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Prepare_Your_Mind_for_Deep_Sleep__A_Journey_into_Stillness · Abide Meditation App

• 0:05
  Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to the Sleep Story from Abide. I'm James.
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: Thanks for joining me tonight for a light for the world.
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: A light shining in the darkness can be a symbol
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: of hope, safety, comfort, and arrival. It is a reality
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: longed for by those in seasons of darkness, for those
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: waiting for the dawn to come after a long dark night,
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: and so it is the same for those at sea
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: looking and longing for the shore. In Matthew five, verses
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: fourteen through sixty, Jesus says to the crowd gathered on
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: the shore, you are the light of the world. A
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Do people
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: light a lamp and put it under a basket, but
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: on a stand, and it gives light to all in
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: the house. In the same way, let your light shine
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: before others, so that they may see your good works
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: and give glory to your father who is in heaven.
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: Tonight's journey will give you the perspective of light from
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: the sea, where you will see the lighthouse from the
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: sea as you approach in the light of day, and
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: again as you stand on the balcony of that very
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: same lighthouse after the sun has set. An experience that
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: will remind you of those words of Jesus from the
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: Sermon on the Mount. Just as the light from a
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: lighthouse guides a ship safely to shore, so the Lord
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: has made you to be a light to the world,
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: shining in the darkness and serving as a faithful, consistent
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: guide for others to find safety and comfort, a beacon
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: offering hope in the darkest of places. As you're ready
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: yourself for a good night of a sleep, take a
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: moment to settle in and get comfortable in your bed.
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: Turn off your lights and put your phone down as
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: you climb into bed. Make sure you have your favorite
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: pillow and adjust it underneath your head. Now that you're
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: lying down, take a moment to relax your muscles and
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: release any tension you've been carrying today. Start by mentally
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: scanning your body, identifying any place where you might be
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: carrying tension. Adjust your shoulders and tilt your head side
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: to side as if touching each ear to each shoulder.
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: Now take a few deep breaths. Breathe in slowly through
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: your nose for the count of one, two, three, and
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: pause for a moment before slowly exhaling through your mouth.
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  Speaker 1: One two three. Repeat this once more, allowing your body
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: and mind to truly wrest. Breathe in through your nose
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: one two three, pausing briefly before exhaling through your mouth
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: one two three. There are likely many things fight for
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: your attention as your body slows down and you prepare
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: to sleep. No matter what happened today, the time has
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: come for you to rest. There is nothing more for
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: you to produce or accomplish. There is nothing more that
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: God requires of you except the peaceful surrender of a
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: heart that trusts in Him. For while you need sleep,
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: God does not. As the Psalmist says in Psalm one
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: hundred and twenty one, he who watches over Israel will
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord will watch over your
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: coming and going, both now and forevermore. Yes, indeed, the
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: Lord watches over you, and he invites you to trust
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: him with your fears, worries, and concerns, and to simply
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: rest in the confidence that He is good and he
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: is taking care of you. Dear Heavenly Father, thank you
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: for this blessed gift of sleep, and for the invitation
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  Speaker 1: you have given your children to simply rest in your arms.
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: Thank you especially for this beloved child of yours. Thank
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: you for the ways you are providing for and protecting them.
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: I pray that tonight you would grant them the ability
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: to set aside their worries and concerns and lean into
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: your spirit. I also thank you, Lord for the gift
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  Speaker 1: of your son Jesus. You sent him to be the
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: light of the world, and in him we find freedom
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: and salvation. Thank you for Jesus. Yes, I pray that
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: tonight your message of hope would shine in your beloved's
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  Speaker 1: heart the way a lamp shines from a lighthouse into
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  Speaker 1: the darkness. Thank you, Lord for your goodness and nearness
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: to us. We love you and we worship you in
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  Speaker 1: the precious name of Jesus, I pray Amen. The journey
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: to the Light begins tonight at sea. You find yourself
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: in a large vessel on the water in the early
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: afternoon sunshine. The day is bright and the sky is
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  Speaker 1: clear except for a few puffy clouds resembling cotton candy,
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: and you are grateful initially for the gift of the
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: light in the form of sunshine. You stand on the
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: deck of the ship, breathing in salty air as the
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: mist from the water blows in, lightly wetting your arms
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  Speaker 1: and cheeks. You lean against a tall, sturdy rail as
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  Speaker 1: you look out over the sea. The ship is moving
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  Speaker 1: over the open water with nothing in sight but the
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  Speaker 1: deep blue ocean below and the crystal blue sky overhead.
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  Speaker 1: Despite the warmth of the sun, the wind is strong
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  Speaker 1: as the ship carries a steady pace, and it cools you.
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  Speaker 1: You take a slow, deep breath as you relish the
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  Speaker 1: sweet simplicity of a day outside on the water. Light
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: shining above you, God's glory evident at every turn. The
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: boat travels for some time as you enjoy the views
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  Speaker 1: from the deck, you watch the clouds moving in the
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  Speaker 1: skylight change in variation of the blues both overhead and
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  Speaker 1: in the ocean below. Much of the time is spent
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  Speaker 1: with nothing in sight, though periodically you pass to various
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  Speaker 1: islands or see land off in the distance. You take
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  Speaker 1: time during this peaceful ride, at the start of your journey,
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  Speaker 1: to pause and acknowledgment and worship of the Lord, your God, God,
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  Speaker 1: you have been so faithful to me. I praise you
• 8:37
  Speaker 1: for your presence in my life. Thank you for leading
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: and guiding me through life. Thank You for being my
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: comfort and moments of sorrow, and my delight in moments
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: of joy, thank you for being near. After traveling a
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: little further, you see something far in the distance where
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: something catches your eye. It's a structure of some sort,
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  Speaker 1: and the bright red stands in stark contrast to the
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  Speaker 1: varying blue of the sea and the light pale blue
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  Speaker 1: of the sky. You see that the structure sits at
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  Speaker 1: the end of a jetting a narrow path jetting out
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  Speaker 1: much further into the harbor than the shore, with rocks
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: on either side to break the waves. It occurs to you,
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  Speaker 1: from the placement along the shore and the jetty that
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  Speaker 1: precedes it, that the bright red structure must be a lighthouse.
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: Just as you make this connection, you notice a small
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  Speaker 1: shift in the direction of the ship on which you
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: are a passenger. You are moving toward the harbor, and
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  Speaker 1: in the light of day, the lighthouse need not shine
• 9:58
  Speaker 1: to lead your ship safe flee to shore. Instead, you
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: enjoy the view of the ocean and approaching ashore. As
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: you approach the shore, you think about the gift of
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: light and how it enables you to reach land safely
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: and easily. You try to imagine what it might be
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  Speaker 1: like in the darkness of night after the sun has set.
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  Speaker 1: It is essential that another light would shine in the
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  Speaker 1: darkness to lead the way home. As you think about
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: the light, you are reminded of the words of Jesus
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: in Matthew Chapter five, verses fourteen through sixteen. You are
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: the light of the world. A city set on a
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: and put it under a basket, but on a stand,
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: and it gives light to all in the house. In
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: the same way, let your light shine before others, so
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: that they may see your good works and give glory
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: to your Father, who is in heaven. You let these
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: words sink in as your ship easily makes its way
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  Speaker 1: into the harbor, finding a place to dock. The image
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  Speaker 1: of the light is striking to you as you easily
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  Speaker 1: approach the shore in broad daylight gifted by the light
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: of the sun. In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: several i am statements. These statements both affirm his identity
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  Speaker 1: and his deity, and they give understanding to his followers
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  Speaker 1: about who he is and what his purpose was on earth.
