Some past lessons include...

Who were the 12 Disciples?
PJ, PJ, JJ, BATTS & M

Peter/Judas, Philip/John, James/James, Bartholomew, Andrew, Thomas, Thaddeus, Simon (Bart, Andy, Tom, Ted, Simon) & Matthew.

We learned about each Disciple, their personalities and their distinct walk with Christ. High's and lows of their walk.  Failures and successes.

PAIN
Pride, Anger, Isolation, Neglect

Are you in pain?
Is your pride keeping you from coming close to God?
Do you have anger issues because your prayers are not being answered?
Have you isolated yourself from God?
Are you allowing your pride, your anger and your isolation to cause you to neglect the things of God (such as going to church, serving Him, reaching out to the lost?)

Is Your Mouth Saved?
Are the words you are speaking displaying the fruits of the Spirit within you?

Balaam's Donkey
v. 34 says, Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, "I have sinned.  I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back."

Do you remember what Balaam's sin was?

Sin is Lawlessness
1 John 3:4-10
v.4 says that "Sin is lawlessness"
The first reason why Christians cannot practice sin is because sin is incompatible with the law of God which they love.
v. 5 says "He was manifested to take away our sins."
The second reason why Christians cannot practice sin is because it is incompatible with the work of Christ.  Christ died to sanctify (to make holy) the believer.  To sin is contrary to Christ's work of breaking the dominion of sin in the believer's life.
v. 6 says "Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him."
If no check against habitual sin exists in someone who professes to be a Christian, John's pronouncement is absolutely clear -- Salvation never took place!  Look at what John says next...
"let no one deceive you." v.7   To deceive you is to lead you astray.  It might be false teachers, false prophets or even false friends.  What John is teaching here is that there might be some Christians who might be fooled into believing and accepting as truth, what the false teachers, and even false friends might be advocating.

To prevent this deception from happening, John repeatedly emphasizes the basics of Christianity.
1. The need for repentance and obedience
2. The need for love
3. The need for a proper understanding and view of who Christ is (Savior and Judge)

So, here John continue...
v.7 says, "He who practices righteousness..."

What is the purpose of practicing?  What value is there in it?  Why do you practice your sports? or your instruments?  To improve and get better!  To do away with bad habits and create good and proper habits so that you do not have to "think" about what to do, you will just "do" the right thing!

Since Christ died on the cross to transform sinners, those truly born again have replaced the habit of sin with the habit of righteous living.

We are dead to sin and alive to God.  Romans 8:1 tells us, "There is therefore,  now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."

Amen to that!  There is no condemnation to you who follow Christ.
BUT, to you that live according to the flesh, we must realize that the opposite is true for you. Condemnation!

Getting back to our verse, v.7 says, "Just as He is righteous..."
That word "just" ties us with the Savior.  We are told to be like Him!  Those who are truly born again will reflect the divine nature of the Son. They behave like Him, manifesting the power of His life -- IN THEM!
Be righteous, just as He is righteous!
v.8 goes on to say, "he who sins (who habitually practices sin) is of the devil."  This is where the source of the false teachers, false prophets and false friends comes from.

Not only does the devil oppose God and His plan, but he is the originator and instigator of sin, and rebels against God and His law.
Therefore, all the unsaved are under the diabolic influence of Satan.  Their sinful lifestyle reflects their satanic origin.  John contrasts the children of God with the children of Satan in terms of their actions.

While those who are truly born again reflect the habit of righteousness, Satan's children practice sin!
v.8 also gives us a third reason why Christians cannot practice sin, because Christ came to destroy the works of Satan.  The devil is still operating, but he has been defeated and in Christ we can escape his tyranny, his rule, his control.

"He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning."  For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

What are the works of the devil?
1. sin
2. rebellion
3. temptation
4. ruling the world
5. persecution
6. accuser of the Saints
7. create false teachers
8. ultimately, death!

The fourth reason why Christians cannot practice sin is because it is incompatible with the ministry of the Holy Spirit who has imparted a new nature to the believer.
v.9 says, "whoever has been born of God does not sin..."

v.10 says, "in this the children of God and the children of the devil..."
No one can belong to both families at the same time (God and the devil).  You either belong to God's family and you exhibit His righteous character OR you belong to Satan's family and you exhibit his sinful nature!

Where do you stand??

v. 10 finishes us up with, "whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother."

Plain and simple, whoever does not practice righteousness IS NOT OF GOD!

The second half of that verse is geared towards false teachers, false prophets and false friends.
They will not display true love for the believer who rejects their heretical teachings (false teachings!)

We challenge you to search within your heart...
Do you run to sin?  Do you run towards darkness so that the light of Christ does not expose your sin?  Do you sin daily, the same sin every day without having the slightest bit of guilt over it?

Or

Do you practice righteousness?
Do you desire to be pleasing to the Lord by being obedient to His Word?
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  2 Tim 2:15

You all have friends who are "lost."
Get into God's Word and then live it so that they might see Jesus living within each of you!