the main
Ever since the Bible was written, God expected His children to study it. points. You study the Bible the same way – read it, take notes, and make
sure you understand the main points. Who knew it could be so easy?
Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it
day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. What will I need?
Then you will be prosperous and successful. (Joshua 1:8) First, you need a Bible. That is the one required thing you need. Find a
translation that’s easy for you to understand. Not every translation is
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to filled with ‘thees’ and ‘thous.’ Even I have a hard time understanding the
be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15) King James Version. The New International Version and the New Living
Translation are very easy to read and understand.
Does God expect youth to study the
Bible? Next, grab a pen and paper. When you study God’s Word you want to
Yes. In fact, youth are commanded by God to set the example take notes. If you were trying to remember all the vice presidents of the
United States, you’d take notes. Some other things that are helpful if
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an they’re available – a dictionary for any words you don’t know, a Bible
example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. dictionary that will explain Christian words that a regular dictionary
(1 Timothy 4:12) won’t, and a Bible concordance to look up similar topics, verses, and
words in the Bible.
The Bible is not a book only to be studied by pastors tucked away in their
tiny, little church offices – although there are many pastors right now Getting started
studying God’s Word in their tiny, little church office. God wants every Do this study at your own pace. If it takes you a month – great, if it takes
Christian to study His Word, even youth. He has much to say to every age you a year – great! Just make an effort to study God’s Word every day.
group.
All right, first things first – always pray before you study God’s Word.
Where do I start? Then, as you go through this study, read the Bible verses for each section
So many of us never study God’s Word because no one told us to; and if a few times. There will be a summary of the passage you just read,
they did, they never told us where to start or how to do it. After reading reading this will help you better understand what you just read. If there
these pages, you will be completely equipped to study God’s Word. are words that you don’t know, look in the back at the glossary for the
Begin by finding a book of the Bible or a topic that interests you. There definition. Then answer the questions that go along with the Bible verses.
are sixty-six books in the Bible and all of them are equally inspired by You will find two types of questions - questions to help you better
God. Find a book that interests you and study it. If you want to learn understand the passage and questions to help you live out God’s Word in
about Jesus, turn to the Gospels. If you want to learn about Moses, turn to your daily life. There will also be space to take notes and write out
 The Epistle of 1 John If you dieddied today, how sure are you that
First John is like a family photo album. It describes those who are truly a you would go to heaven?
part of the family of God. Just as you resemble your birth parents, so Think about this question and then rate your assurance of
God’s children resemble Him. Not in physical appearance, but rather in salvation on a scale from 1 to 10. With 1 meaning you are completely
our actions, thoughts, and words. 1 John describes these similarities very unsure if you’d go to heaven and 10 meaning you are completely sure
thoroughly. When someone believes in Jesus they become a child of God you’d go to heaven. (Circle your answer)
and receive eternal life. All who have truly believed in God set out on a
path where they become more and more like Jesus. The Epistle (Book) of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 John describes the qualities of a true child of God.
What did you choose? Five? Seven? Two? When asked this question,
Author:
Author No author is named, but the writing style and content fall in very few respond with a ten. Why are we so unsure? Is it possible for
line with the Apostle John’s writings. He also wrote the Gospel of John, anyone to be completely sure whether or not they’re headed to heaven?
2 John, 3 John, and Revelation. John was one of the original 12 disciples John states in 1 John 5:13 that this letter is meant to give us
and was the only disciple not murdered for his belief in Jesus as the Son assurance of our salvation in Jesus. Throughout his letter John describes
of God. They tried to kill him by putting him in a pot of boiling oil, but different ways that we can know we’re headed to heaven, with absolute
God miraculously spared his life. He died in exile on the island of Patmos assurance. As you go through this study and discover the different
for his belief in Jesus. qualities of true believers, don’t start doubting your salvation if you don’t
have one of the qualities.
To whom written: written The letter is untitled and was most likely This letter was not written to make us doubt our salvation, but to
sent to many different churches. An important thing to remember as you give us assurance of our salvation and cause us to live more fully for
read this letter is that it is written to Christians and therefore it is written Jesus. If you’re missing a few of the qualities, pray. Pray that God would
to you. help you develop these qualities in your life.
When you first become a Christian there are only two qualities
Date written:
written This letter was probably written between 85 and 90 that are necessary for salvation. You must admit you’re a sinner and
A.D. More than 50 years after Jesus’ death on the cross. believe in Jesus as your Lord and Savior. All the other qualities will come
with time. If you’re not quite hitting the mark, know that it will come as
Setting:
Setting John was one of the original disciples who knew Jesus you grow in your Christian faith.
personally. He was probably very old when he wrote this and he writes As you study 1 John, let it assure you of your salvation. The
with authority as a founder of the Church. At the time, there were many question I asked before about how sure are you that you’re saved was a
false teachings going around denying that Jesus rose from the dead. These trick question. The only valid answers are 1 and 10. Either you know with
teachings were from a cult, called the Gnostics. Through this letter, John absolute assurance or you have no assurance. And thankfully every
affirms us that Jesus did in fact raise from the dead and we can have Christian can have absolute assurance.
complete assurance of our salvation. Jesus is our true assurance of salvation. His work on the cross is
our assurance. Hebrews 9:12 says that Jesus saved us, once and for all by
Purpose:
Purpose To help Christians know they have truly placed their faith shedding His blood on the cross, for our sins. If we have any assurance it
in Jesus and are headed to heaven. is because of Jesus, not because of us. All of the qualities of a true
believer that will be discussed show that Jesus is at work in us. Always
Key verse:
verse I write these things to you who believe in the name of remember, Jesus is our assurance of salvation. Nothing we do gives us
the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John assurance, only Jesus gives us assurance.
5:13)
Chapter 1 If we believe in Jesus, who do we have fellowship with? (1:3)