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: In one of those statements, found in the eighth chapter
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  Speaker 1: of John verse twelve, Jesus says, I am the light
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  Speaker 1: of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness,
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  Speaker 1: but will have the light of life. Of all the
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  Speaker 1: I Am statements that Jesus makes, there is only one
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  Speaker 1: that is also used to describe those who follow Jesus,
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  Speaker 1: and it is this statement. Not only does Jesus say
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  Speaker 1: I am the light of the world, he tells you
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  Speaker 1: you are the light of the world. You think about
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  Speaker 1: the life that Jesus lived during his thirty three years
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  Speaker 1: on earth, considering how he was truly the essence of
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  Speaker 1: light in the darkness. Jesus lived a life that pointed
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  Speaker 1: continually to the hope of the love of God, the
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  Speaker 1: way a light shines in the darkness to lead a
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  Speaker 1: ship safely to shore. As your ship docks, you walk
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  Speaker 1: from your lucky spot on the deck to the stairs
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  Speaker 1: on the side of the book. You place your hand
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  Speaker 1: on the rail and take three easy steps on the dock,
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  Speaker 1: which leads you to a beautiful walkway along the shore.
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  Speaker 1: You see that the sidewalk leads to the jetty with
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: the lighthouse at the end, where you see pedestrians walking,
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  Speaker 1: and you decide to explore for yourself. The path from
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  Speaker 1: the dock winds through a simple garden, and you meanders slowly,
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  Speaker 1: enjoying the beauty of this simple place. The sidewalk is
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  Speaker 1: wide and other visitors wander around you. To your right
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  Speaker 1: is a large, carefully manicured courtyard. The short hedges are
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  Speaker 1: perfectly trim and arranged in a unique pattern. From where
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  Speaker 1: you stand, you see the way the hedge grows, turn
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  Speaker 1: and swirl, a design that resembles flower. You walk past
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  Speaker 1: the floral like hedges and the next courtyard is bright
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  Speaker 1: with color, with the central feature being a long multiflower
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  Speaker 1: bed spanning ten or fifteen yards. Planted within this wide
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  Speaker 1: space are dozens of different flowers, the mixture of colors
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  Speaker 1: bringing a smile to your face. The first flowers you
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  Speaker 1: notice are crescendo blue shades with a dark purple petal
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  Speaker 1: and yellow center. Behind the crescendos is a mixture of
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  Speaker 1: orange and yellow buttercups, planted so closely together the colors
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  Speaker 1: pop against the backdrop of the green stems and leaves.
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  Speaker 1: You continue walking as the colors before you vary from
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  Speaker 1: bright blue to pink, to lavender to red. There are
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  Speaker 1: tulips and roses, barregolds and forget me nots. Out of
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  Speaker 1: the corner of your eye you see the bright orange
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  Speaker 1: wings of a monarch butterfly. It gracefully flies into view
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  Speaker 1: and lands on the yellow tulip you were admiring. You
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  Speaker 1: continue your walk along the pathway, winding around the edge
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  Speaker 1: of the shore. It's longer than you first thought. From
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  Speaker 1: your view from the water, you see now that the
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  Speaker 1: lighthouse stands far into the sea, a perfect place to
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  Speaker 1: warn and alert passing ships. You followed the sidewalk, which
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  Speaker 1: curves to the left and then widens to the generous
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  Speaker 1: width of the jetty. Looking out, all you see now
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  Speaker 1: is the sidewalk in front of you, the lighthouse at
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  Speaker 1: the end, and the sea. The day continues to wane,
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  Speaker 1: and the sun now shines straight ahead of you, half
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  Speaker 1: way along the track from its zenith to the sunset.
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  Speaker 1: From this position, the sun is bright in your eyes,
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  Speaker 1: and you bring your hand up to your face like
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  Speaker 1: a visor to look ahead again. You are struck by
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  Speaker 1: the power of the sun's light and the significance of
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  Speaker 1: Jesus words that you are the light of the world.
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  Speaker 1: Ask came to shape you so that your light would
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  Speaker 1: shine before others. So that they may see your good
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  Speaker 1: works and give glory to your Father, who is in heaven.
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  Speaker 1: You spend the long walk worshiping God as you enjoy
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  Speaker 1: the company of his presence. The sun is slowly dropping,
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  Speaker 1: causing the sky to change colors, and the evening breeze
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  Speaker 1: blows gently off the water. As you walk, you acknowledge
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  Speaker 1: the ways that God has faithfully led you throughout your life.
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  Speaker 1: You know that you do not walk along the Lord.
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  Speaker 1: Your God goes before you and guide you. His light
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: shines brightest in your life and enables you to shine
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  Speaker 1: in the darkness. God, we glorify you. You are so
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  Speaker 1: worthy of our praise. You approach the end of the
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: jetting nearest to the lighthouse, as you look out at
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: the sun setting over the water. The bright blue sky
• 17:35
  Speaker 1: from earlier in the day has faded into a dark
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  Speaker 1: bloom above you, and you notice that the air has
• 17:42
  Speaker 1: cool as the sun has faded. The sun is now
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  Speaker 1: barely peering above the horizon, painting the sky a brilliant
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: mix of pink, purple, and radiant march. The rays of
• 17:57
  Speaker 1: the sun peek out from behind the cloud, adding streaks
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: of bright light throughout the darkening sky. You're at the
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: lighthouse now, looking up at the bright red structure you
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: first saw hours ago from the ship. You can see
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: the creases of the bricks now, and the red still
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: stands in contrast to the changing sky of the setting sun.
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: Although you could walk around it to the edge of
• 18:27
  Speaker 1: the jetty's path, you choose instead to opt for a
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: view from the top. You reach the door at the
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: bottom of the lighthouse, reaching out to grasp the metal handle,
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  Speaker 1: and you pull the door open. Almost immediately in front
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  Speaker 1: of you is a steel spiral staircase. Before you begin
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  Speaker 1: to walk up, you peer around the side of the
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  Speaker 1: stairway to see the remnants of an old living quarters.
• 19:00
  Speaker 1: You try to imagine this space as it would have
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  Speaker 1: been decades or even hundreds of years ago. You imagine
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: the lightkeeper living in this little room, sitting in the
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: reading chair in the corner, or making a cup of
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: coffee on the small countertop. You imagine their readiness to
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: jump to action in the event that something would malfunction
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: with the lamp in the middle of the night. You
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: think again of the importance of a working light for
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: the sailors nearing the harbor. The lightkeeper would play a
• 19:34
  Speaker 1: pivotal role in offering safety, ensuring that the light was
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: shining brightly the moment the sun went down and the
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: darkness of night set in, always ensuring that ships had
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: a way to come safely home. This image of a
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: lighthouse reminds you again of the words of Jesus to
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: his followers in Matthew five. You are the light of
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: the wor world. A city so on a hill cannot
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: it under a basket, but on a stand, and it
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: gives light to all in the house. In the same way,
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: let your light shine before others, so that they may
• 20:18
  Speaker 1: see your good works and give glory to your Father,
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: who is in heaven. You imagine yourself like a light
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: keeper for your own life, intentionally cultivating a spirit that
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  Speaker 1: reflects Christ and shines in the darkness of the world
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  Speaker 1: around you. Before continuing up the lighthouse, pause for a
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  Speaker 1: moment to thank God for the gift of the Holy
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  Speaker 1: Spirit who leads you into the light. God, we give
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  Speaker 1: you thanks that you have not left us alone, but
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: have given us the companion of the Holy Spirit to
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: lead us into the light of righteousness. You turn back
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  Speaker 1: from the small living space at the bottom of the
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  Speaker 1: lighthouse and back to the staircase that leads you to
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  Speaker 1: the top. You place your hand on the railing and
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  Speaker 1: begin to walk up the steep steps. The staircase sits
• 21:17
  Speaker 1: close to the wallhouse of the lighthouse, leaving space in
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  Speaker 1: the center that you know will house the elaborate lighting system.
