The Village Church

Send us a textLee Sommiz Paraphrase of 1 John 5:13-2113 I have written this letter so that you who have believed God’s testimony about His Son may have confident possession of His eternal life. 14 Another thing we can have confidence about before Him is when we ask God for something that we know is in keeping with His character and desires, He will hear our requests. 15 Knowing that He hears these kinds of requests means that He will also grant them to us. 16 Be alert and cry out to God on behalf of others who you see are beset by sin. God desires to restore them. I am not suggesting that you do so if you sense that they will never repent. 17 All sin is deadly unless one repents. 18 Everyone born of God rises above sin because the One born of God keeps them from the harm caused by evil. 19 We know that we are born of God but all who are not remain slaves to the evil one. 20 We also know that God’s Son came and has imparted to us a new way of understanding that enables deep confidence in knowing God, the True God in a personal and experiential way. We are incorporated into Him who is the truth, His Son Jesus the Anointed One. This is the real God and His eternal life. 21 Beloved children, always be on the alert and guard against every rival to your affection for God.Support the showThe Village Church’s sermon podcast is more than just a weekly message. It is an invitation into the great and ongoing story of God’s work in the world. Pastors Eric, Mark, Susan, Daniel, and other leaders open the Scriptures not as a collection of abstract ideas but as the living, breathing witness to God’s kingdom breaking into our midst. Each episode is a call—not merely to listen, but to take part, to step forward into the life of faith with renewed vision and purpose. Week by week, the pastors and leaders explore the deep rhythms of Christian discipleship—prayer, fasting, generosity—not as isolated duties but as part of a larger, richer, and more beautiful whole. They unpack these ancient practices in light of Jesus himself, the one in whom heaven and earth have come together. But they also turn their attention to the realities of everyday life—relationships, finances, the struggles and joys of being human—demonstrating how the gospel is not merely about what we believe but about how we live as God's renewed people in the present age. The Village Churchvillagersonline@gmail.comMore information at www.villagersonline.com

Send us a textLee Sommitz Paraphrase 1 John 5:1-12Everyone who embraces Jesus as God’s Anointed Messiah is born of God’s eternal seed. It follows that one who loves the Father will love others that are also born of Him. 2 Concrete evidence that we love God’s children is that we love God and make it a habit to follow his directives. 3 Paying close attention to keeping His commandments is essentially loving God. His commandments are neither complicated nor mysterious, rather they are simple and attainable to all of us. 4 That’s because what God has birthed in us has continual victory over the world. That victorious entity is catalyzed by the faith He has given us and there is no threat in this world that our faith cannot conquer. 5 Who are these conquerors you may ask? Only one kind - those who are convinced that God came to earth in the form of a man, His Son Jesus the Anointed One. 6 This Jesus Christ is the One alone who lived in a human body (came by water) and stayed in perfect communion and obedience to the Father so that His blood (the perfect sacrifice) atoned for us all. The Spirit of Truth tells us this. 7 That makes for a triple testimony. 8 All three (the water, the blood, and the Spirit) agree in this testimony. 9 If we take human testimony as valid, how much more seriously should we take God’s testimony? And He has plainly revealed His testimony  to us about His Son! 10 Every person who believes that Jesus Christ was God in human form here on earth now has this testimony within them. Everyone, however, who doesn’t believe, considers God to be lying because he won’t believe what God has told us about His Son. 11 The testimony is simply this: God has imparted His eternal life to everyone who believes that Jesus came as God in the form of His Son. 12 Everyone who has received Him thus has this life, but each who has not received Him has no life beyond the grave.Support the showThe Village Church’s sermon podcast is more than just a weekly message. It is an invitation into the great and ongoing story of God’s work in the world. Pastors Eric, Mark, Susan, Daniel, and other leaders open the Scriptures not as a collection of abstract ideas but as the living, breathing witness to God’s kingdom breaking into our midst. Each episode is a call—not merely to listen, but to take part, to step forward into the life of faith with renewed vision and purpose. Week by week, the pastors and leaders explore the deep rhythms of Christian discipleship—prayer, fasting, generosity—not as isolated duties but as part of a larger, richer, and more beautiful whole. They unpack these ancient practices in light of Jesus himself, the one in whom heaven and earth have come together. But they also turn their attention to the realities of everyday life—relationships, finances, the struggles and joys of being human—demonstrating how the gospel is not merely about what we believe but about how we live as God's renewed people in the present age. The Village Churchvillagersonline@gmail.comMore information at www.villagersonline.com

