Faith Talk – November 9, 2025
Faith Talks are designed to help you keep the conversation going beyond Sunday morning. Use this guide with your family or friends to reflect on the sermon and Life Group lesson, pray together, and put God’s Word into practice. Think of this guide as a starting place—then let God shape the conversation.
Sermon
Title: Testing the Spirits and Testing Love
Scripture: 1 John 4:1-12
Overview: John urged believers to hold firmly to the truth about Jesus Christ and to live out genuine love. False teachers had denied that Jesus came in the flesh, but John reminded the church that every message must be tested by what it confesses about Christ. True faith not only discerns truth from error—it displays God’s love in action.
Main Points:
Discussion Questions:
For Kids
For Students & Adults
Application: Ask God to help you walk in both truth and love. Pray for discernment to recognize false teaching and for a heart that reflects the self-giving love of Christ. This week, look for one tangible way to love someone sacrificially.
Scripture: 1 John 4:1-12
Overview: John urged believers to hold firmly to the truth about Jesus Christ and to live out genuine love. False teachers had denied that Jesus came in the flesh, but John reminded the church that every message must be tested by what it confesses about Christ. True faith not only discerns truth from error—it displays God’s love in action.
Main Points:
- Test the Spirits
• Evaluate their message about Jesus Christ.
• Evaluate their values and who listens to them. - Test Your Love
• Love is from God—He is its source.
• Love is displayed through Christ’s sacrificial death.
• Love is completed as we love one another.
Discussion Questions:
For Kids
- What does it mean to love like Jesus?
- How can you show God’s love to your friends or family this week?
- What should you do if someone tells you something about Jesus that doesn’t sound true?
For Students & Adults
- How can you tell the difference between truth and deception in what you hear or read?
- Why is love the true test of whether someone knows God?
- What are some ways you can display God’s love in difficult relationships this week?
Application: Ask God to help you walk in both truth and love. Pray for discernment to recognize false teaching and for a heart that reflects the self-giving love of Christ. This week, look for one tangible way to love someone sacrificially.
Life Group
Scripture: Micah; Nahum; Habakkuk; Zephaniah
Christ/Gospel Connections:
All of Scripture points back to Jesus. In our study each week, every age group’s lesson includes a note about how the message connects to Christ. Use these Christ/Gospel Connections as a springboard for meaningful discussion about who Jesus is and what He has done for us.
Preschool – These prophets all told the people the same things; stop doing wrong things and turn back to God. Later, Jesus came and said the same thing; “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” When we trust in Jesus, we can be close to God again.
Kids – God sent prophets to His people to warn them to repent of their sin and turn to God. Jesus gave the same message, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” When we trust in Jesus, we are restored to a right relationship with God and have the hope of eternal life.
Students – Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection fulfilled prophecy, but we wait for the day when He will return and fulfill God’s promise of a new King who will reign over the new heaven and new earth forever.
Adults – Micah tells of the One who would come from Bethlehem to shepherd the people and be their peace. This is one of the prophecies about Jesus, who came to be the Good Shepherd and the Prince of Peace.
Discussion Questions:
For Kids
For Students & Adults
Christ/Gospel Connections:
All of Scripture points back to Jesus. In our study each week, every age group’s lesson includes a note about how the message connects to Christ. Use these Christ/Gospel Connections as a springboard for meaningful discussion about who Jesus is and what He has done for us.
Preschool – These prophets all told the people the same things; stop doing wrong things and turn back to God. Later, Jesus came and said the same thing; “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” When we trust in Jesus, we can be close to God again.
Kids – God sent prophets to His people to warn them to repent of their sin and turn to God. Jesus gave the same message, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” When we trust in Jesus, we are restored to a right relationship with God and have the hope of eternal life.
Students – Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection fulfilled prophecy, but we wait for the day when He will return and fulfill God’s promise of a new King who will reign over the new heaven and new earth forever.
Adults – Micah tells of the One who would come from Bethlehem to shepherd the people and be their peace. This is one of the prophecies about Jesus, who came to be the Good Shepherd and the Prince of Peace.
Discussion Questions:
For Kids
- What does it mean to repent?
- Why does God want us to turn away from sin?
- How does Jesus help us be close to God again?
For Students & Adults
- What do these prophets teach us about God’s justice and mercy?
- How does Jesus fulfill the hope they spoke about?
- What does repentance look like in your daily life?
Pray Together
- Thank God for revealing truth through His Word and for showing His love through Jesus.
- Commit to turning away from sin and walking in God’s truth and love.
- Ask God to help you discern truth from error and to love others as He has loved you.
Activity
Truth and Love Test
Supplies: Two index cards, markers, Bible
Instructions:
Write “Truth” on one card and “Love” on the other. As a family or group, read short statements about God or faith (real or made up). Decide together if each one matches what Scripture teaches (Truth) and if it reflects God’s love (Love). Talk about how following Jesus means holding tightly to both truth and love.
Instructions:
Write “Truth” on one card and “Love” on the other. As a family or group, read short statements about God or faith (real or made up). Decide together if each one matches what Scripture teaches (Truth) and if it reflects God’s love (Love). Talk about how following Jesus means holding tightly to both truth and love.
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