The Word of Life (1

(1 John 1:1-
1:1-1:4)

Imagine with me for a moment - what would it have been like to

have actually known Jesus personally? To watch Jesus feed five-thousand
people with five loaves of bread and two fish? To watch Jesus raise
Lazarus from the dead? To feel His nail-pierced hands after He rose from Living it
the dead? Wow! John saw all of this and more, and he wants us to know Has there ever been a moment in your life where you felt like God was
it’s true! Jesus was a real man that walked on this earth. He was fully right next to you? What happened? What was it like?
God, yet fully human. He descended from Heaven, He lived, He died, He
rose from the dead, and He’s in heaven waiting to call us home. John
knows because he saw it. He touched Jesus with his own hands, he heard
Jesus with his own ears, and he saw Jesus with his own eyes.
Jesus came to give us eternal life. He came so that we might have
fellowship with Him and with His children (other Christians). Because of
our sin, we separated ourselves from God. But Jesus came, paid the price
for our sins, and wishes to restore our relationship with God. John is
writing because he wants us to accept Jesus as Lord and experience the Have you accepted Jesus as Lord of your life? When?
same joy he experienced.

Understanding it
What would it be like, actually knowing Jesus? What do you think He
looked like? How tall was he? What color was His hair? Did He have a
good sense of humor?

If you have accepted Jesus as Lord, how has it given you joy?

What does it mean to have eternal life? (1:2)

The Bible says we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of
God (Romans 3:23). God cannot stand sin, and when we sin, we separate
How do we receive eternal life? ourselves from God (Romans 6:23). Only Jesus can bring us back to God
(Romans 10:9). He died on the cross and took the punishment we
deserved upon Himself. By admitting that we have sinned and that we
need Jesus; we can have eternal life and experience the joy of heaven.
If you have never accepted Jesus before – do it today!
Qualities of a True Believer #1
• Admit that you have sinned and deserve hell (1 John 1:9)
• Believe that Jesus died for your sins (Romans 10:9) Admitting that you’ve sinned and are in need of forgiveness
• Commit to live for Jesus (Romans 12:1)

If you’ve never trusted in Jesus as Lord, write a prayer asking Him to

Understanding it
forgive you and save you. If you have accepted Jesus, thank Him for
saving you: Why do you think God is light and Satan is darkness?

What is the difference between sin and intentional sin?

Walking in the Light (1

(1 John 1:5-
1:5-1:10)

When you think of light, what comes to mind? A light bulb? The
Sun? Headlights on a car? God says that He is light and in Him there is
no darkness at all. What does that mean? Light is pure, bright, and clean.
God is saying that He is pure. Darkness is often seen as dirty and
something to be scared of. In the Bible darkness usually refers to sin. In
Can we intentionally sin and be close to God? Why or why not? (1:6)
God there is not even a hint of sin. He is perfect and holy [separated from
sin].
If we say we are a Christian and continue to commit ‘intentional
sin’ God says we’re only lying to ourselves. As Christians we will
continue to sin throughout our lives, but we should stop intentionally
sinning. What is the difference between sin and intentional sin? When
you intentionally sin, you want to sin and you feel no guilt after you sin.
When a Christian sins, they feel sorry for what they did and confess their
Will God forgive any sin if we confess it to Him? How many times will
sin to God. If we confess our sins, Jesus promises to forgive us from our
He forgive us? (1:9)
sin and bring us back into the light [into a relationship with Him]. As
Christians we must try and walk in the light on a daily basis. True
believers admit that they have sinned and need Christ’s forgiveness.
 Chapter 2
What is the first characteristic of true believers? (1:8-9)
Jesus is Our Defender (1
(1 John 2:1-
2:1-2:6)

Jesus protects his children every time they sin. Whenever we sin,
Satan is telling God what a horrible person we are and how we deserve
hell (Revelation 12:10). But Jesus, like a true friend, is right there
defending us – telling God how He died for our sins and took the penalty
Living it for us. He saved us and gave us His righteousness [goodness]. We do not
If you were a light bulb, what would be the brightest part of your life? need to be ashamed of who we are. We have Christ’s righteousness
What would be the dimmest? within us. We are in Christ and nothing can separate us from Him
(Romans 8:38-39).
In this passage of 1 John, John tells gives us another quality of
true Christians. We can have assurance of our salvation if we desire to
obey God’s commandments. We will never perfectly follow them, but
true believers have a desire to do what God wants them to do. If we
follow the Bible and obey His commands, God says that his love is made
complete in us. What does that mean? It doesn’t mean He loves us more.
As a Christian, what hope do you have if you do sin? (1:9) It means that God’s love is being lived out in our lives and it’s more
evident that God’s love is within us and we are a true believer. If we say
we’re a Christian, we must walk like Jesus walked.
This leads into another quality of true believers. A true believer
gradually becomes more and more like Jesus. Take a moment and look
over the past six months of your life. Would you say you are more or less
like Jesus than you were six months ago? Don’t focus on bad days, but
God doesn’t want any of His children to be stuck in sin. He wants all of overall would you say you’re becoming more like Jesus? If you have a
us to walk in the light and He will always be there to bring us out of the bad day, that’s ok, it doesn’t mean you’re not saved, it just means you had
darkness. a bad day. But if we look at the overall past six months we should be able
to see that we’re more like Jesus. True believers have a desire to grow in
Write a prayer to God thanking Him that He forgives any sin and helps us their faith and become more like Jesus.
walk in the light as He is in the light. Also, take time to confess any sin
that may be keeping you from the light:

