Readings:

Sermon:

Paul – “we have the mind of Christ”. When you and I invite God to be the directing force in our lives, we are changed. We come to know that what we are comes from gifts God has given us. We are each a creation of God, planned by God. And each of us has a unique mix of skills and talents, personality and passions, likes and dislikes, that as Christians – we turn over the steering wheel to Jesus, who knows us better than we know ourselves.

We know that our responsibility is to use the gifts we have been given. Paul planted, Apollos watered, God gave the growth. Paul wasn’t worried about sharing his work with Apollos and others. He wanted his baby churches to stay God-centered.

Jesus said – “you are the salt of the earth”. We are meant to be IN the world and not OF the world. We should not blend in; not be like everyone else. We are not to be like tofu, that just tastes like whatever it is mixed in with. We should be like a hint of salt on the slice of watermelon –  bringing out the best of its flavor.

Jesus said – “Let your light shine”, and he said not to hide that light. That means we need to know that we DO carry a light in us; we need to know what light is (the Spirit), whose light it is that we carry (God is God, and I’m not), and we need to feel bold enough in faith to bring that light out where somebody can see it.

Veterinary surgeon friend Bill; was offered the position of Medical Director of a big clinic. He wrote to me that he was concerned about taking the position. He knew that he was pretty OCD about the level of focus he put on the animals he treated, and what he expected out of the doctors, technicians, lab workers, and other surgeons he worked with. Then he thought about this passage of Scripture – “Let your light shine”. He was recommended for the Director position by over a dozen people he worked with, because they saw the light in him! That gave him the confirmation he needed to take the job.

Do the people around you see the light that comes from having the mind of Christ in you? Do you see it in yourself? What would it look like to place that light on a stand, for others to see? What would it look like for others to learn through you – what God working in a life looks like? What powerful marching orders from Jesus:

You have the mind of Christ in you; You are salt; Let your light shine; Let one other person see what a life given to God looks like.