Notes based on 6:30 pm sermon series
2 I am the light of the world

What is your most vivid memory as a child in a dark place (cave, tunnel, power blackout)? What feelings do you associate with darkness?

Light a candle and sing a worship song about light, eg Light of the world you came down into darkness. Read the first five verses of John's Gospel and then thank God that he is always ready to shine into the darkness of our lives and to guide us on our way.

Read John 8:12 and 9:1-12,35-41

1. Why does believing in Jesus enable us to see things differently?

2. The Pharisees could not believe because Jesus did not fit into their view of God. What things in our religious thinking do you think are most likely to blind us to what God is wanting to reveal to us? (Acts 11:1-18 may help.)

3. Read Ephesians 5:1-20
What are the hallmarks of living in the darkness?
What are the hallmarks of living in the light?
What part should confessing our sins to one another take in bringing light to the darkness?

4. If truth and light go together and darkness is so tempting, can we live our lives and walk in God's ways without the help of the Holy Spirit? Which things do you find are most likely to lead you away from God?

5. How can our lives be controlled by love (verse 2) and what will it cost?

Pray for someone you know who has not yet accepted the gospel, asking God to help you put aside concerns which hinder your witness to them.