Sunday Summary - August 28, 2011

"Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)

Yesterday we considered that "It is time to Uncover our Light." Jesus said: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12). After the Sermon on the Mount He told those who were gathered together: "You are the light of the world." (Matt. 5:14) So how are we doing being "light" in a sin darkened world?

We need to examine our lives to see if we have hidden our light under any "baskets" that hinder it's effectiveness. Our light can be hidden or dimmed by:

1. Our History
We sometimes allow our past to dim our witness in the present. What we need to remember is that, as a Christian, our past has been forgiven and we are no longer in bondage to our past sins or shortcomings. Don't let your history hold you back.

2. Our Hurts
Most everyone has been hurt by the words or actions of others. Often those hurts can hold us back from being the light Christ would have us to be. If we have been hurt (and who hasn't) we need to be willing to forgive and forget and move forward. We have all been forgiven by God and should extend that forgiveness to others. Don't let your hurts hinder the brightness of your light.

3. Our Health
Our spiritual health certainly impacts the quality of the light of our life. Just as the moon reflects the light of the sun we should reflect the Glory of Christ. Obviously the closer we are to Christ the better we will reflect the light. Stay close to Christ through Bible reading, prayer, fellowship with other believers and regular times of worship to keep your "wick" trim and your light burning bright!

Here's a poem I did not get to share on Sunday.
God's lamps we are,
To shine where He shall say:
And lamps are not for sunny rooms,
Nor for the light of day;
But for the dark places of the earth,
Where shame and wrong and crime have birth,
Or for the murky twilight grey,
Where wandering sheep have gone astray,
Or where the Lamp of Faith grows dim,
And souls are groping after Him.
And as sometimes a flame we find,
Clear-shining through the night,
So dark we do not see the lamp
But only see the Light,
So may we shine, God's love the flame,
That men may glorify His Name."
-Annie Johnson Flint

Let's shine for Jesus this week!
Pastor Mike

On Tuesday morning I'll post an update about the Courageous Movie premier we were able to attend on Friday night.