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  Speaker 1: You steadily climb the lighthouse steps, curving with the staircase
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  Speaker 1: as it winds along the inside walls. The lighthouse is tall,
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  Speaker 1: and you look up to see that you are nearing
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  Speaker 1: the landing of the only floor of the lighthouse. As
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  Speaker 1: you get closer and closer, you see that the spiral
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  Speaker 1: staircase is now going around a structure in the center.
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  Speaker 1: The elaborate lighting rig hangs low, supported by a still
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: plate on which the rig sits. You look at the
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  Speaker 1: details as you take the final steps to the door
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  Speaker 1: which leads to the balcony, imagining the power of the
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: magnifier that causes this light to shine. You reach the
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: landing at the top and open the door that leads
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  Speaker 1: to the circular balcony. You instantly feel the evening wind
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: blowing on your face, and you walk to the railing,
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: similar to how you stood on the boat at the
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: start of your journey. You began on a boat in
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: the light of day, and now as the sun has set,
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: you think again of the significance of this lighthouse, and
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: how profound a structure it is to lead people to
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: safety and security. The sky has grown steadily darker throughout
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  Speaker 1: your journey, and now you see the light shining out
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: over the sea. You think back to just a few
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: hours before when you rode into the harbor and the
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: clear light of day. Imagine how much more difficult it
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: would have been if you were just now approaching the
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: harbor and the darkness. You give thanks again for the
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: gift of light, and you ask God to make you
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: shine like a light in the darkness, leading others to
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  Speaker 1: the safety and security you have found in Christ. For indeed,
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: you are the light of the world. A city set
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: a lamp and put it under a basket, but on
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: In the same way, let your light shine before others,
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: so that they may see your good works and give
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: glory to your Father who is in heaven. Heavenly Father,
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: you are the creator of light and the one who
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: causes it to shine in our hearts. Thank you for
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: the gift of Jesus, the light of the world. It
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: is only because of Him that we are able to
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: reflect the light and shine into the darkness of the
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: world around us. I pray for this beloved child of
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: yours to continue walking in the light. Let them be
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: like a lighthouse in the darkness, shining brightly, that the
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: world might see their light and glorify the name of
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: your son, Jesus. You are good God, and we worship
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: you tonight in the name of Jesus. I pray these things, amen.
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: What a gift it is to walk with Jesus, in
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: whom we find the light of life. And tonight, continue
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: to rest in the arms of Christ, who loves you
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: and cares for you. May the goodness of God your
• 25:00
  Speaker 1: peace and comfort. And tomorrow may you wake to let
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: your light shine before others, so that they may see
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: your good works and give glory to your Father who
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: is in heaven. Let's listen again to the Sleep story
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: about shining as a lighthouse in a dark world. The
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: journey to the light begins tonight at sea. You find
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: yourself in a large vessel on the water in the
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: early afternoon sunshine. The day is bright and the sky
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: is clear except for a few puffy clouds resembling cotton candy,
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: and you are grateful initially for the gift of the
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: light and the form of sunshine. You stand on the
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: deck of the ship, breathing in the salty air as
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: the mists from the water blows in, lightly wetting your
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: arms and cheeks. You lean against a tall, sturdy rail
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: as you look out over the sea. The ship is
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: moving over the open water with nothing in sight but
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: the deep blue ocean below and the crystal blue sky overhead.
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: Despite the warmth of the sun, the wind is strong
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: as the ship carries a steady pace, and it cools you.
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: You take a slow, deep breath as you relish the
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: sweet simplicity of a day outside on the water, light
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: shining above you, God's glory evident at every turn. The
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: boat travels for some time as you enjoy the views
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: from the deck, You watch the clouds moving in the sky,
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: the slight change in variation of the blues both overhead
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: and in the ocean below. Much of the time is
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: spent with nothing in sight, though Periodically you pass various
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: islands or see land off in the distance. You take
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: time during this peaceful ride, at the start of your journey,
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: to pause and acknowledgment and worship of the Lord, your God, God,
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: You have been so faithful to me. I praise you
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: for your presence in my life. Thank you for leading
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: and guiding me through life. Thank You for being my
• 27:43
  Speaker 1: comfort and moments of sorrow and my delight in moments
• 27:48
  Speaker 1: of joy. Thank You for being near. After traveling a
• 27:55
  Speaker 1: little further, you see something far in the distance where
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: if something catches your eye, it's a structure of some sort,
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: and the bright red stands in stark contrast to the
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: varying blue of the sea and the light pale blue
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: of the sky. You see that the structure sits at
• 28:18
  Speaker 1: the end of a jetting a narrow path jetting out
• 28:21
  Speaker 1: much further into the harbor than the shore, with rocks
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: on either side to break the waves. It occurs to you,
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: from the placement along the shore and the jetty that
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: precedes it, that the bright red structure must be a lighthouse.
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: Just as you make this connection, you notice a small
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: shift in the direction of the ship on which you
• 28:47
  Speaker 1: are A passenger. You are moving toward the harbor, and
• 28:52
  Speaker 1: in the light of day, the lighthouse need not shine
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: to lead your ship safely to shore. Instead, you enjoy
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: the view of the ocean and approaching ashore. As you
• 29:06
  Speaker 1: approach the shore, you think about the gift of light
• 29:11
  Speaker 1: and how it enables you to reach land safely and easily.
• 29:16
  Speaker 1: You try to imagine what it might be like in
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: the darkness of night after the sun has set. It
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: is essential that another light would shine in the darkness
• 29:29
  Speaker 1: to lead the way home. As you think about the light,
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: you are reminded of the words of Jesus in Matthew
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: Chapter five, verses fourteen through sixteen. You are the light
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: of the world. A city set on a hill cannot
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: it under a basket, but on a stand, and it
• 29:55
  Speaker 1: gives light to all in the house. In the same way,
• 30:00
  Speaker 1: let your light shine before others, so that they may
• 30:03
  Speaker 1: see your good works and give glory to your Father
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: who is in heaven. You let these words sink in
• 30:13
  Speaker 1: as your ship easily makes its way into the harbor,
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: finding a place to doc The image of the light
• 30:21
  Speaker 1: is striking to you as you easily approach the shore
• 30:24
  Speaker 1: in broad daylight gifted by the light of the sun.
• 30:31
  Speaker 1: In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes several i am statements.
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: These statements both affirm his identity and his deity, and
• 30:41
  Speaker 1: they give understanding to his followers about who he is
• 30:45
  Speaker 1: and what his purpose was on earth. In one of
• 30:50
  Speaker 1: those statements, found in the eighth chapter of John, verse twelve,
• 30:55
  Speaker 1: Jesus says, I am the light of the world. Whoever
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: followed me will never walk in darkness, but will have
• 31:03
  Speaker 1: the light of life. Of all the i am statements
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: that Jesus makes, there is only one that is also
• 31:12
  Speaker 1: used to describe those who follow Jesus, and it is
• 31:16
  Speaker 1: this statement. Not only does Jesus say I am the
• 31:21
  Speaker 1: light of the world, he tells you you are the
• 31:25
  Speaker 1: light of the world. You think about the life that
• 31:30
  Speaker 1: Jesus lived during his thirty three years on earth, considering
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: how he was truly the essence of light in the darkness.
• 31:41
  Speaker 1: Jesus lived a life that pointed continually to the hope
• 31:45
  Speaker 1: of the love of God, the way a light shines
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: in the darkness to lead a ship safely to shore.
• 31:54
  Speaker 1: As your ship docks, you walk from your lookout spot
• 31:57
  Speaker 1: on the deck to the stairs on the of the book.
