Four Letter Words: Care – 1 John 3:17-18

Four Letter Words: Care

1 John 3:17-18
Sunday, May 11, 2025
Pastor Mike Bailey

Introduction

There are some four-letter words that should not come out of our mouths– and there are other four-letter words that we should be talking about. Maybe we don’t because these words make us uncomfortable or we don’t know what to say about them, but that doesn’t mean we should hide from them and the conversations they produce! Words like holy, life, grow, move, care, bold, and free are sometimes misunderstood because the world has redefined them. Let’s explore what the Bible says about these four-letter words together so we can stop avoiding them and start proclaiming what is good and true in our lives and in our world.

April 13: Holy – 1 Peter 1:13-25

April 20: Life – John 14:6

April 27: Grow – 1 Peter 2:1-3

May 4: Move – Hebrews 11:8-16

May 11: Care – 1 John 3:17-18

May 18: Bold – 2 Corinthians 3:12

May 25: Free – John 8:36

IMPACT Church 101 E. First Ave. Parkesburg, PA 19365
(610) 857-3887 [email protected]

CARE

1 John 3:17-18

1. The of care means the absence of God.

But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. 1 Corinthians 2:14

Notes:

2. The opportunity to care is by God.

Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. Galatians 6:10

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. Galatians 5:13

Notes:

3. The sacrifices made to care are by God.

¹⁴ When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, ¹⁵ the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. ¹⁶ I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. ¹⁷ Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.¹⁸ And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. ¹⁹ May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. ²⁰ Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. ²¹ Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21

Notes:

4. The act of caring is a of God.

No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. 1 John 4:12

Notes:

5. The to care comes from .

We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. 1 John 3:16a

Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 1 John 4:11

Notes:

Challenge: How am I caring for those around me today?

It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Isaiah 59:2a

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

All Bible verses are from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.