Begin by reading the context and looking back over session 5 which covered 1 John 4:7-19. Then, read 1 John 5:1-11. The central truth for this session is “When we share our personal testimonies and speak truth, we overcome the world.” Keep in mind and explain that only Christians have a personal testimony and are able to share Christ and speak truth. Some students may not yet have a relationship with Christ, therefore this central truth will not be applicable to them.
Consider beginning this session by challenging your students to share what they believe. You might write these things on a whiteboard or a sheet of paper, then read 1 John 5:1-11 aloud. This could turn into more of an evangelistic session, so prepared to go in that direction if you feel led to. Also be ready to stay after to talk with any students who may have questions about salvation and take time to discuss this with them one-on-one.
- If you are unsure of where to begin, take a look at this post and use the Scripture and these tests to help students examine whether they have salvation in Christ. This is not to give students a reason to doubt, but to help them to be assured that they have eternal life in His Son (1 John 5:11).
- Follow up this conversation with a discussion on baptism and delve into what verses 6-8 mean. The Baptist Faith and Message includes the following statement on baptism if you want to more specifically discuss this with the students in your group:
Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord’s Supper. (Baptist Faith and Message, 2000)