Light exposes the darkness. This is both true in science AND spirituality. Pastor Mark will remind us today that it's the light of God's Word that reveals the dark and evil deeds of the enemy. And it's ALSO the light of the Father working in and through us...that should draw OTHERS to the truth. So the question to ask yourself today is: 'Is MY light shining?' 'Am I living in such a way that causes OTHERS to see the work of God's grace in my life?' As believers, that should be our heart's desire. We should WANT to be a shining beacon of truth. Our lives should shine so that our Heavenly Father would be glorified.

Listen...if you've fallen away from the Lord, no matter how far or how deep the wounds go...there can be restoration and change. But, like all good things...it will take patience and work. When you've been so tied up in the world, untangling yourself is not an overnight job. But, if God is the priority, it will happen. Today in 2 Chronicles, a king in Judah begins to put in order everything that was neglected when the Lord was put aside by the nation. He assures the people that they will be comforted, protected and prospered by the one true God...once He is the priority again. You can be assured of that, too. Let Him protect your healing heart.

Believer, think back to a time when you were in sin. Did you have a difficult time fellowshiping with others, or spending time in the Word? That's conviction. As you know, at that point you can either repent...or continue on in sin. If you continue on...be prepared for a slippery slope. As we'll see today, once you make a decision to move forward with your own fleshly wants...you may end up going much farther than the line you thought you drew. It's harder to recover when the consequences and the hurt become so much that you're buried in guilt and shame. If you're at that tipping point, make a choice to come back to God...He'll always have you.

The god of this age, of this world, blinds people from the truth. As believers, its our responsibility to reach out to the lost. If you feel at a loss about how to do that, seek the Lord for your gift. Not everyone is called to be a teacher or encourager...but everyone is called to serve in some way. When a person hears the truth, maybe your part in it was creating the flier that got them to church, or staffed the nursery so they could listen to a teaching. As we'll hear today, if you are obedient to Him by embracing and living out the gifts the Lord has given you...then you are a part of people coming to know Jesus. What better way to serve than that?

How can we attain TRUE unity? How can we achieve ONENESS? Well, we can compromise and hit a pseudo version of the two, but that won't last for long. So now what do we do? How can we truly be ONE with our spouse...or even with the body of Christ? Well, the only REAL way...is to be united in the truth of God's Word. When you use the Scriptures as the standard for living...there's no wiggle-room. God has given us clear instructions for life...you can find it from Genesis to Revelation. And He's given each of His children His Spirit. And as we seek MORE truth...the Spirit will be faithful to reveal it TO us.

Believer, you have a gift that's unique from the Lord. Maybe you embraced it long ago, perhaps you're just now finding what it is...or maybe you don't know yet what He wants from you. Whatever the case, the key to glorifying Him with that gift is to be obedient and serve. If every believer did that, there would be harmony within His church and a powerful witness in His Name. Fighting against His will is counterproductive to the work we should be doing as Christians. His power will accomplish everything He has in mind, so go for it. As we'll hear today, we must be willing to serve, through the Holy Spirit and in love.

If a person is faithful and obedient to the Lord, he will experience success and prosperity. Have you ever heard that? It's true, but not necessarily in the way that the world would imagine it. Empowerment through the Holy Spirit, successfully using the gifts God has given us...this is true success in Him. Disobedience to the Lord ALWAYS results in some kind of turmoil...whether its physical, emotional, or spiritual. We'll see how this holds true in the example of King Uzziah, a man graciously favored by God...until he defiantly disobeys the Lord's commands. Like many people before and after him, pride will be allowed to take root and bring him down.

For many, giving and tithing is not an easy thing...but why is that? Usually, it's because we are so preoccupied with money. Having it, getting it, not having it... If your excuse for not giving is because you think you don't have enough to spare, consider this: When king Amaziah hesitated to send his rented army away because of the money he'd spent, he was reminded by a prophet that “the Lord is able to give you much more than this.” So it is for us. When we are faithful, He will give us everything that we NEED. Most of the time, we don't know what we need, only what we WANT. But, the Lord knows, and He'll be faithful to provide.

Many of us, incorrectly, have been led to believe that some of the things passed on to us by our parents are unchangeable, fixed, set in stone. It's true some of our parents have saddled us with some enormous baggage...but we CAN leave it behind. The Word is clear that we should not bear the burdens of our fathers. We can be made new. Undoing emotional and spiritual damage can be healed by Jesus, who will work for as long as it takes to help you tear down the old and build a new heart. As we'll hear today, the Lord holds every person accountable for their own actions. So, move forward with Him and He'll unburden your weary soul.

If you are a believer, and have children or grandchildren, you've probably thought about how important it is that your kids are brought up in a godly home. But, more poignant than church or Sunday school...is the example you set with your relationship to the Lord. Is it visible to them? Consider what your actions say to them. As we'll see today, Jehoram was a godly king, but what his son picked up on was not his faithfulness, but his compromises. If your failures are witnessing more to your children than your righteousness...it's worth it to make a change. There's nothing more valuable than to pass on a godly heritage to your children.