The Great Physician

 ” In the crowd that day was a woman who had suffered greatly for twelve years from slow bleeding. Even though she had spent all that she had on healers, she was still suffering. Pressing in through the crowd, she came up behind Jesus and touched the tassel[s] of his prayer shawl. Instantly her bleeding stopped and she was healed. Jesus suddenly stopped and said to his disciples, “Someone touched me. Who is it?”…When the woman realized she couldn’t hide any longer, she came and fell trembling at Jesus’ feet. Before the entire crowd she declared, “I was desperate to touch you, Jesus, for I knew if I could just touch even the fringe of your robe I would be healed.”Jesus responded, “Beloved daughter, your faith in me has released your healing. You may go with my peace.” – Luke 8:43-48. 

The “bleeding woman” represents both the power of the Great Physician and living a COVID-19 type of life. Here is why: when she first comes to Jesus, we’re told she’d “had a discharge of blood for twelve years”, and though she “spent all her living on physicians she could not be healed by anyone” (Luke 8:43 ESV). 

Israel had laws for contagious diseases, so this woman was socially distancing for 12 years. Like many of us, she was lonely, shut in her house without the benefit of the internet or Zoom to keep up with what was going on and keep in contact with others.  In addition, the bleeding woman is in economic distress. She’s spent “all her living” on doctors. The bank account is empty, her hope dried up along with her money. Many people have lost their jobs due to the pandemic as businesses strain to stay afloat. It will take time for the economy to fully recover. But most importantly, she is sick. Her life is in jeopardy if nothing changes. COVID-19 has confronted us with our mortality, bringing us face to face with the harsh truth that we’re not invincible. We’re all “in jeopardy” in one way or another as COVID cases continue to climb. So what can we do? What does she do? Where do we or she go? Is there any hope for her and our condition? The answer to those questions is Jesus. 

The woman reaches out to Jesus and finds out that Jesus is the one who is contagious: She doesn’t get Him dirty; He makes her clean. She doesn’t transfer her impurity to Him; He transfers His purity to her. She doesn’t give Him her sickness; the Great Physician gives her His wholeness. The same is true for us. Christ is the Great Physician who draws close to care for us—the sick and wounded. He knew how contagious our condition was, yet He came to earth. He came knowing that absorbing our sin affliction was the only cure. 

The bleeding woman gives us a glimpse of the final victory. The question is not “if I get healed” but “when I get healed.” Heaven is our final destination. Sickness and death don’t have the last word. But until then, we can experience the care and healing of the Great Physician today.  As the sick, broke, and lonely, we can reach out for comfort and help. The Great Physician is the One who can make us whole.

Discussion Question:

  1. Do you view Jesus as the Great Physician? Why or why not? 
  2. If Jesus is the Great Physician, how does that change how we look at sickness and healing? 

Prayer That Works

“Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” – James 5:13-16.

The book of James, which was written by James, Jesus’ half brother, contains a lot of teaching about prayer. In James 4:2, James says that one of the reasons we don’t receive what we desire is we don’t pray. In other parts of his letter, he tells us: “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” (James 1:5)  If we are suffering we should pray (5:13) and if we are sick, we should call for the elders to anoint us with oil and pray for us (5:14) In other words: If there’s something you want from God – you should pray, or have others pray for you.

We live in a fallen world. Disease and death entered the world after Adam and Eve disobeyed God. Our bodies endure sickness, pain, and decay. We don’t always know why we suffer from ailments and disease nor does God promise that we will understand why. That is not to say that healing cannot occur. God is the great physician. The Gospels overflow with stories of Jesus healing every kind of bodily affliction. God still works to heal people in ways that defy medical knowledge. The Bible tells us to pray for whatever we need, and that surely includes freedom from pain.

But healing does not always occur, even to the most loving, God-centered people. Why not? We don’t know. The Bible has a lot to say on the subject: “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.” (3 John 1:2 ESV)  Matthew 9:35 says, “And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.” Psalm 103:2-3 adds, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,”—Psalm 103:2-3

But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) Exodus 15:26 says, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.”

DL Moody, in his book Prevailing Prayer, quoted Bishop Joseph Hall, saying, “It is not the arithmetic of our prayers, how many they are; nor the rhetoric of our prayers, how eloquent they be; nor the geometry of our prayers, how long they be; nor the music of our prayers, how sweet our voice may be; nor the method of our prayers, how orderly they may be; nor even the theology of our prayers, how good the doctrine may be – which God cares for. Fervency of spirit is that which avails much.”

