[THE ROCK STUDENT MINISTRY]

Transcription

1 [THE ROCK STUDENT MINISTRY]

2 HOW TO USE THIS DEVOTIONAL 1. Each time you sit down to meet with the living God remind yourself that you are in the Presence of God. Find a place away from distractions to do your devotional. Turn off anything that might distract your time with God. 2. Open with Prayer and thank the Lord for all He has done and for who He is. 3. Ask for Guidance from the Holy Spirit to direct your time in the Word. 4. Read the passage listed in the devotional. 5. Take the time and interpret what the passage is saying. Read the passages surrounding the section if need to understand the context of the verse. 6. Read the devotional and take the time to look up any Scriptures that might be listed. 7. Apply what you have read. Ask yourself, how will God s Word change my life today? 8. Pray that God would give you the discipline to apply what you have learned today to your life. 9. Throughout the day look up the additional scriptures listed and study them when you have time. Don t just spend a few minutes in the morning with God but allow time throughout your day to be in the Word. [20 DAYS IN FIRST JOHN]

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS [DAY 1]CONTAGIOUS JOY [DAY 2]LIGHT, LIARS AND LIFE [DAY 3]THE REAL DEAL [DAY 4]TO LOVE OR NOT TO LOVE [DAY 5]FATHER KNOWS BEST [DAY 6]AMERICAN IDOLS [DAY 7]REMAIN IN ME [DAY 8]CONTINUING IN HIM [DAY 9]A LIFE OF PREPERATION [DAY 10]LAWLESSNESS [DAY 11]THE VERY BEST WAY [DAY 12]WHERE S THE LOVE? [DAY 13]LOVING THE JERKS [DAY 14]THE SECRET WEAPON WITH US [DAY 15]CHRISTMAS IN JULY [DAY 16]BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVE US [DAY 17]HOW DO I LOVE THEE? [DAY 18]CAN I GET A WITNESS! [DAY 19]A SURE THING [DAY 20]SATAN: ON A TIGHT LEASH Mike Reed Kent Husted Keith Seymour Chris Suarez Kyle Cox Taylor Singleton Bobby Morgenthaler Scott Welch DJ Corkey Neil Arey Chris Suarez Rika Clark Jessica Corky Mike Reed Kyle Cox Bobby Morgenthaler Scott Welch Cory Thurman Keith Seymour Kent Husted [THE ROCK STUDENT MINISTRY]

4 [DAY 1] Written by: Mike Reed director of the rock loudoun campus CONTAGIOUS JOY [1 JOHN 1:1-4] That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. GOD IS SO GLORIFIED WHEN WE ARE JOYFUL in Him. Whenever I experience a retreat like this past week or attend church and have a great time of fellowship praising Him with all my heart, God is so glorified. Is that what you experienced this week? John makes a staggering statement in verse 4. He says we write this to make our joy complete. This is real joy we re after. There is nothing on this earth that is more fulfilling than a relationship with God. And there are so many lies here on this earth telling us that sex, drugs, popularity, money and the world is better than a relationship with Jesus and they re not. Scripture was given to us by God to tell us the truth about how to find joy. I love the way John writes these verses because I believe this is the way we ought to be. Sometimes when we talk about sharing our faith with people, it s motivated by guilt and we say things like Oh I know, I have to do this. But that s not the way I see it in the bible. Here is John, a disciple who walked closely with Jesus, and he uses the term we, referring to him and his colleagues who got to experience Jesus. John is telling us here that the One he is talking about was from the beginning! You ve been alive for maybe 16 years! John is talking about One who has been here since the beginning of time, and how he saw him with his own eyes, his very hands got to touch him, his own ears got to hear words from His mouth! Can you imagine the joy John feels writing this? [20 DAYS IN FIRST JOHN]

