Let your light shine.

Greetings on this wonderful Thursday!  It’s a blessing to be with you in the Pastor’s Workshop.

As you know this week we’ve been working on our message, “Begin with Basics: Shine a Light”.  Our texts are Genesis 1:1-3, John 1:6-9, and Matthew 5:14-16.  What began in Creation, “Let there be Light”, continued with Christ, “the Light of Life”, and now comes to us in Christ’s call, “Let your light shine!” 

By now you probably “know the drill”.  Thursday is when we take all we have worked on this past week and do a little creating of our own.  We always hope God will shine a light of inspiration to enlighten our thinking and show us a way to brighten someone’s path for living.

So as you review your thoughts and reflections, meditations and musings, what is the message coming to you?

Here’s a draft of my talking points for Sunday.

A little extra light always lifts my day and adds to my life.  You and I can provide that blessing as we let our light shine!

God has been bringing that blessing from the very beginning.  When God said, “Let there be Light” (Genesis 1:3) God’s good Creation got underway.

And then God’s Creation became Incarnation.  Jesus Christ came as the Light of Life (John 8:12), as the “True Light coming into the world” (John 1:9).

As we receive and believe in Him as the Light of Life, we are en-lightened.  We “walk in the light” as he is in the light. (I John 1:7).  We shine His light through our good works of love in His name (Matthew 5:16).

That’s a beautiful Biblical progression leading us and strengthening us to let our light shine!

The light we shine is a light of Truth.  It’s a light that shines in the darkness.  It’s a light that reveals the realities of the world around us. More than that, it’s a light that reveals the reality of God’s hope within us.  This is a hope for God’s Kingdom being created in our world through Jesus Christ.

The light we shine is a light of Beauty.  It’s a light that refracts in a rainbow diversity as we each let our light shine in the ways God has uniquely gifted us.

The light we shine is a light of Life.  It’s a light that renews hope in the hearts and lives of others.

The light we shine is a light of Glory.  It’s a light that reflects the goodness of God. When people see our good works they give glory to God in heaven. 

The light we shine is a light of truth, a light of beauty, a light of life, and a light of glory. The light we shine reveals, refracts, renews, reflects the Light of Christ.  This is the light we shine!

When God says, “Let there be Light”, this is how it is to be from the beginning until the end.  We are part of that blessing.  What a blessing - to “Shine a Light!”

These are my basic talking points for Sunday.  As always there will be illustrations and added thoughts to bring completeness to the message.

What are your thoughts? What springs from these three Scriptures for you?  In what ways has God been speaking to you?  What light of truth has been shining into your mind that you would share with others?  Make sure to write down your “personal sermon”.  It’s a special blessing God has given you.

Now it’s time to let the message “marinate”.  Having time between now and Sunday allows for “settling” and more clarity.  This space really helps as you get a chance to revisit the message later after letting it “sit”.

It’s been a blessing to work with you this week.  I’m excited about how the message will continue to come together in the days ahead.

In that ongoing work of God’s creative Spirit, I look forward to being with you again on Saturday as we prepare with prayer in the Pastor’s Workshop.

Prayer:  Gracious God, thank You for our work this week.  Thank you for the message that has “taken shape”.  We pray You use it to shine a light of truth to brighten the path of others.  Strengthen us to shine our light to Your glory.  This we pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.