Monday, January 19, 2026

Opening Scripture

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:1-5

Opening Prayer

Gracious Father, we know that you sent the Eternal Word – the Lord Jesus Christ – to become flesh, dwell among us, die for our sins, and rise again for our salvation. We know that you have given us your divine Word – the Scriptures – for our instruction, correction, and sanctification. May we devote ourselves to the study of Scripture that we might better follow your Son, our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever more. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

1 John 1:1-2:2

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. 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. 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. We write this to make our joy complete.

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

Reflection  

This week we will read and reflect on the letter of First John. John was a Jew, a fisherman, the son of Zebedee, the brother of James (Sons of Thunder), part of Jesus’ inner circle, “the disciple Jesus loved”, entrusted by Jesus to take care of his mother Mary, faster than Peter, and a leader in the early church in Jerusalem.

This letter from John is very similar to the gospel he wrote. It was written later in the apostle’s life, perhaps around A.D. 90, and probably intended to be passed from community to community around the area of modern Turkey.

In this epistle, John emphasizes the importance of good theology, honest confession, radical obedience, gracious morality, and a life of love. He describes heretics in the church (Gnostics) as antichrists, liars, and children of the devil. Gnosticism emphasized a “dualism,” declaring all spirit as good and all matter as evil, leading to a wide array of flawed conclusions, especially about the person and work of Jesus.

Go back and read today’s passage again. Ask the Spirit to draw your attention to a particular truth. Write it down and meditate on it throughout the day.

Flourishing Habit

Mental and Physical Health

Forgiveness is a powerful thing! 1 John 1:9 promises that when we confess our sin to God, He is glad to forgive us…over and over again. Psalm 32:1-2 says, “Blessed is the one whose sins are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.”

The Human Flourishing Program participated in the largest study of forgiveness ever done. The results were profound. Forgiveness lowers depression and anxiety. It releases the forgiver, allowing him to navigate unpleasant and challenging life experiences while maintaining better psychological health.

Forgiveness involves replacing ill will with goodwill toward those who have wronged us. It doesn’t discount truth and justice. It doesn’t negate accountability. It doesn’t require pretending the offense never occurred.

Forgiveness starts with the decision to forgive and a desire to move past the hurt, damage, and negative emotion. It’s difficult, but possible. And God wants to help you do it. Is there someone you need to forgive?

Remember: Nothing changes until something changes!