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1. John realizes that we all need encouragement. Especially new members (the children). 2. He encourages each group by letting them know that no matter who or what age you are, that if you confess your sins and ask for forgiveness, God will forgive you. He lets them know what their status in God is.

1. Hate and unforgiveness blinds us and keeps us in the dark, which separates us from God. Hate and unforgiveness effects us in all ways. 2. We come into the light, if we pray and ask for forgiveness.

1. We can pray, study God's Word and obey His commandments with the right attitude. 2. If we love God, love our neighbors and obey His Commandments, we will not become legalistic or self-centered. 3. To obey His Commandments and walk as Jesus walked, we can prove how serious we are about obedience.

1. John assures us that if we do sin, Jesus stands in the gap for us by going to the father for us. 2. We know that if we do sin, there is a chance that we may be forgiven and that we won't be separated from God. 3. We want to avoid sin because we want to please God. We love Him and He has been so very good to us. We should strive daily to live by God's Word.

1. Confession is the sincere and honest admission of our sins. 2. We should confess our sins so that they will be open before God and ourselves, even though He knows them already. 3. If we stop confessing our sins, we are consumed with guilt and our conscience beats us up. We don't feel free to go before God in prayer. 4. If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us of our sins. 5. Forgiveness is to pardon you from sin and cleasing is to make you clean or purify you from sin.

1. They are lying to themselves and disregarding the Bible. 2. If you have read the truth in the Word and continue to commit the same sin, then you are only deceiving yourself, because God sees all. 3. When we walk in the light, we are washed in the blood and cleansed of our sins. 4. We can get back into the light if we sin, if we stop sinning,and ask for forgiveness and then contiunue to walk in the light.

1. We are usually looking at our fellow Christians in a worldly way and it is hard to relate in a Christian way. 2. We should begin by reading and studying the Word of God and work on reaching a deeper level in Christ ourselves. 3. We should get together and pray for understanding of each other and proceed to study the Word.

1. The cities of Succoth and Peniel did not want to get involved or take sides. They didn't believe that Gideon could complete the task. 2. Gideon punished these men because his men were tired and far away from hom and needed food, which was selfish of these cities when they refused. 3. These people were not showing love for their brothers. 4. Yes, Gideon was just, because these two cities were also benefiting from what Gideon and his army had done and they should have been hospitable to these men. 5. Seeing people begging for help and just passing them by and not helping in some way.

1. Gideon knows that if he doesn't vanquish the 15,000 men they will return later and attack them later. 2. Gideon had to be sure that he followed God's plan to the end. Whenever you don't complete a difficult task, sometimes it returns and is worst than it was in the beginning.