Fall 2025 - Spring 2026 | Beginning September 7

John’s letters, written to the Church in Asia Minor toward the end of the first century, are filled with practical wisdom for us today. John picks up where his gospel left off, having tracked the spread of the good news of Jesus and the growth of the Church for a few decades. John is concerned about the doctrinal error he sees in churches – especially as it relates to the Person of Jesus – and also for the practical outworking of our faith. Belief in Jesus should bring transformation. It changes who we are as individuals and how we relate to each other in community. He states his goal simply in 1 John 1:3-4, “…that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.” John wants us to fully understand that the horizontal fellowship we have with one another results from the wonder of our vertical fellowship with the Father and Son. And the end result of our fellowship is joy! The deep, transcendent joy that only flows from a union with our Creator as a fruit of his Spirit’s presence. 

And John’s concerns are still relevant 2000 years later. Many are confused about the identity of Jesus and what that means for us in 21st century America. Was he a real, historical person? Is he just a good moral teacher, or something more? Did Christianity (as we know it today) really originate with Jesus, or is it the invention of his followers? John is zealous for us to know the truth about Jesus, and the significance of what he accomplished for us. He wants us to understand how Jesus continues to minister as the risen Lord of all, and how a relationship with him radically impacts life in this world, especially our relationships with others (whether inside or outside the Church). At a time where so many are bitterly divided, when snark and contempt are commonplace, the timeless wisdom of John’s letters show us a path forward: following in the footsteps of the Master that we may be increasingly conformed to his image.

Videos will appear below when the sermon series begins.