Discussion Questions:

  1. Have you experienced or know someone who has experienced miraculous healing? What was your reaction? 
  2. Does the fact that God doesn’t heal everybody make Him unloving in your mind? 
  3. What can we do this week to make prayer a bigger part of our daily life?   

What Is Sanctification?

“And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God….And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption…” – 1 Corinthians 1:30; 6:1.      

God’s saving grace in Christ is much bigger and more comprehensive than one can possibly imagine. God’s grace not only rescues but also renovates. It not only reconciles, but it also renews. It not only delivers, but it also matures, and it not only justifies, but it also sanctifies. Justification leads to sanctification. But what is sanctification and how does it matter to believers today? 

The Christian life begins with reconciliation. If we truly repent of past sins, God forgives us for Jesus’ sake. This is a wonderful experience, but we soon discover that we are still tempted to sin and that we must fight to overcome it. By the power of the Holy Spirit and through faithfulness in this battle, we can indeed come to a life of victory over all conscious sin—that is, the thoughts, attitudes, and actions we know in the moment of temptation are wrong.  

Sanctification is another term for holiness, and we certainly don’t become holy overnight. Actually, something drastic has to happen for us to change from being the way we are by nature into being holy, as He is holy. “But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”(1 Peter 1:15-16) A radical transformation is needed, and it involves a lifelong process of transforming an individual to be more Christlike. This process is called sanctification. Sanctification is accomplished through being “set apart” from the unholy things of this world—the things that are directly counter to who Jesus is and His goal for our lives.

One reason sanctification is important is that it represents who we are and who we are striving to be. That is the work that God began in us. Second, when Christ begins a work in you, He is going to carry it forward to completion. God has made you a new creation. Sanctification provides evidence and testimony of God’s work in us.

The Scriptures make it clear that sanctification is vital for a Christian’s growth and development life. There is little doubt that God wants us to be passive bystanders in the sanctification process.  2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 “As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first[a] to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

Sanctification is the path that God calls you to walk. Most Christians have memorized Romans 6:23 over their lives: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” But we seldom pay attention to Romans 6:22 which says, “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.”

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does it mean to be sanctified? 
  2. What is God demonstrating to us in sanctification?
  3. Is God’s goal in sanctification just to make us better than we currently are? 

What Is Justification?

 “In other words, just as condemnation came upon all people through one transgression, so through one righteous act of Jesus’ sacrifice, the perfect righteousness that makes us right with God and leads us to a victorious life is now available to all. One man’s disobedience opened the door for all humanity to become sinners. So also one man’s obedience opened the door for many to be made perfectly right with God and acceptable to him.” – Romans 5:18-19.   

We are sinners. Yes, that is pretty blunt, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Yes, we do good things every day. Yes, we have the best intentions. And yes, we can name people who are worse sinners than we are. But none of that changes the fact that we are sinners and have been since Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden. 

That is where justification comes in. Justification is a theological term that sits at the heart of the Christian message. If you are a Christian, the moment you repented of your sins and believed in Jesus you were justified. You were made right with God because of your faith. Justification does not make us righteous but rather pronounces us righteous. Our righteousness comes from placing our faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. His sacrifice covers our sin, allowing God to see us as perfect and unblemished. Because as believers we are in Christ, God sees Christ’s own righteousness when He looks at us. This meets God’s demands for perfection; thus, He declares us righteous—He justifies us. He saves us. So even though we are sinners, and even though we still rebel against God every day, God treats us like we are not sinners. We are sinners but do not die the death of sinners.

Justification takes place the moment a person puts their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. It is an example of God’s grace. Without an understanding of justification by faith alone, we cannot truly perceive the glorious gift of grace—God’s “unmerited favor” becomes “merited” in our minds, and we begin to think we deserve salvation. Paul says in Romans 3:24-25: “Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past.” Titus 3:7 adds, “Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.”

Romans 5:18-19 sums it up well.  It is because of justification that the peace of God can rule in our lives. It is because of justification that believers can have the assurance of salvation. It is the fact of justification that enables God to begin the process of sanctification—the process by which God makes us in reality what we already are positionally. “Our faith in Jesus transfers God’s righteousness to us and he now declares us flawless in his eyes. This means we can now enjoy true and lasting peace with God, all because of what our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, has done for us.” (Romans 5:1 TPT).

Discussion Questions:

  1. How does knowing life is short compared to all of eternity change the way you live?
  2. If God wants us in heaven with Him, why do you think we are here on Earth now? What is your purpose for the time you are here?
  3. How are you working to fulfill your purpose?

