Introduction and Ice Breaker
To Daylight savings or not to daylight savings - what be your thoughts?
Themes to Consider
God’s first words: ‘let there be light’
The functions of light
show things for what they really are
give a sense of orientation
provide comfort
be a guide
GOD’S PRESENCE IS SEEN AS LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS
STAY CLOSE TO THE LIGHT OF CHRIST
THE LIGHT OF GODS WORD
THE LIGHT OF CONVICTION
THE LIGHT OF CONFESSION
THE LIGHT OF COMMUNITY
Discussion Questions
What is your greatest takeaway from today’s sermon - what stood out to you?
Regarding staying close to the light (practices: word, conviction, confession, community), which of the four do you find most natural to practice? Which are you least motivated towards?
Guided Prayer
Father, thank you for calling us out of darkness and into your marvelous light. Thank you for sending your son Jesus, the light of the world, to reconcile us to you, so that we might also walk in the light. Thank you for sending your Holy Spirit to lead and guide us and to equip us for every good work. Thank you, Father, that you incline your ear to us and that our prayers are always before your throne.
This morning, we pray for the poor: for those who have lost income due to the global economic downturn, and for those who have lost their homes to natural disasters
Lord, send provision
We pray for the brokenhearted: for those grieving the loss of a loved one; for the lonely and isolated, especially during this holiday season
Lord, send comfort
We pray for the prisoners: for the immigrants detained at our borders, and children separated from their families; and for all those unjustly imprisoned
Lord, set them free
We pray for the blind: for those of us who have not yet recognized our need for a savior, and those of us who have not regarded the suffering of our neighbors
Lord, gives us eyes to see
We pray for the oppressed: for Black men, women, and children who suffer because of racialized violence; and for all those who are subjected to violence and hate because of their gender, religion, or ethnicity
Lord, bring justice
Father, we thank you that in the Kingdom of God, the poor in spirit, those who hunger and thirst, and those who mourn and are persecuted are called blessed. Help us to order our lives according to these values. Help us to walk in the light, so that we may proclaim, in all circumstances, the year of the Lord’s favor. Amen.
Supplemental Content
I remember on the way home on Apollo 11 it suddenly struck me that tiny pea, pretty and blue was the earth. I put my thumb up and shut one eye and by thumb blotted out planet earth. But I didn’t feel like a giant. I felt very, very small. —Neil Armstrong
Speaking to these common people, “the multitudes,” who through him had found blessing in the kingdom, Jesus tells them it is they, not the “best and brightest” on the human scale, who are to make life on earth manageable as they live from the kingdom (Matt. 5:13–16). God gives them “light”—truth, love, and power—that they might be the light for their surroundings. He makes them “salt,” to cleanse, preserve, and flavor the times through which they live. These “little” people, without any of the character or qualifications humans insist are necessary, are the only ones who can actually make the world work. It is how things are among them that determines the character of every age and place. And God gives them a certain radiance, as one lights a lamp to shed its brilliance over everyone in the house. Just so, Jesus says to those he has touched, “Let your light glow around people in such a way that, seeing your good works, they will exalt your Father in the heavens.” —Dallas Willard
The very purpose of being a follower of Jesus is to give light. Giving light is not an option, so to speak, which the disciple may or may not choose. It is part of being a disciple, just as much part of discipleship as giving light is of a lighted lamp. Jesus has chosen his own so that they may give light. It is the nature of light to shine, and when people have received the light of the gospel they will shine in a dark world. That is the point of both comparisons. It is of the very nature of light that it brings illumination. —Leon Morris
The church can’t survive on sentiment and nostalgia. If we try to do that we will wake up at midnight and discover that our lamps are going out. Sentiment, nostalgia, optimism: these are weak thin fuels. We need premium oil for our lamps if we are going to keep the light of the church burning in the time of trial… We need to understand the difference between optimism and hope. Optimism arises out of denial of the real facts; hope, however, persists in spite of the clearly recognized facts because it is anchored in something beyond. This time of the church year is about hope. We need to face up to the horrors of the world in [our young century and the last] and the apparent chaos and randomness of life and see if we can still say “Jesus is Lord.” —Fleming Rutledge