Send us a textLee Sommitz Paraphrase 1 John 5:1-12Everyone who embraces Jesus as God’s Anointed Messiah is born of God’s eternal seed. It follows that one who loves the Father will love others that are also born of Him. 2 Concrete evidence that we love God’s children is that we love God and make it a habit to follow his directives. 3 Paying close attention to keeping His commandments is essentially loving God. His commandments are neither complicated nor mysterious, rather they are simple and attainable to all of us. 4 That’s because what God has birthed in us has continual victory over the world. That victorious entity is catalyzed by the faith He has given us and there is no threat in this world that our faith cannot conquer. 5 Who are these conquerors you may ask? Only one kind - those who are convinced that God came to earth in the form of a man, His Son Jesus the Anointed One. 6 This Jesus Christ is the One alone who lived in a human body (came by water) and stayed in perfect communion and obedience to the Father so that His blood (the perfect sacrifice) atoned for us all. The Spirit of Truth tells us this. 7 That makes for a triple testimony. 8 All three (the water, the blood, and the Spirit) agree in this testimony. 9 If we take human testimony as valid, how much more seriously should we take God’s testimony? And He has plainly revealed His testimony  to us about His Son! 10 Every person who believes that Jesus Christ was God in human form here on earth now has this testimony within them. Everyone, however, who doesn’t believe, considers God to be lying because he won’t believe what God has told us about His Son. 11 The testimony is simply this: God has imparted His eternal life to everyone who believes that Jesus came as God in the form of His Son. 12 Everyone who has received Him thus has this life, but each who has not received Him has no life beyond the grave.Support the showThe Village Church’s sermon podcast is more than just a weekly message. It is an invitation into the great and ongoing story of God’s work in the world. Pastors Eric, Mark, Susan, Daniel, and other leaders open the Scriptures not as a collection of abstract ideas but as the living, breathing witness to God’s kingdom breaking into our midst. Each episode is a call—not merely to listen, but to take part, to step forward into the life of faith with renewed vision and purpose. Week by week, the pastors and leaders explore the deep rhythms of Christian discipleship—prayer, fasting, generosity—not as isolated duties but as part of a larger, richer, and more beautiful whole. They unpack these ancient practices in light of Jesus himself, the one in whom heaven and earth have come together. But they also turn their attention to the realities of everyday life—relationships, finances, the struggles and joys of being human—demonstrating how the gospel is not merely about what we believe but about how we live as God's renewed people in the present age. The Village Churchvillagersonline@gmail.comMore information at www.villagersonline.com

Send us a textLee Sommtiz (Paraphrase)1 John 4:7 Being so highly cherished by God, we should also love others. He IS the source of love and all who are personally Fathered by Him are compelled to love people. 8 People who don’t love others don’t really know God, for love is such an essential part of who God IS! 9 There was no greater manifestation or revelation of God’s love than when He sent His Only begotten Son into this world, enabling people to begin really living through Him. 10 Now we see true love, not ours, but His amazing and generous love, which compelled Him to send His Son to restore a way for people to be in relationship with Him, paying dearly for what our stubborn independence severed. 11 Priceless ones, when you realize the magnitude of His love for you, is it too much for Him to ask you to love each other? 12 None of us has ever seen the full extent of God’s glory, but every time we choose to love another, we get still closer to Him and more mature in loving (move closer to the perfect way that God loves). 13 This practice also increases our confidence that we are in an intimate relationship with Him and the Spirit He has given to us confirms that. 14 We saw for ourselves and are proclaiming to you all, that the Father sent His Son to save us all! 15 Everyone who genuinely believes that Jesus is God’s perfect Son and is proclaiming it Has God in their life and lives in an intimate relationship with Him. 16 All who are in this fellowship are deepening in their believing in Him and the magnitude of His love for everyone. Love is fundamental to God’s nature, people who are giving themselves over to loving others are dwelling in an intimate relationship with God. 17 That is how love grows in our lives and in the process, we gain confidence as the judgment day draws nearer because we will be growing closer to His character. 18 God’s way of loving powerfully drives out the kind of fear we associate with receiving punishment from Him. That perspective on fear misses God’s unconditional love and prevents us from fully growing in loving others unconditionally. 19 We can only love that way after embracing that He loves us unconditionally. 20 People who you see refusing to love others, yet profess to love God are self deceived. For those who choose not to love the people they interact with, cannot possibly choose to love the unseen God. 21 And don’t forget this commandment He gave us, that those who would love God must also love people.Support the showThe Village Church’s sermon podcast is more than just a weekly message. It is an invitation into the great and ongoing story of God’s work in the world. Pastors Eric, Mark, Susan, Daniel, and other leaders open the Scriptures not as a collection of abstract ideas but as the living, breathing witness to God’s kingdom breaking into our midst. Each episode is a call—not merely to listen, but to take part, to step forward into the life of faith with renewed vision and purpose. Week by week, the pastors and leaders explore the deep rhythms of Christian discipleship—prayer, fasting, generosity—not as isolated duties but as part of a larger, richer, and more beautiful whole. They unpack these ancient practices in light of Jesus himself, the one in whom heaven and earth have come together. But they also turn their attention to the realities of everyday life—relationships, finances, the struggles and joys of being human—demonstrating how the gospel is not merely about what we believe but about how we live as God's renewed people in the present age. The Village Churchvillagersonline@gmail.comMore information at www.villagersonline.com

