Let your light shine.

"Shine your light and let the whole world see,

We're singin' for the glory of the risen King"

Sing that a couple times.

If you've heard it sung at a ciy by 700+ people, put yourself in that moment...

It's something we take so seriously at ciy and something we carry home with us. "We're gonna show the world who Jesus is." is often said. Now that school is back in session are you hiding your light? Has it dimmed? Look it's reality that the world kinda stinks... It's discouraging when no one wants to see the light, or even acknowledges there is a light. But don't stop. You are not working for the praise of people, but for the praise of God. Who cares if your laughed at for helping a homeless guy? For paying for a friend's lunch who can't afford it even when YOU are tight on money. Who cares if you are ridiculed for sitting next to the girl everyone laughs at? Who cares if you're laughed at for saying "Oh my gosh" or not cursing... You were so determined at one point in time that you were gonna live for Jesus and live to spread the Gospel...So determined to change lives around you. So determined to be a good influence. What is stopping you? Laughter? Judgement?

Take a look at Matthew 10:22 and 2 Timothy 2:22... Get real and let your light shine again. It's incredible the difference you can make by just setting an example and living to the standard Christ calls us to. You can do this.

What a message of encouragement!

Paul has been going all throughout Rome (specifically around the Mediterranean) and preaching the gospel to the Jews.

Acts 18

4 Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. 5 When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.

6 But when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” 7 Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God.

8 Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized. 9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”

DO NOT BE AFRAID; KEEP ON SPEAKING, DO NOT BE SILENT.

Live that. Don't be afraid of being persecuted because of your faith. Go out to your schools, jobs, etc and tell the good news. Even if you think you're alone God has many people surrounding you and supporting you!

Bible Sparknotes by Paul

Paul has been carried away to Athens and is brought before a group of people who all they do is think... Literally all they do is sit and ponder about the latest thoughts of the day.

Acts 17

22Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. 24"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' 29"Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man's design and skill. 30In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead." 32When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject." 33At that, Paul left the Council.