Qualities of a True Believer #2

A desire to obey God’s Word

 How can we know that we have come to know Jesus as our Savior? (2:3)

Qualities of a True Believer #3

Gradually becoming more and more like Jesus

What happens as we obey the Bible? (2:5)

Understanding it
Some Bible translations say that Jesus is our advocate and He is the
atoning sacrifice for our sins. Look up advocate and atonement in the
dictionary and write out the definitions in your own words.

Advocate: What does it mean that God’s love is made complete in us if we obey the
Bible?

Atonement:
What gradually happens to true believers? (2:6)

How is Jesus an advocate for us? And how is He the atoning sacrifice for
our sins? Living it
On a scale of 1 to 10, how well are you obeying God’s Word? (Circle
your answer)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

If your answer was lower than a 10, where is there room for improvement
in your life?
If we do sin, who defends us? (2:1)
Do you have a desire to obey the Bible? How would you explain your little farther. He loved sacrificially. In other words, He not only loved
desire? others like He loved Himself, but He put others before Himself. The Old
Testament told us to love our neighbors like we love ourselves, but Jesus
wants us to love others more than we love ourselves, because that’s how
he loved. So the command to love one another is old, but it’s also new
because it’s taken a step further – put others first.
If we claim to love God, but do not love our brothers and sisters
What command do you find easy to obey? What command is hard to (other Christians), how can God’s love be in us? If we love our brothers
obey? we are walking in the light and we are not allowing any bitterness or
anger trip us up as we walk closer to God. If you’re finding it hard to love
another Christian, love them by praying that God will help you love them.
If you’re willing to pray for God’s help; that shows within you there is a
love for your Christian brothers and sisters. A true believer has the desire
to love other Christians.
In the next set of verses, John speaks to all Christians (“dear
How have you become more like Jesus in the past six months? children”) and then he breaks them up into two categories – those who are
growing as Christians and facing battles (“young men”) and mature,
strong believers that have been around for a long time (“fathers”). All
Christians have been forgiven of their sins and know Jesus as their Lord
and Savior. But young men are in battle with the darkness and are striving
to overcome sin. Fathers are mature and have overcome many battles
with the darkness. Most of us fit into the ‘young men’ category. But that’s
ok, everyone has to grow in their faith. Thankfully, whether we’re
Write a prayer to God thanking Him for His commandments and ask for fighting battles or walking in victory, we all have been saved by Jesus.
help to obey His commands and become more like Jesus:

Qualities of a True Believer #4

A sacrificial love for other Christians

Understanding it
The New Commandment (1 John 2:7-
2:7-2:14)
2:14) What is the old command? (Leviticus 19:18)

This section of 1 John can get a little tricky, but if we take it slow,
I’m confident you’ll get it. John presents what seem to be opposing
thoughts. First he says that he’s not writing a new command, but an old What is the new command? (2:10)
one. Then he says he’s writing a new command. So which is it? I think
it’s both. If you’re confused, read on. The command to love one another
is from way back in the Old Testament, when God gave Moses the Law
(Leviticus 19:18). But in the New Testament, Jesus took the command a
How is the old commandment and the new commandment the same? What are some things you are currently doing to love other Christians?
How are they different?

What is true of all believers? (2:10) Who is the hardest for you to love? Are you willing to pray that God
would help you love that person?

How would loving our Christian brothers and sisters keep you from
stumbling as you walk closer to Jesus? (2:10-11)

Write a prayer asking God to help you love Christian brothers and sisters
that are hard to love:

Living
Living it
Give some examples of how you have loved other Christians in the past.
Do Not Love the World (1 John 2:15-
2:15-2:17)
2:17) Look up envy, lust, and pride. Write your own definition. (2:16)

Eminem. Southpark. Desperate Housewives. We live in a world Envy:

that does not appreciate the values of Christianity. All around us there are
movies, television shows, and music that approves of things God tells us
to not approve of. Even Christian churches are approving of things the
Bible says to stay away from. God commands us to stay away from things Lust:
of this world. What does that mean? Does God want us to stay away from
the planet earth? That’s a little difficult to do when we depend on oxygen.
No, God doesn’t want us to leave the planet earth, God wants us stay
away worldly things (things that are against Jesus) while we live in this Pride:
world.
Three things of this world that God wants all Christians to stay
away from are envy, lust, and pride. Envy is desiring things that aren’t
ours and we do anything we can to get it (For example, wanting money so What must true believers learn to avoid? (2:15-16)
bad, that you’ll lie and cheat to get it). Lust is seeing something and
desiring it more than we desire God (For example, putting a boyfriend or
girlfriend ahead of God). Pride is thinking higher of ourselves than we
should (For example, making fun of someone because they’re not as
athletic as you are). Envy, lust, and pride are things we must avoid. If we
love the things of this world more than we love God, God’s love is not in
us. True believers learn to avoid the things of this world. This world will What will pass away and what will last forever? (2:17)
end, but Jesus will never end. Which do you want to spend your time and
effort on – something that will end or something that will never end?