Send us a textLee Sommitz Paraphrase1 John 4:1-61 Precious children, be diligent to test for the source of every spirit since many lies are being taught. 2 Here is the bottom line: Every spirit that agrees that God appeared in the form of His Son Jesus Christ is from God. 3 Conversely, every spirit that won’t agree to that is not only not from God, but is also against the very Son He anointed! That is the spirit of antichrist you heard was coming and is already in the world. 4 You precious ones, however, are from God and have all that it takes to triumph because He who is in you far transcends all the antichrists in this world. 5 Being worldly, that is how they speak and why they are taken seriously by the world. 6 We, however, who know God, will listen to others who are from God. Thus, we can distinguish the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Support the showThe Village Church’s sermon podcast is more than just a weekly message. It is an invitation into the great and ongoing story of God’s work in the world. Pastors Eric, Mark, Susan, Daniel, and other leaders open the Scriptures not as a collection of abstract ideas but as the living, breathing witness to God’s kingdom breaking into our midst. Each episode is a call—not merely to listen, but to take part, to step forward into the life of faith with renewed vision and purpose. Week by week, the pastors and leaders explore the deep rhythms of Christian discipleship—prayer, fasting, generosity—not as isolated duties but as part of a larger, richer, and more beautiful whole. They unpack these ancient practices in light of Jesus himself, the one in whom heaven and earth have come together. But they also turn their attention to the realities of everyday life—relationships, finances, the struggles and joys of being human—demonstrating how the gospel is not merely about what we believe but about how we live as God's renewed people in the present age. The Village Churchvillagersonline@gmail.comMore information at www.villagersonline.com

Send us a textLee Sommitz Paraphrase1 John 4:1-61 Precious children, be diligent to test for the source of every spirit since many lies are being taught. 2 Here is the bottom line: Every spirit that agrees that God appeared in the form of His Son Jesus Christ is from God. 3 Conversely, every spirit that won’t agree to that is not only not from God, but is also against the very Son He anointed! That is the spirit of antichrist you heard was coming and is already in the world. 4 You precious ones, however, are from God and have all that it takes to triumph because He who is in you far transcends all the antichrists in this world. 5 Being worldly, that is how they speak and why they are taken seriously by the world. 6 We, however, who know God, will listen to others who are from God. Thus, we can distinguish the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Support the showThe Village Church’s sermon podcast is more than just a weekly message. It is an invitation into the great and ongoing story of God’s work in the world. Pastors Eric, Mark, Susan, Daniel, and other leaders open the Scriptures not as a collection of abstract ideas but as the living, breathing witness to God’s kingdom breaking into our midst. Each episode is a call—not merely to listen, but to take part, to step forward into the life of faith with renewed vision and purpose. Week by week, the pastors and leaders explore the deep rhythms of Christian discipleship—prayer, fasting, generosity—not as isolated duties but as part of a larger, richer, and more beautiful whole. They unpack these ancient practices in light of Jesus himself, the one in whom heaven and earth have come together. But they also turn their attention to the realities of everyday life—relationships, finances, the struggles and joys of being human—demonstrating how the gospel is not merely about what we believe but about how we live as God's renewed people in the present age. The Village Churchvillagersonline@gmail.comMore information at www.villagersonline.com