I Can Only Imagine

“Think of friends or family members who loved Jesus and are with him now. Picture them with you, walking together in this place. All of you have powerful bodies, stronger than those of an Olympic decathlete. You are laughing, playing, talking, and reminiscing. You reach up to a tree to pick an apple or orange. You take a bite. It’s so sweet that it’s startling. You’ve never tasted anything so good. Now you see someone coming toward you. It’s Jesus, with a big smile on his face. You fall to your knees in worship. He pulls you up and embraces you.” ― Randy Alcorn, Heaven.

Walt Disney Imagineering is the creative engine and the innovative people who research and develop ideas for the Walt Disney Company. They’re in charge of dreaming, designing, and building Disney theme parks, attractions, cruise ships, resorts, etc. They create things you can see and touch and smell, experiences that you can walk right into. As brilliant and as innovative as the Disney Imagineering people are, they could not come close to duplicating heaven in a theme park or anywhere for that matter. Their imagination does not reach that far. 

Our imagination does not go far enough either. The Bible admittedly doesn’t answer all our questions about heaven, and one reason is because our minds are simply too limited to fully understand its glory and greatness. As the Bible says, “he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears.” (1 John 3:2).

But the Bible does tell us some important truths about heaven. For one, it tells us that heaven is glorious, far more glorious than anything we can even begin to imagine on Earth. When the Apostle John was given a glimpse of heaven, he “fell down to worship” (Revelation 22:8).

The question is why don’t we as Christians look forward to heaven more. Part of the answer may be that Christians often feel they’re leaving the party before it’s over, going home early. They can’t help but think of all the people and things they’ll miss when they leave. But for God’s children, the real party awaits.  Paul says, “Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.” (Romans 8:18). If we don’t understand this future glory of heaven that awaits us, we won’t see our present sufferings shrink in comparison to its greatness. 

Scripture tells us we will all be living with the same person (Jesus), in the same place (heaven), with God’s people (the church). Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:18 that we are to “So encourage each other with these words” in reference to our being together with the Lord forever. So clearly we will be spending eternity with our loved ones in Jesus.

The financial cost of following Jesus may require us to make sacrifices, give a little more than we think we can, change our spending habits, or evaluate our job situation. And it could cause stress and worry. But the return on the investment in Christ is worth far more than we could ever imagine. Living for Christ now means living an eternal life in heaven later.  As Paul described heaven in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

Discussion Questions:

  1. How does knowing life is short compared to all of eternity change the way you live?
  2. If God wants us in heaven with him, why do you think we are here on Earth now? What is your purpose for the time you are here?
  3. How are you working to fulfill your purpose?

When the “Check Anger” Light Comes On

 “So Moses did as he was told. He took the staff from the place where it was kept before the Lord. Then he and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock. “Listen, you rebels!” he shouted. “Must we bring you water from this rock?” Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill.” – Numbers 20:9-11.  

If you asked people for the Bible characters that come to mind, Moses would certainly be among them. Moses had a front-row seat to the signs and wonders God performed against Pharaoh, including the parting of the Red Sea. He received the 10 commandments from God on Mt Sinai. Moses protected, guided, taught, encouraged, rebuked, prayed for, and was responsible for an entire nation through the good times, bad times, and all the times in between since the Israelites left Egypt. So why wasn’t Moses allowed to enter the promised land? In a word anger. 

In chapter 20 of Numbers, Moses is attempting to lead the people of Israel through a desert, there is little to no water to drink and the people and the animals are all very thirsty. Moses goes to God and asks for help and God responds with a specific set of instructions with a limited number of steps: Take your rod; get your brother Aaron; gather the people before the rock, speak to the rock, give everyone a drink. But Moses lost his temper and struck the rock twice even though God had told him to simply speak to the rock. 

That act of anger cost Moses dearly. Numbers 20:12 says, “But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!” When you know the story behind all of that it’s pretty hard to blame Moses for getting upset. These people were chronic complainers. Nothing could please them. Miracle after miracle was not enough and Moses had been extremely patient with them. But enough was enough and rather than fully trusting God to handle the situation, Moses took matters into his own hands. When we try to fix situations ourselves rather than trust God to fix them we are prone to become frustrated and angry.  

