Closing Words

Now that you've studied 1 John, read it again in a couple of different versions. Does it make more sense? Do you understand things that you didn't understand at the beginning? How has this short book impacted your walk with Christ?

If you have time, write each of these words on a piece of paper. If you're the artistic sort, write them in random places on a large sheet of blank paper. If you're the engineering sort, write them across the top of a piece of paper and draw columns for writing under each one.

FELLOWSHIP/ABIDE SIN KNOW LOVE BORN OF GOD LIGHT TRUTH

• Under or around each word, write what you remember from your study of 1 John.
• As you work with a word, think of the 5 Ws and an H questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? For instance, if the word you're working on is "light," your questions might be: Who is light? What can I do to walk in the light? When am I in the light? Where can I find light? Why is it important for me to stay in the light? How can I walk in the light?
• Think about how each of the words relates to the others. How does sin affect fellowship and abiding? What do I need to know about sin? How does one who is born of God deal with sin? and so on . . .

Perhaps, as you read through 1 John or worked with these concepts, you thought of other questions. That's good, and that's as it should be. Use the study tools that you know to try and figure out answers for those questions. Not every question can be answered, but it doesn't hurt to wrestle with your questions. Often the answers are there; you just need to pray for the Holy Spirit's teaching and spend time looking in God's Word. Enjoy!