• 32:01
  Speaker 1: You place your hand on the rail and take three
• 32:04
  Speaker 1: easy steps on the dock, which leads you to a
• 32:08
  Speaker 1: beautiful walkway along the shore. You see that the sidewalk
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: leads to the jetty with the lighthouse at the end,
• 32:15
  Speaker 1: where you see pedestrians walking, and you decide to explore
• 32:19
  Speaker 1: for yourself. The path from the dock winds through a
• 32:25
  Speaker 1: simple garden, and you meanders slowly, enjoying the beauty of
• 32:31
  Speaker 1: this simple place. The sidewalk is wide and other visitors
• 32:36
  Speaker 1: wander around you. To your right is a large, carefully
• 32:40
  Speaker 1: manicured courtyard. The short hedges are perfectly trimmed and arranged
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: in a unique pattern. From where you stand, you see
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: the way the hedge grows, turn and swirl a design
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: that resembles a flower. You walk past the floral like
• 33:02
  Speaker 1: hedges and the next courtyard is bright with color, with
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: the central feature being a long multiflower bed spanning ten
• 33:12
  Speaker 1: or fifteen yards. Planted within this wide space are dozens
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: of different flowers, the mixture of colors bringing a smile
• 33:21
  Speaker 1: to your face. The first flowers you notice are a
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: crescendo blue shades with a dark purple petal and yellow center.
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: Behind the crescendos is a mixture of orange and yellow
• 33:36
  Speaker 1: buttercups planted so closely together the colors pop against the
• 33:42
  Speaker 1: backdrop of the green stems and leaves. You continue walking
• 33:49
  Speaker 1: as the colors before you vary from bright blue to pink,
• 33:53
  Speaker 1: to lavender to red. There are tulips and roses, barrel boots,
• 33:59
  Speaker 1: and forget me not. Out of the corner of your
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: eye you see the bright orange wings of a monarch butterfly.
• 34:07
  Speaker 1: It gracefully flies into view and lands on the yellow
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: tulip you were admiring. You continue your walk along the pathway,
• 34:17
  Speaker 1: winding around the edge of the shore. It's longer than
• 34:21
  Speaker 1: you first thought. From your view from the water, you
• 34:25
  Speaker 1: see now that the lighthouse stands far into the sea,
• 34:29
  Speaker 1: a perfect place to warn and alert passing ships. You
• 34:35
  Speaker 1: followed the sidewalk, which curves to the left and then
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: widens to the generous width of the jetting. Looking out,
• 34:43
  Speaker 1: all you see now is the sidewalk in front of you,
• 34:46
  Speaker 1: the lighthouse at the end, and the sea. The day
• 34:52
  Speaker 1: continues to wane, and the sun now shines straight ahead
• 34:56
  Speaker 1: of you. Halfway along the track from its zenith to
• 35:00
  Speaker 1: the sunset. From this position, the sun is bright in
• 35:05
  Speaker 1: your eyes, and you bring your hand up to your
• 35:08
  Speaker 1: face like a visor to look ahead again. You are
• 35:14
  Speaker 1: struck by the power of the Sun's life and the
• 35:18
  Speaker 1: significance of Jesus' words that you are the light of
• 35:21
  Speaker 1: the world. Ask came to shape you so that your
• 35:25
  Speaker 1: light would shine before others, so that they may see
• 35:29
  Speaker 1: your good works and give glory to your Father, who
• 35:32
  Speaker 1: is in heaven. You spend the long walk worshiping God
• 35:39
  Speaker 1: as you enjoy the company of his presence. The sun
• 35:43
  Speaker 1: is slowly dropping, causing the sky to change colors, and
• 35:48
  Speaker 1: the evening breeze blows gently off the water. As you walk,
• 35:55
  Speaker 1: you acknowledge the ways that God has faithfully led you
• 35:58
  Speaker 1: throughout your life. You know that you do not walk alone.
• 36:03
  Speaker 1: The Lord, your God goes before you and guide you.
• 36:07
  Speaker 1: His light shines brightest in your life and enables you
• 36:11
  Speaker 1: to shine in the darkness. God, we glorify you, you
• 36:19
  Speaker 1: are so worthy of our prais. You approach the end
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: of the jetting nearest to the lighthouse. As you look
• 36:29
  Speaker 1: out at the sun setting over the water, The bright
• 36:32
  Speaker 1: blue sky from earlier in the day has faded into
• 36:35
  Speaker 1: a dark blue above you, and you notice that the
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: air has cool as the sun has faded. The sun
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: is now barely peering above the horizon, painting the sky
• 36:49
  Speaker 1: a brilliant mix of pink, purple, and radiant orange. The
• 36:54
  Speaker 1: rays of the sun peek out from behind the clouds,
• 36:58
  Speaker 1: adding streaks of bright light out the darkening sky. You're
• 37:04
  Speaker 1: at the lighthouse now, looking up at the bright red
• 37:07
  Speaker 1: structure you first saw hours ago. From the ship. You
• 37:11
  Speaker 1: can see the creases of the bricks now, and the
• 37:14
  Speaker 1: red still stands in contrast to the changing sky of
• 37:18
  Speaker 1: the setting sun. Although you could walk around it to
• 37:24
  Speaker 1: the edge of the jetty's path, you choose instead to
• 37:28
  Speaker 1: opt for a view from the top. You reach the
• 37:31
  Speaker 1: door at the bottom of the lighthouse, reaching out to
• 37:35
  Speaker 1: grasp the metal handle, and you pull the door open.
• 37:41
  Speaker 1: Almost immediately in front of you is a steell spiral staircase.
• 37:46
  Speaker 1: Before you begin to walk up, you peer around the
• 37:49
  Speaker 1: side of the stairway to see the remnants of an
• 37:53
  Speaker 1: old living quarters. You try to imagine this space as
• 37:59
  Speaker 1: it would have been days or even hundreds of years ago.
• 38:03
  Speaker 1: You imagine the lightkeeper living in this little room, sitting
• 38:07
  Speaker 1: in the reading chair in the corner, or making a
• 38:10
  Speaker 1: cup of coffee on the small countertop. You imagine their
• 38:16
  Speaker 1: readiness to jump to action in the event that something
• 38:19
  Speaker 1: would malfunction with the lamp in the middle of the night.
• 38:22
  Speaker 1: You think again of the importance of a working light
• 38:25
  Speaker 1: for the sailors nearing the harbor. The lightkeeper would play
• 38:31
  Speaker 1: a pivotal role in offering safety, ensuring that the light
• 38:35
  Speaker 1: was shining brightly the moment the sun went down and
• 38:39
  Speaker 1: the darkness of night set in, always ensuring that ships
• 38:43
  Speaker 1: had a way to come safely home. This image of
• 38:49
  Speaker 1: a lighthouse reminds you again of the words of Jesus
• 38:52
  Speaker 1: to his followers in Matthew chapter five. You are the
• 38:56
  Speaker 1: light of the world. If a city set on a
• 38:59
  Speaker 1: hill can be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp
• 39:03
  Speaker 1: and put it under a basket, but on a stand,
• 39:06
  Speaker 1: and it gives light to all in the house. In
• 39:10
  Speaker 1: the same way, let your light shine before others, so
• 39:14
  Speaker 1: that they may see your good works and give glory
• 39:17
  Speaker 1: to your Father, who is in heaven. You imagine yourself
• 39:23
  Speaker 1: like a light keeper for your own life, intentionally cultivating
• 39:27
  Speaker 1: a spirit that reflects Christ and shines in the darkness
• 39:31
  Speaker 1: of the world around you. Before continuing up the lighthouse,
• 39:38
  Speaker 1: pause for a moment, but thank God for the gift
• 39:41
  Speaker 1: of the Holy Spirit who leads you into the light. God,
• 39:48
  Speaker 1: we give you thanks that you have not left us alone,
• 39:52
  Speaker 1: but have given us the companion of the Holy Spirit
• 39:55
  Speaker 1: to lead us into the light of righteousness. You turn
• 40:01
  Speaker 1: back from the small living space at the bottom of
• 40:03
  Speaker 1: the lighthouse and back to the staircase that leads you
• 40:07
  Speaker 1: to the top. You place your hand on the railing
• 40:10
  Speaker 1: and begin to walk up the steep steps. The staircase
• 40:14
  Speaker 1: sits close to the walls of the lighthouse, leaving space
• 40:18
  Speaker 1: in the center that you know will house the elaborate
• 40:21
  Speaker 1: lighting system. You steadily climb the lighthouse steps, curving with
• 40:28
  Speaker 1: the staircase as it winds along the inside walls. The
• 40:33
  Speaker 1: lighthouse is tall, and you look up to see that
• 40:36
  Speaker 1: you are nearing the landing of the only floor of
• 40:39
  Speaker 1: the lighthouse. As you get closer and closer, you see
• 40:45
  Speaker 1: that the spiral staircase is now going around a structure
• 40:48
  Speaker 1: in the center. The elaborate lighting rig hangs low, supported
• 40:53
  Speaker 1: by a still plate on which the rig sits. You
• 40:57
  Speaker 1: look at the details as you take the final steps
• 41:00
  Speaker 1: to the door which leads to the balcony, imagining the
• 41:04
  Speaker 1: power of the magnifier that causes this light to shine.
