Just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do...
1 Peter 1:15-16
Welcome to CALLED Men’s Group! If you're looking to move forward in your faith, then this is the place for you! We are a group of men, called by God to understand who He is, who we are, and what we are CALLED to do for Him! We study the Bible & discuss together, find projects where we can give back, and encourage each other in spiritual growth!
HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF CALLED:
- Bring a notebook and Bible along with you.
- Do the assignments. (These are not required to come to group, but you will get so much more out of it, if you study and put some work in through the week!)
- Be consistent. (You can come and go week-to-week as you please, but you will get the MOST out of CALLED if you are there every week that you possibly can be!)
- Be intentional about making friends. (Stick around afterward, show up early, strike up conversations. Make some friends that can walk alongside you in this journey of faith!)
Weekly Wednesdays: CALLED Men’s Group | Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Meeting# 03 of 11 | This Week’s Leader: David Goodno
INTRODUCTION: Welcome everyone, this is the third meeting of Winter 2026 Semester for the Called Men’s Growth
Group.
Let’s take a moment to go around the room and introduce ourselves.
Tonight, we are continuing the SOAP study* of 1 John. (*SOAP study: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer and
Questions.) This Semester we will study the books of 1, 2 and 3 John, Jude, Obadiah and Philemon.
Reminder: there is no specific prerequisites or formal “membership” required to attend. The purpose of tonight is to
come together, read and study God’s word, develop an understanding, grow in our faith and have a friendly discussion.
Please keep in mind that we are all in different places of our faith journey; we all come from various backgrounds, have
different points of view. It does not matter if you’ve been a believer for 10 seconds, or 50 years; everyone is welcome;
everyone has value; everyone has a voice.
If there are different points of view, we should not feel attacked or be hostile to one another; it is our different points
of view that add to the discussion. We came together tonight as friends and brothers in Christ. And we should leave
the same (as friends and brothers in Christ). Often there is no right or wrong answer; just interpretation of scripture
and even Biblical scholars don’t always agree; ultimately, JESUS IS THE ANSWER.
BACKGROUND/HISTORY:
The majority of Biblical scholars’ attribute 1 John have been written by the apostle John, who also wrote the Gospel of
John (the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). Biblical scholars note that style and vocabulary of the Gospel
of John are similar to how 1 John was written and have similar overlapping themes, like the emphasis that Jesus was
both human and divine (both a man and God) and love as marking authentic knowledge and relationship of the One
True God and trust in His son Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Scholars date 1 John to be written between 85-95 AD.
It is believed that John had his ministry in the vicinity of the City of Ephesus, now located in modern Turkey (Türkiye).
1 John lacks typical patterns of a letter – like the author not naming himself at the beginning, like Paul did in his letters.
The book is more like a sermon in tone, but also letter-like. Regardless of if the book of 1 John was a letter or a written
sermon, we can use the message to strengthen our faith and dispel any doubts and to build assurance by presenting a
clear picture of Christ.
It is also important to note that the Book of 1 John is written in a way that assumes the reader has knowledge of the
gospel of John (as written by John) and offers certainty for their faith in Christ. The opening also indicates that the
author John was warning the readers of false beliefs and errors of Gnosticism.
(We also discussed this back in Fall of 2024, when we studied Colossians.)
“Gnosticism” emphasizes special knowledge or hidden knowledge. Satan in the form of a snake tempted Eve in the
Garden of Eden with the promise of special knowledge too. Gnosis in Greek means “to know” or “knowledge.” The
Gnostics denied Biblical creation and downplayed Jesus’ humanity; claiming that he was not fully human. The group
tended to focus on the wisdom of Jesus and deny the death and resurrection – which removes our core Christian belief
that Jesus’ death redeemed us all from sin.
The Gnostic point of view was that knowledge, especially the pursuit of hidden knowledge, is what leads to salvation.
Some Biblical scholars believe that Christians in the early Church were being tempted to combine their Christian faith
with these false cultural beliefs.
