Dear West Family

Last week the West staff took a few days out on a retreat. It was a wonderful time of rest, relaxation, food, laughs, prayer and time in the Word. We are all so thankful as a team that we get to serve this congregation with our lives. The privilege of that call is not lost on us.

In our devotion times we all read the first of John’s epistles together. In that letter, John refers to his readers as his children (or his little children) seven different times. You see, by the time of writing, John was an old man who had learned a lot, maybe more than anyone else, about what it looked like to follow Jesus faithfully. While we did have our own old wise man in Steve Shaver with us (Steve turned 60 while we were out there last week) we really benefited from sitting at the Apostle John’s feet and letting him share his wisdom of the ages with us as his little children. This is such a powerful thing that patriarchs do. They share their wisdom with the next generation, whether that generation wants to hear it or not.

It reminded me of a kid’s show which is the favorite by far in the Lester house. It is an Australian cartoon called “Bluey” and we are kind of addicted to it. One of the reasons we love it is that the father figure in the story is a wise and fun and altogether wonderful dad. This is a very rare character in kid’s fictional work actually. In kid’s stories dads are most often terrible, but not in Bluey. Bandit (the dad) often shares mantras with his kids, and it has caused us as the Lester’s to adopt some memorable mantras of our own in our quest to live the best life we can as a family unit. Sue and my current favorite is “you can do hard things” as we try to teach our kids to stand out in their generation through perseverance, although Katie’s favorite Bandit mantra is definitely “don’t tell mom.” Hopefully our kids will be formed by the mantras of their parents in a positive way.

Which brings us back to John. Here are the seven things he says to his little children in the faith. Pay attention kids, dad is talking.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. - 1 John 2:1

In other words, we should be so confident that Jesus is for us that the very idea of sin feels beneath us and not in fitting with Christ’s representation of us.

I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. - 1 John 2:12

In other words, God’s reputation is riding on your forgiveness. That is how seriously He is committed to forgiving you.
He is more committed to your forgiveness than you are to your rebellion.

Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. - 1 John 2:18

In other words, be alert. There will be those within communities of faith who try to pull you away from living in the way of Jesus. They are anti-Christ and His ways. Be aware.

And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. - 1 John 2:28

In other words, live in such a way that God doesn’t seem like a stranger on the day that you meet Him.

Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. - 1 John 3:7-8

In other words, pursuing holiness is a mark of someone who has the Spirit of God. If we don’t desire to live holy lives then that is a sign that we don’t desire what God desires.

Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. - 1 John 4:4

In other words, be brave! The Spirit lives inside you which means that there is nothing that come against you that should ultimately cause you fear.

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. - 1 John 5:21

In other words, worship God and always place Him ahead of the stuff of this world.
Let nothing else grab your heart, and your energy and your sacrifice and your sense of self!

Oh dear friends. What a joy to have a father figure in John, who lived with Jesus and who watched Him suffer, die and be resurrected. When he talks, we should listen. We shouldn’t roll our eyes at the old man as kids are tempted to do. We should lean in to these wonderful mantras and reorient our lives around their truths.

See you Sunday.
Ross