Sermon Title: “The Father of Lights”
Introduction: A World of Shadows and Flickering Lights
I want you to picture a moment from your day—maybe one that happened just yesterday evening. The sun was low in the sky, and it began casting long shadows across the room or your backyard. Things that looked solid and sharp in the afternoon light began to blur. Shadows stretched, and it became harder to tell where one thing ended and another began.
Or maybe you’ve had this happen: you walk into a room, flip the light switch, and instead of the room lighting up cleanly, the bulb flickers. It flares for a moment, then dims, then maybe flickers again. You wait, not sure if it will hold steady. It’s unreliable. It changes.
Life often feels like that, doesn’t it? Shadows and flickering lights. One minute you can see clearly, the next minute everything seems uncertain. People change. Circumstances shift. Even those we look up to the most—like our fathers—can fail us or fall short.
And yet into this world of shifting shadows comes a word from Scripture that’s both strong and beautiful:
James 1:17 (CSB)
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
This morning, on Father’s Day, we give thanks for our earthly fathers, honoring them as they reflect the goodness of God to us. But even more than that, we turn our eyes upward to the Heavenly Father—the Father of lights—the source of all being, the giver of all good, the One who never shifts or flickers or fades.
Point 1: The Father of Lights—God as Creator
When James calls God the “Father of lights,” he’s using deeply biblical language. First, the phrase draws us back to Genesis 1—the very beginning of everything.
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good…” (Genesis 1:1-4)
From day one, before God created the sun, before the moon, before the stars—He created light itself. He spoke light into being. He didn’t need the sun to do it—He is light. Ancient Near Eastern cultures considered the heavenly bodies to be deities, so in the account of creation in Genesis 1, God held off on creating the sun, moon, and stars to show that they are not the true givers of light and life and destiny. No, it is God and God alone who is all those things.
Then, on Day Four, God made the light-bearers—the sun to govern the day, the moon to govern the night, and the stars to shine in the sky. These are all good things the Father of lights created for our good. He is the giver of good gifts, but they are gifts. He is the ultimate Light and the Ultimate Giver! The heavenly bodies that give us light are constantly moving and changing, but God is constant.
There may also be an echo her of God’s creation of the heavenly beings, council, angels. God asked Job where he was when God laid the foundations of the earth “while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job 38:7). Whatever heavenly beings there are, and however radiant they may be, the Lord outshines them all!
He is the Father of lights because He created them all. But more than just physical lights, this name, “the Father of lights” speaks to something deeper: God is the source of all truth, order, clarity, and goodness. In Him, there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5).
“God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31)
From the very beginning, God revealed Himself as the One who brings light out of darkness, order out of chaos, and goodness into the world.
And He hasn’t stopped.
Point 2: The Giver of Every Good and Perfect Gift
Every good and perfect gift is from above
“This phrase emphasizes the divine origin of all that is truly good and perfect. In the biblical context, "good" and "perfect" gifts refer to blessings that align with God's nature and purposes. The idea of gifts coming "from above" underscores the belief in God's sovereignty and His role as the ultimate source of all blessings. This aligns with Jesus' teaching in Matthew 7:11, where He speaks of the Father giving good gifts to those who ask Him. The words “coming down” has the idea of something that is present and continuous. God does not give His good gifts sparingly or sporadically; He continually and freely gives good gifts.
The concept of gifts from above also reflects the Jewish understanding of God as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, who provides for His creation. He is the Source and Ground of all being. The universe continues to flow from His benevolence. If He were to withdraw His Spirit, His light, all would descend into the chaos and emptiness that it once was…
James says that every good and perfect gift comes from above—from this same God, this same Creator.
Not just the big, obvious gifts like salvation or answered prayers—though those are certainly from Him.
But the everyday gifts too:
The first breath you took this morning.
The food on your table.
The laughter of your children.
The wisdom of a mentor.
The faithful presence of a godly father.
The peace you feel when the Spirit reminds you that you are not alone.
James reminds us that God gives not because He has to, but because He delights to. It is simply the nature of God. Giving is who He is.
And let me say this clearly today: if there is anything good in your life—anything at all—it came from the hand of the Father of lights.
He is the Source.
Too often we live like the opposite is true. We think we earned it, or we think God is holding back. That was the serpent’s lie in Eden: “God’s holding out on you.”
But James is telling us the truth: God is always giving. He is always good. He doesn’t give stones when His children ask for bread.
He doesn’t tease or deceive. He gives fully, freely, and faithfully.
Point 3: The Father Who Never Changes
Now here’s the part of the verse that gives us deep comfort, especially today:
“…who does not change like shifting shadows.”
We know shadows. We know things that change. We know people who were once faithful and now are gone. We’ve seen promises broken, relationships grow cold, and leaders fall from grace.
Even good fathers—real, loving, sacrificial fathers—are still human. They grow tired. They age. They pass away.
But not this Father.
God never changes. He doesn’t shift moods like the sun shifts the length of a shadow. He doesn’t flicker like a faulty bulb.
He is constant, steady, dependable, faithful.
“I the LORD do not change.” (Malachi 3:6)
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)
The same God who spoke light into the world in Genesis 1 is still lighting up hearts today.
He is the unshakable Father you can trust when everything else shifts.
Point 4: The Father Who Gave His Son
The ultimate good and perfect gift from the Father of lights is not a thing—it’s a Person.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…” (John 3:16)
In Jesus Christ, the Father of lights sent the Light of the world into our darkness. God came to the world He created. Jesus said that to see Him is to see the Father (John 14:9). In Him dwells all the fullness of everything that God is in a bodily form (Colossians 2:9).
“In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:4–5)
Jesus is the radiance of the Father. Through Him, we are not only forgiven, we are made sons and daughters.
“To all who did receive Him… He gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)
That means you’re not just standing under the light—you belong to the Light.
When speaking of the Holy Spirit Jesus told His disciples, ““I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.” (John 14:18). The Son of God, Jesus Christ promised to come and be out Father through the gift of the Holy Spirit. Every good and perfect gift is from above and continually comes down from above. Christ is seated on the throne in the heavenlies, and His Spirit is flowing towards us, even now. And the promise is that if you ask, He will give you the Gift.
Luke 11:9-13: “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him? ”
Acts 2:38-29: “Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
Conclusion: A Word to Fathers, and to All of Us
On this Father’s Day, let’s give honor to whom honor is due. If you had or have a good earthly father, give thanks. If you are a father, strive to be a reflection of the Heavenly One.
But above all, rest in this truth: You have a Father in heaven who never changes, never fails, and never stops giving what is good.
He is the Father of lights:
The one who spoke light into being,
The one who lights your path today,
The one who gave His Son so that you could come home.
So today, lift your eyes above the flickering lights and long shadows of this world. And see the steady, shining face of the Father of Lights.
Closing Prayer:
Father of Lights,
Thank You for every good and perfect gift in our lives. Thank You for the gift of Jesus. Thank you for the Gift of Your Spirit. Thank You for being constant when everything else changes. Today we honor our earthly fathers, but we worship You, the one true, unchanging, always-giving Father. Make us people who reflect Your light in a world full of shadows. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