5 In verses 3-4 he says, We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. John is saying, You want to know why I m writing this to you? I m writing this because I have fellowship with GOD. My friends and I actually have a relationship with the creator of the universe! And I m writing to you because I want you to experience this! I m writing this to make our joy complete. This is powerful, John is saying you know what would make my joy complete? If you had this relationship with Jesus too. Do you feel this way? Do you think to yourself, I love this relationship I have with Jesus and the more I learn about him the more I m thrilled about him! But you know what? If only my family, my friends and my neighbors could experience this too. And this is my prayer for you, that like John, you would be so fulfilled, satisfied and joyful in God that you can t help but long for everyone else to experience it. It kills me that over 52,000 kids will go to bed tonight in Loudoun County having no idea that there is a God, or that He loves them, or that there will be a judgment one day because of our sin. It starts with just one life, living out their contagious joy and love for Jesus. It takes just one student reaching out to his friend and sharing with them this incredible joy that is found in Jesus Christ. Will you be this one? [FOR FURTHER READING] Philippians 4:4, James 1:2-3, Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 5:11, Psalm 16:11, Psalm 19:8 [PRAYER] Lord, thank You for your Word. Father I pray that You would make me a joy filled follower of Christ and that Your love for people would be made known in my neighborhood and my school that I go to through my life. Help me to be an accurate representation of Jesus to my friends and those around me. I pray that my friends, family and neighbors would see the joy I have in You, because You are the most precious relationship and prized possession I will ever have on this earth. Thank You for Your amazing love for me, in Jesus name, Amen. [THE ROCK STUDENT MINISTRY]

6 [DAY 2] Written by: Kent Husted assistant director of the rock tysons campus LIGHT, LIARS AND LIFE [1 JOHN 1:5-10] This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. WE, AS AMERICANS, ARE AFFORDED FAR MORE choices in life than those who live elsewhere in the world, when it comes to the basic necessities of food, clothing and shelter. Still some choices remain the same regardless of where a person lives or how much wealth they possess. For instance, when entering a completely dark room, a person has but two extreme options: remain in darkness or turn on the light. In God s Word, the extremes of light and darkness are often used, with light representing biblical truth and personal holiness, and darkness representing error and wrongdoing. This can be seen in verse 5 of this passage where it states, God is light; in him there is no darkness at all, recognizing that God is absolutely perfect and the source of all truth (John 17:17). Verse 8 points out that genuine Christians have a sin nature and do behave sinfully, even after truly repenting of their sin, and accepting Christ s perfect life offered on the cross on their behalf, when it states: If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. As a result the true believer has an intense desire to continually confess their sins to God, not because they fear losing their relationship with God, as some false religions teach is possible, but because they want to maintain a close relationship with their Heavenly Father (John 1:12). This practice and promise is seen in verse 9 where John states, [20 DAYS IN FIRST JOHN]

7 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. So while we will not be truly free from sin until we are in heaven (1 John 3:2), our desire should be to walk in the light, as he is in the light, as evidenced by an overwhelming pattern of personal holiness and continual desire for God s Truth. For personal holiness and wrongdoing cannot truly coexist in a person s life, anymore than light and darkness can exist together in a room, without one drowning out the other. [FOR FURTHER READING] Romans 7:18; Romans 8:1; 2 Corinthians 7:10 [PRAYER] Heavenly Father, Your Word says in 1 Peter 2:9 that you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Please enable my life to impact others, as You lead me on a path of personal holiness through the power of the Truth contained in your Word. In Jesus name. Amen [THE ROCK STUDENT MINISTRY]

8 [DAY 3] Written by: Keith Seymour jh coordinator of the rock tysons campus THE REAL DEAL [1 JOHN 2:1-6] My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. IT S AUTHENTIC! EXPLAINED JAMES Callahan, an Antiques Roadshow specialist who had assessed the first ever million dollar collection of Chinese Jade and Celadon pieces from the Qianlong Period. This event marked the highest-value appraisal in Roadshow history to date and was filmed at the June 2009 taping in Raleigh, North Carolina. How can one know if they are in possession of such a valuable, authentic antique? you might ask. They need to consult a specialist. Thankfully, the above passage reveals something that a specialist is not needed for; how to tell if someone is an authentic Christian. The simplest of minds can observe the main characteristics of every faithful believer- obedience and love. Take time now to write down some characteristics in the margin that friends and family would use to describe you. Is faithful obedience to God s commands a characteristic you re known for? What about God s unconditional love? But what about people that go to church and are really nice, aren t they Christians? Not if they are not willing to obey God and radiate His love. Do faithful Christians sin? Absolutely! Can runners in a race trip and still finish? Of course. The idea of this obedience is a consistent, faithful walk with Christ to the end of the race (1 Corinthians 9:24). Keep your eyes on Christ and surely, you will finish the race with footprints of obedience and love along the way (Heb. 12:1-2). [20 DAYS IN FIRST JOHN]