We all get angry. It’s unavoidable. There’s really no way to not get angry. Anger doesn’t want you to pause, it demands a reaction. It wants you to throw caution to the wind; say what you want to say and do what you feel like doing. The key is to deal with your anger…appropriately. When you detect anger in yourself, slow down, step back, zip up the lips and take control of your mind. Then turn your disappointments, offenses, frustrations and hurts and the anger they cause over to God. Determine that you will do whatever is necessary to make sure that anger doesn’t control you. Forgive people. Accept disappointments and delays patiently, trusting God’s plan and timing. Try to let it go. “Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper – it only leads to harm.” (Psalm 37:8)

Discussion Question:

  1. How do you deal with anger? What is the typical outcome of your anger?
  2. Proverbs 14:29 says: “Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.” What does that verse mean to you?

 Where Did Hope Go?

“…Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.” – Romans 12:12 (KJV).

Just after their miraculous rescue and release from Egyptian slavery the Israelites found themselves with their backs up against the Red Sea, looking anxiously at the approaching Egyptian army. What should they do? What can they do?

Have you ever felt that way, caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place? Perhaps you feel you are in an impossible situation now. Fortunately, there is hope. You can respond in faith and face whatever challenges you find in front and behind you because “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge.”  God is our source of hope: ”…joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God.” (Psalm 146:5)

Most people view hope as wishful thinking, as in “I hope something will happen.” This is not what the Bible means by hope. The biblical definition of hope is “confident expectation.” Hope is a firm assurance regarding things that are unclear and unknown. “We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)” (Romans 8:24-25)

Paul knew what it was like to have hope in the midst of hopeless situations. As he and Silas sat in a Philippian jail, they could have been in despair. But, instead, they had hope and sang praises to God. And God brought them deliverance and victory (Acts 16).

We may go through situations that are threatening, that can cause uncertainty, anxiety, doubt, or fear. But if we depend on God, we can know that He is the source of hope, and we can rejoice in Him and the hope He promises us. If we have hope we can be filled with joy and peace, no matter what is going on in the world.

Today, remind yourself not to place your hope in the world. Rather rejoice in the hope that God has given you. Place your hope in the living God and His eternal power to save and make everything right in His time, in His way.

Storms will come. But when they do, filter them through the promises of God. And since his promises are unbreakable, your hope will be unshakable.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does a hope-filled life look like?
  2. Through Christ, we have hope. How can that be evident in your life this week?

What Is A Christian?

“Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.” – 2 Corinthians 5:14–15. 

There is not a universal definition of being a Christian. To some, it means you were born in a “Christian” nation or you come from a “Christian” family. To others, it means you believe in Jesus or the religion that is based on Jesus’ teachings. Yet others use the word “Christian” to speak of a deeply personal relationship between Jesus Christ and an individual. C.S. Lewis describes a Christian this way: “To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”

The word Christian is only used 3 times in the New Testament. Acts 11:26. Acts 26:28 and 1 Peter 4:16: “But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name!” They were called “Christians” because their behavior, activity, and speech were like Christ Jesus.  But what does being a Christian mean in the 21st Century? 

Christians are people who acknowledge and live under the word of God. They submit without reserve to the word of God written in “the Book of Truth” (Daniel 10:21), believing the teaching, trusting the promises, following the commands.  

Being a Christian still means living a Christ-centered life. A lot of people view a Christ-centered life as going to church, giving, praying, reading the Bible, and talking to other people about Jesus. You can do all those things and it is still possible to live a life that is controlled by self rather than Christ. The answer is not to give up on these good activities but to shift our focus to Christ and what He desires. Our battle with self is one that will continue as long as we live in these earthly bodies. That’s why Paul tells us to “throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life” and to “Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy (Ephesians 4:22;24) 

A Christ-centered life is fueled by love for the Savior, which flows from increasing knowledge of Him. And we learn to know Jesus more intimately through reading, praying, and quietly abiding in His presence. As Christ increases in our mind and heart, we’ll discover that our self-focus decreases and He becomes the focus and joy of our lives.

In 2020, it is easy to become distracted. And those distractions can compete for your attention. During those times we need to remain focused and connected to God and listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit. 

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your answer to “what is a christian?” 
  2. What is one practical step you can take this week to live a more Christ-centered life? 

What The World Needs Right Now Is Love

“But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love…We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.” – 1 John 4:8,16.  

We have lived in the 20th and 21st centuries, and pretty much everyone agrees, we are living in difficult, troubled times. There is plenty of trouble and struggle to go around. It seems we’re always facing natural disasters, wars or threat of wars, famine in some parts of the world, and political upheaval. And now, of course, we have COVID-19. But we also have the love of God.  

