Dodger: Hello there. Have you been doing good? Lilly and I have been having a blast!
Lilly: He means that literally. We went to see fireworks recently. They were pretty neat, too. All of them had different names, some of them fun ones, like "Twitter Glitter", or "Butterfly Flowers". We had a lot of fun.
Dodger: We sure did. I can hardly wait for the next 4th of July! But in the meantime, I wanted to mention something I noticed about the fireworks.
Lilly: What was that?
Dodger: Well, some of them would start small, but they would usually get bigger or louder as they continued to burn. Instead of staying small, they continued to grow, until they were done altogether.
Lilly: That's true. But that makes sense, seeing as how you wouldn't want them to start small, and just stay that way. There wouldn't be much good in that.
Dodger: Right. And that's why I think Christians should be like fireworks.
Lilly: Excuse me?
Dodger: I mean, think about it. As Christians, we all start with a light that needs to grow. When we first get saved, we usually don't know a lot about God, and we certainly don't act a lot like Him. We have to get to know Him better. It reminds me of that verse in Matthew 5:14, where Jesus says "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden." (NKJV) Fireworks often give off a lot of light, but they start with just a little bit. Christians should be like fireworks, starting with Jesus' light and making it grow.
Lilly: I see what you mean. Does the Bible say anything about God being with us to help in doing that? We don't have to do it on our own, do we?
Dodger: No. In fact the Bible says He is our strength. Look at Psalm 46:1. "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble." (NKJV) It also says "Sing aloud to God our strength; Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob." (NKJV) (Psalm 86:1) There's also Exodus 15:2 which says: The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him." (NKJV)
Lilly: I'm glad to know that He's my strength. But you know, I just thought of one way Christians shouldn't be like fireworks.
Dodger: What's that?
Lilly: Fireworks burn out. They don't last very long, whereas our walk with Jesus needs to last all our lives.
Dodger: That's true. Good observation, Lilly.
Lilly: Let's work to shine our light in front of others, and bring glory to our Father.
Dodger: Here's to that! Uh-oh. Look at the clock. You know what, it looks like we have to go. Hey, thanks for coming today. We're glad you could make it. Remember, Jesus loves you, and that's not about to change!
Lilly: Sbohem!
Incidentally, all verses quoted are from the New King James Version.
Lilly: He means that literally. We went to see fireworks recently. They were pretty neat, too. All of them had different names, some of them fun ones, like "Twitter Glitter", or "Butterfly Flowers". We had a lot of fun.
Dodger: We sure did. I can hardly wait for the next 4th of July! But in the meantime, I wanted to mention something I noticed about the fireworks.
Lilly: What was that?
Dodger: Well, some of them would start small, but they would usually get bigger or louder as they continued to burn. Instead of staying small, they continued to grow, until they were done altogether.
Lilly: That's true. But that makes sense, seeing as how you wouldn't want them to start small, and just stay that way. There wouldn't be much good in that.
Dodger: Right. And that's why I think Christians should be like fireworks.
Lilly: Excuse me?
Dodger: I mean, think about it. As Christians, we all start with a light that needs to grow. When we first get saved, we usually don't know a lot about God, and we certainly don't act a lot like Him. We have to get to know Him better. It reminds me of that verse in Matthew 5:14, where Jesus says "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden." (NKJV) Fireworks often give off a lot of light, but they start with just a little bit. Christians should be like fireworks, starting with Jesus' light and making it grow.
Lilly: What exactly does that mean? And what is Jesus saying when He calls us the light of the world?
Dodger: Well, take a look at 5:15 where it says "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house." (NKJV) Christians who know Jesus have the Light of the world in their heart. Look at what John 8:12 says: "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (NKJV)
Lilly: Wait, Dodger. Didn't Jesus say we were the light of the world?
Dodger: Yes. It turns out, Jesus and Christians both are, but in different ways. Jesus leads us to right standing with God and saves us from our sin. The gospel is all about Him, in fact, the whole Bible is! When we accept Jesus, He puts His light, the light of the gospel, in our hearts, and we can walk in it. We're supposed to reflect his light, kind of like the moon reflects the light of the sun. Then other people can notice our light. Here's what I mean. Have you ever been in a dark room, when someone lit a candle?
Lilly: Yes, I've seen that.
Dodger: Well then, you probably noticed that it was no longer dark where the candle was. Even if some of the room was still dark, a large part of it was at least a little brighter because of the candlelight. Not only that, but that candle could be used to light a thousand other candles, without ever losing it's own light. Our walk with Jesus should be like that candle. Each of us is walking in darkness, until he comes and lights our hearts, or candles, with His light. But the other people around us are still walking in the dark. They have candles, but they aren't lit up yet. Matthew 8:16 tells us to "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (NKJV) By shining our lights before men, we can lead them to Jesus! Not only that, but we'll be better too! Neat huh?
Lilly: Now I understand. That's pretty great.
Dodger: It sure is. So that's what I mean about Christians needing to be like fireworks. We need to let our light grow and get bigger, so we can show Jesus to more and more people.
Lilly: How do we do that?
Dodger: By studying God's Word (Hebrews 4:12), putting on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-17), praying, (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and showing love to one another (1 Corinthians 13), not to mention preaching the gospel to whoever we can (Matthew 28:18-20).
Dodger: By studying God's Word (Hebrews 4:12), putting on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-17), praying, (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and showing love to one another (1 Corinthians 13), not to mention preaching the gospel to whoever we can (Matthew 28:18-20).
Lilly: I see what you mean. Does the Bible say anything about God being with us to help in doing that? We don't have to do it on our own, do we?
Dodger: No. In fact the Bible says He is our strength. Look at Psalm 46:1. "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble." (NKJV) It also says "Sing aloud to God our strength; Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob." (NKJV) (Psalm 86:1) There's also Exodus 15:2 which says: The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him." (NKJV)
Lilly: I'm glad to know that He's my strength. But you know, I just thought of one way Christians shouldn't be like fireworks.
Dodger: What's that?
Lilly: Fireworks burn out. They don't last very long, whereas our walk with Jesus needs to last all our lives.
Dodger: That's true. Good observation, Lilly.
Lilly: Let's work to shine our light in front of others, and bring glory to our Father.
Dodger: Here's to that! Uh-oh. Look at the clock. You know what, it looks like we have to go. Hey, thanks for coming today. We're glad you could make it. Remember, Jesus loves you, and that's not about to change!
Lilly: Sbohem!
Incidentally, all verses quoted are from the New King James Version.
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