• 41:10
  Speaker 1: You reach the landing at the top and open the
• 41:13
  Speaker 1: door that leads to the circular balcony. You instantly feel
• 41:18
  Speaker 1: the evening wind blowing on your face, and you walk
• 41:22
  Speaker 1: to the railing similar to how you stood on the
• 41:25
  Speaker 1: boat at the start of your journey. You began on
• 41:30
  Speaker 1: a boat in the light of day, and now as
• 41:33
  Speaker 1: the sun has set, you think again of the significance
• 41:37
  Speaker 1: of this lighthouse and how profound a structure it is
• 41:41
  Speaker 1: to lead people to safety and security. The sky has
• 41:47
  Speaker 1: grown steadily darker throughout your journey, and now you see
• 41:51
  Speaker 1: the light shining out over the sea. You think back
• 41:57
  Speaker 1: to just a few hours before, when you row into
• 42:00
  Speaker 1: the harbor and the clear light of day. Imagine how
• 42:04
  Speaker 1: much more difficult it would have been if you were
• 42:06
  Speaker 1: just now approaching the harbor and the darkness. You give
• 42:10
  Speaker 1: thanks again for the gift of light, and you ask
• 42:14
  Speaker 1: God to make you shine like a light in the darkness,
• 42:18
  Speaker 1: leading others to the safety and security you have found
• 42:22
  Speaker 1: in Christ. For indeed, you are the light of the world.
• 42:29
  Speaker 1: A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor
• 42:33
  Speaker 1: do people light a lamp and put it under a basket,
• 42:36
  Speaker 1: but on a stand, and it gives light to all
• 42:39
  Speaker 1: in the house. In the same way, let your light
• 42:43
  Speaker 1: shine before others, so that they may see your good
• 42:47
  Speaker 1: works and give glory to your Father, who is in heaven.
• 42:54
  Speaker 1: Heavenly Father, you are the creator of light and the
• 42:58
  Speaker 1: one who causes it to shine our hearts. Thank you
• 43:02
  Speaker 1: for the gift of Jesus, the light of the world.
• 43:06
  Speaker 1: It is only because of Him that we are able
• 43:08
  Speaker 1: to reflect the light and shine into the darkness of
• 43:11
  Speaker 1: the world around us. I pray for this beloved child
• 43:17
  Speaker 1: of yours to continue walking in the light. Let them
• 43:20
  Speaker 1: be like a lighthouse in the darkness, shining brightly, that
• 43:24
  Speaker 1: the world might see their light and glorify the name
• 43:27
  Speaker 1: of your son, Jesus. You are good God, and we
• 43:32
  Speaker 1: worship you tonight. In the name of Jesus. I pray
• 43:35
  Speaker 1: these things amen. What a gift it is to walk
• 43:42
  Speaker 1: with Jesus, in whom we find the light of life
• 43:46
  Speaker 1: and tonight. Continue to rest in the arms of Christ,
• 43:51
  Speaker 1: who loves you and cares for you. May the goodness
• 43:56
  Speaker 1: of God be your peace and comfort. And to tomorrow
• 44:01
  Speaker 1: may you wake to let your light shine before others,
• 44:05
  Speaker 1: so that they may see your good works and give
• 44:08
  Speaker 1: glory to your Father who is in heaven. Let's listen
• 44:15
  Speaker 1: again to the Sleep story about shining as a lighthouse
• 44:18
  Speaker 1: in a dark world. The journey to the light begins
• 44:25
  Speaker 1: tonight at sea. You find yourself in a large vessel
• 44:29
  Speaker 1: on the water in the early afternoon sunshine. The day
• 44:34
  Speaker 1: is bright and the sky is clear except for a
• 44:38
  Speaker 1: few puffy clouds resembling cotton candy, and you are grateful
• 44:44
  Speaker 1: initially for the gift of the light and the form
• 44:47
  Speaker 1: of sunshine. You stand on the deck of the ship,
• 44:54
  Speaker 1: breathing in the salty air as the mist from the
• 44:57
  Speaker 1: water blows in, lightly wetting your arms and cheeks. You
• 45:03
  Speaker 1: lean against a tall, sturdy rail as you look out
• 45:06
  Speaker 1: over the sea. The ship is moving over the open water,
• 45:10
  Speaker 1: with nothing in sight but the deep blue ocean below
• 45:15
  Speaker 1: and the crystal blue sky overhead. Despite the warmth of
• 45:22
  Speaker 1: the sun, the wind is strong as the ship carries
• 45:26
  Speaker 1: a steady pace, and it cools you. You take a slow,
• 45:31
  Speaker 1: deep breath as you relish the sweet simplicity of a
• 45:35
  Speaker 1: day outside on the water, light shining above you, God's
• 45:40
  Speaker 1: glory evident at every turn. The boat travels for some
• 45:47
  Speaker 1: time as you enjoy the views from the deck, you
• 45:51
  Speaker 1: watch the clouds moving in the sky, the slight change
• 45:55
  Speaker 1: in variation of the blues both overhead and in the
• 45:59
  Speaker 1: ocean below. Much of the time is spent with nothing
• 46:03
  Speaker 1: in sight, though periodically you pass various islands or see
• 46:09
  Speaker 1: land off in the distance. You take time during this
• 46:15
  Speaker 1: peaceful ride, at the start of your journey, to pause
• 46:20
  Speaker 1: and acknowledgment and worship of the Lord, your God, God,
• 46:27
  Speaker 1: you have been so faithful to me. I praise you
• 46:31
  Speaker 1: for your presence in my life. Thank you for leading
• 46:36
  Speaker 1: and guiding me through life. Thank You for being my
• 46:41
  Speaker 1: comfort in moments of sorrow and my delight in moments
• 46:45
  Speaker 1: of joy. Thank You for being near. After traveling a
• 46:53
  Speaker 1: little further, you see something far in the distance where
• 46:57
  Speaker 1: something catches your eye. It's a structure of some sort,
• 47:03
  Speaker 1: and the bright red stands in stark contrast to the
• 47:06
  Speaker 1: varying blue of the sea and the light pale blue
• 47:10
  Speaker 1: of the sky. You see that the structure sits at
• 47:15
  Speaker 1: the end of a jetty, a narrow path jetting out
• 47:19
  Speaker 1: much further into the harbor than the shore, with rocks
• 47:23
  Speaker 1: on either side to break the waves. It occurs to you,
• 47:28
  Speaker 1: from the placement along the shore and the jetty that
• 47:31
  Speaker 1: precedes it, that the bright red structure must be a lighthouse.