Send us a textLee Sommitz Paraphrase1John Ch 31 Notice and ponder how immense the love God pours out into our lives, he even calls us his kids. Never doubt it, embrace it as truth! Understand that the world can’t recognize that any more than it recognizes Him. 2 So while we are dearly beloved children of the Father, we don’t know all the details of that yet. We can say that when He appears, we will be much more like Him, for then we will see Him in all of His glory. 3 Focussing on the great hope of seeing the Pure One soon is literally a purifying exercise. 4 But everyone who practices sinning is in the habit of disregarding God and His commands. Sin boils down to disregarding God. 5 Don’t forget that He came the first time to carry away all of our sin, the only One who never came close to sin did this! 6 People who abide in close communion with Him are not in the habit of sinning. Those who make a practice of sin have no regard for Him or fellowship with Him. 7 Precious children, don’t be deceived; each person whose aim is living in a right relationship with Him is righteous like He Himself is. 8 But those committed to the practice of sin are not, they are of the Devil, whose practice has been to sin from the start. 9 Everyone born of God’s seed has this restraint from sinning inherent in them by virtue of this miraculous birth. 10 So who one belongs to is most evident: Those who don’t practice living in the right relationship with God and those who don’t choose to love others are not God’s children. 11 Ever since the beginning, we’ve heard that we should love one another. 12  That is not like Cain who murdered his brother.  Belonging to the Devil, It stands to reason since these people do evil that the righteous deeds of God’s people bring out the worst in them. 13 So I ask you not to be shocked when you receive hatred at the hands of worldly people. 14 Our confidence that we have passed from the evil realm of darkness into life grows when we choose to love others. People who do not love, remain in death’s dark realm. 15 People given over to hatred are murderers and murderers do not have the seed of God’s eternal life in them. 16 Now we know the truest and purest form of love having seen Jesus Christ lay His life down for the likes of us. So it follows that we should be willing to do that for our fellow mortals who are sinners like us. 17 Those with an abundance of temporal goods who you see close themselves off to helpingSupport the showThe Village Church’s sermon podcast is more than just a weekly message. It is an invitation into the great and ongoing story of God’s work in the world. Pastors Eric, Mark, Susan, Daniel, and other leaders open the Scriptures not as a collection of abstract ideas but as the living, breathing witness to God’s kingdom breaking into our midst. Each episode is a call—not merely to listen, but to take part, to step forward into the life of faith with renewed vision and purpose. Week by week, the pastors and leaders explore the deep rhythms of Christian discipleship—prayer, fasting, generosity—not as isolated duties but as part of a larger, richer, and more beautiful whole. They unpack these ancient practices in light of Jesus himself, the one in whom heaven and earth have come together. But they also turn their attention to the realities of everyday life—relationships, finances, the struggles and joys of being human—demonstrating how the gospel is not merely about what we believe but about how we live as God's renewed people in the present age. The Village Churchvillagersonline@gmail.comMore information at www.villagersonline.com

Send us a textLee Sommitz Paraphrase 20181 John Ch 31 Notice and ponder how immense the love God pours out into our lives, he even calls us his kids. Never doubt it, embrace it as truth! Understand that the world can’t recognize that any more than it recognizes Him. 2 So while we are dearly beloved children of the Father, we don’t know all the details of that yet. We can say that when He appears, we will be much more like Him, for then we will see Him in all of His glory. 3 Focussing on the great hope of seeing the Pure One soon is literally a purifying exercise. 4 But everyone who practices sinning is in the habit of disregarding God and His commands. Sin boils down to disregarding God. 5 Don’t forget that He came the first time to carry away all of our sin, the only One who never came close to sin did this! 6 People who abide in close communion with Him are not in the habit of sinning. Those who make a practice of sin have no regard for Him or fellowship with Him. 7 Precious children, don’t be deceived; each person whose aim is living in a right relationship with Him is righteous like He Himself is. 8 But those committed to the practice of sin are not, they are of the Devil, whose practice has been to sin from the start. 9 Everyone born of God’s seed has this restraint from sinning inherent in them by virtue of this miraculous birth. 10 So who one belongs to is most evident: Those who don’t practice living in the right relationship with God and those who don’t choose to love others are not God’s children. 11 Ever since the beginning, we’ve heard that we should love one another. 12  That is not like Cain who murdered his brother.  Belonging to the Devil, It stands to reason since these people do evil that the righteous deeds of God’s people bring out the worst in them. 13 So I ask you not to be shocked when you receive hatred at the hands of worldly people. 14 Our confidence that we have passed from the evil realm of darkness into life grows when we choose to love others. People who do not love, remain in death’s dark realm. 15 People given over to hatred are murderers and murderers do not have the seed of God’s eternal life in them. 16 Now we know the truest and purest form of love having seen Jesus Christ lay His life down for the likes of us. So it follows that we should be willing to do that for our fellow mortals who are sinners like us. 17 Those with an abundance of temporal goods who you see close themselves off to hSupport the showThe Village Church’s sermon podcast is more than just a weekly message. It is an invitation into the great and ongoing story of God’s work in the world. Pastors Eric, Mark, Susan, Daniel, and other leaders open the Scriptures not as a collection of abstract ideas but as the living, breathing witness to God’s kingdom breaking into our midst. Each episode is a call—not merely to listen, but to take part, to step forward into the life of faith with renewed vision and purpose. Week by week, the pastors and leaders explore the deep rhythms of Christian discipleship—prayer, fasting, generosity—not as isolated duties but as part of a larger, richer, and more beautiful whole. They unpack these ancient practices in light of Jesus himself, the one in whom heaven and earth have come together. But they also turn their attention to the realities of everyday life—relationships, finances, the struggles and joys of being human—demonstrating how the gospel is not merely about what we believe but about how we live as God's renewed people in the present age. The Village Churchvillagersonline@gmail.comMore information at www.villagersonline.com

