Study Questions

Questions - 1 John 2:28-3:10 - Joe Lipari

1. In 1 John 2:28, John addresses believers as “little children.” How does that tone affect the way you hear the commands and warnings in this passage? Does it feel more encouraging, more challenging, or both?

2. John connects abiding in Christ with being “confident and unashamed” at Jesus’ coming (2:28). What do you think it practically looks like to “abide” in Jesus in everyday life—not just spiritually, but relationally?

3. Read 1 John 3:1–2 together. Where do you personally struggle most to believe that you are truly loved and adopted by God? How do circumstances, comparison, or suffering challenge that identity?

4. Verse 3 says that hope leads to purity. How is that different from trying to obey God out of guilt, fear, or pressure? Can you think of a time when focusing on your future hope in Christ actually changed how you lived? See 1 Corinthians 13:12 and Colossians 3:1-4

5. John defines sin as “lawlessness” (3:4). How does viewing sin as rejecting God’s authority—not just “messing up”—change the way you think about your own sin struggles?

6. According to 1 John 3:5 and 3:8, Jesus came to take away sin and destroy the works of the devil. Do those verses stir hope in you, or expose something you may be holding onto?

7. John isn’t asking whether believers ever sin—but how they relate to sin.

Which of these best describes your current posture, and why?

Grieving it or excusing it

Fighting it or managing it

Confessing it or hiding it

How does the invitation to “abide more, not just sin less” reshape how you want to walk with Jesus this week?