Share Jesus' light with everyone

Read it: Matthew 5:14-16

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Think through it:

In this passage of scripture, Jesus is telling the people to not be ashamed of the truth (that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and no one can have a relationship with God except through him) ... to shine their light in this dark world and to not hide it so that no one can see.

In chapter one of the Gospel of John, John says that Christ is the Eternal Word.

 ¹ In the beginning the Word already existed.
      The Word was with God,
      and the Word was God.
 ² He existed in the beginning with God.
 ³ God created everything through him,
      and nothing was created except through him.
 ⁴ The Word gave life to everything that was created,^[a]
      and his life brought light to everyone.
 ⁵ The light shines in the darkness,
      and the darkness can never extinguish it.

 So when we accept Christ into our lives and choose to follow him, Jesus tells us that we are to go out into the world and be like Him so that people will know him and follow him as well.

So if we are like Christ, then we are also supposed to bring light and the truth of God's word to everyone... even the ones we might not get along with, even the ones who might intimidate us, even the ones who push us away, even the ones who might not fit in... everyone.

So what does this mean for you? Are you sharing your light...or can no one see your light because you're too ashamed?

Pray about it: Ask God to show you where you need to change. If you're too ashamed to spread Christ's light to others, ask him to help you to be strong and courageous. Also, ask him to show you how you can share your light with other. If you only shine your light a little bit, ask God to help you to be more brave and what other ways you can show your light.

Live it: Now go! Shine HIS light! Don't hide it away! Share it with others and help light their flame so they can be on fire for Jesus, too!

Listen to this: Until the whole world hears

Helping others

Read it: Proverbs 3:27

Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it's in your power to help them. If you can help your neighbor now, don't say, "Come back tomorrow and then I'll help you."

Think about it...then pray about it...then live it.

Love God, not the things of this world

Read it: 1 John 2:15-17
 15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

Think through it:

Why do you think John says not to love the world?

When he says, ‘when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you,’ what do you think he means?

What does John say the world offers?

Sometimes the things the world offers might see “OK” but why do you think John says those things are not from the Father?

What does he say is happening to the world and the people in it?

So if everything and everyone is just fading away, why is it worth it to please God?

Pray about it: Before you start praying, think about something you wanted when you were younger. Something you wanted it so badly that you couldn’t wait to get it. You dreamed about it. You talked about it. You may have even begged someone to buy it for you. Well, now...you probably want something different than when you were younger. When I was young I wanted a Barbie car, you know, the child size car that you could actually drive around in. And even though I never got one, I’m pretty sure people would think I was crazy now if I drove a Barbie car to work everyday. You see, I don’t want one of those anymore. My wants and the things that give me pleasure change all the time. None of those things ever seem to please me or make me happy.

So when thinking about this scripture, pray that God would replace your longing for the things of this world with a desire to please him. He is the only one/thing that will NEVER fade away and the only one who can make you happy.

Live it: It’s easy to say, “Do not love the world nor the things it offers you,” but doing it is much harder. I’m not saying that loving a good sunset, a tasty cookie or wanting to do well in what you do is bad. But I am saying that loving those things more than God and putting those things before God is. So the next time you find yourself putting other things before God, take a minute to evaluate yourself and your intentions ... are you trying to please God or are you trying to please yourself?

Standing Firm in Your Faith by putting on The Armor of God

Read it: Ephesians 6:10-17

10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

 13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Think about it:

What do you thing Paul (the author) meant when he said to be strong in the Lord and his mighty power?

Why do you think he describes the “putting on” as if it were armor and as if we are preparing for battle?

So if there’s a battle we’re fighting … who does he say we are fighting against?

Does Paul say God’s armor will fail us or that it will leave us standing firm after battle?

Why do you think he says this?

Describe the armor of God and what you think each piece is used for…

Belt of Truth –

Body Armor of God’s righteousness –

Shoes of Peace –

Shield of Faith –

Sword of the Spirit –

After describing what you think each piece means, do you think you wear the armor of God?

Pray about it: Wearing the armor of God is an honor and a big responsibility. Pray that God would show you how to use it wisely. If you think you haven’t been wearing his armor … then ask him to show you how important it is … ask him to help you put it on daily so you can go into “battle” and resist the enemy (devil).

Live it: Wear the belt of truth, speaking God’s truth wherever you go, and taming your tongue so that it isn’t tempted to tell lies. Put on the body armor of God’s righteousness, which is the product of living an upright and guiltless life through God’s plan. Put on the shoes of peace, taking the Good News wherever you go, which brings peace (salvation) to all who believe. Hold up the shield of faith, guarding you heart and blocking it from the evils of this world. Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, it is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, exposing our innermost thoughts and desires.

Be like a tree, planted in God's Word

Read it: Psalm 1

(I’ve typed the scripture below, but I encourage you to look it up in your own Bible. The more you use your Bible, the better you’ll be at knowing the books of the Bible.)

 1 Oh, the joys of those who do not

      follow the advice of the wicked,

      or stand around with sinners,

      or join in with mockers.

 2 But they delight in the law of the Lord,

      meditating on it day and night.

 3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank,

      bearing fruit each season.

   Their leaves never wither,

      and they prosper in all they do.

 4 But not the wicked!

      They are like worthless chaff*, scattered by the wind.

 5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment.

      Sinners will have no place among the godly.

 6 For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,

      but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

*Chaff is the dry, scaly protective casings of the seeds of cereal grain, or similar fine, dry, scaly plant material such as scaly parts of flowers, or finely chopped straw. Chaff is inedible for humans, but livestock can eat it and in agriculture it is used as livestock fodder, or is a waste material ploughed into the soil or burnt.

Think through it:

How does this scripture relate to your own life?

Do you follow the advice of the wicked and sinners (those who aren’t following God) or mockers (those who make fun of God’s word)?

If you do, is it beneficial to your life and your walk with God or is it causing you to stumble and lose sight of God?

Do you delight in the law of the Lord (which is God’s Word, the Bible)…thinking about it all the time? And are you doing what it says?

What do you think the Psalmist means when he says, “They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither and they prosper in all they do” ?

What about the wicked…what does the Psalmist say about them?

Pray about it: After you’ve thought your way through Psalm 1, God has probably already laid something on your heart. Maybe it’s something you need to change. Maybe it’s something you need to do. Whatever it is, pray that God would help you do it. And if for some reason you’ve been unable to hear what God is saying to you through this scripture, pray that he would reveal it to you today.

Live it: Now, whatever God has asked of you…whether it be to stop letting the advice of sinners influence your life…or to start thinking about God’s Word and doing what it says…do it.

So go on, trust him. He’ll help you to be strong like a tree… one that’s roots (faith) are firmly planted in the ground (God) and bearing good fruit (things) instead of always being pushed over by the influences of the world and bearing only rotten fruit (things).