The Apostle John’s twice-repeated statement, “God is love” is one of the strongest statements in the Bible. John seemed overwhelmed by the reality of God’s love. Over and over again, he wrote about this love because he knew that God’s love is pure, the perfect motivation. His love has power. It casts out fear and overcomes worry, doubt, and anxiety. This love is forgiving and kind. It is practical and applies in every situation we face. God’s love changes lives and is exactly what we need right now.  The world needs Christ followers loving each other in a manner worthy of the One they’re following. The world needs people to love like Jesus.

Why? Because I know it’s the best way to live. When we love like Jesus, we’re lifted outside ourselves. We put aside self-interest — with our spouse, our kids, friends, everyone. His brand of love enables us to look over the walls of resentment. When we love like Jesus, we rise above petty demands and a sense of entitlement. We stop looking inward and look for ways to put others’ interests ahead of our own. That’s the essence of the love Jesus gives and requires.

The good news is we can get better and better at loving like Jesus. We can find His love because fortunately, this love isn’t illusive. It isn’t just theoretical. It isn’t pie-in-the-sky. It isn’t out-of-reach. It isn’t reserved for more spiritual Christians.  It’s real and Jesus gives us practical steps to love in extraordinary ways in His word.

So during these uncertain times, let love guide your work, your ministry, your relationships, your studies, and your life. Invest some time in trying to grasp how wide, and deep, and high, and strong, and amazing is the love of Christ. And when you get a glimpse of it, don’t hoard it. Share it. Tell it. Live it. Demonstrate it. Let God’s love not only come to you but through you to others. Love has the ability to change lives in difficult times. So focus your thoughts on God right now. Love Him unconditionally. Thank Him for His love. And let that love flow to people all around you.

Because what the world needs now – above all – is love.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Is there a difference between saying you love someone and actually loving them? 
  2. What does it mean to love like Jesus? 
  3. Which person in your life do you most want to love like Jesus? Why? And what specifically can you do today for that person?

God is light

This is the life-giving message we heard him share and it’s still ringing in our ears. We now repeat his words to you: God is pure light. You will never find even a trace of darkness in him.” –  1 John 1:5 (TPT). 

C.S. Lewis wrote about an experience in a toolshed in his book of essays entitled God in the Dock: “I was standing today in the dark toolshed. The sun was shining outside and through the crack at the top of the door there came a sunbeam. From where I stood that beam of light, with the specks of dust floating in it, was the most striking thing in the place. Everything else was almost pitch-black. I was seeing the beam, not seeing things by it. Then I moved, so that the beam fell on my eyes. Instantly the whole previous picture vanished. I saw no toolshed, and (above all) no beam. Instead, I saw, framed in the irregular cranny at the top of the door, green leaves moving on the branches of a tree outside and beyond that, 90 odd million miles away, the sun. Looking along the beam, and looking at the beam are very different experiences.”

Such is the power of light. The first picture of God that John wants to put before us is this picture of God as light. “God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all (NLT).” It means that if you draw near to God, you do not find the dark, you find freedom and hope and joy. In God, the legos on the floor, the bedposts, the low hanging branches, the potholes, the spider webs are all illuminated and we are safe from them. That is, there are no lurking shadows in God. There is no hidden agenda, no small print. He is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

Coming to God is not like buying a used car. You see an ad for a used car and it sounds like an awesome deal. It may seem like a light has been shown on your transportation needs. But when you go check it out you find darkness instead of life; there are a lot of problems that did not show up on the advertisement and in the light of this information, the car is not the good value you thought it was. God is not like that. He is light and in Him is no darkness at all. There is no small print qualifying the brightness of His glory. No false advertising or missing parts of malfunctioning engines. 

God is all light and light shows me what still needs cleaning up in my life, big or small. Without the light I am in darkness and can’t see the sin in my life, and how I need to be transformed. Light is judgment; and when we, step by step, enter into the light and are willing to step out of darkness, we are transformed into Jesus’ image.

When I love the light, I seek for it to shine into every area of my life, so that sin can be exposed. I become a child of the light. Where the light shines new growth comes. Love, joy, kindness, long-suffering, and all the fruits of the Spirit grow in the light. Ephesians 5:8 says, “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!

Let’s all make it our daily goal to fix our thoughts on these things and live as people of the light.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the power of light? Why is it so important? How does this attest to the importance of Jesus?
  2. How has Jesus shone his light into your life?
  3. What does walking in the light mean to you?