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December 17 Daily Reading- Read the Bible in 1 Year
2 Plays2 minutes ago
Happy Hanukkah! If you would like to watch the 2025 Hanukkah service from the Messianic Jewish congregation I attend, you can find that here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ5AT87INFU&t=5385s
If you would like to download my FREE calendar for keeping track of your commitment to read the Bible every day, you can find that on my site, here: https://www.inthefamilywaycoaching.com/pages/read-the-bible-in-1-year
Monthly memberships to support this event can be purchased on my site, here: https://www.inthefamilywaycoaching.com/offering_packages
Today we will begin reading the Book of 1John. We will read Chapter 1:1-2, 5-9, Chapter 2:1-6, 9-17, 27, 29 and Chapter 3:1-2, 4-11, and 13-24.
Today John will talk to us about the difference between SAYING we love and actually ACTING like it and BEING loving toward others. It is not enough just to SAY we love others, we have to actively refrain from "hating" or "disliking" one another! We need to actively work toward unity with one another, even sharing what we have with one another when someone has need. Love is not just a thing we talk about- a noun; love is an action word- a verb!
In our discussion for daily application I will share my own personal testimony about how God has been working in my life to love others. God has reconciled me with people in my work place I have had difficulties with. Satan tries to keep believers apart from one another because he understands that we are one with each other and God. I have found that when there is someone I meet or work with who just rubs me the wrong way or I do not like them for a reason that I cannot even define, that often (but not always) I learn that they are believers! As a result, I change my attitude toward them and actively work toward having a spirit of unity with them. It can be difficult, especially if they are unwilling, but God has worked in our hearts and we are more agreeable with one another, even loving with one another! Praise God for guiding us to walk in His light!
If you enjoyed today's reading and feel like God has lit YOUR light please click the LIGHT button (it looks like a thumbs up or a heart) and consider subscribing to or following my channel, if you have not done so already done so.
If you know someone who might be interested in reading the Bible with me this year please SHARE today's reading with them! It's never too late to join in! Let's help this event grow and together we can spread the word about reading God's Word!
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Transcript
Introduction to the Session
00:00:03
Speaker
Welcome back, everybody. Today is December 17th. Today 2025, it is the fourth day of Hanukkah. So I'd like to wish you all a very happy Hanukkah. And I hope that you are choosing to be the light in the world as the world is full of darkness.
Bible Reading: 1 John Chapters 1-3
00:00:22
Speaker
And we're going to be discussing that today in our daily reading as we begin the book of 1 John and cover chapters 1, 2, and 3. But before we do that, I want to make sure we all know why we're here.
00:00:35
Speaker
We are here for that daily reading through the Day by Day Kids Bible written by Karen Henley.
Engagement and Commitment
00:00:41
Speaker
Thank you so much for joining me, whether you are following along on your podcast or whether you're watching the video.
00:00:47
Speaker
I'm so thankful that you are sharing God's word with me. If you're following along on your bookmarking commitment calendar, go ahead and get that out. You know what to do. We're gonna cross off our day with whatever we have available, a sticker, a pen, a pencil, a crayon, a marker, whatever it is, because we are about to hear the Bible today.
Understanding Love as Action
00:01:12
Speaker
We are going to be talking about love today. The Bible is very clear in our teaching that we are to love one another. And it's not something that we should just say, it's something we have to do.
00:01:29
Speaker
In a textbook type of explanation, I'm going to tell us that there is, love can be used in different grammatical formats. There is the noun version, and that's where we are discussing it as a thing, like to say, i love something.
00:01:48
Speaker
Like, for instance, if we say love of one's neighbor is the greatest virtue, that is simply referring to love. But love is actually also a verb.
00:02:02
Speaker
And a verb, if you've ever played Mad Libs, is an action
Genuine Love vs. Worldly Values
00:02:06
Speaker
word. So it's not enough to simply talk about the concept of love, the noun, the thing.
00:02:15
Speaker
We need to actively engage in the act of loving. And it's interesting. I love the example that the dictionary.com gives me for that under the verb section. It says to feel or show active self-giving concern for.
00:02:34
Speaker
And the example they give is love your neighbor, even the one you don't like. So even the secular world can get that right. but but but Even the world knows the difference between love and and not loving.
00:02:49
Speaker
So today we are going to be reading in 1 John. And John is the author and he is much older at this point. He is towards the end of his life, but not there yet. He is going to also be giving us the book of Revelation.
00:03:04
Speaker
And so he is explaining to us that there's a difference. There is what love looks like and there is what it does not look like. And one of the things that we've been learning this year is the difference in between what something does look like and what it does not look like so that we can spot the fake.
