Community Group Questions

“A Guide to Testing the Spirits” 11/25/18

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Scripture: Read- 1 John 3:19-4:6

Series: 1 John: A Guide to the Christian Life- Part 8

Connecting the teaching and the worship: Since our teaching is on “testing the Spirits”, how do we know that the things that we “feel” during a worship service are of the Spirit and in line with Him rather than just a stirring of the emotions?

1). Why did the message go back into chapter 3 to define what “testing the Spirits” is all about?

2). How is understanding our heart, and what our heart “condemns” vs what our heart “rejoices in” ONE of the ways in which we test the Spirits?  Why is it not sufficient as “the only” way to test the Spirits?

3). Why did John instruct the church to “test the Spirits” in his context? How is that still relevant to us today? (4:1-2)

4.) What was the message of the false prophets that John was warning about?  Are there “false narratives” that are being taught in the church that we need to be on guard against today?

5). What specific things did John instruct the church of that time to look for in terms of false teachers and teaching?

6). How do we sharpen ourselves to be able to discern truth from un-truth?

7). 1 John 4:4 is one of the most often quoted verses, or part of a verse, “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world”

A. What did that mean in light of the context of the passage and to the original hearers?

B. What encouragement can we take from that verse while still being honest to the context?

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Application Questions

1. Are you messing around with anything that your heart condemned yet you are doing it anyway?

2. Have you trained your heart to discern the things of the spirit and to reject the things that negatively impact your heart?

3. If there was anything in your life that your heart condemned that caused you to doubt your assurance or the love of God, like Edwards, would you direct all of your forces against it?

4. Does your application of Christian liberty draw you closer to Christ or pull you away?

5. Do you make It a practice to test the spirits to see if something is from God ?

6. Are you grounded enough in the Gospel to use it as a measuring stick to discern truth and error?

7. As we close, how about an expression of gratitude that he who is in us is greater than he who is in the world