Wk 6 Day 5: The Family Resemblance

Scripture Reading

1 John 3:10
10 This 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 God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.

John 13:34–35
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Reflection

John brings everything down to one practical question: Do we bear the family resemblance?

The evidence of belonging to God is not merely what we say. It is seen in how we live. God's love produces visible fruit: righteousness in our choices and love in the way we treat others.

This isn't meant to drive us to despair but to invite us into honest reflection. The same Father who adopted us is continuing His work within us.

Reflection Questions

• When people observe my life, do they see evidence of God's work in me?

• Do my words and actions reflect the character of my Heavenly Father?

• How am I demonstrating love toward others?

• What area of my life most needs to reflect Jesus more clearly?

Prayer

Father, thank You for making me part of Your family. Help me reflect Your character in the way I live, speak, and love others. May my life point people toward You and bear the unmistakable marks of someone who belongs to Jesus. Continue Your transforming work in me. Amen.

Wk 6 Day 4: Freedom From Sin's Power

Scripture Reading

1 John 3:4–9
4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one 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. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.

Romans 6:12–14
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

Reflection

John reminds us why Jesus came: to take away our sins and destroy the works of the devil. Jesus did not come merely to make us feel better about our sin—He came to free us from its power.

This does not mean believers never struggle or stumble. John has already taught that Christians still need confession and grace. What changes is our direction. We can no longer be comfortable living in ongoing rebellion because God's Spirit lives within us.

Reflection Questions

• Is there any area of unrepentant sin that I have become comfortable with?

• What convictions has the Holy Spirit been bringing to my attention?

• Am I fighting against sin or making peace with it?

• How is God inviting me to greater freedom and obedience?

Prayer

Father, thank You that Jesus came to break the power of sin in my life. Search my heart and reveal anything that is keeping me from deeper fellowship with You. Give me the courage to repent, the strength to obey, and the grace to walk in freedom. Amen.

Wk 6 Day 3: Living in Hope

Scripture Reading

1 John 3:2–3
2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[a] we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

Colossians 3:1–4
3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your[a] life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Reflection

John reminds us that God's work in us is not finished. One day we will see Jesus face to face and be fully transformed into His likeness. This hope is not wishful thinking—it is a certainty rooted in God's promises.

But this future hope is meant to change how we live today. We pursue holiness not because we are trying to earn God's love, but because we eagerly await the return of the One who loves us.

Reflection Questions

• Do I regularly think about Christ's return?

• How does my future hope shape my present priorities?

• Is there an area of my life where God is calling me toward greater holiness?

• What would it look like to live today with eternity in mind?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for the hope of Your return. Help me keep my eyes fixed on You and not become consumed by temporary things. Continue transforming me into Your likeness and teach me to live each day in light of eternity. Amen.

Wk 6 Day 2: Living as a Child of God

Scripture Reading

1 John 3:1
3 See what great 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.

Romans 8:15–17
15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[a] And by him we cry, “Abba,[b] Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Reflection

John pauses in amazement at the Father's love. God has not merely forgiven us—He has adopted us into His family. We are not strangers trying to earn access to God. We are sons and daughters welcomed by grace.

Many believers know this truth intellectually but still live with fear, insecurity, and anxiety. Today, allow your identity as God's beloved child to sink deeply into your heart.

Reflection Questions

• Do I truly believe that I am loved by God?

• Am I living from my identity as God's child or from my fears and insecurities?

• How would my life change if I fully embraced God's love for me?

• What burdens am I carrying that I need to bring to my Father today?

Prayer

Father, thank You for lavishing Your love upon me. Thank You that I am Your child and that I have access to You through Jesus Christ. Help me live with the confidence, peace, and security that comes from knowing I belong to You. Amen.

Wk 6 Day 1: Abide in Christ

Scripture Reading

1 John 2:28–29

28 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.

29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.

John 15:4–5

4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Reflection

John's first encouragement is simple: Remain in Christ. Following Jesus is not merely a decision we made years ago. It is a daily relationship that must be cultivated and nurtured. Just as a healthy marriage requires ongoing attention, our relationship with Christ flourishes when we intentionally stay connected to Him.

The goal is not religious performance. The goal is intimacy.

Reflection Questions

• How connected do I feel to Jesus right now?

• Have I been intentionally cultivating my relationship with Him?

• What distractions have been pulling me away from Christ?

• What is one practical way I can spend more intentional time with Him this week?

Prayer

Jesus, thank You for inviting me into a relationship with You. Forgive me for the ways I have drifted or become distracted. Help me remain close to You each day. Teach me to abide in Your presence and trust You as the source of my life, strength, and joy. Amen.