Qualities of a True Believer #5

Learning to avoid the things of this world

Living
Living it
What are some ways we love the world? (ex. Spending too much time
Understanding it watching non-Christian television)
When God tells us not to love the world, what does He mean? (2:15)
What are some ways we love God? Warning Against False Teachers (1 John
2:18-
2:18-2:27)

If you only had one more hour to live, what would you do? Go
skydiving? Eat a fancy meal? John tells us it is our last hour. He is
speaking symbolically, saying that it is almost time for Jesus to come
back and take us to heaven. And since it’s so close to the end, there are
many false teachers (antichrists) trying to get us to follow the wrong
thing. Many people claim to be Christians, but they are teaching things
To one degree or another we all love the things of this world a little too that are false, things that are against the teachings of the Bible. We are
much. What are some steps you can take to love the world less? warned to stay away from these people.
If we truly believe in Jesus and rely on Him we have the Holy
Spirit (the third part of God) within us that tells us what is true and what
we should do. John says we have an anointing, that is the Holy Spirit
given by God. Any man that denies that Jesus is the Christ (or the Savior
of the world) is a false teacher. Do not be led the wrong way by these
false teachers. Jesus is the Son of God! Don’t even listen to these false
teachers. Rely on the Holy Spirit to tell you what is true. Stick close to
God and you will always know what is true.

Understanding it
What does it mean that it is the last hour? (2:18)

Write a prayer asking God to help you love only Him and not this world:

What is an antichrist? What do they deny? (2:22)

Look up antichrist in a dictionary and write it out in your own words

Antichrist:
Who do we have that tells us what is true? Where is this person? (2:20) Children of God (1 John 2:28-
2:28-3:3
3:3)

As Christians we live for Jesus, by obeying the commands found

in the Bible and loving one another. As true believers, we make a
commitment to live a righteous life. One day Jesus is coming to take us to
heaven. We need to practice righteousness [goodness], so that we can be
confident of our salvation when Jesus returns to carry His children home.
If we believe in Jesus and follow the truth of the Bible, what is promised Who is a child of God? Is everyone a child of God? No. Just
us? (2:24-25) Christians are children of God. When we place our faith in Jesus, we
become a child of the living God. How awesome is that thought! We are
children of God! The book of Romans tells us that when we believe in
Jesus we receive the Holy Spirit and the Spirit testifies that we are
children of God (Romans 8:16).
Living it As a child, did you trust that what your parents said was true? I’m
When has the Holy Spirit spoken to you? What did He say? sure we all did most of the time. As a child of God we must trust our
heavenly Father and follow Him. And one day, we will see our heavenly
Father when He brings us to our eternal home in heaven. When we do see
Him, we will be like Him. Not in physical appearance, but in
righteousness. In heaven, we will be eternally righteous and enjoy all the
benefits of heaven.

How can we ensure that we are close to God? (2:24) Qualities of a True Believer #6

A commitment to righteousness in your life

Understanding it
Write a prayer asking the Holy Spirit to always lead you in truth: What should we be doing until Jesus returns? (2:28)

When Jesus returns, what will He do? (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

What should we be committed to practicing as true believers? (2:29) Write a prayer thanking God for making you one of His children and ask
Him to help you live in such a way that you are ready for His return at
any moment:

Who is a child of God? (3:1)

When we get to heaven, how will we be like Jesus? (3:2)

Children of God Cannot Continue in Sin
(1 John 3:4-
3:4-3:10)
3:10)

What is sin? It’s a term that is thrown around without much

explanation. Sin is breaking God’s commands. Jesus came and died for
our sins. He died to take away our sins, but He also died so that we would
Living it not continue to sin. A true believer tries to remove intentional sin from
Do you believe that Jesus could come at any moment? their life. We discussed earlier that we will continue to sin throughout our
lives and Jesus will forgive us if we confess our sin. But a true believer
has a desire to try and remove as much intentional sin as possible from
their life. A child of God desires to obey God’s Word and removes
intentionally sin from their life. Jesus came to destroy Satan’s work in our
lives. Everyday Satan tries to destroy us, but Jesus is stronger. We are His
If you knew that Jesus would come back tomorrow, what would you do child and as His child, God promises to protect us from sin. True children
differently? of God overcome sin.

