3 John

Truth and Love
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Series Overview

Discipleship Resource:

Ideal for small groups or Sunday school, with Bible study outlines that encourage conversation. Each session includes smaller games, illustrations, discussion starters, and Going Further activities to extend discussion and build on application.

Session 1:

Truth and Love

John writes to Gaius, celebrating his commitment to both truth and love. He contrasts Gaius’ faithfulness with Diotrephes’ selfish behaviour, encouraging believers to imitate what is good. Imitate what is good by faithfully choosing truth and love over self interest, especially in how we show hospitality.

Sessions
1.
Truth and Love
3 John 1-15
Series Elements

Use these to link your sessions into a coherent series, reinforce teaching, and communicate effectively.

Throughout the book, John commends Gaius for his love and hospitality towards others and expresses disappointment in Diotrephes’ lack of welcome (v9). Take time to think through and plan ways to show loving hospitality to your group this session.

Set Up:

  • Consider how to make your space feel warm, welcoming, and personal.
  • Think about the details, they can make a big difference in helping people feel seen, included, and valued.

Ideas for Showing Hospitality:

  • Welcome: 
    • Greet each person by name as they arrive.
    • Ask specific questions about their week, their world, or something they mentioned last time.
  • Food & Drink:
    • Set up a snack table or prepare individual snack bags.
    • Serve drinks that feel slightly more special, e.g: hot chocolate with cream, marshmallows, and sprinkles.
    • Bake or bring something homemade.
  • Environment: 
    • Set up chairs in a circle with cushions or soft seating.
    • Play background music to create atmosphere.
    • Use soft lighting to make the space feel homely.
    • Place out optional extras to help people feel provided for, e.g. blankets, pens, Bibles.

To support your study in 3 John and encourage parents in their spiritual responsibilities, here is a short family devotion to share after your session.

Family Devotion

This week, we explored the letter of 3 John. Here are some questions to help you talk about what we’ve been learning together and to reflect on as a family.

1. Imitation: 

  • Read 3 John 1-11.
  • In verse 11, we’re told to imitate what is good, not what is evil. From this passage, who is held up as a good example, and who is not?
  • What things should we imitate, and what should we avoid?

2. Who we imitate: 

  • Think about the people who influence us day to day. Use these categories to reflect on the role models around us:
    • Family & Friends.
    • School, Work & Community.
    • Society.
    • Culture & Online.
  • Who stands out as good role models, reflecting both the truth and love of Jesus?
  • Who models the opposite?

3. Imitating Truth & Love:

  • In 3 John, where do we see Gaius praised for his commitment to truth and his deep love for the church?
  • How does his example challenge our own commitment to truth and our love for our church?
  • As a family, decide on one or more ways you will show love to other Christians in your church this week.
Downloads
Further Reading
Teaching 1, 2, 3 John: From text to message

Mervyn Eloff

Empowering young people to flourish in Jesus through equipping leaders with creative Biblical resources. Let’s get you started in 3 easy steps.

Choose a series

Verdant offers three types of series to fit your setting:
  1. Evangelism: Designed for youth club settings, where you’re looking to spark interest in Jesus and explore the gospel together. Each series includes an interactive talk and group discussion outlines, along with games, crafts, discussion starters, and Going Further activities for diving in deeper.
  2. Discipleship: Ideal for small groups or Sunday school, with Bible study outlines that encourage conversation. Each session includes smaller games, illustrations, discussion starters, and Going Further activities to extend discussion and build on application.
  3. Mentoring: Tailored for one-to-one discipleship, with Bible study outlines that support personal growth and accountability. These guides include discussion based starters and Going Further activities that dig into specific topics from the study.

Plan the Series

Before diving into each session, the series homepage provides a quick summary of each session, along with helpful elements to keep your series flowing seamlessly. You’ll find activities or projects that span the length of the series, ideas for keeping parents involved and informed, and practical ways to apply what’s being taught. The series homepage also provides series downloads and links to additional external resources.

Build the Session

Create a custom session for your youth group using our range of ‘Intros & Starters,’ ’Teaching Outlines,’ and ‘Going Further’ activities.

Each option is graded as Simple , Intermediate , or Advanced , so you can easily tailor the session to suit your group’s needs

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