TURN ON THE LIGHTS

 

TEXT:   EPHESIANS 5:3-14

FOCUS: To realize that they are light in the world, and should keep their lights on to expose evil.

 

OPENING LINES:

Dan Allender in Bold Love has this to say: “Evil is present when there is a profound absence of empathy, shame, and goodness. Empathy involves a connectedness to the heart of another and respect for their personal boundaries. An evil person is unmoved by the inner world of the other and has no respect for boundaries….An evil person seems to delight in striping away purpose, individuality, and vitality.”

It’s sometimes hard to tell the difference between good and evil in our society. One of the challenges most teens don’t want to take is to fight against evil in their school or community.

 

BETWEEN THE LINES:

 

If there is a kind of “special light” that exposes evil in a person’s life when he/she walk under it; what percentage of teens do you think will be willing to walk under it? Explain your answer.

 

Base on your personal definition of evil, which areas do you see evil prevailing much at school, at home, among your peers?

 

What exactly do you think Paul mean, when he said we should “expose evil” in Eph.5:11?

What beneficial points can you pick from Eph. 5:7-12 with regards to this lesson?

 

Do you believe the old adage that says; “Evil prevails when good people do nothing”? What actions could you take to stop evil in its tracks at school, among your peers, at home, even if you have little or no power?

 

What practical things do you need to do on a daily basis to keep you from partaking in evil? John 3:20.

 

 

CLOSING LINES:

The truth is that, evil will never prevail, but the battle will always be difficult. Shining a light on evil can be dangerous in itself. Friendships could be lost, you might be placed in physical danger, or people you care about could reject and abandon you.

Though sometimes doing the right things may means unavoidable losses, but always do the right thing. Turn on the lights, because that’s your duty as a Christian in this world – Matthew 5:14.