As we seek to live like Jesus in the here & now join us this week as we explore how to Live as Light to the World in this digital age as we hear from Jose St Phard
Icebreaker
When you were a child were you scared of the dark? Are there still times when you put on a light just to feel braver?
Sermon
Digging Deeper
Reflect on the sermon today – did any ideas strike you that you’d like to comment on?
What were you challenged by in today’s message?
Pastor Jose finished with an excerpt from Marianne Williamson’s 1992 book, “A return to love”. Let’s read it again and see what we think:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically
liberates others.”
Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world” is an exception in the Bible. Have someone in your group look up each of the following texts and compare them.
John 1:4-9; Ephesians 5:8; John 8:12; Psalm 119:105; John 12:46; 1 Peter 2:9; 1st John 1:5-7; John 9:5
How can we be light if God is light? Check out 2 Cor 4:6 and Phil 2:15 to help answer that.
If we agree that the light comes from God, does that lessen or increase our responsibility to be light?
Compare analogies of reflected light, like the moon, or a mirror – what metaphor makes sense to you?
Challenge
As we all face lockdown again, what practical ways can we show light to our community? And how can we be light remotely, while not being able to contact people physically?
Pray for God’s wisdom to reflect His light this week.