The letters of John, these incredible little documents, drafted towards the end of the First Century, as one who is probably the Last Living Disciple (in this body) nears the end of his life… as a very old man now, this Pastor of Pastors writes “love letters” to “his dear children”.
From what we consider to be the youngest of the Disciples walking with Jesus, the one most beloved of Him, to the eldest Disciple walking among us…
These letters have held a precious place in my heart all my life.
Don Merritt is currently going through reflections on 1 John right now in Life Reference, and I applaud that, I endorse that, I recommend you go be a part of that! I have preached and taught from these texts. And it’s all DIFFERENT! Gloriously DIFFERENT! We all, as God-led teachers, see a number of the same “landmarks”, a number of the same “highlights” and “critical pieces”. But at the very SAME TIME… we perceive those landmarks from our own locations, our own footings, our own “scenic overlooks”… so we see them, we flavor them, we color them DIFFERENTLY.
To many people “comparison shop” in the Kingdom of God. They “shop” churches. They “shop” religions. They “shop” preachers and teachers. They “weigh, measure, and find wanting” between one or another. In short… they JUDGE! And Jesus was very clear that this is out of order. Recently I have come to realize just how deep in my own nature is this “judging sin”… that the sin is not only in the “manner of measurement” that we use, but (like Sermon on the Mount) the sin starts long before that, in the “reaching out to place a specimen on the scale” in the first place. The sin is not so much in “how we answer the question of how to judge another”… as much as it is in “believing we have the right even to ask the question.” It is NOT a matter of “criteria”… the sin is in the act, the attitude, itself.
So I want to be very clear here. I am posting a “different take” on the Letters of John here, by a different preacher entirely. But I am NOT posting this, that you or anyone else, “compare and contrast” this teaching with anyone else’s. That would be VERY out of order for me. I am posting these only to “enrich” your experience of this magnificent text… to add another palette of color to the beauty of this masterpiece… and expand the spaces of your heart to admit even greater light, life, and love.
Please take your time and savor, rather than otherwise. I pray these bless you and yours as much as they have me and mine. Grace to thee — The Little Monk.
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Faith Foundations – Jesus is God
Posted in Uncategorized on Jan 5th, 2012 Comments
One of the first great doctrinal understandings of the Christian church is the idea of a Trinitarian God. Minister of Music Greg Whaley begins the series of Faith Foundations by looking at 1 John 1:1-3 in the context of four Greek words: logos, zoe, phaneroo, and koinonia. The message reminds us that Jesus is God and any doctrinal attempt to separate the Trinity ends in a wrong understanding of the nature of God. Our Trinitarian God is One, seeking us out in love and doing what only He can to save us. Greg Whaley preached this message on Sunday morning, January 1, 2011 at First Baptist Church of Bogalusa, LA. This podcast is a ministry of First Baptist Church. Thank you for listening.
Faith Foundations – God is Light
Posted in Uncategorized on Jan 9th, 2012 Comments
What is the message that a fallen world needs to hear from Christ’s church? Though we may tempted to preach from the context of our culture, the apostle John preaches from the message he has received from Jesus. Pastor Adams takes us to the Epistle of 1 John and explores this message of the ancient apostle – “God is Light and in Him there is no darkness at all.” Pastor Adams preached this message on Sunday morning, January 8, 2012 at First Baptist Church of Bogalusa, LA. This podcast is a ministry of First Baptist Church. Thank you for listening.
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Faith Foundations: I am Sinner with a Savior
Posted in Uncategorized on Jan 16th, 2012 Comments
How can we, who are sinners, have any connection with this God who is Light and Life? In this sermon from the Faith Foundations Series, Pastor Bob helps us to see how very far even the best of us are from God. But far more than just getting us to feel bad about ourselves, the message of I John 1:8-10 exhorts us to confess our sins because Jesus is faithful and righteous to forgive us. We are all sinners with a Savior! This message was preached on Sunday morning, January 15, 2012 by Pastor Bob Adams. This podcast is a ministry of First Baptist Church of Bogalusa, Louisiana. Thank you for listening.
Faith Foundations – He Himself
Posted in Uncategorized on Jan 31st, 2012 Comments
Pastor Bob continues in the series of Faith Foundations with this sermon from I John 2:2. Last week’s message dealt with Jesus as advocate with the Father. Today, we look at Christ’s role as the propitiation for our sins. Pastor Bob traces the true understanding of propitiation all the way back to the Old Testament and the Ark of the Covenant. In this sermon, we learn that Christ, Himself is the covering for all of our sins, and not just ours, but that of the whole world. This sermon was given by Pastor Bob Adams on Sunday, January 29. This podcast is a ministry of First Baptist Church of Bogalusa, LA. Thank you for listening.
Faith Foundations – Called to Love
Posted in Uncategorized on Feb 23rd, 2012 Comments
Pastor Bob teaches from I John 2:3-6 about what it means to know Jesus and to walk in His way. Love is not something that we make ourselves to do. Love is something we are called to live through the indwelling Presence of Christ Himself. This sermon was given by Pastor Bob Adams on Sunday, February 5. This podcast is a ministry of First Baptist Church of Bogalusa, LA. Thank you for listening.
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Faith Foundations – Love is Light
Posted in Uncategorized on Feb 23rd, 2012 Comments
In the last of the series, “Faith Foundations,” Pastor Bob returns to I John to show us light and love exist in perfect harmony. Drawing on four truths from the Scriptures, we learn that to have love is to have Light. This sermon was given by Pastor Bob Adams on Sunday, February 12. This podcast is a ministry of First Baptist Church of Bogalusa, LA. Thank you for listening.
The Postmodern Mystic 
paulfg
February 11, 2014 at 2:50 PM
Oh you little beauty!
I had in mind to suggest these pearls merited a public outing here – even though I felt so privileged to be touching them and floating in their music. And here you are! You open the drawer and place them – lovingly – a small selection – in front of us!
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vwoods1212
February 11, 2014 at 3:22 PM
Very comprehensive material here; food for thought on all fronts. Was unsuccessfully trying to save the media to digital listening device.
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Little Monk
February 11, 2014 at 5:38 PM
if you go to the podcast site “Podbean”, and go to the “full post” for the selection, you will have a download option. They’re mp3 files, and will eventually download. Or.. you can subscribe to the RSS and try for a feed that way. Grace — LM
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vwoods1212
February 11, 2014 at 7:42 PM
ok thxs.W
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