Life Groups // Fall 2025 // Week 8
Posted October 24, 2025 — Lincoln Berean
Test the Spirits // 1 John 4:1-6
Introduction
John once again turns to the idea of false teaching and false prophets. The problem with false prophets is that you can’t tell them apart from the true ones at first glance. They seem devout and reasonable; they claim to have a word from God; but not everyone who claims to be a prophet is in fact a prophet. In our passage John gives the followers of Jesus two things to look for in testing the spirits.
Study Questions (to complete on your own)
1) Read 1 John 4:1-6 in a couple different translations of Scripture. Make notes of words or phrases that are repeated. What is John’s main concern in this portion of his letter?
2) Compare this week’s passage with 1 John 2:18-23. What similarities do you see between the two passages?
3) What does 1 John 4:1-6 tell us about those who are in Christ?
Discussion Questions (with your group)
1) What has been your experience with false teachers or groups that you now understand to be a cult?
Why do you think people are vulnerable to false teaching?
2) In 1 John 4:1, John tells his readers to “test” the spirits. What does he mean by test?
According to 1 John 4:2-3 what is the first test to determine if a spirit is from God?
Why is confessing that Jesus came in the flesh important to the message of the gospel?
3) John reminds us in 1 John 4:4 that “greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world”. What does that mean?
What kind of effect can understanding this truth have on the way we live out our faith?
4) According to 1 John 4:5-6 what is the second test to determine if a spirit is from God?
Look back at 1 John 2:15-17. How does embracing the world affect a person’s ability to hear and believe the truth? What would likely resonate with that person as true?
5) Pastor Ryan mentioned that two things are critical to developing discernment when seeking to “test” the spirits: 1) Knowing the truth of the Word of God and 2) Being engaged in God’s community. What are 2 practical things you could do to grow in your understanding of the truth this next week? (Hint: look at the Personal Spiritual Exercises below).
How could you engage yourself more deeply in your community (Life Group!) this next week?
(Examples: being more vulnerable, connecting with someone from my Life Group for coffee or lunch, listening to and praying for those in my Life Group)
Personal Spiritual Exercises
Just like physical exercises help strengthen and stretch our bodies for healthy living, these spiritual exercises are meant to move us spiritually in ways that may be new so that we might experience inner growth. Since God longs for us to experience Him with our whole selves—mind, body, spirit— we invite you to strengthen your souls with exercises that challenge and stretch you in new ways. Choose one and commit to repeating it until you gain strength in that area.
1) Scripture Reading: to listen and soak in the Word as an experience of the words washing over you. Read or listen to the entire letter of 1 John at least twice/week. As you take it in, resist the impulse to study and parse the details. The point is not to gain “head knowledge” but a stirring in the heart as the Holy Spirit brings the Word to life in you.
2) Memorization:to internalize God’s Word. A key passage for this series is 1 John 4:7-14. Commit to memorize it yourself and encourage others in your group to do it with you.
3) Walk & Pray: to actively engage with the scripture passage. Write out the passage of the sermon each week on a note card and take it with you on a daily walk.
4) Journal Reflection: to practice remembering what God has done. Make time in your schedule to put down in writing the feelings and thoughts that are stirring as you interact with the Word of God.
5) Self-control Exercise: to help you come to stillness from a busy or hurried pace of life. Set a timer for 10 minutes. Sit upright but comfortably in a chair with your palms open and upward on your lap. Focus on a word or short phrase about the character of God the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit. When your thoughts wander to the things on your to-do list or other people’s needs, redirect them back to the character of God. When the 10 minutes is up, close in a short prayer of gratitude.
Prayer
Praying together in a group is different than praying alone with God. It’s a conversation that can help you grow closer to each other as you are in God’s presence. One way to pray follows this often-used pattern in scripture – acknowledge who God is, recognize the need we have for Him, and ask to partner with Him on behalf of others. When possible, use the passage of scripture from this week’s sermon as your starting point, then form a prayer that follows this pattern:
God, our Father, this week we learned that you are ________________ and ________________ .
As I looked into your Word, I understood how I need you to __________________________. Help me to be faithful to ________________________ in the week ahead.
Other people are on my heart, and I trust that you have put them there for a reason. I ask for your will to be accomplished in their life as they ______________________________. Help me to know how to respond well to the needs of __________________________, even as my first step is in praying for them right now.
Each group engages in prayer differently. Some groups go around and allow anyone to pray that desires to do so. Other groups have several people pray or maybe 1 person closes the group in prayer. Still other groups split into smaller groups of 2-3 people and those people pray for each other. How you choose to engage in prayer is dependent on your group and your choice to ENGAGE! We learn to pray by praying and by listening and praying with others!