IMPORTANT NOTE TAKING NOTES
- You can take notes on this page and email them to yourself at the bottom of the page
- If you navigate away from this page before you email yourself, YOU WILL LOSE YOUR NOTES
- You may take notes anytime and email them to yourself as much as you'd like :)
The Light Shines in the Darkness
4. To All Who Received Him
Message Outline
John 1:1–18 (NIV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
1. Recognize him.
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:1–3 (NIV)
2. Receive and believe.
Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name.
And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 1 John 3:23 (NIV)
3. Become a child of God.
Children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
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. 1 John 3:1 (NIV)
God, thank you for showing yourself to me. Jesus, I turn to you, admit I need you as the Light that shines in the darkness. I ask you to enter my heart by faith. By your Spirit, restore me with your forgiveness, help me to hear your voice and know your love. Gather me with others to worship and serve you, to nurture our faith and shine your light in the world. Thank you for calling me your child. I know that always be in your embrace, and that nothing can separate me from your love. Help me to bear witness to who you are in my life and in our life together as the church. Amen.