• 47:38
  Speaker 1: Just as you make this connection, you notice a small
• 47:42
  Speaker 1: shift in the direction of the ship on which you
• 47:44
  Speaker 1: are a passenger. You are moving toward the harbor, and
• 47:49
  Speaker 1: in the light of day, the lighthouse need not shine
• 47:53
  Speaker 1: to lead your ship safely to shore. Instead, you enjoy
• 47:58
  Speaker 1: the view of the ocean approaching the shore. As you
• 48:04
  Speaker 1: approach the shore, you think about the gift of light
• 48:09
  Speaker 1: and how it enables you to reach land safely and easily.
• 48:14
  Speaker 1: You try to imagine what it might be like in
• 48:16
  Speaker 1: the darkness of night after the sun has set. It
• 48:23
  Speaker 1: is essential that another light would shine in the darkness
• 48:26
  Speaker 1: to lead the way home. As you think about the light,
• 48:31
  Speaker 1: you are reminded of the words of Jesus in Matthew
• 48:34
  Speaker 1: Chapter five, verses fourteen through sixteen. You are the light
• 48:42
  Speaker 1: of the world. A city set on a hill cannot
• 48:45
  Speaker 1: be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put
• 48:49
  Speaker 1: it under a basket, but on a stand, and it
• 48:53
  Speaker 1: gives light to all in the house, in the same
• 48:56
  Speaker 1: way that your light shine before others, so that they
• 49:01
  Speaker 1: may see your good works and give glory to your Father,
• 49:05
  Speaker 1: who is in heaven. You let these words sink in
• 49:11
  Speaker 1: as your ship easily makes its way into the harbor,
• 49:15
  Speaker 1: finding a place to doc The image of the light
• 49:18
  Speaker 1: is striking to you as you easily approach the shore
• 49:22
  Speaker 1: in broad daylight gifted by the light of the sun.
• 49:28
  Speaker 1: In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes several i am statements.
• 49:34
  Speaker 1: These statements both affirm his identity and his deity, and
• 49:39
  Speaker 1: they give understanding to his followers about who he is
• 49:42
  Speaker 1: and what his purpose was on earth. In one of
• 49:47
  Speaker 1: those statements, found in the eighth chapter of John, verse twelve,
• 49:52
  Speaker 1: Jesus says, I am the Light of the world. Whoever
• 49:57
  Speaker 1: follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have
• 50:00
  Speaker 1: the light of life. Of all the i am statements
• 50:06
  Speaker 1: that Jesus makes, there is only one that is also
• 50:10
  Speaker 1: used to describe those who follow Jesus, and it is
• 50:14
  Speaker 1: this statement. Not only does Jesus say I am the
• 50:18
  Speaker 1: light of the world, he tells you you are the
• 50:22
  Speaker 1: light of the world. You think about the life that
• 50:27
  Speaker 1: Jesus lived during his thirty three years on earth, considering
• 50:32
  Speaker 1: how he was truly the essence of light in the darkness.
• 50:39
  Speaker 1: Jesus lived a life that pointed continually to the hope
• 50:42
  Speaker 1: of the love of God. The way a light shines
• 50:46
  Speaker 1: in the darkness to lead a ship safely to shore.
• 50:51
  Speaker 1: As your ship docks, you walk from your lookout spot
• 50:55
  Speaker 1: on the deck to the stairs on the side of
• 50:57
  Speaker 1: the book. You place your hand hand on the rail
• 51:01
  Speaker 1: and take three easy steps on the dock, which leads
• 51:05
  Speaker 1: you to a beautiful walkway along the shore. You see
• 51:09
  Speaker 1: that the sidewalk leads to the jetty with the lighthouse
• 51:12
  Speaker 1: at the end, where you see pedestrians walking, and you
• 51:16
  Speaker 1: decide to explore for yourself. The path from the dock
• 51:22
  Speaker 1: winds through a simple garden, and you meanders slowly, enjoying
• 51:27
  Speaker 1: the beauty of this simple place. The sidewalk is wide
• 51:33
  Speaker 1: and other visitors wander around you. To your right is
• 51:37
  Speaker 1: a large, carefully manicured courtyard. The short hedges are perfectly
• 51:44
  Speaker 1: trimmed and arranged in a unique pattern. From where you stand,
• 51:49
  Speaker 1: you see the way the hedge grows, turn and swirl,
• 51:53
  Speaker 1: a design that resembles a flower. You walk past the
• 51:59
  Speaker 1: floor like hedges, and the next courtyard is bright with color,
• 52:04
  Speaker 1: with the central feature being a long multiflower bed spanning
• 52:09
  Speaker 1: ten or fifteen yards. Planted within this wide space are
• 52:14
  Speaker 1: dozens of different flowers, the mixture of colors bringing a
• 52:18
  Speaker 1: smile to your face. The first flowers you notice are
• 52:24
  Speaker 1: crescendo blue shades with a dark purple petal and yellow center.
• 52:30
  Speaker 1: Behind the crescendos is a mixture of orange and yellow buttercups,
• 52:35
  Speaker 1: planted so closely together the colors pop against the backdrop
• 52:40
  Speaker 1: of the green stems and leaves. You continue walking as
• 52:46
  Speaker 1: the colors before you vary from bright blue to pink,
• 52:50
  Speaker 1: to lavender to red. There are tulips and roses, barrigolds,
• 52:56
  Speaker 1: and forget me nots. Out of the corner of your
• 52:59
  Speaker 1: eye you see the bright orange wings of a monarch butterfly.
• 53:04
  Speaker 1: It gracefully flies into view and lands on the yellow
• 53:07
  Speaker 1: tulip you were admiring. You continue your walk along the pathway,
• 53:14
  Speaker 1: winding around the edge of the shore. It's longer than
• 53:19
  Speaker 1: you first thought. From your view from the water, you
• 53:22
  Speaker 1: see now that the lighthouse stands far into the sea,
• 53:26
  Speaker 1: a perfect place to warn and alert passing ships. You
• 53:32
  Speaker 1: followed the sidewalk, which curves to the left and then
• 53:36
  Speaker 1: widens to the generous width of the jetty. Looking out,
• 53:40
  Speaker 1: all you see now is the sidewalk in front of you,
• 53:44
  Speaker 1: the lighthouse at the end, and the sea. The day
• 53:50
  Speaker 1: continues to wane, and the sun now shines straight ahead
• 53:54
  Speaker 1: of you, halfway along the track from its zenith to
• 53:58
  Speaker 1: the sunset. From this position, the sun is bright in
• 54:02
  Speaker 1: your eyes, and you bring your hand up to your
• 54:05
  Speaker 1: face like a visor to look ahead again. You are
• 54:12
  Speaker 1: struck by the power of the sun's light and the
• 54:15
  Speaker 1: significance of Jesus words that you are the light of
• 54:18
  Speaker 1: the world. Ask Him to shape you so that your
• 54:22
  Speaker 1: light would shine before others, so that they may see
• 54:26
  Speaker 1: your good works and give glory to your Father, who
• 54:29
  Speaker 1: is in heaven. You spend the long walk worshiping God
• 54:36
  Speaker 1: as you enjoy the company of his presence. The sun
• 54:40
  Speaker 1: is slowly dropping, causing the sky to change colors, and
• 54:45
  Speaker 1: the evening breeze blows gently off the water. As you walk,
• 54:52
  Speaker 1: you acknowledge the ways that God has faithfully led you
• 54:55
  Speaker 1: throughout your life. You know that you do not walk alone.
• 55:00
  Speaker 1: The Lord, your God goes before you and guide you.