False spiritual teachers were a big problem in the early church. Because there was not a complete New Testament that
believers could refer to, many early churches fell prey to pretenders who taught their own ideas and advanced
themselves as leaders. John wrote this letter to set the record straight on some important issues, particularly
concerning the identity of Jesus Christ.
Key Themes:
Sin – Even Christians sin. Sin requires God’s forgiveness and Christ’s death provides it for us. Determining to
live according to God’s standards in the Bible shows that our life is being transformed. As Christians, we cannot
deny our sin nature or think that we are somehow “above’ sinning. We all face temptation and sin.
Love – Christ commands us to love others as he loved us. Love means putting others first and being unselfish.
Love is an action – showing others that we care is more than just saying it. We must give of our time and money
to meet the needs of others.
Family of God – We are God’s children. How we treat others shows who our Father is.
Truth and Error – False teachers encourage believers to cast aside morals and that in order to be truly saved is
by having some mystical knowledge. God is truth. The more our relationship develops with Him the less we are
led astray by false teaching.
Assurance – God is in control; we have assurance of our eternal life and victory over sin. We build our
confidence in Him by trusting in God’s word and provision.
PRAYER: This Week’s Prayer: Father God, we thank you for allowing us to come together tonight and study your
word. Lord, we thank you for loving us, watching over us, and even through there were times when we were unsure if
you were there, we know now, that you were with us through it all, and you will never leave us or forsake us, thank
you for adopting me into your Holy Family. Help me to represent you well in all circumstances. – Amen
INTRODUCTION: Welcome everyone, this is the third meeting of Winter 2026 Semester for the Called Men’s Growth
Group.
Let’s take a moment to go around the room and introduce ourselves.
Tonight, we are continuing the SOAP study* of 1 John. (*SOAP study: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer and
Questions.) This Semester we will study the books of 1, 2 and 3 John, Jude, Obadiah and Philemon.
Reminder: there is no specific prerequisites or formal “membership” required to attend. The purpose of tonight is to
come together, read and study God’s word, develop an understanding, grow in our faith and have a friendly discussion.
Please keep in mind that we are all in different places of our faith journey; we all come from various backgrounds, have
different points of view. It does not matter if you’ve been a believer for 10 seconds, or 50 years; everyone is welcome;
everyone has value; everyone has a voice.
If there are different points of view, we should not feel attacked or be hostile to one another; it is our different points
of view that add to the discussion. We came together tonight as friends and brothers in Christ. And we should leave
the same (as friends and brothers in Christ). Often there is no right or wrong answer; just interpretation of scripture
and even Biblical scholars don’t always agree; ultimately, JESUS IS THE ANSWER.
BACKGROUND/HISTORY:
The majority of Biblical scholars’ attribute 1 John have been written by the apostle John, who also wrote the Gospel of
John (the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). Biblical scholars note that style and vocabulary of the Gospel
of John are similar to how 1 John was written and have similar overlapping themes, like the emphasis that Jesus was
both human and divine (both a man and God) and love as marking authentic knowledge and relationship of the One
True God and trust in His son Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Scholars date 1 John to be written between 85-95 AD.
It is believed that John had his ministry in the vicinity of the City of Ephesus, now located in modern Turkey (Türkiye).
1 John lacks typical patterns of a letter – like the author not naming himself at the beginning, like Paul did in his letters.
The book is more like a sermon in tone, but also letter-like. Regardless of if the book of 1 John was a letter or a written
sermon, we can use the message to strengthen our faith and dispel any doubts and to build assurance by presenting a
clear picture of Christ.
It is also important to note that the Book of 1 John is written in a way that assumes the reader has knowledge of the
gospel of John (as written by John) and offers certainty for their faith in Christ. The opening also indicates that the
author John was warning the readers of false beliefs and errors of Gnosticism.
(We also discussed this back in Fall of 2024, when we studied Colossians.)
“Gnosticism” emphasizes special knowledge or hidden knowledge. Satan in the form of a snake tempted Eve in the
Garden of Eden with the promise of special knowledge too. Gnosis in Greek means “to know” or “knowledge.” The
Gnostics denied Biblical creation and downplayed Jesus’ humanity; claiming that he was not fully human. The group
tended to focus on the wisdom of Jesus and deny the death and resurrection – which removes our core Christian belief
that Jesus’ death redeemed us all from sin.
