The Notes

This coming Wednesday night, July 29, 2026, we continue our message series "Wacky Worship" and consider cups.  What are the cups of our lives, what are we filling them with, and what happens when they run dry?  This week is a reminder that God fills our cups, gives us water to quench our thirst, and is abundant in His supply.   God is the well that never runs dry. 

Join us at 6:00 p.m. for in-person Bible study and worship.  We will be looking at the ordinary things of life to show us more about our extraordinary God and draw us closer to Him.  It's going to be a little wacky, but a lot of positive, uplifting, and encouraging truth to bring us closer to God in our everyday lives!  To get us started, this week we are talking about lightning bugs & fireflies. 

We look forward to seeing you for in-person worship at 6 p.m.

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Let mehare 5 spiritu 's L– Matt. 5  uly 22, 2026, we began a new series of messages for the summer called, Wacky Worship.  It's just wacky ideas and uncommon things that can connect us to our amazing God.  Think of it this way - ordinary things can give us insight into an extraordinary God and Creator.

So for this first week, we used lightning bugs and fireflies as our example.  They are pretty amazing creatures, with an ability to light up and shine at night to communicate with each other.

There are over 56 species of fireflies in Florida, and some of the 19 species in the Great Smokey Mountains have the ability to be synchronous.  It's quite a sight!  All of them lighting up the darkness at the same time. You can’t miss seeing them.

Here is the question to ponder as we think about lightning bugs.  

If God can make a bug’s butt light up, just what He can do through you?  We were made to shine!

In Matthew 5, verses 14-16, Jesus said: “You are the light of the world.  A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” 

Let me share 5 spiritual truths for this week. 

# 1 – God put a light in us.  It’s there.  Just as there are lightning bugs!

2 Cor. 4:6 – “For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Think of it this way:  At birth, we’re infused with the light of God.  All of us.  Every person born.  But when we come to know Jesus and let His love get inside our hearts, we are born again.  That light inside us now should really shine!   When we know and accept the Glory of God, we have to share it!  Pass it on.  When we see God’s creation display His Glory, we know where to give praise.  His Glory is in sunsets, rainbows, mountains, full moons, the northern lights, and fireflies.   We try to capture it in photos and then share it on our social media.  But when we do, we ought to glorify God and share His love.  Don't just say look at this beautiful sunset.  Give God praise for what He created.  Pass on the knowledge that God is the Creator and you're letting your light shine for Him.

# 2 – We have a light & we have a choice.

John 8:12 - Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”

We have a choice to follow Jesus and a  choice to shine our lights.  Jesus said, "let your light shine before others."  ”Let” is a choice to allow it to happen. . . to allow God to work through us, and shine.   Let means we have the choice to be used as God's vessel, or we can refuse. 

# 3 – We were created to shine.

Some people want to follow, but they want to go unnoticed in life.  They want to stay in a corner.  Hide.   Be almost invisible.  It’s uncomfortable for them to be in the spotlight.  

But we were created to shine.  We were created to Glorify God with our works, actions, deeds, and words.

Eph. 2:10 – “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

We shine through our actions for others.  Our good deeds.  The Bible mentions a woman in Acts 9:36 – “In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor.”  Dorcas’ life story gets overshadowed by the fact that Peter bought her back to life.  Ok, that is a big deal.  But notice that when Peter goes up to the upper room where her body was laid, the Bible says all the widows stood around, "weeping and showing him the coats and other clothes Dorcas had made for them."  (Acts 9:39)  What we do for others is our light; it's how we’ll be remembered.  Those actions don't have to be big and grand; just be yourself and do what you do.  Don't be invisible.  If you are hiding your life, do you think it pleases God?  Is that what Jesus says to do?  Nope.

# 4 – God calls us out of our comfort zones. 

Matthew 13:43 says “the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom.”  The righteous realize there is more to life than comfort; there’s God.

Peter and John were fisherman.  But God called them to fish for people.  Moses was a shepherd.   God called him to lead and shepherd people, not sheep.  Abraham was called out of his homeland; to leave and go to a greater land, where he could be a father.  It wasn't a comfortable trip.   Esther – an orphan living in exile - was called out of her comfort zone; put in position to be Queen, she bravely went before the King to save the Jewish people!  And the Apostle Paul wanted to preach and teach.  But God knew his messages were more important written down for all of us to read later.  He wrote them in prison as letters.  Not a comfortable place to be.

God doesn’t want us living in a rut, just staying comfortable.  “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”  If you will be willing to let your let shine, God will call you out of our comfort zone to the most exciting life - a life of purpose and meaning and joy. 

Even to see a firefly, you have to get out of comfort and go out to the hot and humid summer night.

# 5 – Just Be You.  

The tiniest light is visible in darkness.   A firefly is tiny.  In the same way, even the smallest act of faith in front of the world will allow Christ to be seen.

Just be yourself.   Do what you do!

Phil. 2:15 – “Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.”

All you have to do is be you.  Paint a picture.  Make art.  Play that instrument.  Sing.  Write.  Sew.   Cook.  Fix it.  Clean it.  Create beauty.   Be a comfort.   Make someone laugh.  Give compliments.  Be an assistant.  Be an encouragement.  Do what you do and shine.   Be you.

All a firefly does is be a firefly.  The next time you see a firefly, think of God.  

And think – if He can make that bug’s butt light up, He can make me shine!