00:03:25
Speaker
A fake is when people talk about love without doing it. They can say, i love god But unless they are actively showing it and doing things that show that love, then they are not actually loving.
00:03:43
Speaker
They're just talking about it. And in today's society, we have a saying that says, talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words. So today we're going to be seeing love in action and what that does look like.
Living in God's Light
00:03:57
Speaker
We're also going to be seeing the difference between loving God and what loving the world means. Now, when John tells us not to love the world, he is not referring to the fact that we should hate our lives or the fact that we should hate everybody in the world because that would be contradictory. It's not saying that we should hate the things that God has created.
00:04:21
Speaker
The world is used as a description for things that are of Physical nature, things of the sinful nature, worldly values. And John will explain that difference today. Worldly things are things that are materialistic.
00:04:39
Speaker
They are things that the world values, such as self-love, self-preservation, selfishness. Gain by doing bad things. You know, we say getting rich off of the backs of others.
00:04:56
Speaker
things of that nature. That is what John means when he says to hate the world or don't love the world. I wanna make sure that we understand that going in so that when we hear it, we're not confused by what we hear.
00:05:09
Speaker
So let's begin today 1 John chapter one.
Righteous Living and Obedience
00:05:15
Speaker
John was old when he wrote this letter to Jesus' followers.
00:05:21
Speaker
We are telling you what's been around from the start. We're telling you what we heard and saw We're telling you what we touch with our hands.
00:05:33
Speaker
We are telling you about the Word, capital W, meaning Jesus, the Word of Life. We saw it. It is life that lasts for forever.
00:05:47
Speaker
The Father had this life with him, and he showed it to us. So John is describing being a witness. He has been a witness and we are called to be witnesses.
00:06:01
Speaker
So John is obeying. He is being a witness to the things that he has seen and experienced with God. That's something we all need to be doing as well. It's not our daily application, but I want to point out the example of obedience and what he is doing. He is being a witness.
00:06:20
Speaker
John goes on to say, here is the message that he told us. God is light. There is nothing dark in him.
00:06:32
Speaker
If we keep sinning, then we are living in darkness. And we might say that we are God's friend, but that would then be a lot. If we follow God in his light, then we are friends with each other.
00:06:49
Speaker
And Jesus' blood cleans the sin from our hearts. If we say that we don't sin, then we are lying. But what if we say we do sin and that we are sorry?
00:07:05
Speaker
Then God keeps his promise and he forgives us. He cleans our hearts from the wrong that we have done.
00:07:15
Speaker
You are like dear children to me. I am writing to you so that you will not sin. But what if you do sin? Well, then Jesus talks to God, the father for you.
00:07:28
Speaker
Jesus is the one who does what is right. He makes us right with God. And we are right with God because Jesus died for our sins.
Love of God vs. Worldly Desires
00:07:42
Speaker
So how do we know that we really know him? Well, We obey what he tells us. So what if somebody says, I know him, but this person doesn't do what God says?
00:07:58
Speaker
Well, then that person is lying. What if a person obeys God? Then God's love fills him. Here's how we know that we are in Jesus's kingdom.
00:08:13
Speaker
We act like Jesus acted. Someone might say, i am living in God's light. But if he hates somebody else, then he is still in the dark.
00:08:28
Speaker
If you love, then it's like living in God's light. Nothing makes you sin against God. But if you hate, then it's like living in the dark.
00:08:42
Speaker
You don't know where you're going. And you can't see. I am writing to you, children, because Jesus forgave your sins.
00:08:54
Speaker
You believe in Jesus's name. And I'm writing to you, you fathers, because you know Jesus. And he's been around from the start.
00:09:06
Speaker
I'm writing to you, young men, because you are strong and God's word lives in you. And you have won over Satan.
00:09:19
Speaker
Do not love the world. Do not love anything in the world. What if someone loves the world? Well, then the Father's love is not in him.
00:09:32
Speaker
In the world, there are sinful things that people want. They brag about what they did and what they're doing. But these things don't come from the Father.
00:09:44
Speaker
They come from the world. And the world and what it wants will fade away. the person who does what God wants will live forever.
Unity Among Believers
00:10:00
Speaker
God chose you. He cleans sin out of you. That tells you everything. he has He has truly chosen you.
00:10:13
Speaker
and it's not a lie. he has told you that you are his, so stay with him. God is sinless and he does what is right.
00:10:26
Speaker
So everybody who does what is right belongs to him and they are his children. The father's love is so great.
00:10:40
Speaker
He means big. He calls us his children and we really, really are his children. So why doesn't the world know us? It's because the world didn't know him.
00:10:55
Speaker
We know that Jesus will come back again. And when he does, we will be like him. And that's because we will see him like he really is.
