Lee Sommitz Paraphrase
1 John 4:1-6
1 Precious children, be diligent to test for the source of every spirit since many lies are being taught. 2 Here is the bottom line: Every spirit that agrees that God appeared in the form of His Son Jesus Christ is from God. 3 Conversely, every spirit that won’t agree to that is not only not from God, but is also against the very Son He anointed! That is the spirit of antichrist you heard was coming and is already in the world. 4 You precious ones, however, are from God and have all that it takes to triumph because He who is in you far transcends all the antichrists in this world. 5 Being worldly, that is how they speak and why they are taken seriously by the world. 6 We, however, who know God, will listen to others who are from God. Thus, we can distinguish the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
The Village Church’s sermon podcast is more than just a weekly message. It is an invitation into the great and ongoing story of God’s work in the world. Pastors Eric, Mark, Susan, Daniel, and other leaders open the Scriptures not as a collection of abstract ideas but as the living, breathing witness to God’s kingdom breaking into our midst. Each episode is a call—not merely to listen, but to take part, to step forward into the life of faith with renewed vision and purpose.
Week by week, the pastors and leaders explore the deep rhythms of Christian discipleship—prayer, fasting, generosity—not as isolated duties but as part of a larger, richer, and more beautiful whole. They unpack these ancient practices in light of Jesus himself, the one in whom heaven and earth have come together. But they also turn their attention to the realities of everyday life—relationships, finances, the struggles and joys of being human—demonstrating how the gospel is not merely about what we believe but about how we live as God's renewed people in the present age.
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