Everyone has faith in something—some kind of foundational beliefs and assumptions that are impossible to test—and things that are true continue to be true whether you believe in them or not. So, what do the beginning of true faith in the God of the Bible look like? Where does that faith come from? And what advantages, resources and promises come along with it?

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Everyone lives their life according to some degree of faith—some core assumptions taken as self-evident, the validity of which we never test. The book of 1 John, though, offers us the opportunity to test the basic assumptions in which we place our trust, and shows us how what we put our trust in relates to how we understand God’s character and personality. This week, we look at what false faith is, why it occurs and where we get the confidence to resist it.

You can now download the bulletin for the worship service that goes with this sermon.

Note that there is no discussion guide this week. Instead, please learn more about Winter Term and sign up for a class.

It’s easy to forget that the Psalms are meant to be sung, especially when the songs are dedicated to subjects that we aren’t used to praising musically. One such psalm is Psalm 119, which praises God’s law. But when we read that psalm through the lens of Christmas, it’s easy to see why such laws can move us to song (and what they tell us about the King who handed them out).

The love of a parent, mentor, friend or lover often bolsters our confidence. But, as we saw last week, God’s love is perfect. And if we truly understand that perfect love, it won’t just make us confident—it will make us fearless.

The book of 1 John claims that love comes from God, and the love that comes from God can provide us with a new beginning to our lives. But far too often, we turn love into our god rather than letting God be the measure by which we understand love. John goes on to point us toward God’s perfect demonstration of his perfect love.

We’ve looked at the priority of love to the character of God, and we’ve looked at ways love can be mis-directed in our lives. But John’s letter doesn’t just lead us to consider love itself—it also prompts us to consider the opposite of love: Who is it from? How does it work? And what does it ultimately show us?

Last week, we looked at how central love is to God’s character. But what happens in our own lives when we love the wrong things first? Glenn Hoburg leads us through the objects of such false love, the heart behind that false love and what brings that false love to an end.

Can you imagine someone who is in a legitimate position to condemn you taking your consequences upon themselves instead? That’s the beginning of understanding the biblical concept of atonement. But to understand the gift of atonement more fully, we need to consider who gives it and how it changes us.

To some modern sensibilities, the concept of atonement sounds unloving, or even barbaric. However, atonement is a vital part of relationship, and without it all relationships are in a state of brokenness. For two weeks, we will look at what the book of 1 John says about atonement, starting with our need for it.

Sermon audio will be posted later this evening.

“God is light, and in him there is no darkness whatsoever.” This is not an easy line to hear, and it can be an even harder one to believe. But it is also the crux of who John says God is, and the book of 1 John helps us understand just how it is John can say this.