[lead dropcap="yes"]If we are completely honest, we can admit we tend to project the appealing version of ourselves to the outside world. Picture perfect and put together, we can almost fool ourselves into believing that's who we are. But what about those unappealing areas we’d rather hide - those issues we’ve swept under the rug that sooner or later, they pile up, and we trip over. What we need is to be exposed by the light of Jesus and learn the true meaning of living life in the light.[/lead]
Kicking off a brand new collection of talks, Pastor Rich dives into the Book of 1 John where we set off discovering God’s radical love for humanity and our reasonable response to him. To begin this journey, we start at 1 John 1:5 with three thoughts to consider about light:
THE POWER OF LIGHT
John makes clear that God is light and in him, there is no darkness. If we desire a relationship and fellowship with God we must grasp this concept. Light is an energy, it’s a force and it’s fast. Think about the common phrase that something moves in “the speed of light,” then try to imagine God as light defy such expectations – he is that powerful!
THE PURITY OF LIGHT
John connects the purity of light to the nature of God. We live in a broken world where we see bad things around us. But just because bad things happen, doesn’t mean God is bad. Actually, God is good, he is life and he is pure as light. Darkness has a way of concealing things while light has a way of revealing them.
THE PURPOSE OF LIGHT
Light’s purpose is to illuminate our path. We must recognize who we are apart from God and agree with God on who he is. We are darkness and God is light. We are full of darkness when we live in hiding behind an illusion, hoping no one sees our flaws. When we acknowledge that without God we are imperfect, then we can begin our walk with him. God is not looking for perfect people but honest people who can confess they are nothing without him. The good news is, though we are dark, because of Jesus, we have life and can walk in God’s light daily! Jesus came not to establish a religion so you could have a weekly church experience, but to establish a relationship with him. When darkness tries to pull you back and tempt you to hide in shame of your flaws and weakness, have peace knowing Jesus is your advocate. He’s waiting to receive your invitation into a life of freedom – that which comes with power, purity, and purpose.
Watch the Full Message
Listen to the Full Message
[cta heading="Download the VOUS SOAP Journal" subtext="Join us as we study the book of 1 John with this 6-Week Bible journal." actiontext="Download" link="http://blog.vouschurch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/1-John-Journal-Printable.pdf"]Over the next 6 weeks we will dive into the book of 1 John. Take the leap of faith with us! Download a copy of the 1 John S.O.A.P journal today.
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