The first epistle of John. It’s rich with truths about God’s love for us and His love working through us. It’s also full of instructions on how to allow His love to grow within and pour from us.

First John also contains some intimidating verses like “by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments “(1 John 2:3) or “whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in Him” (1 John 2:5). I know that I don’t keep the Lord’s commands perfectly and at one point in my life 1st John led me to question whether or not I was actually a Christian. Have you experienced this?

You probably already know that I have a thing for reading quietly through the Word of God, but I also value a deep study of His Word. Prayerful study that is led by the Holy Spirit opens our eyes, ears, and hearts to the true messages that God wants to convey to each of us through the Bible. That’s why it is so important to do more than just read 1st John, we need to study it.

And that’s just what we’re going to do over the next several weeks — 19 weeks to be exact.

Yes, you read that right. I plan on hosting a 19-week online study of 1st John right here on the blog. Why 19 weeks? Well for a few reasons. One, that’s how many passages the New King James divides the epistle into. Second, I’m a slow blogger. I can’t keep with a writing pace that demands more than one or two posts a week. Last, and most important, when we study God’s Word we need to linger in it, not rush through. We need to soak it in, not dryly skim over it. We need to give God our time, not try to squeeze another study into our already packed schedules. By doing so, we show patience with the Holy Spirit and allow Him to give us His truth on His time table.

Each week we’ll look closely at a short passage of Scripture. I plan, Lord willing, to share a new set of discussion questions and commentary every Tuesday. However, if you feel the Lord whispering to you to slow down and stay a bit longer in the verses, by all means, do so. The next blog post will be waiting for you when you are ready.

I’ll also share a few suggestions for further study to do on your own between blog posts.

There are no books to buy. No extra emails lists you need to subscribe to. No additional Facebook groups. Its all right here on the blog — you just need to remember to come back each week.

If you do want a weekly reminder feel free to subscribe to the latest blog posts. You can always unsubscribe when we’re done with the study.

So, what do you think? Are you in? I hope so. Leave a comment if you plan to take this slow journey through 1st John with me. The study official starts Tuesday, April 18th.

Only by grace,

Kelli

P.S. Here are a few things you could do before we officially start next Tuesday:

• Read 1st John. Yep, the whole book. It’s not that long.
• Jot down any questions you have as you read.
• Underline any words that standout to you.
• Read a bit on the background of 1st John.
• Bookmark this page to see a list of all content as it become available.