• 55:05
  Speaker 1: His light shines brightest in your life and enables you
• 55:08
  Speaker 1: to shine in the darkness. God, we glorify you, you
• 55:16
  Speaker 1: are so worthy of our praise. You approach the end
• 55:22
  Speaker 1: of the jetting nearest to the lighthouse. As you look
• 55:26
  Speaker 1: out at the sun setting over the water. The bright
• 55:29
  Speaker 1: blue sky from earlier in the day has faded into
• 55:32
  Speaker 1: a dark blue above you, and you notice that the
• 55:36
  Speaker 1: air has cool as the sun has faded. The sun
• 55:42
  Speaker 1: is now barely peering above the horizon, painting the sky
• 55:47
  Speaker 1: a brilliant mix of pink, purple, and radiant orange. The
• 55:52
  Speaker 1: rays of the sun peek out from behind the clouds,
• 55:55
  Speaker 1: adding streaks of bright light throughout the darkening sky. You're
• 56:01
  Speaker 1: at the lighthouse now looking up at the bright red
• 56:05
  Speaker 1: structure you first saw hours ago from the ship. You
• 56:09
  Speaker 1: can see the creases of the bricks now, and the
• 56:12
  Speaker 1: red still stands in contrast to the changing sky of
• 56:15
  Speaker 1: the setting sun. Although you could walk around it to
• 56:21
  Speaker 1: the edge of the jetty's path, you choose instead, too
• 56:25
  Speaker 1: out for a view from the top. You reach the
• 56:29
  Speaker 1: door at the bottom of the lighthouse, reaching out to
• 56:32
  Speaker 1: grasp the metal handle, and you pull the door open.
• 56:39
  Speaker 1: Almost immediately in front of you is a still spiral staircase.
• 56:44
  Speaker 1: Before you begin to walk up, you peer around the
• 56:47
  Speaker 1: side of the stairway to see the remnants of an
• 56:50
  Speaker 1: old living quarters. You try to imagine this space as
• 56:56
  Speaker 1: it would have been decades or even hundreds of years ago.
• 57:00
  Speaker 1: You imagine the light keeper living in this little room,
• 57:04
  Speaker 1: sitting in the reading chair in the corner, or making
• 57:07
  Speaker 1: a cup of coffee on the small countertop. You imagine
• 57:13
  Speaker 1: their readiness to jump to action in the event that
• 57:16
  Speaker 1: something would malfunction with the lamp in the middle of
• 57:18
  Speaker 1: the night. You think again of the importance of a
• 57:22
  Speaker 1: working light for the sailors nearing the harbor. The lightkeeper
• 57:28
  Speaker 1: would play a pivotal role in offering safety, ensuring that
• 57:32
  Speaker 1: the light was shining brightly the moment the sun went
• 57:35
  Speaker 1: down and the darkness of night set in, always ensuring
• 57:40
  Speaker 1: that ships had a way to come safely home. This
• 57:46
  Speaker 1: image of a lighthouse reminds you again of the words
• 57:49
  Speaker 1: of Jesus to his followers at Matthew chapter five. You
• 57:53
  Speaker 1: are the light of the world. A city set on
• 57:56
  Speaker 1: a hill cannot be hidden, Nor do people like a
• 58:00
  Speaker 1: lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand,
• 58:04
  Speaker 1: and it gives light to all in the house. In
• 58:08
  Speaker 1: the same way, let your light shine before others, so
• 58:12
  Speaker 1: that they may see your good works and give glory
• 58:15
  Speaker 1: to your Father who is in heaven. You imagine yourself
• 58:21
  Speaker 1: like a light keeper for your own life, intentionally cultivating
• 58:25
  Speaker 1: a spirit that reflects Christ and shines in the darkness
• 58:28
  Speaker 1: of the world around you. Before continuing up the lighthouse,
• 58:35
  Speaker 1: pause for a moment to thank God for the gift
• 58:39
  Speaker 1: of the Holy Spirit who leads you into the light. God,
• 58:45
  Speaker 1: we give you thanks that you have not left us alone,
• 58:49
  Speaker 1: but have given us the companion of the Holy Spirit
• 58:52
  Speaker 1: to lead us into the light of righteousness. You turn
• 58:58
  Speaker 1: back from the small living space at the bottom of
• 59:01
  Speaker 1: the lighthouse and back to the staircase that leads you
• 59:04
  Speaker 1: to the top. You place your hand on the railing
• 59:08
  Speaker 1: and begin to walk up the steep steps. The staircase
• 59:12
  Speaker 1: sits close to the walls of the lighthouse, leaving space
• 59:16
  Speaker 1: in the center that you know will house the elaborate
• 59:18
  Speaker 1: lighting system. You steadily climb the lighthouse steps, curving with
• 59:26
  Speaker 1: the staircase as it winds along the inside walls. The
• 59:31
  Speaker 1: lighthouse is tall, and you look up to see that
• 59:34
  Speaker 1: you are nearing the landing of the only floor of
• 59:36
  Speaker 1: the lighthouse. As you get closer and closer, you see
• 59:43
  Speaker 1: that the spiral staircase is now going around to structure
• 59:46
  Speaker 1: in the center. The elaborate lighting rig hangs low, supported
• 59:51
  Speaker 1: by a still plate on which the rig sits. You
• 59:54
  Speaker 1: look at the details as you take the final steps
• 59:57
  Speaker 1: to the door which leads to the balcony, imagining the
• 1:00:01
  Speaker 1: power of the magnifier that causes this light to shine.
• 1:00:07
  Speaker 1: You reach the landing at the top and open the
• 1:00:10
  Speaker 1: door that leads to the circular balcony. You instantly feel
• 1:00:15
  Speaker 1: the evening wind blowing on your face, and you walk
• 1:00:19
  Speaker 1: to the railing, similar to how you stood on the
• 1:00:22
  Speaker 1: boat at the start of your journey. You began on
• 1:00:27
  Speaker 1: a boat in the light of day, and now as
• 1:00:30
  Speaker 1: the sun has set, you think again of the significance
• 1:00:34
  Speaker 1: of this lighthouse and how profound a structure it is
• 1:00:38
  Speaker 1: to lead people to safety and security. The sky has
• 1:00:45
  Speaker 1: grown steadily darker throughout your journey, and now you see
• 1:00:49
  Speaker 1: the light shining out over the sea. You think back
• 1:00:54
  Speaker 1: to just a few hours before, when you rowed into
• 1:00:57
  Speaker 1: the harbor in the clear light of day. Imagine how
• 1:01:01
  Speaker 1: much more difficult it would have been if you were
• 1:01:04
  Speaker 1: just now approaching the harbor in the darkness. You give
• 1:01:08
  Speaker 1: thanks again for the gift of light, and you ask
• 1:01:11
  Speaker 1: God to make you shine like a light in the darkness,
• 1:01:15
  Speaker 1: leading others to the safety and security you have found
• 1:01:19
  Speaker 1: in Christ. For indeed, you are the light of the world.
• 1:01:27
  Speaker 1: A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor
• 1:01:30
  Speaker 1: do people light a lamp and put it under a basket,
• 1:01:33
  Speaker 1: put on a stand, and it gives light to all
• 1:01:36
  Speaker 1: in the house. In the same way, let your light
• 1:01:40
  Speaker 1: shine before others, so that they may see your good
• 1:01:44
  Speaker 1: works and give glory to your Father, who is in heaven.
• 1:01:51
  Speaker 1: Heavenly Father, you are the creator of light and the
• 1:01:55
  Speaker 1: one who causes it to shine in our hearts. Thank
• 1:01:59
  Speaker 1: you for the gift of Jesus, the light of the world.
