Week 11: Do you know? – 1 John 5:13-21

1 John was written “so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).  So, how do you know?  Throughout this letter, John gave us some tests and indicators of how we can know that we have eternal life.

LIVE OAK CONNECTION POINT:

Sunday, November 30 is a Family Sunday. PreK-5th grade will worship in our main services at both 9:30/11am. Learn more about Family Sunday here or at Sign Up & Events on our App & website.

DISCUSSION/REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

• What are your plans for Thanksgiving?
• What is something you are very thankful for right now?
• What is something about this small group that you are very thankful for right now?

READ: 1 John 5:13-21.

Spend some time SOAPing this passage. You can either spend time SOAPing individually and documenting for a several minutes and then spend time sharing with each -OR- SOAP in real time with each other. Either way make as many observations as you can.

• Observations: What are the things that stand out to you about this passage?
• How would you summarize this passage in one sentence?
• How would you summarize the book of 1 John in one sentence?
• What does this passage tell me about who God is?
• What does this passage tell me about who I am?

• John closes out this letter addressing several areas very quickly as he closes out the letter.  What stands out to you about these things he mentions as he closes out the letter?
• Why do you think his last sentence of this letter is a warning to “keep yourselves from idols”?   And what does that warning mean for us today?

***Spend some time reviewing the tests from 1 John.  Read through them and talk about which ones got your attention and need your attention:

The LIGHT Test  (1 John 1:5-7; 2:8-11)   Am I walking in the light?

The SPIRITUAL HUMILITY Test  (1 John 1:8-10; 2:1-2)  Will I admit that I am a sinner that needs a Savior?

The OBEDIENCE Test  (1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 5:2-3)  Am I seeking to know and obey His commands?

The FORGIVENESS Test  (1 John 2:9-11)   Is there someone I will not forgive? Is there someone I hate?

The PRIORITY & PURSUIT Test  (1 John 2:15-17)   What am I chasing after?  Do I choose the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life or humility or do I seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness?

The JESUS Test  (1 John 2:22-23)  Is Jesus A Messiah or THE Messiah?  Is Jesus my Lord and Savior?

 The PERSEVERANCE Test  (1 John 2:18-19, 24-25)   Do I stick it out or bail out?

The IDENTITY Test  (1 John 3:1)   Who do you think you are?  Do I know that I am a Child of God?

The SIN Test (1 John 3:3-9; 1:8-10; 2:1-6; 5:2-3)  Am I making progress or excuses?  Am I repenting and turning from my sin?

The LOVE Test  (1 John 3:10-18)   Am I loving others as Christ would? Who am I NOT loving the way Jesus would?

The TESTING Test  (1 John 4:1-3; 2:18-23)  Am I testing the spirits, teachers and influences on my life?

The LIFE CHANGE Test  (1 John 4:13). Is the Holy Spirit changing me from the inside out?

The TESTIMONY Test  (1 John 5:11-12)  Is my life telling the story of God?

The KNOWING Test  (5:13) Do I know that I have eternal life?

• As we leave this series on 1 John, what is your next step based on the series?
• What else stood out from this week’s sermon?
• APPLICATION: What is your big takeaway from this week’s sermon?  Be specific.

NEXT STEPS:

Everyone has a next step to apply what we have learned. What is your next step?  Be specific.

*** 3 SERVICES (8:30am/10am/ 11:30am): 

>What service will you be ATTENDING starting January 11, 2026?

>If you already serve on Sundays, what service will you be SERVING starting January 11?

>If you not already serving on Sundays, would you pray about serving on Sundays to allow us to create a service for us to make room for more?

*Go to SIGN UP & EVENTS to let us know which service you will be attending and serving, or to sign up to serve, and to help us decide which sermon series will kick off the 3 services era of Live Oak.

MEMORY VERSE: *Challenge yourself or your group to commit this verse to memory:

1 John 5:13 “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

PRAYER:
Spend some time praying for each other.

Scripture References:

1 John 5:13-21; Matthew 6:9-15; Matthew 26:39; James 5:19-20; Galatians 6:1-2; 1 Peter 5:8-9; Ephesians 6:10-20; 1 John 1-5; John 13-17