Qualities of a True Believer #7

Continually trying to remove sin from your life

Understanding it List some ways Satan tries to keep you from God?
What is sin? (3:4)

Why did Jesus come to earth? (3:5)

Write a prayer asking Jesus to destroy the devil’s work in your life:

As a true child of God, what do we try to stop doing? (3:6)

Love One Another (1

(1 John 3:11-
3:11-3:24)
3:24)

Why can’t a child of God go on sinning? (3:9) We must love our Christian brothers and sisters. The first brothers
in the Bible were Cain and Abel; they were sons of Adam and Eve. One
time, they both brought sacrifices before God. God accepted Abel’s
sacrifice, but not Cain’s. It wasn’t so much what they sacrificed that was
important, it was their heart. Abel loved God and Cain did not. Cain was
angry with Abel because God accepted Abel’s sacrifice, so he murdered
his brother. We must love our brothers and sisters or else we run the risk
of murdering a brother. That’s right – murder! We may not kill them
Living it physically, but God says if we do not love our Christian brothers and
How many of your sins did Jesus take away on the cross? sisters, it is the same as murdering them in God’s eyes.
Jesus is our greatest example of love. He died for our sins, nailed
to a cross. Jesus asks us to do the same for others. He doesn’t want us to
die physically for them, but He does want us to put their needs before
ours. If we see a brother in need and do not help him, how can God’s love
be in us? God’s love helps those in need. If we don’t help, that kind of
love cannot be in us. Our love must be more than words; it must be acted
out toward others.
 Have you ever questioned your salvation? We all have. Why do What gives us confidence in our salvation? (3:21-22)
we question it? Because Satan plants doubt in our minds. But God is
greater than our doubts and that’s why He had John write this letter. 1
John is not meant for us to question our faith. It is meant to give us
confidence and stir up our hearts to live more fully for God. If you lack
confidence in your salvation, ask God for confidence and He will give it.
God doesn’t want us doubting our salvation, that’s why He’s given us 1
John to show us who a true believer is. What must a true believer believe? (3:23)
In this section, we are given another important quality that helps
us identify a true believer. A true child of God believes in the name of the
Son of God, Jesus Christ. In other words, we must believe that Jesus died
for our sins to save us. If we trust in Jesus to save us, then we can have
assurance of our salvation (Romans 10:9).

Qualities of a True Believer

Believer #8
Living it
Believing in Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life What are some ways that we can love one another in everyday situations?

Understanding it
What is the same as murder in God’s eyes? (3:15)

Who shows us what true love is? What is true love? (3:16)

On a scale of 1 to 10, how confident are you that if you died today you’d
go to heaven? (Circle your answer)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Can God’s love be in us if we don’t help those in need? (3:17)

All of God’s children should be a 10 in confidence. He does not want us
to doubt our salvation. If you’ve believed in Jesus, you can have
assurance because of His work on the cross The qualities of true believers
give us assurance that we believe in Jesus.
Write a prayer asking God to give you complete confidence in your Who is greater, God or the Devil? (4:4)
salvation:

Living it
If we don’t know if something is from God or not, what should we do?

The Spirit of Truth and the

the Spirit of
Falsehood (1 (1 John 4:1-
4:1-4:6)
4:6)
How does God protect you from the devil?
No where in the Bible does God ever say to just accept something
as true. He wants us to test everything, to see what is from God and what
is not from God. So how do we know what is from God? Anything that is
truly from God, acknowledges that Jesus is who He says He is – the Son
of God and the Savior of the world. This is our test on whether something
is true or false. Does it acknowledge Jesus as Lord?
In this section of Scripture, we are given a mighty promise from
God. He is mightier than anything the devil tries to trick us with. Do not
fear! God will protect you. Do not worry about being led astray by false
teachers. If we try and follow God, He will help us overcome these false
teachings. Write a prayer asking God to help you overcome the Devil and the things
of this world:
Understanding it
Are we to blindly believe everything we hear? What are we to do? (4:1)

How can we know if something is from God? (4:2)

God is Love (1
(1 John 4:7-
4:7-4:21)
4:21) Understanding it
What is God? (4:8)
We cannot even begin to imagine how intense God’s love is for
us. He saved us with His own blood. No other religion anywhere speaks
of their god dying for his people. Christianity is unique, and the only true
religion (John 14:6). God demonstrated his love by sending His only son
to die on a cross to save us from our sins.
God is love. What a strange statement. It doesn’t say God loves, Look up 1 Corinthians 13 and list some ways that God is love.
but it says God is love. 1 Corinthians 13 is often termed the love chapter
of the Bible. Look up 1 Corinthians 13 and look at each of the
characteristics of love and think how perfectly Jesus fulfilled each
characteristic of love. As you read that chapter, you will see that God
truly is love.
Because of the love God showed us, we should love others. No
one has ever seen God, but if we love with God’s love, others will see
God’s love in us.
When you became a Christian, Jesus gave you the Holy Spirit as a
gift. The Holy Spirit is within us and guides us, strengthens us, and
teaches us. Having received the Holy Spirit and allowing the Holy Spirit
to lead us, assures us that we really are a child of God. As we allow the How did God demonstrate His love to us? (4:9-10)
Holy Spirit to lead us we allow God’s love to fill our hearts. True
believers surrender their lives to the Holy Spirit and allow God’s love to
fill their hearts.

