10/29/2026
Transcript of the Jay Report: 10/29/26
Good morning, and welcome to another edition of the Jay report. This Sunday (1 November), our Gospel message comes from Matthew 5:1-12 (NRSV), but I’m going to preach on our first reading which is 1 John 3:1-7. The title of this sermon is Children of God.
This epistle is traditionally attributed to the Apostle John. It is addressed to early Christians, likely to counter false teachings and to affirm their faith. It was also intended to bolster the community's faith and moral conduct amidst the challenges that it faced.
This Epistle grants a unique identity and relationship with God. It also discusses the future hope of being fully like Christ, when he returns. This hope of becoming instills a desire to be purified and to live in a manner that is consistent with our identity.
It also addresses sin. It states that sin is lawlessness and that Christ came to take away sins. As a result, whoever abides in Christ does not continue to sin. This is the transformative power of having a relationship with Him. In other words, those who practice righteousness are aligned with God’s character.
In conclusion, we are encouraged to understand our identity as children of God. We are to embrace the love that God has shown for us. We are to live in a way that reflects our relationship with Christ, and it should be marked by righteousness and hope for the future.
Well… That’s all for the Jay Report. I hope that this information gets you to thinking about the coming Sunday’s sermon. I also hope that you have a wonderful rest of the week, and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday, but between now and then, take care of one another. Goodbye!
First Reading: 1 John 3:1-7 (NRSV):
1 See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he 1 is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. 3 And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. 4 Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.
