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	<title>Deeper Bible Studies Blog &#187; 1 John</title>
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	<link>http://www.deeperbiblestudies.com/blog</link>
	<description>Life Changing, Life Application</description>
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		<title>Go beyond WWJD &#8211; What Would Jesus Do?</title>
		<link>http://www.deeperbiblestudies.com/blog/general/go-beyond-wwjd-what-would-jesus-do</link>
		<comments>http://www.deeperbiblestudies.com/blog/general/go-beyond-wwjd-what-would-jesus-do#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:44:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>dbsbrad</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[1 John]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Changing the Face of Christianity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[faith in action]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[walk]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.deeperbiblestudies.com/blog/?p=159</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Instead of asking WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?)...start asking WIDWJWD (Will I Do What Jesus Would Do?). To be a true disciple of Jesus Christ, we must back up our talk with Actions. 1 John 3:18.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You&#8217;ve heard the phrase. You may have even seen it on a billboard: <strong>WWJD &#8211; &#8220;What Would Jesus Do&#8221;</strong>.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s a great way of saying, &#8220;I don&#8217;t know what I should do in this situation&#8230;but no matter, I should do what Jesus would do&#8230;so WWJD.&#8221;</p>
<p>So, we see a car stranded. Or we see a person in need. Or we have a conflict with a friend or family member. And we ask WWJD.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s great advice. <strong>Jesus is our role model</strong>&#8230;and it IS HE that we should emulate.</p>
<p>How many of us acknowledge what Jesus would do&#8230;but then don&#8217;t do it? It&#8217;s a BIG reason why non-Christians look at Christians and label us <strong>hypocrites</strong>.</p>
<p>We must not SAY one thing (talk the talk) and then NOT do it (not walking the walk).</p>
<p>So, I propose a <strong>NEW catch phrase: WIDWJWD &#8211; &#8220;Will I Do What Jesus Would Do?&#8221;</strong></p>
<p><strong>1 John 3:18</strong> says &#8220;<em>Dear children, let  us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.</em>&#8221;</p>
<p>To be a true disciple of Jesus Christ, we must take action. Until we do this consistently, outsiders will continue to look at us as all talk, and no action.</p>
<p>So in the coming weeks,<strong> start asking yourself: WIDWJWD</strong>! And let me know how it works out.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.changingthefaceofchristianity.com" target="_blank">To learn more about how you can LIVE your faith and walk the walk, visit this site</a>.</p>
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		<title>Love Others by Looking Them in the Eye</title>
		<link>http://www.deeperbiblestudies.com/blog/general/love-others-by-looking-them-in-the-eye</link>
		<comments>http://www.deeperbiblestudies.com/blog/general/love-others-by-looking-them-in-the-eye#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Mar 2010 06:05:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>dbsbrad</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[1 John]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Changing the Face of Christianity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bible]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[christian love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[God]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[relationships]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.deeperbiblestudies.com/blog/?p=142</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We meet people all the time. All too often I feel like the person shaking my hand has no interest in me at all. They don't take the time to "SEE" me. They are usually gazing off in the distance for the next hand to shake. I'm left feeling like "Mr. Cellophane" from the musical Chicago. To establish relationships with other people, and to show them you care, start by looking them in the eye.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Have you ever met someone for the first time and felt like Mr. Cellophane from the musical Chicago? I have felt this way more often than I care to admit. In other cultures, it might be the norm, but in America, not looking someone in the eye sends a message: &#8221;You aren&#8217;t very important to me&#8221;. Forget about trying to remember someone&#8217;s name; the eyes come first.</p>
<p>God commands us to love one another (1 John 3:23). Love can be communicated in many different ways… by listening, by helping, through words of encouragement and hope, and through acts of selfless service. But love always starts with &#8221;hello&#8221;. When you first meet someone, do you give them undivided attention, or are you looking for the next person to meet?</p>
<p>I can count on one hand the times in my life when I have witnessed someone giving consistent focused attention to a group of new people; treating each person as uniquely important. How about you?</p>