The Gnostic point of view was that knowledge, especially the pursuit of hidden knowledge, is what leads to salvation.
Some Biblical scholars believe that Christians in the early Church were being tempted to combine their Christian faith
with these false cultural beliefs.
False spiritual teachers were a big problem in the early church. Because there was not a complete New Testament that
believers could refer to, many early churches fell prey to pretenders who taught their own ideas and advanced
themselves as leaders. John wrote this letter to set the record straight on some important issues, particularly
concerning the identity of Jesus Christ.
Key Themes:
Sin – Even Christians sin. Sin requires God’s forgiveness and Christ’s death provides it for us. Determining to
live according to God’s standards in the Bible shows that our life is being transformed. As Christians, we cannot
deny our sin nature or think that we are somehow “above’ sinning. We all face temptation and sin.
Love – Christ commands us to love others as he loved us. Love means putting others first and being unselfish.
Love is an action – showing others that we care is more than just saying it. We must give of our time and money
to meet the needs of others.
Family of God – We are God’s children. How we treat others shows who our Father is.
Truth and Error – False teachers encourage believers to cast aside morals and that in order to be truly saved is
by having some mystical knowledge. God is truth. The more our relationship develops with Him the less we are
led astray by false teaching.
Assurance – God is in control; we have assurance of our eternal life and victory over sin. We build our
confidence in Him by trusting in God’s word and provision.
PRAYER: This Week’s Prayer: Father God, we thank you for allowing us to come together tonight and study your
word. Lord, we thank you for loving us, watching over us, and even through there were times when we were unsure if
you were there, we know now, that you were with us through it all, and you will never leave us or forsake us, thank
you for adopting me into your Holy Family. Help me to represent you well in all circumstances. – Amen
Scripture - Read: 1 John Chapter 3:1-24
Observation, Application & Questions: (Identify/Discuss Among the Group)
Key verses and topics for discussion:
the big snowstorm, I took a look at the various books for sale at the store. The modern books today seem to be
more and more dark, sinister, focused on evil or make evil out to appear to be glamorous. I also took a look at
some of the CDs and Record covers, the imagery for the cover art I found to be ominous and gloomy. I think
avoiding being worldly in addition to what we discussed last week; means not to participate in these types of
things, reading these books or listening to music that promotes or glamorizes evil. – Discuss.
-----------------
(Chapter 3, verses 1-12) -
we think we are worthy of God’s love. How do you view your self-worth? Do you see yourself as a
Child of God and a member of God’s family? Discuss among the group.
Heaven is our ultimate destiny should motivate us to remain morally pure. – Discuss.
this happens, the Holy Spirt gives us a new mind and heart – that is a new perspective; a new way of
thinking, a new mindset and new priorities. We are renewed daily by the Holy Spirt and will think and
act differently.
Read: Romans 8:26-30
Ephesians 4:17-32
(Chapter 3, verses 13-24) -
against someone who has wronged you or hurt your feelings; these negative emotions left to fester
eventually grow into an evil cancer that can overtake us and pull us away from our devotion to God.
- Agree/Disagree? Discuss.
Whenever we feel guilty, we need to remember that God knows our motives as well as our actions.
God’s voice of assurance is louder than the voice of our accusing conscience, or the voice of the
Accuser; that is Satan. If we are living for the Lord, but feeling inadequate or not good enough, we
should remind ourselves that God is greater.
drama, and sin. Our conduct and reactions verifies His presence within us.
Read: Matthew 5:21-22 and 5: 38-48
Hebrews 12:14-17 and 13:1-9
Other questions to explore:
- Most people (at least I hope not most people) would never murder someone, so why do we think John used
the example of Cain and told us not to be like him? – Discuss among the group. - What is the difference between saying that we love each other and loving someone by our actions?– Discuss.
the big snowstorm, I took a look at the various books for sale at the store. The modern books today seem to be
more and more dark, sinister, focused on evil or make evil out to appear to be glamorous. I also took a look at
some of the CDs and Record covers, the imagery for the cover art I found to be ominous and gloomy. I think
avoiding being worldly in addition to what we discussed last week; means not to participate in these types of
things, reading these books or listening to music that promotes or glamorizes evil. – Discuss.
