Rev, Matt Miller (1 John 1:1-4) The challenges the church faced in the first century are not all that different from ours. Racial tension, political differences and an encroaching worldview called Gnosticism, threatened to take the heart of the Gospel from God’s children. John’s first letter addresses these matters with a called to remember the power of Jesus Christ to bring salvation to God’s people, and to walk in obedience to God’s Word. The Word of Life (Jesus) helped them confront the issues of the day with a Loving Life and he does the same for us today.