9 ...We have come to know... shows us that it is possible to know for sure if we have assurance of salvation. In the multiple instances I ve asked others if they knew they were going to heaven, I have received answers like: No one can know for sure. and I sure hope so since I m a good person. This, of course, is a contradiction to Scripture since we can know for sure. Isn t it truly amazing to know from this passage that Christ has served our sentence for the crimes we committed? Not only are we assured of Christ s atoning sacrifice (which literally means a sacrifice that bears God's wrath and turns it to favor ), but He continually defends us when (not if) we mess up. Jesus, the defense attorney, points our sin to His finished work on the cross and says Charge that to my account! John even goes as far as saying that whoever doesn t obey God s commands is a liar and the Truth is not in him. Are you deceiving others by making them think you obey God? Is your walk with Christ only in front of people? Jesus reserves the harshest words for the religious leaders of His day who just put on a spiritual act in front of others. He describes them as white washed tombs who look great on the outside but are decaying on the inside. Let us not deceive ourselves and others but rather live as obedient, love-filled followers of Christ. This is the ultimate test of authenticity! [FOR FURTHER READING] Matthew 23:27; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 9:24 [PRAYER] Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Christ as an atoning sacrifice for me so I can make Your love complete by living the obedient life You called me to. I pray for continually authenticity in my walk with You and for guidance during the race. Help me to stay faithful to the end. In Jesus Name, Amen. [THE ROCK STUDENT MINISTRY]

10 [DAY 4] Written by: Chris Suarez sh coordinator of the rock tysons campus TO LOVE OR NOT TO LOVE [1 JOHN 2:7-11] Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him. SPIDERMAN BECAME SPIDERMAN BECAUSE HE was bitten by a frog. No I'm just kidding, of course it was a spider that bit him! Long story short though, that bite by the radio active spider fused with his DNA giving him his supernatural powers. Because of Christ living inside of us, as Christians we have been given some unnatural (especially by the worlds standards) abilities. Two of which are the ability to love others (including our enemies) and the ability to forgive. Why would you need to be reminded that you have those abilities? The reason is because the passage for today in 1 John talks about the importance of loving others. In 1 John 2:7 John writes Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. The command to which John is referring is to love one another. One form of this command can be found in Leviticus 19:18 where it says Love your neighbor as yourself, I am the Lord. John reminded them of this command, one that they've certainly heard before, mainly because there were people who although claiming to be Christians were filled with hate instead of love for another. It's easy to forget that we are commanded by God to love everyone as we would love a neighbor or even ourselves. Hence the reminder from John. Now some people are just easy to love. My grandma for instance, [20 DAYS IN FIRST JOHN]

11 now that is one easy woman to love especially when she slips me a $20 bill every now then! Others on the other hand, now that's a different story you'd say. Am I really supposed to love someone even if they hate me? Yep. Even if they talk bad about me? Yep. Even if they don't care if I love them or not? Yep. True Christians are marked by the uncanny ability to forgive anyone despite how they feel. Can you think of anyone right now in your life who maybe you haven't been doing the best job of loving? Is there someone in your life right now whom you just can't seem to forgive? Ask God right now to give you the sometimes supernatural ability to love and forgive that person. Christ set the example, now let's follow His lead. [FOR FURTHER READING] John 13:34; 1 John 3:11, 16; Matthew 5:21-24 [PRAYER] Lord I pray that my loving attitude towards others would be a testimony to all those around me. Help me to love the people that are the most difficult to love in my life. Help me to forgive people even when I don't want to. I want to be obedient to Your command today. Amen. [THE ROCK STUDENT MINISTRY]

12 [DAY 5] Written by: Kyle Cox resident of the rock loudoun campus FATHER KNOWS BEST [1 JOHN 2:12-14] I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, dear children, because you have known the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one. ONE OF THE FUNNIEST THINGS TO READ and hear is when the world releases a brand new study that has groundbreaking or revolutionary findings. You sit down, read the study only to find that this brand new discovery has been sitting in God s Word for thousands of years! And it s proclaiming the exact same thing! Look at this example from the National Responsible Fatherhood Council: Research literature supports the finding that a loving and nurturing father improves outcomes for children, families and communities. Recent research results show that fathers who live with their children are more likely to have a close, enduring relationship with their children. Other results show that children with involved, loving fathers are significantly more likely to do well in school, have healthy selfesteem, exhibit empathy and pro-social behavior, and avoid high-risk behaviors including drug use, truancy, and criminal activity. Finally! The world has caught up to what Scripture tells us about the Heavenly Father s love for us. He cares so deeply for us, only wants the best for us. We are called children of God when we accept Christ as our Savior. When you look at your behavior does it reflect that you are a child of God? Years ago high value and honor was placed on carrying on a family s name. People didn t want to shame or disgrace their father and the family name with their actions. As Christ followers we need to carry that same responsibility, we are ambassadors of the Heavenly Father s name in this world! [20 DAYS IN FIRST JOHN]