Qualities of a True Believer #9

Why should we love one another? (4:11)
Allowing yourself to be controlled by the Holy Spirit

Qualities of a True Believer #10

Allowing God to give you his love If we love others, what will they see in us? (4:12)
True believers have what within them? (4:13) Write a prayer to God asking Him to help others see your love for God
and others:

What else do true believers have in their lives? (4:16)

Living
Living it
How have you let the Holy Spirit control you? Overcoming the World (1
(1 John 5:1-
5:1-5:5)
5:5)

How do we know if we truly love God and others? John says that
we can know that we love God and others, if we obey God’s
commandments. Does that sound overwhelming? There are so many, how
can I keep them, much less know them all. God says His commands are
not burdensome [difficult]. He’s not saying they’re hard to do – they are.
He’s saying that God’s children want to obey His commands. When we
love God, we want to do what He tells us to do. When you tell a new
Give some examples of when you loved with God’s love. mother to take care of her baby, you are only telling her what she loves to
do. The commands of God are the best thing for us and by following them
we will experience true joy.
As we follow God and obey His commands, we overcome the
things of this world. What are the things of this world? Remember that
John said in 1 John 2:15-17 that the things of this world come from envy,
lust, and pride. Our faith grows as we seek God and increasingly obey
God’s commands. And our faith gives us victory over the things of this
world.
This thought of overcoming the things of this world, brings us to
Rewrite 1 John 4:20 in your own words and give an example our next mark of a true believer. A true believer overcomes the world. As
our faith grows, we should find it easier to trust God and overcome the
things of this world.

Qualities of a True Believer #11

A growing faith that overcomes the things of this world

Understanding it Applying it
How do we know if we love God and others? (5:2) How has your faith in Jesus grown this year?

What does it mean that His commands are not burdensome? (5:3)

What battles are you currently having with the world that are hard to
overcome?

What is true of all believers? (5:4)

Write a prayer to God asking Him to help you increase your faith in Him
and overcome this world:

What gives us victory over this world? (5:4)

The Testimony of the Son of God (1 John What does He testify about Jesus? (5:11)
5:6-
5:6-5:12)

This is another tricky section of 1 John. What does John mean

when he says Jesus came by water and blood? Most agree that this is
talking about how Jesus was fully God from the beginning of His life, as
seen when God spoke from heaven at Jesus’ baptism (“water”) to the end
of His life, as seen on His death on the cross (“blood”). And the Holy
Spirit testifies that this is true – Jesus was God from birth to death. There If we believe in Jesus, what do we have within us? (5:12)
were some false teachings going around at the time that Jesus was not
fully God and fully human. So John writes this to prove that Jesus was in
fact fully God and fully human.
Scientists tell us that we are destroying the ozone layer. How can
we tell for sure? Can we test for it ourselves? No. We trust what science
tells us. If we trust the words of men, how much more should we trust the
words of God, who cannot lie and knows all things? God has testified that
Jesus died for us. If we believe this, the testimony is within us. If we do
not believe God, then we are calling God a liar. Whoever believes God’s Explain what you know about the Holy Spirit?
testimony has eternal life, because His testimony is true.

Understanding it
What does “water” refer to in this passage? What does “blood” refer to?
Who testifies that Jesus was God? (5:6-8)

Living
Living it
Can God lie? Should we believe what He says? Do you believe that Jesus was fully God and fully human? How do you
know?
How would you explain that Jesus was God and human at the same time Christian brother or sister sinning, we should pray for them and God will
to a non-Christian? help that person confess their sin and be forgiven.
As Christians our sinning should become less and less over time.
When we place our faith in Jesus, He gives us help to not sin. We are
given the Holy Spirit. He protects us from Satan and Satan is not allowed
to touch us. What a great promise! When we place our faith in Jesus, we
are given the Holy Spirit to protect us from Satan.
John closes his letter in a very powerful way. In 1 John 5:20, John
says that we know Him who is true and more than that, “we are in Him
who is true.” When God looks at us guess what He sees? He doesn’t see
our sin or our shortcomings. He sees Jesus! When we believe in Jesus, we
Write a prayer to God thanking Him that He cannot lie and Jesus does in are placed in Jesus. And nothing can separate us from Jesus (Romans
fact offer us eternal life: 8:38-39). We can have confidence in our salvation, not because of what
we do, but because of who we believe in. Amen!

Understanding it
Why did John write his letter? (5:13)

What confidence can we have in our prayers? (5:14-15)

That You May Know (1 John 5:13-

5:13-5:21)

Why did John write this letter to Christians? So that all Christians If we see a Christian brother or sister in sin, what should we do? (5:16)
may have confidence in their salvation. If we truly believe that Jesus is
the Son of God, then we can ask God for anything in His will and He
promises that it will happen. Does this mean that we can pray for a
million dollars? Sure you can, but it doesn’t mean you’ll get it. But if you
pray for strength, an increased trust in God, or the salvation of a friend –
God will answer it. Anything in His will He answers, if we ask for it.
One specific thing we should pray for is friends that are doing
things they shouldn’t be doing – getting involved in sin. If we see a
Who protects us from evil? How does He protect us? (5:18) What does it mean to you to be ‘in Christ’?

If we have any hope of salvation, who provides it? Do we have hope?

(5:20)

Write a prayer to God thanking Him that you have assurance of your
salvation, not because of your good works, but because of Jesus’ good
work on the cross:

Living it
What is in God’s will that you should be praying for?

Do you have any friends in sin that you should be praying for? Who?
 Glossary Faith: Believing in God and that what He says is true.

Advocate: One who pleads (speaks out) for another.

Jesus stands in heaven as our advocate. Pleading to God on our Holy: To be separated from sin.
behalf.

Holy Spirit: When we place our faith in Jesus, He puts the Holy Spirit
Anoint: To pour or rub oil on. A symbolic representation of God giving (God) within us to guide us, teach us, and strengthen us.
us the Holy Spirit.