Send us a textLee Sommitz (Paraphrase)1 John 2:26-2926 I wrote these things to warn you that many will seek to deceive you. 27 You, however, have the treasure of God’s anointing so you aren’t dependent on the teaching of other men. This anointing by God’s Spirit teaches you truth in every area of life. Just as it has taught you so far, choose to stay in close communion with God (to your benefit) the rest of your lives. 28 Yes beloved children, sustain this close communion so that when He comes back none of you will have cause for embarrassment or shame, but rejoicing and confidence instead. 29 Just as you know how righteous God is, you know that those who are genuinely born of Him will have His righteousness increasing in their lives. Support the showThe Village Church’s sermon podcast is more than just a weekly message. It is an invitation into the great and ongoing story of God’s work in the world. Pastors Eric, Mark, Susan, Daniel, and other leaders open the Scriptures not as a collection of abstract ideas but as the living, breathing witness to God’s kingdom breaking into our midst. Each episode is a call—not merely to listen, but to take part, to step forward into the life of faith with renewed vision and purpose. Week by week, the pastors and leaders explore the deep rhythms of Christian discipleship—prayer, fasting, generosity—not as isolated duties but as part of a larger, richer, and more beautiful whole. They unpack these ancient practices in light of Jesus himself, the one in whom heaven and earth have come together. But they also turn their attention to the realities of everyday life—relationships, finances, the struggles and joys of being human—demonstrating how the gospel is not merely about what we believe but about how we live as God's renewed people in the present age. The Village Churchvillagersonline@gmail.comMore information at www.villagersonline.com

Send us a text1 John 2:15 - 25 (Paraphase by Lee Sommitz)15 Make sure that none of you drift from our Father in your affections and fall in love with the world and its tantalations. You cannot love both God and the world at the same time. 16 To sum up, allowing the desire for short lived pleasures to overwhelm good judgement, or dwelling  on (obsession with) things that catch our eyes, or setting our hearts on things we can boast to others about, are not desires that please God but are from the world’s value system. 17 This world and its rewards will not last.  Investing in God’s will, however, pays eternal dividends. 18 Beloved children, I want you to recognize that our time remaining is vanishing rapidly. As you have heard, opposition to God’s Anointed One will continue for now and the fact that we have seen that in many forms is further evidence that little time remains. 19 Some who we thought were part of our fellowship have deserted. Departing in that manner shows that they weren’t ever really part of us. 20 In contrast, you who remain have abiding convictions through the Anointed One’s work in your hearts. 21 It is not because you don’t know the truth that I am writing but because you genuinely embrace pure truth and reject lies. 22 The foundation of lying is a refusal to acknowledge that God appeared in human form as His Son, the Anointed One. A person who denies the Father and the Son like this is an antichrist. 23 Denying the Son keeps people from gaining access to God the Father, but agreeing with God about His Son is the very way we gained our adoption as His children. 24 I implore you to never stop believing the wonderful news you first accepted. If you continue believing as you did to begin with, you will remain in rich communion with the Father and the Son. 25 The promise He makes to each of us is gaining the incomparable prize of the Father’s eternal life!Support the showThe Village Church’s sermon podcast is more than just a weekly message. It is an invitation into the great and ongoing story of God’s work in the world. Pastors Eric, Mark, Susan, Daniel, and other leaders open the Scriptures not as a collection of abstract ideas but as the living, breathing witness to God’s kingdom breaking into our midst. Each episode is a call—not merely to listen, but to take part, to step forward into the life of faith with renewed vision and purpose. Week by week, the pastors and leaders explore the deep rhythms of Christian discipleship—prayer, fasting, generosity—not as isolated duties but as part of a larger, richer, and more beautiful whole. They unpack these ancient practices in light of Jesus himself, the one in whom heaven and earth have come together. But they also turn their attention to the realities of everyday life—relationships, finances, the struggles and joys of being human—demonstrating how the gospel is not merely about what we believe but about how we live as God's renewed people in the present age. The Village Churchvillagersonline@gmail.comMore information at www.villagersonline.com