13 Someone who loves the Lord as his Father trusts that all the commandments God puts in place for us are truly for our best interest because he cares for us, he doesn t want us to experience a lifetime of Him having to discipline us; he wants us to live in freedom and enjoyment in our relationship with Him. Love is the key to this relationship. When you love the Lord it s not a burden to follow the Lord s leading, that s why Christ tells us my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matthew 11:30), in fact following the Lord s commands provides us with the most joy we can have, stemming from a strong relationship with the Father. We re reminded of this in John 10:10, Jesus says, I came that they may have life and have it to the full. Living this life makes us detest sin when we see it in the world and within ourselves. This form of obedience also blesses the believer with assurance that their salvation in Christ is real, leaving no doubt that no matter what happens in their life, when it s all said and done, a glorious destiny in heaven with God the Father awaits them in eternity. [FOR FURTHER READING] John 15:1-17; Ephesians 5:1-21; Matthew 7:12-23 [PRAYER] Heavenly Father thank You for loving and caring for every aspect of my life. You always have my best interest in mind, so I pray that You would grant me the faith to trust and believe that. God, I admit that my selfishness and pride blind me from loving and even obeying Your commands, so I ask Lord that You would give me a heart that detests evil and delights in Your law. God I need Your heart to care and love for others as well, give me the opportunities to show love to people today, even the people that I find it difficult to love. May I do this so that more people would look for a relationship with You. Amen. [THE ROCK STUDENT MINISTRY]

14 [DAY 6] Written by: Taylor Singleton summer intern for the rock AMERICAN IDOLS [1 JOHN 2:15-17] Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. HAVE YOU EVER STUMBLED UPON A MOTHER and child laughing with each other for no apparent reason? I can think of three different occasions where my friends and I have witnessed such unique behavior. What seemed insignificant to us was such a joyful moment for them. Each time one of my friends pointed out how much they would love to be a kid like that again. It s wild to think how when we were children we found joy in the simplest and purest parts of life. Now after years of living and being manipulated by the world we start to search for that same joy through things like iphones, girls, and sports. In the beginning of verse 15 it says Do not love the world or anything in the world. Now when I first read this, I had to sit there and think about it, Why not love the world? Throughout Genesis Chapter 1 God talks about the world and how it is good. God talks about creating the world and says it is good 7 times. Now when the Creator of the entire universe says something is good, well my friend, I m going to love it! Obviously he is talking about two different things, he is saying don t love the world that Satan has set up. Satan is the god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4). Some people love the worldly distractions that Satan has to offer more than the things that God loves and they re fine with it; they re unbelievers and they couldn t care less. But sadly there are many who believe in Jesus but have fallen more in love with the things of this world than Jesus Himself. Verse 16 says cravings of a sinful man or lust of the flesh which means wanting it your way. Its selfishness it s all the things your body wants. Then it goes on to talk about lust of his eyes which means everything he sees he wants for himself. Later it describes the sinful man as the [20 DAYS IN FIRST JOHN]

15 boasting of what he has and does. All these things do not come from the world God created but rather they come from the world that Satan has set up. In verse 17, John says the world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. We have to start living with the end in mind! We are stuck in a daze where our only focus is the troubles of tomorrow. At the end of your life you re either going up or down my friend! Some people follow there own selfish desires and the path of destruction all the way to Hell. Basically the gist of it is this you can grasp the temporary things that Satan offers but they will continue to fade away like the morning mist. But God will continue to pursue after you until your dying day. At that point God will finally say have it your way. But you won t get what Satan promises or offers, you ll only get what Satan has been given, and that is Hell. If you grasp what God offers through Christ, you ll live forever in eternity with Him. What a difference This is all well and good, but when I was in high school the first thing I would have thought to myself was how I m going to start on all of it later. I used to put everything off thinking I have the rest of my life to live for God. We aren t promised tomorrow, your whole life can change in an instance. Now is the time to live your life for God, I promise you, you will find your joy that you re seeking though Jesus. Questions to ask yourself: 1. What Specific things in your life do you place more value in than God?; 2. What steps will you take TODAY to replace these idols in your life with Christ? Is it worth it to you?; and 3. If you were to die, what would you want to be remembered for, following the world or following God? [FOR FURTHER READING] 2 Corinthians 4:4; Genesis 1; Matthew 6:34 [PRAYER] Father I pray that I would see the things I love now will not last forever. I pray that I would see what is temporary in this world and what is eternal. I pray that I when I stand before You one day that You will be pleased with the decisions and choices I made with my life. I pray that I wouldn t find my joy in the things of this world but instead in following You and the things that will last forever. In Jesus name, Amen. [THE ROCK STUDENT MINISTRY]

