Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Focus Church: North Street, (Marshall)/Malta Bend

Pastor: Ralph Varner and spouse Doris

Please hold the family of Rev. Dr. Aubrey Jones, retired clergy in the Gateway Central District, in your prayers. He passed away on Saturday, April 3. Notes of sympathy can be sent to Rev. Jones' wife, Melva Jones, at 13104 Northview Heights Ct., Florissant, MO 63033.

Scripture – 1 John 1:5-2:2

The message: God is light

⁵ This is the message that we have heard from him and announce to you: “God is light and there is no darkness in him at all.” ⁶ If we claim, “We have fellowship with him,” and live in the darkness, we are lying and do not act truthfully. ⁷ But if we live in the light in the same way as he is in the light, we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from every sin. ⁸ If we claim, “We don’t have any sin,” we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹ But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from everything we’ve done wrong. ¹⁰ If we claim, “We have never sinned,” we make him a liar and his word is not in us.

Living in the light

2 My little children, I’m writing these things to you so that you don’t sin. But if you do sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one. ² He is God’s way of dealing with our sins, not only ours but the sins of the whole world.