Live With Intent: Direction Series

“Intentional Living”

Part 4 – Direction

NewSong Church 03/09/08

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**NOTE: THIS IS A CONCEPT OUTLINE FOR THIS MESSAGE. GRAPHICS AND MULTIMEDIA ARE AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT THIS SERIES.

Light vs. Dark

• The point of light is to illuminate darkness

Lent

The Lenten Season is a time to evaluate our lives in the light of scripture.

• Are we living as children of light should be living?

• Are we shining brightly in a darkened world

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Ephesians 5:8-10 (New Living Translation)

For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.

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Ephesians 5:8-10 (The Message)

You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer. You’re out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. Get on with it! The good, the right, the true—these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours. Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it.

Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are.

The Message Bible says, “FIGURE OUT what will please Christ--and then DO IT.

• YOU need to make it your business to try to figure out what pleases the Lord.

• To find out in the Greek has to do with the testing of metal.

• To discover by experimentation.

• Those who live as children of light will be continually trying to figure out what the will of God is in every situation so that we would please Him.

Think: Re-engineering Our Process

• Each of us has been called to live different lives from those who are still groping in darkness and sin.

• We have the responsibility to show up in the world by living a contrasting way of life

• by showing that Christ really does make a difference in how we live our daily lives.

• Wherever we go we can cast an illuminating beam of light into the dark corners and be a positive influence on those who are still in darkness.

• In order to do this Paul says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).

• This is not an overnight happening but usually a process as we seek to live out our lives each day.

Do: Be Careful How You Live

• How do we go about living as children of light?

• First of all we have to want to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord.

• Steer clear of questionable things as well as sin.

• Our actions should reflect our faith.

• Paul says being to produce the fruit of light.

• Our actions must correspond to light.

• Paul names three things that are produced: goodness, righteousness, and truth.

The Art of Being

The fruit produced here--goodness (toward others), right-standing (before God), and truth would make a tremendous difference in our lives because it would begin to permeate every area of our life.

Intentional Living – Setting a Direction

Discovering Who You Are

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• Jesus said, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

• Matt. 5:14 “You are the light of the world”

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Achieving Your Purpose

Think. Do. Be.

• A life of goodness just doesn’t happen.

• If you don’t practice self-sacrificing love in the little daily things it won’t happen for the big things.

• Christ in our lives makes a difference, and because of this we are gradually changing to the point that we make a difference.

May our lives shine that others will see the need for God’s light in their lives as well.