Lust: Seeing something and desiring more than you desire God.
Antichrist: An opponent of Jesus. One who denies that Jesus is the Son
of God.
Pride: Thinking higher of yourself than you should.

Atonement: To make amends for wrongdoing. Making right something

that was wrong. Righteous: To be good, perfect, holy, or godly.

Jesus took our sins and became our atoning sacrifice.

Sacrificial: To put someone else’s needs above your own needs.

Believer: A Christian. One who has placed their faith in Jesus Christ.

Salvation: Being rescued from hell and given eternal life in heaven.
Brother: Other Christians. All Christians are God’s children, so
Christians are spiritual brothers and sisters.
Sin: To break one of God’s commandments.

Burdensome: Difficult

Commands: God’s rules found in the Bible.

Epistle: A book of the Bible.

The Epistle of 1 John

Envy: Wanting something that belongs to someone else so bad that you’ll
do anything to get it.
 Qualities of a True Believer 8. Believing in Jesus as Lord and Savior of
your life – 1 John 3:23; 4:15; 5:1, 10

1. Admitting that you’ve sinned and are in

need of Christ’s forgiveness – 1 John 1:8-1:9
9. Allowing yourself to be controlled by the
Holy Spirit – 1 John 3:24; 4:13

2. A desire to obey God’s Word – 1 John

2:3, 24; 3:24; 4:7
10. Allowing God to give you his love – 1
John 4:16

3. Gradually becoming more and more like

Jesus – 1 John 2:6
11. A growing faith that overcomes the
things of this world – 1 John 5: 4

4. A sacrificial love for other Christians – 1

John 2:9-10; 3:14, 17

5. Learning to avoid the things of this

world – 1 John 2:15

6. A commitment to righteousness in your

life – 1 John 2:29; 1:7

7. Continually trying to remove sin from

your life – 1 John 3:6, 9-10;
5:4, 18
Notes: Notes:
 One Year Bible Reading Plan
Psalms 104-
25 Psalms 69-72 Psalms 73-77 Psalms 78-80 Psalms 81-88 Psalms 89-94 Psalms 95-103
Week Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 106

Psalms 107- Psalms 112- Psalms 120-

1 Genesis 1-3 Genesis 4-7 Genesis 8-11 Genesis 12-15 Genesis 16-19 Genesis 20-22 Genesis 23-27 26 Psalm 119 Ps. 134-140 Ps. 141-150 Proverbs 1-3
111 118 133

Proverbs 12- Proverbs 18- Proverbs 21-

2 Genesis 28 Genesis 29-32 Genesis 33-35 Genesis 36-38 Genesis 39-41 Genesis 42-45 Genesis 46-49 27 Proverbs 4-7 Proverbs 8-11 Proverbs 15-17 Proverbs 24-26
14 20 23

3 Genesis 50 Exodus 1-4 Exodus 5-7 Exodus 8-10 Exodus 11-15 Exodus 16-19 Exodus 20-23 Proverbs 27- Proverbs 30- Ecclesiastes 1- Ecclesiastes 5- Song of Sol. 1- Song of Sol. 5-
28 Eccles. 9-12
29 31 4 8 4 8
4 Exodus 24 Exodus 25-27 Exodus 28-30 Exodus 31-33 Exodus 34-36 Exodus 37-40 Leviticus 1-3
29 Isaiah 1-3 Isaiah 4-8 Isaiah 9-11 Isaiah 12-14 Isaiah 15-19 Isaiah 20-24 Isaiah 25-28
Leviticus 19- Leviticus 22- Leviticus 25- Isaiah 29-31 Isaiah 32-34 Isaiah 35-37 Isaiah 38-40 Isaiah 41-43 Isaiah 44-46 Isaiah 47-49
5 Leviticus 4-8 Leviticus 9-12 Leviticus 13-15 Leviticus 16-18 30
21 24 27
31 Isaiah 50-52 Isaiah 53-56 Isaiah 57-59 Isaiah 60-63 Isaiah 64-66 Jeremiah 1-3 Jeremiah 4-5
Numbers 11- Numbers 13-
6 Numbers 1-2 Numbers 3-4 Numbers 5-6 Numbers 7-8 Numbers 9-10
12 15 Jeremiah 12- Jeremiah 18- Jeremiah 22- Jeremiah 25-
32 Jeremiah 6-8 Jeremiah 9-11 Jeremiah 15-17
14 21 24 27
Numbers 17- Numbers 25- Numbers 27-
7 Numbers 16 Numbers 19-20 Numbers 21-22 Numbers 23-24
18 26 31 Jeremiah 28- Jeremiah 31- Jeremiah 33- Jeremiah 40- Jeremiah 44- Jeremiah 47-
33 Jeremiah 37-39
30 32 36 43 46 48
Numbers 33-
8 Numbers 32 Deuteronomy 1 Deut. 2-6 Deut. 7-11 Deut. 12-15 Deut. 16-19 Jeremiah 51-
36 34 Jeremiah 49 Jeremiah 50 Lamentations 1 Lament. 2-5 Ezekiel 1-4 Ezekiel 5-8
52
9 Deut. 20-22 Deut. 23-25 Deut. 26-27 Deut. 28-29 Deut. 30-31 Deut. 32-33 Deut. 34
35 Ezekiel 9-12 Ezekiel 13-15 Ezekiel 16-17 Ezekiel 18-20 Ezekiel 21-22 Ezekiel 23-24 Ezekiel 25-27
10 Joshua 1-5 Joshua 6-10 Joshua 11-13 Joshua 14-17 Joshua 18-20 Joshua 21-22 Joshua 23-24
Ezekiel 28-
36 Ezekiel 31-32 Ezekiel 33-35 Ezekiel 36-38 Ezekiel 39-40 Ezekiel 41-43 Ezekiel 44-46
11 Judges 1-3 Judges 4-5 Judges 6-8 Judges 9-10 Judges 11-13 Judges 14-16 Judges 17-19 30

