1 John 5:1–13 – 1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. 2 We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. 3 Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. 6 And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross – not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony. 7 So we have these three witnesses – 8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood – and all three agree. 9 Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son. 10 All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son. 11 And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life. 13 I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. (New Living Translation)

How We Lighten Our Spiritual Load?

1. The burden of ________________________ is lightened by expressing our __________ for God with obedience to His commands

1 John 5:1–3 – 1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, (New Revised Standard Version)

• In what ways have the burden of disobedience crashed your life and hindered your spiritual development?

• How does obedience to God’s commands free us to live a better and more fulfilled life broadening our spiritual journey?

2. The burden of ________________________ is lightened by trusting in God for _________________ ________________

1 John 5:4–5 – 4 for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. 5 Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (New Revised Standard Version)

• What is it that keeps you from experiencing this spiritual victory and weighs you down?

• What ways does your faith bring you victory in life helping you feel as a conqueror of this world?