Notes
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 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.”
Matthew 5:14-15
My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? ... What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? ... How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?
James 2:1, 14, 20
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:8-10
What does it mean to be the light of the world? We are set apart to help others step out of darkness and step toward the light. We do that by putting our faith in Jesus to work no matter who the other person is. Jesus can save everybody, no matter our background, where we live, or what we’ve done. Jesus has done a work in our lives so that we can work our faith. God didn’t call us to be a people whose lights are dim. No, we are to be a city on a hill so that all can see the greatness of our creator.
“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?”
Luke 16:10-11
One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting! It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin. So watch yourselves!
“If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.”
Luke 17:1-4
Don’t try to intimidate people with your faith; use your faith to inspire. A faith that works is humble and helps others; it doesn’t act selfishly, strive for the limelight, or point fingers. We are here to build each other up and encourage one another on the journey.
The apostles said to the Lord, “Show us how to increase our faith.”
The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you!
“When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’”
Luke 17:5-10
Every believer should want to grow their faith, to want to do greater things with their faith. And if you want your faith to work, you need to align it with the object of our faith: Jesus. Whether our faith is little or big, keep it in who He is. Big faith in the wrong object only destroys, but a little faith in the right object can do wonders.
Jesus is the master, and we are the servants. To increase your faith, work your faith in the gifts He has given you. Understand that you are put here for a purpose: to help people step into the light, establish them in their faith, and understand their place in the Church.
As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.
One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.
Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.”
Luke 17:11-19
If we’re going to work our faith, we need to praise God often and give Him the glory. Often, we continue to live under the oppression of the enemy because we don’t understand the mercy of God. We don’t deserve it, but He deserves all our praise. When we praise God, our faith increases. God is a good God. We can be brave in bringing His light to a world that desperately needs it.
Group Questions
- What does it mean to put our faith to work?
- When have you been inspired by someone’s faith?
- How can we use our faith to inspire others?
- How does praise increase our faith?
Prayer
Thank you for your mercy on our lives. Help us to take our faith and increase it, by being a city on a hill, a light in the world that draws people to you.