Lesson Two • Light
James Mann
“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.” Matthew 5:14-16
For those who live in the northern states, we understand the concept of seasons a little too well. Those who live in Michigan have heard a million times that in the winter, we are in desperate need of vitamin D supplements because we are not getting enough of it from the sun during this season. This causes seasonal depression. I often think about how difficult this is for those who live in places like Alaska or other countries where there is very little sunlight that they see in a year. During these seasons, many people also find themselves doing things to cope with the season. Sometimes this could be something positive like getting more active in the gym but it can also be something negative like building a new addictive behavior.
1. Do you notice a change in your mood during the times of year that have minimal sunlight? What does that look like for you?
2. What do you find yourself doing to cope with these seasons?
For a moment, I want to relate this to our walk with Christ. We are called to be this light to the world. Many of us have found ourselves in seasons of life where our relationship with God is not the priority. We begin to put Him on the back burner and focus on what we want or the wants of those around us.
3. When this happens, what have you noticed occurring in your life?
4. What do you do or what happens for you to pull yourself out of these seasons?
Every time that I have found myself in one of these seasons, I feel the darkness creeping in. At the moment, life seems exciting because it is new. Slowly though, this depression and sadness begins to slip in. If we look at the earlier example, we can view God as the ultimate source of light. He gives us all that we need.
What does this mean for us in our daily lives and in the context of this passage? We live in a world where darkness is trying to take over constantly. The enemy does not want us to have a relationship with God, so he will do everything he can to create that separation. Something I always try to push with parents is that it is difficult for many children to grasp the concepts of God. What they begin to do is look at their parents and how their parents act and treat them to see these characteristics of God played out. Parents have this incredible opportunity to then tell their child, “We have a God that loves you even more than I do, and His love is a perfect kind of love.” It creates a point of being able to relate the Lord to something that a child can see in their daily lives.
5. What other godly characteristics can we teach our children based on our relationship with them?
6. What things do we need to work on to better portray these characteristics to our children?
We often talk about new Christians and young believers as babies in their walk with Christ. If that is how we view freshly converted believers, we can think of nonbelievers as even younger than that. When the Bible calls us to be the light of the world, we need to show nonbelievers and young believers who God is through how we act and conduct our lives. We are called to be set on a hill and act in a way that is not like the world around us. We are called to shine in the darkness. This is not an easy task. For someone that does not believe in God, we might be the only person that shows them God-like characteristics. This is something that no one is perfect at, but we are called to strive closer to this every day.
7. What are some areas of your life that you feel you are strong in shining?
8. What are some areas of your life that you see an immediate need for improvement in order to shine the way we are called?
This passage also mentions a concept that many of us have fallen victim to. It is sometimes effortless to act Christ-like around fellow believers. It is expected and so many of us can focus on fitting that role when the time calls for it. What about when we are not in a Christian setting? For some of us, this means work, running errands, being in an area where no one knows you at all, or even more difficult for some when we are around family. Sometimes we find ourselves in these settings and we do not want to stand out. We may also find ourselves just wanting to fit in and make it through the day. What we are doing is putting a basket over our light.
9. What situations do you find it hardest to shine in?
10. Name one person that you specifically know needs to see your light shine because they do not have a relationship with the Lord.
In my personal life, I have found that in these times, I begin to fall back into a season where the oxygen is not getting to my flame and my light dims. I find myself in the winter searching for happiness in the darkness. It does not make sense to cover up the thing that brings us true happiness, but the world tells us we ought to enjoy life a little bit and that there is nothing wrong with doing that. Even worse, some Christians will tell you it is okay to fall away from God for a season because He will always accept you back. The truth is that we should never hide that light. We should always be showing that to the world. It is easier for someone in darkness to find the light when you are shining. If we are called to strive to be like Christ, we need to realize that He never took a season of life to just hide His light and enjoy the world for a bit.
For those who live in the northern states, we understand the concept of seasons a little too well. Those who live in Michigan have heard a million times that in the winter, we are in desperate need of vitamin D supplements because we are not getting enough of it from the sun during this season. This causes seasonal depression. I often think about how difficult this is for those who live in places like Alaska or other countries where there is very little sunlight that they see in a year. During these seasons, many people also find themselves doing things to cope with the season. Sometimes this could be something positive like getting more active in the gym but it can also be something negative like building a new addictive behavior.
1. Do you notice a change in your mood during the times of year that have minimal sunlight? What does that look like for you?
2. What do you find yourself doing to cope with these seasons?
For a moment, I want to relate this to our walk with Christ. We are called to be this light to the world. Many of us have found ourselves in seasons of life where our relationship with God is not the priority. We begin to put Him on the back burner and focus on what we want or the wants of those around us.
3. When this happens, what have you noticed occurring in your life?
4. What do you do or what happens for you to pull yourself out of these seasons?
Every time that I have found myself in one of these seasons, I feel the darkness creeping in. At the moment, life seems exciting because it is new. Slowly though, this depression and sadness begins to slip in. If we look at the earlier example, we can view God as the ultimate source of light. He gives us all that we need.
