Have you ever experienced deep darkness? I'm talking about the kind of darkness that envelops you so tightly it affects your breathing. That only begins to scratch the surface of the depth of darkness we are in without the light of Christ. In their song "Then Christ Came," MercyMe sings of that light and how He took our sins away. I took on the first letter of John this week to see exactly how Christ's coming should (and should not) be reflected in our lives. In this week's episode, I discuss the following: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Read in context Repetition Consult an overview Compare and contrast When Christ came, He changed everything - 1 John 3:5 A plan for reading 1 John several times over several days as a foundation for future study Two words that jumped out at me -- "abide" and "sinning" Marking up my favorite Scripture journal with my favorite Bible highlighters - ESV Illuminated Scripture Journal Amazon Paid Link - Daily Grace Co Bible Highlighters The struggle against jumping to study notes or a commentary too soon in the Bible interaction process The focus area of study - 1 John 2:28-3:10 Comparing and contrasting the 3 "abide"s and the 7 "sinning"s found in our focus section Bible Sense Lexicon discussion on the word "confidence" found in 1 John 2:28 - Logos Bible Software Example When Christ came, He came to "take away" sin, not re-categorize it - 1 John 3:5 Don't sin, but if you do... - 1 John 2:1 If you live a life excusing a pattern of practicing sin, you aren't a child a God (I didn't say it...God did) - 1 John 3:6, Matthew 7:21-23   There are deceivers out there trying to water down your faith-walk. Be on guard and let the truth of Scripture guard you and guide you.   More Than a Song Playlist Additional Resources Lyrics - NewReleaseToday.com The story behind the song "Then Christ Came" by MercyMe - FreeCCM.org article with video links Overview of 1-3 John - Bible Project My new favorite Bible Study Software - Logos Bible Software Affiliate Link 1-3 John Illuminated Scripture Journal - Amazon Paid Link Bible Highlighters - Daily Grace Co Link Weekly Challenge Read 1 John in its entirety several times over several days. Then focus your study efforts on 1 John 2:28-3:10. I focused on the contrast of abiding versus sinning, but there are many contrasts to explore further. As you discover more, I’d love to hear about it. Really. I read every