What an incredible passage: light, sin, darkness, and honesty!  In John 8, Jesus tells the woman caught in adultery and everyone standing there that he is the light of the world. What does this mean? The religious people were trying to cover up and hide their sin, acting dishonestly.

How do we know we are in Christ? That we are living as his followers the way God desires? The short answer is: his love. Loving others, including our enemies, is what sets us apart. Continuing his letter, John reminds us of Jesus’ commandment: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you. . .

What happens when we hear something from someone which sort of sounds right, but actually is not the truth? Do we believe it? Do we question what is being said? How do we know?

If John has seemed weak on passion to this point, now he presses the pedal of intense emotion.

What or who are you depending on? What is most important to you? Is it a habitual behavior, like lying to others or manipulating them to get what you want? Is it self-gratification where you pursue things to feel good, in control, and better than most people? Or is it power by knowing the right people, positioning yourself and saying whatever it takes to get ahead and make more money?

The discussion of love continues for John . . . it may seem perplexing . . . why does John care so much about love. What’s the big deal?

It’s hard to know what was the personal, social climate in the first century. Did the normal person feel as isolated as we do? Did they feel a sorrow to their loneliness?

Everyone experiences hopeless times, feeling cut off from the world, trapped far away from the comforts of home, family and friends. Life’s storms rage, all hell breaks loose, and it seems the proverbial ship is going down.

David was no stranger to this sort of bone crushing weariness.

There’s a rumor going around. It goes something like this: God will help you get rich, if you are generous. You have to be incredibly generous, and it will pay off. Verses like those in Proverbs 11:24-28 say so.

Maybe you’ve heard this rumor.