What does this mean for us in our daily lives and in the context of this passage? We live in a world where darkness is trying to take over constantly. The enemy does not want us to have a relationship with God, so he will do everything he can to create that separation. Something I always try to push with parents is that it is difficult for many children to grasp the concepts of God. What they begin to do is look at their parents and how their parents act and treat them to see these characteristics of God played out. Parents have this incredible opportunity to then tell their child, “We have a God that loves you even more than I do, and His love is a perfect kind of love.” It creates a point of being able to relate the Lord to something that a child can see in their daily lives.
5. What other godly characteristics can we teach our children based on our relationship with them?
6. What things do we need to work on to better portray these characteristics to our children?
We often talk about new Christians and young believers as babies in their walk with Christ. If that is how we view freshly converted believers, we can think of nonbelievers as even younger than that. When the Bible calls us to be the light of the world, we need to show nonbelievers and young believers who God is through how we act and conduct our lives. We are called to be set on a hill and act in a way that is not like the world around us. We are called to shine in the darkness. This is not an easy task. For someone that does not believe in God, we might be the only person that shows them God-like characteristics. This is something that no one is perfect at, but we are called to strive closer to this every day.
7. What are some areas of your life that you feel you are strong in shining?
8. What are some areas of your life that you see an immediate need for improvement in order to shine the way we are called?
This passage also mentions a concept that many of us have fallen victim to. It is sometimes effortless to act Christ-like around fellow believers. It is expected and so many of us can focus on fitting that role when the time calls for it. What about when we are not in a Christian setting? For some of us, this means work, running errands, being in an area where no one knows you at all, or even more difficult for some when we are around family. Sometimes we find ourselves in these settings and we do not want to stand out. We may also find ourselves just wanting to fit in and make it through the day. What we are doing is putting a basket over our light.
9. What situations do you find it hardest to shine in?
10. Name one person that you specifically know needs to see your light shine because they do not have a relationship with the Lord.
In my personal life, I have found that in these times, I begin to fall back into a season where the oxygen is not getting to my flame and my light dims. I find myself in the winter searching for happiness in the darkness. It does not make sense to cover up the thing that brings us true happiness, but the world tells us we ought to enjoy life a little bit and that there is nothing wrong with doing that. Even worse, some Christians will tell you it is okay to fall away from God for a season because He will always accept you back. The truth is that we should never hide that light. We should always be showing that to the world. It is easier for someone in darkness to find the light when you are shining. If we are called to strive to be like Christ, we need to realize that He never took a season of life to just hide His light and enjoy the world for a bit.
Lesson Two • Light
James Mann
“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.” Matthew 5:14-16
For those who live in the northern states, we understand the concept of seasons a little too well. Those who live in Michigan have heard a million times that in the winter, we are in desperate need of vitamin D supplements because we are not getting enough of it from the sun during this season. This causes seasonal depression. I often think about how difficult this is for those who live in places like Alaska or other countries where there is very little sunlight that they see in a year. During these seasons, many people also find themselves doing things to cope with the season. Sometimes this could be something positive like getting more active in the gym but it can also be something negative like building a new addictive behavior.
1. Do you notice a change in your mood during the times of year that have minimal sunlight? What does that look like for you?
2. What do you find yourself doing to cope with these seasons?
For a moment, I want to relate this to our walk with Christ. We are called to be this light to the world. Many of us have found ourselves in seasons of life where our relationship with God is not the priority. We begin to put Him on the back burner and focus on what we want or the wants of those around us.
3. When this happens, what have you noticed occurring in your life?
4. What do you do or what happens for you to pull yourself out of these seasons?
Every time that I have found myself in one of these seasons, I feel the darkness creeping in. At the moment, life seems exciting because it is new. Slowly though, this depression and sadness begins to slip in. If we look at the earlier example, we can view God as the ultimate source of light. He gives us all that we need.
What does this mean for us in our daily lives and in the context of this passage? We live in a world where darkness is trying to take over constantly. The enemy does not want us to have a relationship with God, so he will do everything he can to create that separation. Something I always try to push with parents is that it is difficult for many children to grasp the concepts of God. What they begin to do is look at their parents and how their parents act and treat them to see these characteristics of God played out. Parents have this incredible opportunity to then tell their child, “We have a God that loves you even more than I do, and His love is a perfect kind of love.” It creates a point of being able to relate the Lord to something that a child can see in their daily lives.
5. What other godly characteristics can we teach our children based on our relationship with them?
6. What things do we need to work on to better portray these characteristics to our children?
We often talk about new Christians and young believers as babies in their walk with Christ. If that is how we view freshly converted believers, we can think of nonbelievers as even younger than that. When the Bible calls us to be the light of the world, we need to show nonbelievers and young believers who God is through how we act and conduct our lives. We are called to be set on a hill and act in a way that is not like the world around us. We are called to shine in the darkness. This is not an easy task. For someone that does not believe in God, we might be the only person that shows them God-like characteristics. This is something that no one is perfect at, but we are called to strive closer to this every day.