16 [DAY 7] Written by: Bobby Morgenthaler future leader for the rock REMAIN IN ME [1 JOHN 2:18-27] Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist he denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he promised us even eternal life. I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit just as it has taught you, remain in him. IN THIS PASSAGE, THE ANTICHRISTS THAT went out from us that the author John is referring to, are those individuals whose faith had not endured and ultimately lead to their denial of Christ. John goes on to say that every true believer is blessed with an anointing, and that this anointing is, in fact, the Holy Spirit who guides believers to understand Truth and protects their faith from falling away. We live in a world filled with antichrists those who are deceived by the Devil s lies. John Piper once preached that, The Word of God and the Spirit of God are our only hope for stability in a world filled with antichrists. We are so easily deceived because we lack grounding in the Word of God and life in the Holy Spirit. Notice that in verse 27 John says, As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit, remain in him. The idea he is driving home for believers is the concept of remaining in Christ. It s important to understand that salvation can never be lost, stolen, taken away, or [20 DAYS IN FIRST JOHN]

17 forfeited by a true believer and that God s spirit is a seal of eternal security and assurance for Christians! John is, however, challenging believers to gain personal assurance by determining whether the Holy Spirit is the driving force in their faith. At this point you re thinking, Ok, I want to remain in Christ but HOW? Well, you cannot do it on your own. You must rely on the allsufficient, omniscient, powerful and faithful God who loves you unconditionally. The word rely literally means, to be dependent on for support, help, or supply. Read, meditate, and memorize His Word. Remain steadfast in prayer, continually asking the Lord to protect you from the devil s schemes. Depend on Him alone. He gave you the Holy Spirit as a guarantee that He will never fail you. [FOR FURTHER READING] 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Romans 8:14, 16; John 3:33-36 [PRAYER] God we pray that Your anointing would be living in us even now. That You would protect our faith and bring us all into full assurance of Your saving grace. Use the assurance of Your Holy Spirit to empower us in spreading Your Gospel. In Jesus name, Amen. [THE ROCK STUDENT MINISTRY]

18 [DAY 8] Written by: Scott Welch volunteer for the rock tysons campus CONTINUING IN HIM AS CHILDREN OF GOD [1 JOHN 2:28-29] And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him. YOU PROBABLY OFTEN HEAR PEOPLE SAY THAT we are ALL children of God. Usually they mean everybody every single person in the world everyone as a Child of God. I guess if they re focusing on the fact that we are all descendants from Adam, who was born of God, then technically you could call that a true statement. But, in reality, this is not the case. John calls the readers children here in verse 28, not because he had lots of kids, and not because he is talking to every single person on earth at the same time. No, we know who he s talking to because he tells them to continue in Him (Jesus.) Children of God are people who have put their trust in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Children of God is a very appropriate name for Christians because, as John points out at the end of verse 29, they are born of him. Christians are born from God- not in the sense that we all have Adam as an ancestor- but that we are spiritually reborn. We are spiritually dead before we know the Lord, but He revives us. He makes us born again! America shudders at that term. Even Christians downplay it- thinking it sounds extreme or weird. But Jesus says clearly in John 3:3- I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. To be a true Christian, you must be born again, and be called a Child of God. So, John is pleading with us, as believers, to continue in Him. Why does John say he s telling us this? So that we won t be ashamed when the Lord returns some day. How does that work? Well, if you walk close to Him- trusting in Him alone for your salvation, reminding yourself of [20 DAYS IN FIRST JOHN]

