Wednesday Night Update
I pray this update finds you and your students doing well as we near the end of this school year. We have a few more weeks together for regular Wednesday Night Community and are going to continue working through 1, 2, and 3 John in small groups. This week we will cover 1 John chapter 3 (see below for notes). Students are encouraged to bring study Bibles or commentaries if they have them to help with Scripture exploration!
The following upcoming events will occur during the month of May, so please make note:
- Mental Health Forum for MS and HS on May 17. Parents are invited. Continue sending in questions.
- Final week celebration with pizza and salad - stay tuned for a flyer and RSVP.
- The launch of the Oakwood Youth Worship Team led by Adam Zastrow on May 21 following second service. A light lunch will be provided. If interested, contact Adam Zastrow for more information.
Stay tuned for updates about summer connection opportunities to keep in touch and continue to grow in friendship and fellowship as a youth group!
As you read 1 John Chapter 3...
- Write (or make a drawing of) the main idea of the passage.
- Write a one- to two-sentence summary of what you read.
- Find one attribute of God that the passage is teaching. (Use a list of attributes that can help your teen practice reading the Bible with a Godward focus.)
- Write two things you observe in the margin.
- Write two questions you have about what you’ve read.
3 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears[a] we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's[b] seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
Love One Another
11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers,[c] that the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God,[d] and God[e] in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
Questions for Discussion
- How does this passage fit into the book as a whole? How does it flow from the previous section of the text?
- How does this passage minister to its original audience?
- How does it minister to us today?
- Is there a sin to confess?
- Is there cause for thanksgiving or praise to God?
- Is there a promise or truth to trust in?
- Is there an attitude to change or a motive to examine?
- Is there a command to obey or an example to imitate?
- Is there an error to confront or avoid?
Attributes of God Examples
- Self-Existence
- Transcendence
- Eternalness
- Omnipotence
- Immutability
- Omniscience
- Wisdom
- Sovereignty
- Faithfulness
- Love
- Infinitely Immense
- Good
- Just
- Merciful
- Gracious
- Omnipresent
- Immanent
- Holy
- Perfect
Sincerely,
Sunday Morning Update
Hello all,
Middle School Survivor Night is Friday, May 19, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Oakwood. Click here for details.
Is your student interested in helping out at this year's Kid's Summer Day Camp? Save the date for Aug. 2. Contact Ashley Schmidt at for more info about how your student can serve in this camp.
We will be starting jam sessions on May 21 after second service. More information will follow at the session. If your student is interested in being part of the youth worship team, please reach out to Chris, Jonathan or Adam Zastrow for information or to let us know that you will be attending.
Robin Whelan is jumping into the fourth week of the Book of James series. Here are the lesson notes. Also, you will note the link below to the Right Now Media App that will take you right to the series.
This series is available on RightNow Media at
https://app.rightnowmedia.org/en/content/details/159923.
Thank you,