1 John 3 (New International Version)

1 John 3

¹How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ²Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears,^[a]we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. ³Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

⁴Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. ⁵But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. ⁶No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

⁷Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. ⁸He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. ⁹No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. ¹⁰This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.

1 John 2:1-14

Iron Men,

Great week last week of giving input on The Word, agree? This week, we will read 1John 2:1-14, cool? Below is the verse. Let’s stay in it together! Get ready for a humbling experience – read these three verses and you’ll see what I am saying:

⁴The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

⁶Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

⁹Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.

Ouch, looks like I’ve got some soul-searching to do, AGAIN! Looks like another humility lesson, huh? What do you guys think? However, let’s remember this from last week:

9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

1 John 2:1-14 (New International Version)

1 John 2

¹My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. ²He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for^[a] the sins of the whole world.

³We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. ⁴The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵But if anyone obeys his word, God's love^[b] is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: ⁶Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

⁷Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. ⁸Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.

⁹Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. ¹⁰Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him^[c] to make him stumble. ¹¹But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.
¹²I write to you, dear children,
because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
¹³I write to you, fathers,
because you have known him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, dear children,
because you have known the Father.
¹⁴I write to you, fathers,
because you have known him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God lives in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.

1 John 1-10 (NIV)

OK Iron Men, Let’s get into 1 John ...

Let’s try to really step up the chatter and let us know what this means to you! Let’s read it, chew on it and apply it. We all look forward to hearing what this means to you or any experience you have or have had that this speaks to. All and send in your comments!

Also, please welcome two new members to our group; Ken Bush from Shur-Sales and Dan Hicken a buddy of mine from Florida.


1 John was written by The Apostle John to refute the destructive teachings of the Gnostics. This letter was written to the churches in Asia Minor. In this, John sets forth as a “fellowship barometer” three tests:

Have I confessed all known sins to God?
Am I walking in obedience to the light of God’s word?
Am I demonstrating a love for the Bretheren?

(above information is taken from the book: Talk Through The Bible: Wilkinson and Boa)

1 John 1-10 (New International Version)
1 John 1
The Word of Life
1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4We write this to make our[a] joy complete.
Walking in the light
5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[b] sin.
8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

Acts 20: 25-32

^{Iron Men,}

^{There is a special request this week from Pastor David Jarboe that we study and pray about the below verse (Acts 20: 25-32) as The Gathering is appointing Elders next Sunday. If you are in Iron Men, but not involved at the Gathering, this verse still should have meaning in many ways. Let’s chime in on what we think about this verse and pray. Next week, we will go into Luke!!! Sound good?}

²⁵"Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. ²⁶Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. ²⁷For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. ²⁸Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.^[a] Be shepherds of the church of God,^[b] which he bought with his own blood. ²⁹I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. ³⁰Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. ³¹So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

Philippians 4:10-23 (New International Version)

Thanks for Their Gifts

10I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

14Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. 15Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. 17Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. 18I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

20To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Final Greetings

21Greet all the saints in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send greetings. 22All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar's household.

23The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.^[

Iron Men introduction

Well...here we go guys! The "Iron Men" are going stronger than ever (or is that growing stronger than ever??). For those of you who don't know what it is the "Iron Men" do, here's a little bit about what it is:

- Each week, a portion of a bible chapter will go out, via email, text, and by way of this post

- Then, the idea is to read it daily or several times a day, then

- Chew on it, meditate on it and try to apply it in your daily lives then,

- When it speaks to you (it will if you read it over and over), then pop out an email to the group letting us know your thoughts or, post a comment here on the blog, or

- Call and encourage someone on this list or several of us, we need it – ALL OF US – Be transparent, it will help others to say how they really feel then, if you feel that this is as worthwhile as many of us do,

- Help recruit others to join our group

Prov 27:17, "As Iron Sharpens Iron, so one man sharpens the character of another"

We started out with the men of our local church. But God has taken the "Iron Men" concept outside our feeble little minds. There are now men in our group that have never even seen each other, or know who each other are, other than through emails and text messages. "God is so good!"...

The way God's Word speaks to everyone at different times, has been absolutely amazing to see! Then...to hear so many guys talking about it?? WOW! I'm the type of guy that's always been afraid to say what I think, because I think it will "come out wrong", or, not be the "appropriate" thing to say. However, one thing I've learned from being a part of this group, is that whatever you don't say, could be holding someone else back who needed to hear the very thing that you were afraid to say!! Weird, huh?

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding:" Prov 3:5

This is just the introduction to the blog, and I'm not sure yet how the whole "blog" layout is going to look yet! Sign up to follow the blog. Keep checking in. And above all else: keep praying!

"Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

May God Bless you all, brothers....

-Ken