-----------------
(Chapter 3, verses 1-12) -
- People get their self-worth in a lot of places; as Christians our self-with should be with the fact that
we think we are worthy of God’s love. How do you view your self-worth? Do you see yourself as a
Child of God and a member of God’s family? Discuss among the group.
- The Christian life is a process of becoming more and more like Christ. This is a lifelong process and will
Heaven is our ultimate destiny should motivate us to remain morally pure. – Discuss.
- We are “in God’s family” when the Holy Spirt lives within us and gives us new life. Being “Born Again”
this happens, the Holy Spirt gives us a new mind and heart – that is a new perspective; a new way of
thinking, a new mindset and new priorities. We are renewed daily by the Holy Spirt and will think and
act differently.
Read: Romans 8:26-30
Ephesians 4:17-32
(Chapter 3, verses 13-24) -
- John reiterates Jesus’ teaching that whoever hates another person is a murderer at heart. Christianity
against someone who has wronged you or hurt your feelings; these negative emotions left to fester
eventually grow into an evil cancer that can overtake us and pull us away from our devotion to God.
- Agree/Disagree? Discuss.
- Many of us can feel guilty because they think that they have not given enough or have not done
Whenever we feel guilty, we need to remember that God knows our motives as well as our actions.
God’s voice of assurance is louder than the voice of our accusing conscience, or the voice of the
Accuser; that is Satan. If we are living for the Lord, but feeling inadequate or not good enough, we
should remind ourselves that God is greater.
- The mutual relationship, living in Christ as he lives in us, shows in Christians who keep the three
drama, and sin. Our conduct and reactions verifies His presence within us.
Read: Matthew 5:21-22 and 5: 38-48
Hebrews 12:14-17 and 13:1-9
Other questions to explore:
- What was the context? What was going on at the time this was written?
- What and where is this happening?
- What makes what was happening meaningful?
- Is there anything special about the location (or locations)?
- Who is involved?
- How do they respond to God?
- What character traits do you notice about them?
- What is the significance of their involvement?
- What do you think is the key message?
- Did anything that surprised or stood out to you? What was it? Share with the group and discuss.
- Are there any key verses that stand out to you? Discuss among the group.
- Were there any repetitive words or themes that stood out to you? What were they?
- Is there anything that left you with more questions? What were they? Share with group, discuss, and
- Biggest takeaway?
Assignment:
monitor www.fv.church/events for more information about the next semester.
References/Acknowledgements:
Elements of today’s Bible study were referenced from:
1. NLT Courage for Life Men’s Bible, New Living Translation (NLT); copyright 2023 Tyndale House Ministries
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation
https://www.tyndale.com/sites/courageforlifebible/
2. Life Application Bible Studies (1, 2 & 3 John), by Linda Chaffee Taylor, Rev. David R. Veerman, Dr. James C.
Galvin, Dr. Bruce B. Barton, and Daryl J. Lucas; copyright 1999, 2010 by Tyndale House Foundation.
3. Knowing the Bible (1, 2, and 3 John), by Michael LeFebvre, J.I. Packer, Dane C. Ortlund; copyright 2018 by
Crossway, Wheaton, Illinois.
4. ESV Study Bible, copyright 2008. The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV); copyright 2001 by Crossway,
Wheaton, Illinois.
5. NIV Study Bible, Revolution, copyright 2011. The Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV); copyright 1973,
1978, 1984, 2011 by Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan. https://www.zondervan.com/p/niv-bibles-for-teens-
true-images-revolution/
6. NLT Parallel Study Bible, New Living Translation (NLT); copyright 2011 Tyndale House Ministries
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation
7. HCSB/CSB The Apologetics Study Bible, copyright 2007. The Holy Bible, Holman Christian Standard Bible
(HCSB/CSB); copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holmon Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee.
