‘STUDIES IN 1 JOHN'  1 John Chapters 1 to 5

Every week we meet in small groups, called cells, in each other's homes. Once a week for an hour and a half we read the Bible together and work out how it applies to our lives; we share our concerns and our joys and pray for each other. We also find space to worship God in an informal and relaxed manner. You would be very welcome to explore the Christian faith at any of our groups. 

This month we're studying the New Testament book of 1 John. If you would like to join a cell group to join in this study please contact Tony Butterworth through the contact form.  

Please feel free to use these sessions as you see fit in your cell. You may wish to go through following the church services, or you may wish to look at 1 John in some other way.

You could read the whole of 1 John as a discipline through March.

Keep a note of what God says to you as you read.

1 John is a lovely little epistle. People are not absolutely sure about the background into which it was written. Clearly John saw his reason for writing as  one of bringing ‘assurance'; of salvation to his readers. (1 John 5:13). At the time of writing a heresy was beginning called the ‘Gnostics' (the ‘Knowledge' people); they reckoned that they had all the knowledge as to how to get to God, and without doing what they said you could not meet with God. John may have been writing to answer this, by saying that everyone can ‘know' God as we trust in the Lord Jesus and are filled with His Spirit.

Ask yourself these questions about each of the passages you read:

Where does the word ‘know' come in this passage?

What can be ‘known'? How can we ‘know'?

What does this passage tell me about holiness? Or sinfulness? Or love?

How can my life be changed by this passage?

How can this passage help me when I or someone I know is down?

March - Assurance

READ   1 John 1:1-10; 2:5; 2:29; 3:14; 3:19,24; 5:13; 5:13

Has there been a time when you have been ABSOLUTELY sure about something? What happened?

What does ‘being sure' about anything rest upon?

Now begin by trying to make a list of all the times the word ‘know' is used in 1 John.

Ask yourself - who knows? What do they know? What does ‘knowing' do?

Do you ‘know' God in this way? If you do does it help you? How?

What does 1 John 1:1-10 tell us about forgiveness and starting again with God?

How might we help one another to ‘grow in assurance'?

March - a child of God

READ    1 John 2:1,2; 2:12; 2:18; 3:1-2; 3:7; 4:4; 5:2

What is it like having children? Are they a joy or a pain?

What/who are children like? Look at the verses above and ask what we should be like?

What is the difference between ‘fathers' (2:13) and children (2:12)?

How can we keep all the good points of being a child whilst maturing into adults?

Think of a child, or children that you can help to grow as a cell. How will you help them?

March - Love

READ    1 John 2:10, 3:11-18; 3:23; 4:7-21; 5:2

What do you think love is - to a workaholic? To a harassed mum? To an abused child? To a friendless person?

How can we talk about ‘love' when it means so many different things?

Can you think of another word for the kind of love God has for us?

How can we truly ‘love one another' in cell and in the church?

March - Faith in Christ alone

READ - 1 John 1:1-3; 4:1-4; 5:1-12

Have you ever had to trust your life to something completely - a rope for instance?

How did it feel? What happened when you were able to trust ‘yourself' again?

What others things might we trust in, than Jesus?

How does it feel trusting in Him alone?

What things might let us down?

How can we realise more that He will never let us down?

What ‘out' are you doing as a cell that will help people to trust Jesus alone?