Unchanging Truth
Pastor David Watson · Touch Grass, Week 1 · 1 John 1:1-2:2
The audio of this teaching is available on Spotify.
Key Teaching Points From 1 John 1:1-2:2
A consistent lie can become a compromised truth. When we hear something often enough, we start to believe it, true or not.
God's Word is our anchor. Scripture gives us something stable to stand on in a world full of noise (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
John confronts three lies that are still around today: Who is Jesus? Does morality matter? Are we really sinners?
God is light. He made Himself known to you so He could be known by you. Nothing about Him is hidden (1 John 1:5).
Confession brings us back into the light. When we agree with God, He is faithful to forgive and cleanse us, and Jesus is our advocate (1 John 1:9, 2:1-2).
What Does It Mean to Be Real With God?
You will never be your real self until you are real with God.
Sermon Summary: How a Consistent Lie Becomes a Compromised Truth
Every day, you are fed information. Some of it is true, some of it is false, and much of it lands somewhere in between. When we hear something often enough, we start to believe it, even when it isn't true.
In week one of Touch Grass, Pastor David Watson looks at how a consistent lie can become a compromised truth, and how the book of 1 John helps us hold on to an unchanging truth in an ever-changing world.
Sermon Outline on 1 John 1:1-2:2 and Knowing God's Truth
1. How Social Media and Your Feed Shape What You Believe
Your feed is never neutral; it is always leading you somewhere. "10,000 steps a day," "breakfast is the most important meal of the day," and "eight glasses of water" all started as ad campaigns. They aren't entirely false and they aren't entirely true, but we've heard them so many times that we treat them as fact.
2. Why Half-Truths Are More Dangerous Than Obvious Lies
The most dangerous lies rarely sound obviously false. They sound new, relevant, and profound. Unless we're rooted in what God says is true, we become like a wave tossed by the wind (James 1:6-8).
3. How Scripture Helps Christians Stay Grounded in Truth (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
God's Word gives us something stable to stand on. "All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."
4. The Three Lies John Confronts in 1 John and Why They Still Matter Today
John confronts three lies about theology, philosophy, and practice:
Theology: Who is Jesus? (Right thinking about God)
Philosophy: Does morality matter? (Right thinking about life)
Practice: Are we really sinners? (Rightly living out God's truth)
How we think about God shapes how we think about life, and that shapes how we live. When we start with our own preferences and try to fit God into them, we end up with "new truths" that aren't true at all.
5. What Does "God Is Light" Mean in 1 John 1:5?
In 1 John 1:5, "God is light" means God has made Himself fully known so He can be known by you. There is no darkness in Him, no secret agenda, no hidden part of His character. He has put Himself fully in the light.
6. What Does 1 John 1:9 Teach About Confession and Forgiveness?
1 John 1:9 teaches that confession means agreeing with God about what is right and true. Many of us don't feel like we know God, not because we lack information, but because we haven't surrendered to what we already know. Confession comes with a promise: He is faithful and righteous to forgive us and cleanse us, and Jesus is our advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1-2).
Key Quotes From the Sermon on Truth and Confession
"A consistent lie can become a compromised truth."
"God made Himself known to you so He could be known by you."
"The reason so many of us feel like we don't know God is not a lack of information. It's a lack of surrender to the information we already know."
"If it's new, it's probably not true, and if it's true, it's probably not new." (attributed to Charles Spurgeon)
"The light is our friend."
Bible Verses About Truth, Light, and Confession
1 John 1:1-10 · 1 John 2:1-2 · 2 Timothy 3:16-17 · James 1:6-8 · John 10:10 · Genesis 3:8-10
Small Group Discussion Questions for 1 John 1
What "truths" have you believed just because you heard them over and over?
What information are you being fed every day? Is it leading you toward God's truth or away from it?
Which of the three lies John confronts (Who is Jesus? Does morality matter? Are we really sinners?) shows up most often in your world?
Why do you think we try to fit God into our own preferences instead of letting His truth shape us?
What does it mean to you that God has nothing hidden and has made Himself fully known?
Do you know that you know that you know God? If not, what's holding you back?
Where have you started pretending?
How to Walk in the Light This Week
Read 1 John this week. It's only five short chapters. Read it all the way through before next Sunday.
Take something into the light. Spend a few quiet minutes in confession, telling God honestly where you have drifted from His truth.
Don't go it alone. Christianity is not a solo sport. Join a group or connect with someone at BC3 who can walk alongside you.
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