John 8:12   Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Jesus is the light of the world.  We know that.  We were once in darkness, but following Christ, the light of the world, results in us having the light of life within us.

Jesus made another statement that seems similar:

John 9:5   As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 

Jesus qualified his statement.  He is the light of the world for as long as he is in the world.  We know that Jesus will always be the true light, but he made a shocking statement when he gave the Sermon on the Mount:

Matthew 5:14-16   “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Jesus called us the light of the world.  He handed the torch off to his followers to carry on the work of being the light.  We have his light within us, and we are called to shine the light of the world into a dark and desperate world.  Paul put it this way:

Philippians 2:14-16a   Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life …

How can we shine the light of Jesus into our dark and desperate world?  The first step is to hold fast to the Word.  Hang on tightly to Jesus and keep looking into the Word of God.  There you will find all you need to light your way.

2 Peter 1:3-4   His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

God has called us to Himself, He has given us life, and He has even given us godliness through Jesus.  He has promised us that we will be conformed to the image of Jesus, and “become partakers of the divine nature” as we live for Him instead of for our own sinful desires.

God has "granted to us his precious and very great promises" beginning with salvation.  And it doesn't end there.  In fact, his promises will never end.  Eternity will be filled with the joy of living in His promises forever.

​Which of God's promises mean the most to you?

Romans 7:24   Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

We have all sinned.  Every one of us.  Even the Apostle Paul, the one people think of as a Super-Christian.  If he sinned, and if he knew that he was living in a "body of death", we can admit that we are, too.

All have sinned.  You, me, and Paul!  Who will deliver us?

Paul went on in verse 25:  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

He is our savior and our deliverer.  Do you know Him?

Romans 12:9-13
 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.  Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.  Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.  Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.  Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

This passage could be titled:  Life In A Great Church

Does this list describe your life?  How can you make life in your church great?  What needs to change in you to make it happen?

Romans 6:22   But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.

If you have given your life to Christ, you have been set free from sin.  God is leading you to sanctification.  That means He is making you holy.  Every day as you give yourself to live for Him, God is conforming you more and more into the image of Jesus.

We have eternal life, yes, but we also have the immediate joy of growing more like Jesus every day!

Acts 4:29-31   
And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

The apostles had just been arrested and released.  But instead of praying for safety like you and I often do, they prayed for boldness as they celebrated the fact that they were found worthy of suffering for the sake of the Name.

God answered that prayer twice.  He physically shook the building.  And He, in the form of the Holy Spirit, shook up the apostles, giving they the boldness they had asked for.

What do you pray for?  What do you expect God to do as a result?  If you pray for boldness, He WILL answer!  Then whatever happens next will be the result of God working in your life!

​Do you dare?

Hebrews 10:24-25   And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

This is why we need to be together in church.  Where else do we challenge each other "to love and good works"?  What better way than being together to encourage each other?  The Day of the Lord's return is drawing near.

Do you have a community of believers that you can count on to lift you up when you need to be encouraged?  Do you encourage others who need to know the love of Jesus through you?

Let's keep being together to love each other in this way.  And what better place to be together than in church?!!!

Romans 8:1   There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

If you have received the forgiveness of Jesus by confessing your sin, believing that Jesus died to take away that sin, and rose again from the dead to bring you new life, and trusting Him with your life, you are not condemned.

Jesus has taken away all your sin.  There may be consequences for the things you have done, but there is no condemnation.  God sees you as pure and holy.  He looks at you and sees the sacrifice of Jesus.

That is not a license to sin.  That is a reason to be so grateful that you stop sinning and live your life for Him.  It's called being thankful.

Hebrews 4:12    For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Look at the power of God’s sword.  First, notice that it is alive.  It is the way we discover the Way, the Truth and the Life Who makes us alive in Him.  It is active.  What does it actively do?  It cuts us open.
It cuts our flesh, going down to the deepest part of our being.  It divides the soul from the spirit, IOW it exposes the very essence of who we are, down to the deepest part of our nature.  It exposes out thoughts and intentions.  It breaks open all that is in our heart.
Wow.  That’s scary, huh?  I wonder what it finds in our hearts.
Steven Curtis Chapman had a song with the line, “I opened up the Bible and I read about me.”
Have you ever done that?  You come to a point where you just have to smile as you pause and praise God for saving you, and for working so deeply in your life?
Or you come to a part where you begin weeping as you realize that you have just read about you.  And you know that God is calling you to be more, to come back to His grace, to surrender your will to His.
You see, God through His Word doesn’t leave us where and how we are.  He changes us through His Word.
And it’s personal.  The Word of God opens our hearts so that we can see ourselves as we really are.  And that’s scary.  Until we realize that even though we sin, we are forgiven.
The Bible has been called a mirror in which we see ourselves.  But it’s more than that.  It doesn’t just show us our faces, it shows us our hearts.
And then it shows us God’s heart.  His love is very personal.  It cost Jesus everything to love you and me.
What does it cost us to live for Him?  If we are Loving each other and those in our community, and if we are Sharing Hope with each other and with those around us, we need to live in the truth of God’s Word.
We need to share the hope, the Good News of the Bible with those who have no hope.  Will you wield your sword of the Spirit to bring dying people into the new life that Jesus offers?

Psalm 127:1   Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.  Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.

Who is building your house?  Who is the Master of your life?  If it isn't the Lord, your life is being lived for no purpose.  Only He brings purpose to our lives.  He is the Master Builder who fits everything together.

Have you ever watched a craftsman work on something really complicated?  It doesn't seem to make sense, and none of the pieces look like they will ever fit together.  What is the point of the mess you see in front of you?

But when the Master Builder puts the details together, you can suddenly see a pattern emerge.  He makes something beautiful out of all your broken pieces.  The Bible says that if we love God, and He has called us according to His purpose, all things work together for good.  (Romans 8:28)

Even when it doesn't make sense to us.