Head: Know God’s Word | Heart: Love God | Hands: Follow God’s Way

Read 1 John 5:4-5

"For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." 1 John 5:4-5 

Are you a Christian, a follower of Christ? John presents five things in our lives that show how God has changed us when we become believers and followers of Jesus. Today, we will look at SIN and GROWTH.

Head

Are we changing? Are we becoming more like Jesus over time?

John says that everyone who is truly born of God will begin to overcome the world, meaning they stop living the way the world does and start living by faith in Jesus. This doesn't mean we become perfect right away, but it does mean we're making progress. Part of growing in Christ is not making sin a regular part of our lives. That doesn't mean Christians never sin, but it means we don't excuse sin or become comfortable with it. Instead, we see sin the way God sees it - something harmful that pulls us away from Him. The more we grow in Christ, the more we'll want to fight against sin, not live in it.

Heart

God wants our faith to be alive and growing. It's like a plant; you don't see it grow all at once, but you see the difference over time. Loving God means not staying where we are spiritually. It means wanting to grow, little by little, becoming more like Jesus every day.

When we truly love God, we don't want to break His heart by doing things He says are wrong. Imagine someone tracking mud into the house every day and saying, "No big deal," yet they know it upsets their parents. When they love and respect their parents, they want to stop, not just shrug it off.

Sin is like mud we carry into God's house. Loving Him means we want to keep the house clean, not because we're scared of punishment, but because we love the One who lives there. Can you think of a time you knew something was wrong but wanted to do it anyway? What helped you say no, or what could help next time?

Hands

Faith that grows leads to action. When we trust Jesus more, we overcome fear, resist temptation, and make better choices. Victory doesn't always mean we never struggle; we keep getting back up and following Jesus. This week, pick one thing you want to overcome. This could be something like complaining, being fearful (the Word of God says do NOT fear), being selfish (putting your needs above others), or a bad habit like playing games on your tablet that steals all your time so that you do not have time to pray and read the Bible.) Ask God for help. Talk to your family or KXP leader so they can check in to see if you are doing what God wants you to do.

Prayer: Lord, thank You that we can overcome the world by faith in Jesus. Help us not to stay the same but to grow stronger, kinder, and more faithful every day. Help us win against anything that tries to pull us away from You, God. Keep helping us grow. In Jesus' name, Amen.