19 that truth as you go about your day; leaning on Him through tough times; maintaining and growing a personal relationship with Him- then you can be confident of your salvation on that day because you will have persevered until the end! You will not be ashamed because that close walk with Him has led you away from shameful sin, and towards eternity with God. That is continuing in Him. John is linking that kind of life- a life devoted to growing and trusting in Christ- to not being ashamed when He returns to judge the earth, because you will know you are a Child of God! And now that John has given us this wonderful truth, He tells us the result of being born again and walking close to the Lord- Righteousness. Right living is evidence and confirmation of being a born-again believer. When you are born of God, you share in God s righteousness, and you, in turn, will display that righteousness. This is in contrast to what many people wrongly believe- that you have to do good things, and live right, in order to become a Christian. Verse 29 is clear that the opposite is true- the doing what is right comes as a result of being born of Him. Have confidence in your salvation today! Embrace that you are a Child of God, born again! And continue in Him! [FOR FURTHER READING] John 3:7; John 15:1-6; James 2:20-26; 2 Peter 3:11 [PRAYER] Father, I thank You for adopting us as your children. What a blessing and an honor to be chosen to be part of Your family. God, help us better understand Your love towards us, so that we can love more perfectly. Give us confidence in our salvation- trusting in Your Son s sacrifice. Help us walk with Him every day- keeping us from sin, and acting out the righteousness that we have inherited as Your children. Amen. [THE ROCK STUDENT MINISTRY]

20 [DAY 9] Written by: DJ Corkey worship coordinator for the rock tysons campus A LIFE OF PREPERATION [1 JOHN 3:1-3] How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. SHE BOUGHT HER WEDDING DRESS. She picked out her shoes. In the weeks leading up to The Big Day she zoned out often daydreaming about how her hair would be dressed, what perfume she would wear, how she d want her make-up, and whether or not her veil should be in front or in back. She nearly starved herself dieting to lose weight, and purchased a membership at a tanning salon to burn her skin a few shades darker. She worked out, she saved money she prepared relentlessly. Now, I m not one to shed tears lightly, but when I saw Jessica (my wife) standing at the end of the isle clinging to her father s arm, I had to battle my reflex to cry. She didn t just say yes to me she followed through! And not only that, she looked amazing! I knew how hard she had worked to present her very best to me that day. I knew right then she was serious. She was serious about committing herself to me, forsaking all others, and there was not a doubt in my mind that I was just as serious. I d like to focus mainly on verse 3 of our text. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as He is pure. If you look at the second half of verse 2, John mentions the coming of Christ, which is our hope, and how it pertains to us. Then verse 3 shows us what a person who really believes Christ is coming back looks like. If I could rephrase in context with the story of my wife: Everyone who REALLY believes that one day we will be physically united with Christ MAKES THEMSELVES READY and works hard in order to present their BEST when He appears [20 DAYS IN FIRST JOHN]

21 (or when we appear before Him). They prepare relentlessly as my wife did for our wedding day (Ephesians 5:25-27). It is important to note that everything Jessica had done leading up to our wedding had nothing to do with whether or not I loved her, but she demonstrated her love for me by preparing her best. It was through all of those acts of preparation that she proved to me how much she loved and desired me, but I would have loved her equally with or without them. In the same way, do not be deceived into thinking that purifying yourself earns you the righteousness of Christ, it is simply the proof in the pudding, if you will. All this having been said, take a self-examination based on these fascinating verses here in 1 John 3. Look up Colossians 3:4, then read on and see how it is a similar concept. One day you will be with Christ, so prepare in this way We are designed to live Holy and Blameless lives on this Earth (Eph. 1:4). Does the way you live your life demonstrate your love for Christ? Do you honestly believe you will stand with Jesus Christ one day? What can you do TODAY to begin preparing for the day you see Him as He is? What things in your life must you avoid or reject in order to prepare your BEST for Christ? [FOR FURTHER READING] Philippians 3:12-21; Colossians 3; 2 Peter 3:11-18 [PRAYER] Lord, You are holy. I want to be more like You. Lead my feet and my desires away from evil and show me how to please You. May I fall more in love with You, and give me a hatred for sin. Guide my heart to fear You and to keep Your statutes. Open my eyes to the wonderful things in Your law. Thank You for Your forgiveness, and for lifting me up. Amen [THE ROCK STUDENT MINISTRY]

22 [DAY 10] Written by: Neil Arey graphic designer for the rock LAWLESSNESS [1 JOHN 3:4-8] Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. RULES WERE MADE TO BE BROKEN. On paper, that sounds awesome. In reality though, we need boundaries. We can so easily get caught up in thinking that because Christ paid the penalty for man s sin on the cross and thus freeing his children from the bondage of the Old Testament law, we can live lawless lives. If our lives are characterized by lawlessness that means our actions are separate from God s guidance and in violation of His law. There is no way around it, lawlessness is sin. Wiersbe says that sin is basically a matter of the will. For us to assert our will against God s will is rebellion, and rebellion is the root of sin. Let s take a minute and look at our own lives. There is a huge difference between committing a sin and practicing sin. If a believer sins, he or she repents and finds unending forgiveness from God. On the other hand, a person who cherishes and chooses to commit a sin is never sorry for being in opposition to God and is uninterested in finding forgiveness regardless of what religious beliefs he or she might have. This ultimately shoes that he or she doesn t really understand what Christ accomplished on the cross. When we look at this passage from John s first epistle, there are two important truths that the apostle gives as to why Christ came and died. He appeared to take our sins away. But not only that, he came to destroy the works of the devil. [20 DAYS IN FIRST JOHN]