8. Life Application Bible Studies: 1 & 2 Timothy / Titus; copyright 1998, 2010 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.
9. https://www.gotquestions.org/Book-of-1-John.html
1. NLT Courage for Life Men’s Bible, New Living Translation (NLT); copyright 2023 Tyndale House Ministries
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation
https://www.tyndale.com/sites/courageforlifebible/
2. Life Application Bible Studies (1, 2 & 3 John), by Linda Chaffee Taylor, Rev. David R. Veerman, Dr. James C.
Galvin, Dr. Bruce B. Barton, and Daryl J. Lucas; copyright 1999, 2010 by Tyndale House Foundation.
3. Knowing the Bible (1, 2, and 3 John), by Michael LeFebvre, J.I. Packer, Dane C. Ortlund; copyright 2018 by
Crossway, Wheaton, Illinois.
4. ESV Study Bible, copyright 2008. The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV); copyright 2001 by Crossway,
Wheaton, Illinois.
5. NIV Study Bible, Revolution, copyright 2011. The Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV); copyright 1973,
1978, 1984, 2011 by Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan. https://www.zondervan.com/p/niv-bibles-for-teens-
true-images-revolution/
6. NLT Parallel Study Bible, New Living Translation (NLT); copyright 2011 Tyndale House Ministries
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation
7. HCSB/CSB The Apologetics Study Bible, copyright 2007. The Holy Bible, Holman Christian Standard Bible
(HCSB/CSB); copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holmon Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee.
8. Life Application Bible Studies: 1 & 2 Timothy / Titus; copyright 1998, 2010 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.
9. https://www.gotquestions.org/Book-of-1-John.html
Schedule:
January 2026:
_x_ 001, 01/14 1 John 1:1 – 10 + Introduction (Instructor: David Goodno)
_x_ 002, 01/21 1 John 2:1 – 29 (Instructor: David Goodno)
_x_ 003, 01/28 1 John 3:1 – 24 (Instructor: David Goodno)
February 2026:
__ 004, 02/04 1 John 4:1 – 21 (Instructor: Chad Huestis)
__ 005, 02/11 1 John 5:1 – 21 (Instructor: David Goodno)
__ 006, 02/18 2 John (1):1 – 13 + Introduction (Instructor: David Goodno)
__ 007, 02/25 3 John (1):1 – 15 + Introduction (Instructor: Chad Huestis)
March 2026:
__ 008, 03/04 Jude (1):1 – 25 + Introduction (Instructor: David Goodno)
__ 009, 03/11 Obadiah (1):1 – 21 + Introduction (Instructor: Chad Huestis)
__ 010, 03/18 Philemon (1):1 – 25 + Introduction* (Instructor: Tom Landis)
__ 011, 03/25 TBD (Instructor: Chad Huestis)*
*Last meeting, please monitor FV.church/events for more information about the next semester.
_x_ 001, 01/14 1 John 1:1 – 10 + Introduction (Instructor: David Goodno)
_x_ 002, 01/21 1 John 2:1 – 29 (Instructor: David Goodno)
_x_ 003, 01/28 1 John 3:1 – 24 (Instructor: David Goodno)
February 2026:
__ 004, 02/04 1 John 4:1 – 21 (Instructor: Chad Huestis)
__ 005, 02/11 1 John 5:1 – 21 (Instructor: David Goodno)
__ 006, 02/18 2 John (1):1 – 13 + Introduction (Instructor: David Goodno)
__ 007, 02/25 3 John (1):1 – 15 + Introduction (Instructor: Chad Huestis)
March 2026:
__ 008, 03/04 Jude (1):1 – 25 + Introduction (Instructor: David Goodno)
__ 009, 03/11 Obadiah (1):1 – 21 + Introduction (Instructor: Chad Huestis)
__ 010, 03/18 Philemon (1):1 – 25 + Introduction* (Instructor: Tom Landis)
__ 011, 03/25 TBD (Instructor: Chad Huestis)*
*Last meeting, please monitor FV.church/events for more information about the next semester.
