This past weekend I had the privilege of preaching at Meadowbrook Church in Wauwatosa, one of our sister churches in the Brook family of churches. When our family first moved to the Milwaukee area in 2003, while I served as Elmbrook Church’s College Pastor, we lived on the east side of Tosa and knew a lot of folks who were part of the community at Meadowbrook. More recently, I have gotten to know and deeply respect Bryan Marvel, the Lead Pastor at Meadowbrook, and it was a joy to speak as part of their current series on 1 John, “Walk in the Light.”

I spoke from 1 John 2:28-3:10 and focused on ways in which the Apostle John answers a fundamental question of our human existence: “Who are we?” As John unfolds his answers to that questions, he also offers an exhortation to his readers—and us—about what it means to live like we know who we are.

You can view the message video and outline below, and access discussion questions and sketch notes from the message here. You can take a look at Meadowbrook’s entire series here.

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“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1)

Knowing We Are Children of God (1 John 3:1-2)

• Based in the love of God
• How this happens
• Aspects of the new identity

Continuing with Hope (1 John 2:28-3:3)

• A crisis of hope
• The future appearing of Christ
• The future transformation of life
• Tomorrow’s hope and today’s living

Living Free and Victorious Now (1 John 3:4-10)

• The first appearing of Christ
• The freedom and victory in Christ
• Living in Christ and apart from the devil