23 It is truly a wonderful and amazing thing that we can be completely forgiven and made holy through Christ s sacrifice. But that s not where it stops. Jesus work on the cross also eliminates sins bondage over us and allows us to enter into fellowship with the sinless Savior. I don t want you to overlook the word sinless. Christ was without sin, and as believers, we become identified with him. If we are truly obedient to Jesus teaching, sin will no longer have control over us. Jesus also came to destroy the works of Satan. The word John uses for destroy means to render inoperative, to rob of power. According to John Macarthur, The devil is still operating, but he has been defeated and in Christ we can escape his tyranny. Do not be discouraged. John is not talking about believers who find themselves struggling with a particular sin but rather he is focusing on individuals who make a practice of sinning and look for ways to justify it. We all have areas in our lives where habits are hard to break and temptation can be overwhelming. But we need to deal with these areas because they can give the devil a foothold. Look to the power of the Holy Spirit and trust God s Word to help you avoid tempting situations. [FOR FURTHER READING] Psalm 1; Romans 7:11-25; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; 1 Peter 1:13-16 [PRAYER] Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for Your sinless sacrifice on the cross. Thank You that You have destroyed the power of sin over me. I know I still struggle with sin but I pray that Your righteousness would over shadow the wrong in my life. Help me to honor You in all that I do and allow the Holy Spirit to work in me so I may desire obedience to Your word and not the things of this world. I love You Lord and pray this in Your Holy name, Amen. [THE ROCK STUDENT MINISTRY]

24 [DAY 11] Written by: Chris Suarez sh coordinator of the rock tysons campus THE VERY BEST WAY [1 JOHN 3:9-12] No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. YES, I USED TO SING IN THE SHOWER. As a kid I loved singing and for some reason I was always compelled to bless the bathroom towels with my wonderful kid sounding voice. Some of those childhood songs I used to sing stuck with me. One of was the Obedience Song. It s a catchy children s song that get s across this one main point which is Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe. The message of that song is one that the Bible agrees with. Read this verse below (1 John 3:12) and in your head decide who it would be better to model your life after. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. Hopefully you d say you would want to be like Cain s brother because the Bible says his actions were righteous. I mean that s a very good thing to have said about someone, right? Ok well if we are going to try and model our life after him then we need to know what type of actions or action he did in order for the Bible to go as far as to say he acted righteously. In the Bible there is only one action ever recorded that Cain s brother, Abel, did and that was offer a sacrifice to God. In fact in Genesis 4 both Cain and Abel offered a sacrifice to God. Cain offered some of the fruit from his crops while Abel offered the best animal from his flock. Granted they both made a sacrifice to God however there sacrifices were very different and were not received by God the same. Genesis 4:4-5 says The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but [20 DAYS IN FIRST JOHN]

25 on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. A question that a lot of people over time have wondered is Why exactly did God accept Abel s offering and not Cain s? Pastor John MacArthur explains it well saying Abel s offering was acceptable not just because it was an animal, nor because it was the very best of what he had, nor even that it was the culmination of a zealous heart for God; but, because it was in every way obediently given At some point, although not recorded in Genesis God must have revealed to them what an acceptable sacrifice was. Abel was just being obedient to what God had revealed to him and it was this obedience that the Lord looked so favorably upon. After all To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice (Proverbs 21:3). Abel s obedient sacrifice not only displayed that he could follow God s instructions but it was also a testament of his faith in God. How have you done these past few weeks in being obedient to the Lord? What area in your life do you need to work on most in regards to doing what s right in the Lord s eyes? You know when you think about it Abel s obedience was a way (I ll argue the very best way) to show that he believed. Let s all and try and model Abel and consistently act only in ways that are obedient to God and allow that obedience to be a testimony for our faith in Him. [FOR FURTHER READING] 1 Samuel 15:17-26, Romans 6:16 [PRAYER] Lord Jesus, I pray that You would help me this week be more obedient to Your Word than I ever have been before. Please give me the wisdom and discernment needed to make right decisions, even when it ll be difficult. Give me the determination to honor You through my actions and to live a life that is pleasing and acceptable in Your eyes. In Jesus name, Amen. [THE ROCK STUDENT MINISTRY]

