Recently, I found a feature on Life.Church's iPhone Bible app called "Help Me Find a Plan" and experienced great results!
It’s an interesting feature which leads you to a page where you can select from a variety of key terms like Love, Grace, Men, Women, Peace, Anger, Trust, Depression, Purpose, etc. There’s a lot there!
I found a multitude of interesting plans and each of them contains scripture readings and devotions from both well-known authors like John Piper and Francis Chan and other lesser-known, yet helpful authors and organizations.
I chose a study titled, “Deeper into Scripture: 3 John” by DeeperIntoScripture.org, It is a one-day study, and I have copied and pasted the devotional material from the study for you to see it yourself and do it if you want.
This study helped me read below the surface.
Going Deep into 3 John 1:1-15, The Devotion Component
First Reading: Enter
As you read this passage of scripture for the first time you are simply "entering in" or familiarizing yourself with what God is saying here. Notice the circumstances, people, places, etc.
Second Reading: Impress
As you read the same passage of scripture for the second time, notice what word, phrase, sentence or verse makes an "impression" upon you.
Third Reading: Pray
As you read this passage of scripture for the third time through, begin by spending a few moments in prayer thanking and praising God for His Holy Word. As you read, be prayerfully interacting with God about the text.
Fourth Reading: Live
In this final reading of the passage ask God to show you how He wants you to live based on this scripture. Is there something He would have you start doing, stop doing or continue doing?
Reflections on 3 John 1:1-15
After reflecting, I wrote what I thought and found from reading the Book of Third John with this study below.
Reflections Part 1: Enter
Places: (Probably from the Island of Patmos where John was exiled to a church in Asia Minor.)
People: Gaius, fellow believers, non-believers, Diotrephes, Demetrius, John himself.
Circumstances: John praises Gaius and instructs him how to handle a hospitality issue in the church.
Gaius Commended for His Hospitality
1. John prays for Gaius to prosper in all things and be in good health just as it is well with his soul.
2. John praises Gaius for walking in the truth by showing hospitality to the traveling fellow believers.
3. Though, strangers to Gaius, he took them in and “sent them out in a manner worthy of God; for they began their journey for the sake of Christ, accepting no support from non-believers.
4. John says we too should support believers in spreading the gospel to the unbelievers, so we may become co-workers with the truth.
Diotrephes
5. Yet, someone named Diotrephes does not acknowledge the authority of John or the other elders.
6. If John comes, he will definitely make known to the church there what Diotrephes is doing in spreading false charges against of his and the other elders’ authority.
7. Diotrephes not only defames John and the other leaders but also refuses to welcome fellow believers and spreaders of the gospel.
He even keeps members of his church from offering aid to these people by threatening to expel them from the church if they do.
Demetrius
8. John calls Gaius to not imitate what is evil or what Diotrephes is doing, but to imitate what is good, since whoever does good is from God, and whoever does evil has not seen God.
There is a man named Demetrius who is doing good according to reports, so Gaius should imitate him.
Final Greetings
9. John states that he has a lot to write about, but he would rather tell Gaius in person when he hopefully sees him soon in person.
10. John wishes peace upon Gaius and says the believers with him send their greeting. He asks Gaius to likewise greet the believers where Gaius is, and each by name.
Reflections Part 2: Impress
Certain sentences and phrases stuck out and made an impression on me.
Beloved
The first sentence stands out to me because John calls Gaius “Beloved.” How often do we refer to our friends like that? They must be tight.
Health and Success
Also, John prays for all to go well with Gaius in what he does and also for him to be good in health like he is in his soul. We can pray for good health and success.
Worthy of God
“in a manner worthy of God” stands out to me when John commends Gaius for sending out the fellow believers well. I feel like should use this phrase as a measuring stick for everything we do.
We as Christians are living sacrifices to God, so let’s act in a manner worthy to God in all we do
Imitate Good
“do not imitate what is evil but imitate what is good” stands out to me because it seems obvious. Apparently, it is not always obvious, since John says it.
Taking this into account, we need to examine who and what we are imitating, so we do not imitate evil like the those who imitated Diotrephes.
Greeting Friends
“Greet the friends there, each by name.” also makes an impression on me. We need to be meaningful and purposeful in our relationships.
Greeting people by name is one step to living life with people genuinely without having conversations that end in simply “I’m good, how are you?”
Reflections Part 3: Pray
Dear God, please
Prosper us in all respects, and give us good health
Enable us to walk in the way of truth
Help us be faithful to our fellow believers, especially those spreading the word to the unreached.
Guide the authority of our churches to follow your authority and in turn guide us obey You.
Show us what is evil and strengthen us to imitate what is good.
Make our relationships with our fellow believers strong and genuine.
Reflections Part 4: Live
I think God wants me to live more faithfully and genuinely with my fellow believers so that we can have strong relationships built on deep, intentional love.
