TODAY:

Letters of John #5: Testing the Spirits

BIG IDEA: True believers, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, are able to discern

truth from lies

SCRIPTURES: 1 John 4:1-6, Deut. 13:1-3, Matt. 7:15, Acts 20:29-31, 2 Pet.

2:1-3, 2 Cor. 11:4, John 8:44, John 16:13-14

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Q: Have you ever experienced something you thought was true, only to

discover it was a lie? What was that experience like?

Q: How do the Scriptures/concepts from this week help you grow as a disciple

who loves God, loves people & serves the world (lives on incarnational

mission) in everyday life?

Q: Based on these Scriptures, how can you move from unbelief to belief, from

just knowing to actually doing in your life?

Connect with God (UP)…

Q: Read 1 John 4:1-6. What is the essential way we can recognize whether a

spirit or teacher is from God or the world? Why is this so important?

Q: Discuss the significance of this statement: “spiritual or religious activity in

not necessarily godly activity.” How may they be the same, and how are they

different?

Q: In what way is the Spirit inside the Christian greater than the spirit who is in

the world?

Connect with Others (IN)…

Q: How can you, and we as a church, hold each other accountable to making

sure we’re not wandering down an unbiblical path?

Q: Q: How should we relate with one another when we have disagreements

about essentials, convictions, or opinions?

Connect with the World (OUT)…

Q: What is meant by “the world” in this passage? How can Christians

effectively engage the world without surrendering their biblical convictions?

QUOTES:

“Our war against the three enemies of the soul is not a war of guns and bombs.

It’s not against other people at all. It’s a war on lies. And the problem is less that

we tell lies and more that we live them; we let false narratives about reality

into our bodies, and they wreak havoc in our souls.” – John Mark Comer (LiveNo Lies)

“Is the world strong? Yes, but our God is infinitely stronger! Are false prophets

wise? Yes, but our God is infinitely wiser! Is Satan great? Yes, but our God is

infinitely greater! And this One who is infinitely stronger, wiser and greater

now and forever lives in you!” – Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary