Time to Light Up

There’s a big difference between living in the dark and living like the light. This week in our Thrive Together series, we stepped into Ephesians 5:6–14 with a clear reminder. We used to be darkness. But through Christ, now we’re light. So live like it.

It’s not just about morality. It’s about identity. And the question we’re left to wrestle with is this. Are you still making excuses? Or are you finally ready to light up the world around you?

Wake Up

Paul doesn’t say you used to walk in darkness. He says you were darkness. But now? Now you are light in the Lord. That’s a radical shift in identity. It’s not about doing better, it’s about becoming different.

But here’s the problem. Even after the light has been turned on, too many of us try to go back to sleep. We crawl under the covers of compromise. We snooze through the warning signs. We do everything we can to live as dimly as possible.

Paul says, Wake up. Don’t get lulled into the lies of the culture. Don’t fall for the spiritual drowsiness that lets sin creep back in. Don’t pretend you don’t see what’s happening in your heart and your habits.

If you belong to Jesus, you’ve already been rescued from the dark. So stop trying to make it comfortable.

Rise Up

The Christian life isn’t about being nice. It’s about being new. And if you’ve been made new, then it’s time to rise up and live like it.

Paul gives us the filter: goodness, righteousness, and truth. That’s what the light is supposed to look like in your life. And if you’re not pursuing those things, then you’re not walking in the light.

Living like a child of light means there’s a visible difference. People can see it. They can hear it in your words. They can feel it in your presence. It’s not about perfection but progress. It’s about movement. It’s about growth. And growth means letting God shine His light on the things you’d rather keep in the dark.

There’s no room for hidden corners anymore. Rise up and be who you were created to be.

Light Up

Here’s where it gets real. When you choose to walk in the light, it doesn’t just change you, it starts to change the space around you.

Paul says that everything exposed by the light becomes visible. That doesn’t mean you walk around with a spotlight looking to call people out. It means you carry the presence of Jesus so clearly that it penetrates the dark places of the world.

People start asking questions. They start feeling convicted. They start wondering what’s different about you. And that’s the moment they see Jesus in you. Your life is meant to point to the hope they didn’t know they needed.

You don’t have to be the brightest light. Just be a match. Even a little light makes a big difference in a dark room. You can't mess this up. Just be willing.

Your Invitation: Don’t Stay in the Dark

You are a child of light. That’s who you are. So wake up. Rise up. Light up.

Take a moment and ask:

• Am I sleepwalking through my faith?

• Where have I let the darkness creep back in?

• Who around me needs to see the light of Christ shining through my life?

  
  

It’s time to stop making excuses. It’s time to stop hiding. It’s time to live fully awake and fully lit for Jesus.

Watch the full sermon here:

Children of the Light | Mt. Olive Church

The world doesn’t need more Christians refusing to wake up and get out of bed. It needs children of light who know who they are and aren’t afraid to shine.

So wake up. Rise up. Light up.