<p>We meet new people at the grocery store, at the pharmacy, standing in line for tickets to a show, waiting for a table at a restaurant, at a power-lunch or networking event, and even at church. How do you make people feel when you first meet them? My suggestion is to first make them feel important to you with your eyes. There are other suggestions, but this is a good first step.</p>
<p>In my church, there is a small time set aside at the beginning of service to &#8221;go shake some hands&#8221;. This is where I have most often felt invisible to those new people I&#8217;m meeting. For some visualization, imagine you are in a dense fog and all you see coming at you is a hand. So, you start to extend your hand to meet theirs. Now, if you are like me, the next thing you do is look up and see whose hand it is.</p>
<p>This is the moment of truth. Will the person be looking at you as they shake your hand, or will they be looking left, right, or past you for the next hand? The goal is not to &#8216;&#8217;shake as many hands in the next 30 seconds as possible&#8221; and the winner gets a prize. It&#8217;s about connecting briefly with another human being.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m calling you to be the type of person who looks the other person in the eye. When they look up, they should see you looking at them and only them. While you say hello, continue to look at them. In that brief moment, make them feel important with your eyes.</p>
<p>Jesus Christ was quoted as saying &#8221;If someone says, &#8216;I love God,&#8217; and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.&#8221; (1 John 4:20) The practical application today is this: How can you love others if you aren&#8217;t even willing to give them your brief undivided attention? If it&#8217;s tough to do this in church with fellow believers, how are you possibly going to make non-believers feel important when you meet them?</p>
<p>When it comes to evangelism and connecting with non-believers, I won&#8217;t suggest I have it all figured out. But I do know this: true evangelism starts with a loving relationship where the other person feels as important to you as they are to our heavenly Father. The first and possibly only chance you will get to develop such a relationship depends on your eyes. Where are they focused?</p>
<p>My plea is that you let the whole world turn into a thick fog where the only thing you see is the other person&#8217;s eyes. In that moment, choose to love them as our Father has commanded, through focused attention. Who knows? The next time you meet them they might actually remember your name and you might remember theirs.</p>
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		<title>1 John 1:1-4</title>
		<link>http://www.deeperbiblestudies.com/blog/1john/1-john-11-4</link>
		<comments>http://www.deeperbiblestudies.com/blog/1john/1-john-11-4#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Mar 2009 02:38:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>dbsbrad</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[1 John]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bible]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.deeperbiblestudies.com/blog/?p=52</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[1 John 1:1-4 (NIV)
1 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&#8211;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 [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>1 John 1:1-4 (NIV)<br />
</strong><sup><span style="color: #000000;">1 </span></sup>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&#8211;this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.<br />
<sup><span style="color: #000000;">2 </span></sup>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.<br />
<sup><span style="color: #000000;">3 </span></sup>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.<br />
<sup><span style="color: #000000;">4 </span></sup>We write this to make our joy complete.</p>
<p>Let us not forget that John the Apostle, actually SAW, SPOKE WITH, AND TOUCHED JESUS. Some people falsely claim that the writers of the Bible never actually saw or spoke with Jesus. Non-believers would like to believe that was true. However, you and I know differently. We know the truth.</p>
<p>In the above passage, when John says &#8220;the life appeared&#8221; he is referring to Jesus Christ. Isn&#8217;t it powerful to have a first hand account of the teachings of Jesus&#8230;an eye witness to his ministry in this world?</p>
<p>So what do we do with this information? How are we to respond? My answer is &#8220;with confidence and grace&#8221;. When confronted or challenged by a non-believer&#8230;speak the truth. The Bible is the truth.</p>
<p>My second answer is&#8230;&#8221;by changing your life&#8221;. Think about it. If you truly believed that what the Bible teaches is 100% true&#8230;how would you think and how would you treat others? Would you start forgiving others (quickly)&#8230;as the Bible commands? Would you LOVE others as John suggests? Would you be slow to become angry as instructed in James 1:19?</p>
<p>It is my prayer that we all LIVE a life inspired by the truth of God&#8217;s word.</p>
<p>(for more information on 1 John, check out our 5 week, <a title="1 John Bible Study" href="http://www.deeperbiblestudies.com/1john_bible_study.htm" target="_blank">1 John bible study</a>.)</p>
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