7. What are some areas of your life that you feel you are strong in shining?
8. What are some areas of your life that you see an immediate need for improvement in order to shine the way we are called?
This passage also mentions a concept that many of us have fallen victim to. It is sometimes effortless to act Christ-like around fellow believers. It is expected and so many of us can focus on fitting that role when the time calls for it. What about when we are not in a Christian setting? For some of us, this means work, running errands, being in an area where no one knows you at all, or even more difficult for some when we are around family. Sometimes we find ourselves in these settings and we do not want to stand out. We may also find ourselves just wanting to fit in and make it through the day. What we are doing is putting a basket over our light.
9. What situations do you find it hardest to shine in?
10. Name one person that you specifically know needs to see your light shine because they do not have a relationship with the Lord.
In my personal life, I have found that in these times, I begin to fall back into a season where the oxygen is not getting to my flame and my light dims. I find myself in the winter searching for happiness in the darkness. It does not make sense to cover up the thing that brings us true happiness, but the world tells us we ought to enjoy life a little bit and that there is nothing wrong with doing that. Even worse, some Christians will tell you it is okay to fall away from God for a season because He will always accept you back. The truth is that we should never hide that light. We should always be showing that to the world. It is easier for someone in darkness to find the light when you are shining. If we are called to strive to be like Christ, we need to realize that He never took a season of life to just hide His light and enjoy the world for a bit.
For those who live in the northern states, we understand the concept of seasons a little too well. Those who live in Michigan have heard a million times that in the winter, we are in desperate need of vitamin D supplements because we are not getting enough of it from the sun during this season. This causes seasonal depression. I often think about how difficult this is for those who live in places like Alaska or other countries where there is very little sunlight that they see in a year. During these seasons, many people also find themselves doing things to cope with the season. Sometimes this could be something positive like getting more active in the gym but it can also be something negative like building a new addictive behavior.
1. Do you notice a change in your mood during the times of year that have minimal sunlight? What does that look like for you?
2. What do you find yourself doing to cope with these seasons?
For a moment, I want to relate this to our walk with Christ. We are called to be this light to the world. Many of us have found ourselves in seasons of life where our relationship with God is not the priority. We begin to put Him on the back burner and focus on what we want or the wants of those around us.
3. When this happens, what have you noticed occurring in your life?
4. What do you do or what happens for you to pull yourself out of these seasons?
Every time that I have found myself in one of these seasons, I feel the darkness creeping in. At the moment, life seems exciting because it is new. Slowly though, this depression and sadness begins to slip in. If we look at the earlier example, we can view God as the ultimate source of light. He gives us all that we need.
What does this mean for us in our daily lives and in the context of this passage? We live in a world where darkness is trying to take over constantly. The enemy does not want us to have a relationship with God, so he will do everything he can to create that separation. Something I always try to push with parents is that it is difficult for many children to grasp the concepts of God. What they begin to do is look at their parents and how their parents act and treat them to see these characteristics of God played out. Parents have this incredible opportunity to then tell their child, “We have a God that loves you even more than I do, and His love is a perfect kind of love.” It creates a point of being able to relate the Lord to something that a child can see in their daily lives.
5. What other godly characteristics can we teach our children based on our relationship with them?
6. What things do we need to work on to better portray these characteristics to our children?
We often talk about new Christians and young believers as babies in their walk with Christ. If that is how we view freshly converted believers, we can think of nonbelievers as even younger than that. When the Bible calls us to be the light of the world, we need to show nonbelievers and young believers who God is through how we act and conduct our lives. We are called to be set on a hill and act in a way that is not like the world around us. We are called to shine in the darkness. This is not an easy task. For someone that does not believe in God, we might be the only person that shows them God-like characteristics. This is something that no one is perfect at, but we are called to strive closer to this every day.
7. What are some areas of your life that you feel you are strong in shining?
8. What are some areas of your life that you see an immediate need for improvement in order to shine the way we are called?
This passage also mentions a concept that many of us have fallen victim to. It is sometimes effortless to act Christ-like around fellow believers. It is expected and so many of us can focus on fitting that role when the time calls for it. What about when we are not in a Christian setting? For some of us, this means work, running errands, being in an area where no one knows you at all, or even more difficult for some when we are around family. Sometimes we find ourselves in these settings and we do not want to stand out. We may also find ourselves just wanting to fit in and make it through the day. What we are doing is putting a basket over our light.
9. What situations do you find it hardest to shine in?
10. Name one person that you specifically know needs to see your light shine because they do not have a relationship with the Lord.
In my personal life, I have found that in these times, I begin to fall back into a season where the oxygen is not getting to my flame and my light dims. I find myself in the winter searching for happiness in the darkness. It does not make sense to cover up the thing that brings us true happiness, but the world tells us we ought to enjoy life a little bit and that there is nothing wrong with doing that. Even worse, some Christians will tell you it is okay to fall away from God for a season because He will always accept you back. The truth is that we should never hide that light. We should always be showing that to the world. It is easier for someone in darkness to find the light when you are shining. If we are called to strive to be like Christ, we need to realize that He never took a season of life to just hide His light and enjoy the world for a bit.