26 [DAY 12] Written by: Rika Clark volunteer coord. for the rock tysons campus WHERE S THE LOVE? [1 JOHN 3:13-22] Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. DO NOT BE SURPRISED, MY BROTHERS, if the world hates you. You know all about that, right? You re saved and walking with the Lord, and the old friends you had either taunt you, or just don t understand the change in your life. Or worse, the new friends you think you want to meet make fun of your lifestyle and your friends at church. But the Apostle John goes on to say, We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Think about this. The brothers John is talking about are other believers our family in Christ. What should immediately come to mind, then, is the way we go out of our way to greet each other in church, the way we share our space with each other and encourage and accept one another...but Are the students you see at church each week the same ones that you barely act like you know in the hall at school? Or in the grocery stores? Or walking on the streets away from the church building? So the question is: Where s the love? There is a girl who has had some really hard times in her very young life. The consequences of choices in that life have caused her to behave outside our normal way of life. She talks a little differently than everyone else. She dresses a little differently. She understands things a little differently. But she s just accepted Jesus as her Lord and savior. [20 DAYS IN FIRST JOHN]

27 She s chosen to believe that He came to set her free from all the junk she s been tied to. She s confessing her sin and believing that He is faithful and just and will forgive her and cleanse her from her unrighteousness. She s heard of and believes in the love of the body of Christ because this is where she s been told that she can find Christ s acceptance and patience and forgiveness in His people. So we need to show her the love--because it doesn t mean anything to love others, if we can t love our own brothers or sisters. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. At first glance, we can all read this, nod our head in agreement and say Yes, Jesus died for us. But look a little closer. John is giving us a definition of love. And he says love is: Jesus laying down his life for us. Not just that he died for us. And THIS thought blows me away. Jesus had a life in heaven, at the right hand of God. And He set that aside! He came to this earth to teach us to walk with us.to live with us.and to die for our sins. He set aside his life as the son of GOD, out of obedience and love, to be an example. So John says that to love our brother, we ought to lay our lives aside our self-focus aside, our entitlement aside, our lack of time aside.for each other just like Jesus did. And that s going to take a little. To leave our lives checked at the door and open ourselves to others in a way we haven t before to give our time our encouragement.our stuff, if need be for someone else in the body of Christ. And THAT, John says, is how we show our love---to God and to others. Read the next verses after that. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth. So.Where s YOUR love? [FOR FURTHER READING] John 15:7-17; John 17:20-26 [PRAYER] Lord Jesus, thank You for the truth we find in Your Word. Thank You for humbling Yourself and laying aside Your life as the Son of God, in obedience and love. Help me to love the members of the body of Christ more, that I may truly honor and glorify You and show the whole world that You are who You say You are. Show me how to lay aside my life for my brothers and sisters in Christ, that the lost may see and be drawn to the love of God because of our love for one another. Amen. [THE ROCK STUDENT MINISTRY]

28 [DAY 13] Written by: Jessica Corkey rock volunteer for tysons campus A LITTLE REMINDER [1 JOHN 3:23-24] And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us. HAVE YOU EVER HAD A PERSON IN YOUR LIFE that you just couldn t stand? I mean, they really knew how to get under your skin and no matter how much you tried to ignore them or let it go, they just brought out the worst in you? Well, I did. There I was, at my locker, minding my own business when all of a sudden I hear, Hey Ghost, or Hey Whitey, or Hey Albino. It was always something different but usually never very clever. But even so, it just bothered me. I mean, most people picked on the fair skinned girl amidst all the tan Floridians, but this guy was relentless and always successful at getting a rise out of me. The verse we just read is hard to swallow sometimes. I get the believing in Jesus Christ the Son of God part, but I have to love this guy who just urks me? Luke 6:32 says, If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. It s easy to love people who are nice to you and love you back, but what about the ones who are impossible? This verse says that even people who have no relationship with Christ are capable of loving lovable people. It s when we love un-lovable people that we are truly defying our worldly nature. We should love one another because God commanded us to do so, not just because we feel like it or because the person is nice to us. That s the whole point of this verse. It says, this is how we know that He lives in us. If you love someone who is easy to love than you are really not doing anything that special; but when you love one another (even the tough ones) as commanded by God, you are setting yourself apart from the world. Ok, that s nice an all but I have tried to love this person and failed. May I suggest that you are trying to love out of your own strength? The [20 DAYS IN FIRST JOHN]