Book Review: Relying on the Love of God (1 John)

What do you rely on to get through your day? The things we rely on are also what define us—our family, education, job, accomplishments, money. For the apostle John, nothing defined him more than the love of God in Jesus, and that is what he relied on every moment of every day. Scotty Smith takes readers through 1 John and shows how a rich understanding of the love of God prepares us to thrive in times of great stress and strengthens us for every season of life.   Relying on God’s love brings true joy that empowers us to be faithful in the face of opposition. Discover how we are to live in this world as children of light and how the best way to defeat spiritual warfare is to be preoccupied with Jesus. Participants will learn how knowing Jesus equals loving Jesus, and loving Jesus equals loving others. Because the Father already loves us as much as he loves Jesus, he is committed to making us like Jesus.

About the author: Scotty Smith, DMin, planted and pastored Christ Community Church in Franklin, TN, for twenty-six years. He worked on the pastoral staff of West End Community Church as teacher-in-residence and also served as adjunct faculty for Covenant Seminary, Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia), Reformed Theological Seminary (Orlando), and Western Seminary (Portland, OR). He is the author of Everyday Prayers, Every Season Prayers, Ephesians: The Love We Long For, Revelation: Hope in the Darkness, and 1 John: Relying on the Love of God. Scotty and his wife, Darlene, live in Franklin, TN.

My Review:

This is a great group study for those longing to know more about Christ who are fairly new to the Bible, or those in need of a reminder of His love for you. The author breaks down 1 John in a way that is easily understandable and relatable with author stories. There are also articles to read that further help, as well as group discussion and individual reflection. Each chapter is easy to navigate and go through without too much time, yet there’s much to learn about yourself and Christ’s love.

If you’re looking for a life-changing Bible study that is easy to go through, consider 1 John: Relying on the Love of God.

This study was provided to me in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated and all views are my own.