Let Your Light Shine
Podcast Discussion Notes
Matthew 5:14-16 NIV
City on a hill - a place of refuge and safety
Light in the room - helps you see what you are doing
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Q1. How important is it to have people in your life that help you make good decisions? Do you have an example of someone that has been a light to you?
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We often think of good works as things like: feeding the hungry or helping the homeless. We should do those things, but Jesus speaks of our day to day actions and character as good works.
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Matthew 5:17-44 Summary:
Resolve your anger - work for restoration
Keep your motives pure. Don’t lust over people or things
Honor your commitments and covenants
Let your yes be yes, and your no be no. Don’t spin things to your advantage
Don’t bow up or take revenge, instead, be generous, go beyond
Love your enemies
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Q2. Based on verses 17-44, what are some examples you can think of to let your light shine?
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He ends his teaching with this: vs. 45
"that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."
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Jesus’ teaching was radical
Jesus flips the script - The religious leaders did good works to look good in front of others, and to earn God’s approval. Jesus says: don’t do good works to look good or earn God’s approval (you already have His approval), do good works to lead others into a relationship w me.
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Q3. What is the difference between doing something to please someone, and doing something to earn their approval?
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Psalm 119:105 NLT - Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.
2 things that keep us from being a light
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Selfishness:
Gen 3 - Adam and Eve chose what they wanted, they didn’t consider how it would impact the world, their children, their future
Matthew 16:25 NLT - If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
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What does it look like to lay your life down? Jesus had compassion on the crowd even though he was hurting. Matthew 14:13-23
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Q4. Why is it important to have margin in your life?
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Pride:
Matthew 10:32-33 NLT - “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.
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Q5. What are some ways that you can acknowledge Jesus in your life?
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Additional study verses:
John 15:8
1 Peter 2:12
Proverbs 4:18
Isaiah 58:8
Isaiah 60:1-3
Challenge
Read Matthew 5:14-45 every day and ask God to show you how to live these verses out in your day to day life.