00:11:08
Speaker
Everybody who sins is breaking the law. That is what sin is. But Jesus, he came to take our sin away. There is no sin in Jesus.
00:11:22
Speaker
People who belong to him will stop sinning. And people who keep sinning have not seen Jesus and they don't know Jesus.
00:11:34
Speaker
So don't believe lies. When people do right, then things are right between them and God. People who sin belong to Satan. And that's because Satan sinned from the start.
00:11:48
Speaker
The reason Jesus came was to get rid of Satan's work. People who belong to God will not keep sinning. And that's because God is in them.
00:12:01
Speaker
They can't keep sinning because they have been born into God's family.
00:12:06
Speaker
Here's how we know who Satan's children are. They are people who do not do right. People who do not do right are not God's children.
00:12:19
Speaker
People who don't love God's people are not God's children. So here's the message. You have heard it from the start. Love each other.
00:12:34
Speaker
Don't be surprised if the world hates you. We know that we have left the kingdom of death behind. We live in the kingdom of life We know that this is true because we love God's people.
00:12:50
Speaker
People who do not love stay in the kingdom of death. People who hate are killers. And you know that no killer lives forever but Jesus.
00:13:02
Speaker
Here's how we know what love is. Jesus gave up his life for us. We should give up our lives for God's people too.
00:13:15
Speaker
Let's say someone owns a lot of things. We spoke about this yesterday when we talked about the importance of sharing.
00:13:25
Speaker
Let's say someone owns ah lots of things and he sees one of God's people who needs something, but he doesn't feel sorry for that person. So how can we say that God's love is in him?
00:13:37
Speaker
We would say that that person is lacking in compassion. Compassion is active love.
00:13:46
Speaker
Let's show our love, not just by what we say. Let's show love by what we do And that is how we know that we belong to God.
00:14:00
Speaker
What if our hearts start blaming us? We can feel peace because we have shown love. We can feel peace because God is greater than our hearts.
00:14:12
Speaker
He knows everything we say and do. So if our hearts don't blame us, we feel sure about talking to God. He gives us what we ask for.
00:14:24
Speaker
And that's because we are obeying him. We are doing what makes God happy. Here is what God wants. He wants us to believe in Jesus, his son.
00:14:38
Speaker
Then he wants us to love each other. People who obey God live in his kingdom. And God lives inside them.
00:14:49
Speaker
how do we know that God lives inside of us? Because he gave us his spirit.
00:14:59
Speaker
And that is the end of our reading today.
00:15:06
Speaker
So we understand the importance. We've talked about it before this year. And John is reminding us as he was reminding the communities that Apparently, they were having difficulty loving one another when he wrote this letter, or he would not have written to them about this subject.
00:15:24
Speaker
We will also read that they were having difficulty with, again, false leaders who are teaching them false things. We need to be on our guard. We need to remember and know that God is love and that we do have him with us.
00:15:39
Speaker
We have his spirit. That is important. We know that we have him. when we are doing and obeying what he wants us to do, when we are loving one another.
00:15:52
Speaker
And as our bible as ah or as our dictionary definition gave us, we're not just to love the neighbors that we like, we're supposed to love even the ones we don't like. It's important to love other people.
00:16:04
Speaker
John is specifically referring also to making sure that we love one another. We can't hate those of us who are within God's family, other believers. We are meant to be one in one another.
00:16:18
Speaker
And so Satan wants to cause division. He wants there to be division among us as believers. Because as Jesus explained, a house divided cannot stand against anything.
00:16:32
Speaker
So we need to be united, remembering that we are one in each other, one in Jesus, one in
Stories of Reconciliation and Unity
00:16:39
Speaker
God. And together we are all unified together. And as a result of that, it's very important that we love.
00:16:47
Speaker
Because if we hate somebody and we say, oh, i can't stand that person. I don't like them. Then are not living in God's love.
00:16:59
Speaker
We cannot both love and hate. We can't serve two masters, Jesus told us. So their master is Jesus and God. So we need to love one another and not just in word.
00:17:11
Speaker
Yes, I love everybody, but then fail to share, fail to show our caring, fail to act on that love. Then that is talk. That is faith without action.
00:17:23
Speaker
And faith without action is not faith. We need to trust that God will reconcile things together with us. I have had difficulty if you've been around for most of this year,
00:17:37
Speaker
Earlier in the year, I had difficulty with different people at work. And I am amazed that through this year, I have been reconciled with everybody who had difficulty with me, or I had they i had difficulty with them in some way.
00:17:55
Speaker
There have been supervisors, there have been upper management, there has been ah fellow coworkers, and every single person God has reconciled me with them.