1 Samuel 13- 1 Samuel 15- Ezekiel 47-

12 Judges 20-21 Ruth 1-4 1 Samuel 1-3 1 Samuel 4-7 1 Samuel 8-12 37 Daniel 1-3 Daniel 4-5 Daniel 6-8 Daniel 9-12 Hosea 1-4 Hosea 5-9
14 16 48

38 Hosea 10-14 Joel 1-3 Amos 1-4 Amos 5-9 Obadiah Jonah Micah 1-7
1 Samuel 17- 1 Samuel 19- 1 Samuel 28-
13 1 Samuel 22-24 1 Samuel 25-27 2 Samuel 1-3 2 Samuel 4-7
18 21 31 Zechariah 11-
39 Nahum 1-3 Habakkuk 1-3 Zephaniah 1-3 Haggai Zechariah 1-5 Zechariah 6-10
14
2 Samuel 12- 2 Samuel 20- 2 Samuel 23-
14 2 Samuel 8-11 2 Samuel 14-16 2 Samuel 17-19 1 Kings 1-2
13 22 24 Matthew 12-
40 Malachi 1-4 Matthew 1-4 Matthew 5-6 Matthew 6-9 Matt. 10-11 Matthew 14-17
13
15 1 Kings 3-5 1 Kings 6-7 1 Kings 8-9 1 Kings 10-12 1 Kings 13-15 1 Kings 16-18 1 Kings 19-20
Matthew 18- Matthew 21- Matthew 23-
16 1 Kings 21-22 2 Kings 1-3 2 Kings 4-5 2 Kings 6-8 2 Kings 9-10 2 Kings 11-13 2 Kings 14-16 41 Matthew 25-26 Matt. 27-28 Mark 1-3 Mark 4-5
20 22 24

1 Chronicles 1- 42 Mark 6-7 Mark 8-9 Mark 10-11 Mark 12-13 Mark 14 Mark 15-16 Luke 1-2
17 2 Kings 17-18 2 Kings 19-21 2 Kings 22-23 2 Kings 24-25 1 Chron. 3-4 1 Chron. 5-6
2
43 Luke 3-4 Luke 5-6 Luke 7-8 Luke 9-10 Luke 11-12 Luke 13-15 Luke 16-18
1 Chron. 10- 1 Chron. 24- 1 Chron. 27-
18 1 Chron. 7-9 1 Chron. 13-16 1 Chron. 17-19 1 Chron. 20-23 44 Luke 19-20 Luke 21-22 Luke 23-24 John 1-2 John 3-4 John 5-6 John 7-8
12 26 29
45 John 9-10 John 11-12 John 13-15 John 16-17 John 18-19 John 20-21 Acts 1-3
2 Chronicles 1- 2 Chron. 21- 2 Chron. 25-
19 2 Chron. 5-7 2 Chron. 8-11 2 Chron. 12-16 2 Chron. 17-20
4 24 28 46 Acts 4-5 Acts 6-7 Acts 8-9 Acts 10-11 Acts 12-13 Acts 14-15 Acts 16-17
2 Chron. 32- 47 Acts 18-19 Acts 20-21 Acts 22-23 Acts 24-26 Acts 27-28 Romans 1-3 Romans 4-7
20 2 Chron. 29-31 2 Chron. 35-36 Ezra 1-4 Ezra 5-7 Ezra 8-10 Nehemiah 1-3
34
48 Romans 8-10 Romans 11-14 Romans 15-16 1 Cor. 1-4 1 Cor. 5-9 1 Cor. 10-13 1 Cor. 14-16
Nehemiah 10- Nehemiah 12-
21 Nehemiah 4-7 Nehemiah 8-9 Esther 1-3 Esther 4-7 Esther 8-10 49 2 Cor. 1-4 2 Cor. 5-9 2 Cor. 10-13 Galatians 1-6 Ephesians 1-6 Philipp. 1-4 Colossians 1-4
11 13

22 Job 1-4 Job 5-8 Job 9-12 Job 13-16 Job 17-20 Job 21-24 Job 25-30 50 1 Thess. 1-5 2 Thess. 1-3 1 Timothy 1-6 2 Timothy 1-4 Titus Philemon Hebrews 1-4

23 Job 31-34 Job 35-38 Job 39-42 Psalms 1-8 Psalms 9-17 Psalms 18-21 Psalms 22-27 51 Hebrews 5-8 Hebrews 9-13 James 1-5 1 Peter 1-5 2 Peter 1-3 1 John 1-5 2 John

Psalms 28-33 Psalms 34-37 Psalms 38-42 Psalms 43-49 Psalms 50-55 Psalms 56-61 Psalms 62-68 52 3 John Jude Rev. 1-4 Rev. 6-10 Rev. 11-14 Rev. 15-17 Rev. 18-22
24