Introduction:
Let Your Light Shine
This lesson is a repeat of the last lesson we had last school year with some revisions.
Scripture is full of passages telling us how we should live our lives.
Lessons for us as well as lessons for our students.
As we begin another school year remember that your faithful service is an offering to God.
2 Corinthians 13:11
Paul’s Final Greetings
11 Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.
Philippians 2:14-17 NLT
Let Your Light Shine
13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
14 Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. 16 Hold firmly to the word of life; … 17 … your faithful service is an offering to God. …
Examine the Scriptures:
Lessons for us as well as lessons for our students.
2 Corinthians 13:11
Paul’s Final Greetings
11 Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.
As we are beginning another school year a good component to our prayers could/should be to ask God to help us to:
Be joyful.
Grow to maturity.
Encourage each other.
Live in harmony and peace.
- Be joyful.
- Grow to maturity.
- Encourage each other.
- Live in harmony and peace.
Expect the God of love and peace to be with you.
Philippians 2:13-18 NLT
Let Your Light Shine
13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
- God empowers and energizes believer’s lives.
2 Peter 1:3 NLT
3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.
John 15:5 NLT
5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.
1 Corinthians 12:6 NLT
6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.
- Among other things, God uses scripture and the Holy Spirit to work in us.
Hebrews 4:12 NLT
For the word of God is alive and powerful.
John 16:13 NLT
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.
14 Do everything without complaining and arguing,
More specific instructions for Christians.
Here Paul is speaking to the church at Philippi, but the same principles would apply to us.
Do everything
Without complaining.
No complaining.
No muttering or grumbling.
Complaining about our circumstances could be seen as a contradiction to recognizing God as sovereign and all powerful.
Without arguing
No arguing.
No disputing.
No questioning.
No criticisms.
- Do everything without complaining and arguing.
2 Timothy 2:23 NLT
23 Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights.
Titus 3:9 NLT
9 Do not get involved in foolish discussions about spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish laws. These things are useless and a waste of time.
Replace complaining and arguing with:
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT
16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:8 NLT (Later in Paul’s letter)
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
- Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
15 so that no one can criticize you.
- It’s hard to have an effective testimony for Christ when you are always arguing with the people around you.
Philippians 2:2 NLT
2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.
- Christians need to show themselves as united and as one in Christ.
Live clean, innocent lives as children of God,
Become blameless and pure … without fault. (NIV)
Not perfection, but wholehearted devotion to doing God’s will.
Above reproach – undiluted, not weakened.
(Don’t be like wine that has been diluted or metal that has been weakened)
Romans 14:13 NLT
13 …. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.
- Relate to others in such a way that you do not cause them to stumble.
Go back to Paul’s prayer (1:9-11)
Philippians 1:9-10 NLT
9 I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. 10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.
Progress in your spiritual maturity.
- Keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.
Matthew 10:16 NLT
16 “Look, I (Jesus) am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.
shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.
Matthew 5:14-16 NLT
14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Ephesians 5:8 NLT
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light
This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.
We too are living in a world full of crooked, unscrupulous, and perverse people.
For the most part, our nation has turned it back on God and on Biblical principles.
- We should shine as lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.
16 Hold firmly to the word of life;
Believing God’s Word and following it.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
Share God’s Word with the lost and the dying.
- Believe God’s Word and follow it.
- Share God’s Word with the lost and the dying.
17 … your faithful service is an offering to God.
- Our faithful service is an offering to God.
1 Corinthians 15:58 NLT
58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.