00:18:09
Speaker
And in some cases, I have found out that the people that were we were having difficulty together are believers. I didn't know that.
00:18:21
Speaker
Satan did. And he wants to keep us apart. We need to not let him do that. I have found in the past, and I've mentioned this before, but if you are a newer listener, then you may not have heard this before.
00:18:33
Speaker
that when there is somebody who just rubs you the wrong way, that you are irritated by them. And you don't know why. You can't put your finger on it. You're just irritated by their presence.
00:18:45
Speaker
You just don't even want to be around them. And you just, you can't even name why. You just say, don't know. i just don't like that person. Chances are that person is a believer.
00:18:56
Speaker
And you just don't know it. So it is important to have these conversations where we find out, we do a little bit of investigating.
00:19:07
Speaker
Maybe not by just saying outright, if you don't feel comfortable saying, hey, are you a believer in God? Ah, that's it. And I've heard other people give the same testimony too. I was speaking with someone about this at church a couple of months ago.
00:19:23
Speaker
And she said that she found that to be true as well, that there was a particular supervisor. It just seemed like this person had it out for her. And and the the woman in my congregation said, I told her, she said, you know what?
00:19:38
Speaker
You're gonna love me one day.
00:19:42
Speaker
Because she knew, she had found out that that woman who had such a difficult time with her was also a believer. And it it took this person time before they finally came around to loving the the lady in my congregation. She said, but you know what?
00:20:02
Speaker
She finally did it.
00:20:06
Speaker
Saint wants to keep us apart. Even with people that I've had a difficult time with for over a year, I'm suddenly having conversations about God with.
Praying for Reconciliation
00:20:17
Speaker
And it is so beautiful.
00:20:21
Speaker
It feels so amazing inside because then that conflict is is gone and there it is replaced with shalom. And now it is replaced with unity.
00:20:33
Speaker
And now it's replaced with love. So while I was struggling before to pray for these people, because I did, I was trying real hard to pray for these people because we are supposed to pray for those who are considered our enemies.
00:20:47
Speaker
And so I did, I prayed for them. And it was hard. You don't always feel what you want to pray. But I prayed with the best that I could to pray good things for these people.
00:21:01
Speaker
And guess what? Now i can genuinely pray with love for these people. God chipped away at the hardness and he replaced it with us, with a heart of flesh.
00:21:15
Speaker
And he reconciled and unified us. i I just love it. It's the most beautiful thing I can possibly testify to you witness about. So I hope that that encourages you to know that it's not just with me. I'm not special.
00:21:31
Speaker
it is available for you as well. So honor God's command to love. Do your best, especially with those people who are having difficulty with you or you are having difficulty with them.
00:21:44
Speaker
Because it can take, as I talked about with my husband's family, 24 years. But you know what? We have to endure. and We need to love.
00:21:55
Speaker
Jesus loved us so much that he gave his life for us. So the least we can do is to love others as well. Well, I hope that you are encouraged today. i hope that you feel that God has lit your light. I know I always do. And today is no different.
00:22:16
Speaker
And i am just so thankful for this reading this year as we've been able to grow closer to honoring God and to learning how to obey him and learning how to love and to make God and Jesus the most important ones in our lives.
00:22:29
Speaker
They are meant to be the most important ones. We need to put God first and then God will take care of the rest. When we honor God and obey, he will guide us into all truth and knowledge and love in him because we are one in him.
00:22:46
Speaker
So it is my prayer for you today that as you work actively to verb, to actively be love and to love others, that God will honor your heart and your commitment to obedience in him.
00:23:03
Speaker
to walk in the light, because God is light. We don't want to walk in the darkness. And as I have done the last couple of days, I want to use our menorah as an example of that as well.
Conclusion: Be a Light in the World
00:23:16
Speaker
We have our Hamash light, our servant light, and it has lit our fourth light today. So as we are meant to be lights in a world of darkness, may you go forth today on the fourth day of Hanukkah with love for everybody you come across, for those who are giving you a hard time, whoever God is placing upon your heart that you've had a difficult time loving. i pray that you will actively pray for them, that you will actively work toward unification with that person, whoever it may be in your life.
00:23:49
Speaker
I hope you have a fantastic rest of your day. Please try to remember to click that light button when you're done at the end so that we can help spread the light and be the light in the world. Don't put your light under a bowl.
00:24:02
Speaker
No one can hide a city on a hill. Put your light up and let it shine so that we can help spread the word about reading God's word so that other people will hear this message of love and be encouraged to also love with action, not just in words.
00:24:18
Speaker
And until I see you again next time, I know that you will have a very blessed time and have opportunities to practice what God is teaching us in our daily applications. See you then.