• 1:02:03
  Speaker 1: It is only because of Him that we are able
• 1:02:05
  Speaker 1: to reflect the light and shine into the darkness of
• 1:02:09
  Speaker 1: the world around us. I pray for this beloved child
• 1:02:14
  Speaker 1: of yours to continue walking in the light. Let them
• 1:02:18
  Speaker 1: be like a lighthouse in the darkness, shining brightly, that
• 1:02:21
  Speaker 1: the world might see their light and glorify the name
• 1:02:25
  Speaker 1: of your son Jesus. You are Good God, and we
• 1:02:29
  Speaker 1: worship you tonight in the name of Jesus, I pray
• 1:02:33
  Speaker 1: these things. Amen. What a gift it is to walk
• 1:02:39
  Speaker 1: with Jesus, in whom we find the light of life.
• 1:02:43
  Speaker 1: And tonight, continue to rest in the arms of Christ,
• 1:02:48
  Speaker 1: who loves you and cares for you. May the Goodness
• 1:02:54
  Speaker 1: of God be your peace and comfort. And tomorrow may
• 1:02:58
  Speaker 1: you wake to let you your light shine before others,
• 1:03:02
  Speaker 1: so that they may see your good works and give
• 1:03:05
  Speaker 1: glory to your Father who is in heaven. Let's listen
• 1:03:12
  Speaker 1: again to the Sleep story about shining as a lighthouse
• 1:03:16
  Speaker 1: in a dark world. The journey to the light begins
• 1:03:22
  Speaker 1: to night at sea. You find yourself in a large
• 1:03:26
  Speaker 1: vessel on the water in the early afternoon sunshine. The
• 1:03:31
  Speaker 1: day is bright and the sky is clear except for
• 1:03:36
  Speaker 1: a few puffy clouds resembling cotton candy, and you are
• 1:03:41
  Speaker 1: grateful initially for the gift of the light and the
• 1:03:44
  Speaker 1: form of sunshine. You stand on the deck of the ship,
• 1:03:51
  Speaker 1: breathing in the salty air as the mists from the
• 1:03:54
  Speaker 1: water blows in, lightly wetting your arms and cheeks. You
• 1:04:00
  Speaker 1: lean against a tall, sturdy rail as you look out
• 1:04:03
  Speaker 1: over the sea. The ship is moving over the open
• 1:04:07
  Speaker 1: water with nothing in sight but the deep blue ocean
• 1:04:11
  Speaker 1: below and the crystal blue sky overhead. Despite the warmth
• 1:04:19
  Speaker 1: of the sun, the wind is strong as the ship
• 1:04:23
  Speaker 1: carries a steady pace, and it cools you. You take
• 1:04:28
  Speaker 1: a slow, deep breath as you relish the sweet simplicity
• 1:04:32
  Speaker 1: of a day outside on the water. Light shining above you,
• 1:04:37
  Speaker 1: God's glory evident at every turn. The boat travels for
• 1:04:44
  Speaker 1: some time as you enjoy the views from the day.
• 1:04:48
  Speaker 1: You watch the clouds moving in the sky, the slight
• 1:04:52
  Speaker 1: change and variation of the blues both overhead and in
• 1:04:56
  Speaker 1: the ocean below. Much of the time is sped with
• 1:05:00
  Speaker 1: nothing in sight, though periodically you pass various islands or
• 1:05:07
  Speaker 1: see land off in the distance. You take time during
• 1:05:13
  Speaker 1: this peaceful ride at the start of your journey, to
• 1:05:16
  Speaker 1: pause and acknowledgment and worship of the Lord, your God, God,
• 1:05:25
  Speaker 1: You have been so faithful to me. I praise you
• 1:05:29
  Speaker 1: for your presence in my life. Thank you for leading
• 1:05:33
  Speaker 1: and guiding me through life. Thank You for being my
• 1:05:38
  Speaker 1: comfort in moments of sorrow and my delight in moments
• 1:05:43
  Speaker 1: of joy. Thank You for being near. After traveling a
• 1:05:50
  Speaker 1: little further, you see something far in the distance where
• 1:05:55
  Speaker 1: something catches your eye. It's a structure of some sort,
• 1:06:00
  Speaker 1: and the bright red stands in stark contrast to the
• 1:06:04
  Speaker 1: varying blue of the sea and the light pale blue
• 1:06:07
  Speaker 1: of the sky. You see that the structure sits at
• 1:06:12
  Speaker 1: the end of a jetting a narrow path jetting out
• 1:06:16
  Speaker 1: much further into the harbor than the shore, with rocks
• 1:06:20
  Speaker 1: on either side to break the waves. It occurs to you,
• 1:06:25
  Speaker 1: from the placement along the shore and the jetty that
• 1:06:28
  Speaker 1: precedes it, that the bright red structure must be a lighthouse.
• 1:06:36
  Speaker 1: Just as you make this connection, you notice a small
• 1:06:39
  Speaker 1: shift in the direction of the ship on which you
• 1:06:42
  Speaker 1: are a passenger. You are moving toward the harbor, and
• 1:06:47
  Speaker 1: in the light of day, the lighthouse need not shine
• 1:06:51
  Speaker 1: to lead your ship safely to shore. Instead, you enjoy
• 1:06:56
  Speaker 1: the view of the ocean and approaching shore. As you
• 1:07:01
  Speaker 1: approach the shore, you think about the gift of light
• 1:07:06
  Speaker 1: and how it enables you to reach land safely and easily.
• 1:07:11
  Speaker 1: You try to imagine what it might be like in
• 1:07:14
  Speaker 1: the darkness of night. After the sun has set. It
• 1:07:21
  Speaker 1: is essential that another light would shine in the darkness
• 1:07:24
  Speaker 1: to lead the way home. As you think about the light,
• 1:07:29
  Speaker 1: you are reminded of the words of Jesus in Matthew
• 1:07:32
  Speaker 1: Chapter five, verses fourteen through sixteen. You are the light
• 1:07:39
  Speaker 1: of the world. A city set on a hill cannot
• 1:07:43
  Speaker 1: be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put
• 1:07:46
  Speaker 1: it under a basket, but on a stand, and it
• 1:07:50
  Speaker 1: gives light to all in the house. In the same way,
• 1:07:55
  Speaker 1: let your light shine before others, so that they may
• 1:07:58
  Speaker 1: see your good works and give glory to your Father,
• 1:08:02
  Speaker 1: who is in heaven. You let these words sink in
• 1:08:08
  Speaker 1: as your ship easily makes its way into the harbor,
• 1:08:12
  Speaker 1: finding a place to doc The image of the light
• 1:08:16
  Speaker 1: is striking to you as you easily approach the shore
• 1:08:19
  Speaker 1: in broad daylight gifted by the light of the sun.
• 1:08:26
  Speaker 1: In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes several I Am statements.
• 1:08:32
  Speaker 1: These statements both affirm his identity and his deity, and
• 1:08:36
  Speaker 1: they give understanding to his followers about who he is
• 1:08:40
  Speaker 1: and what his purpose was on earth. In one of
• 1:08:45
  Speaker 1: those statements, found in the eighth chapter of John, verse twelve,
• 1:08:50
  Speaker 1: Jesus says, I am the Light of the world. Whoever
• 1:08:54
  Speaker 1: follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have
• 1:08:58
  Speaker 1: the light of life. Of all the I Am statements
• 1:09:03
  Speaker 1: that Jesus makes, there is only one that is also
• 1:09:07
  Speaker 1: used to describe those who follow Jesus, and it is
• 1:09:11
  Speaker 1: this statement. Not only does Jesus say I Am the
• 1:09:16
  Speaker 1: light of the world, he tells you you are the
• 1:09:19
  Speaker 1: light of the world. You think about the life that
• 1:09:25
  Speaker 1: Jesus lived during his thirty three years on earth, considering
• 1:09:30
  Speaker 1: how he was truly the essence of light in the darkness.
• 1:09:36
  Speaker 1: Jesus lived a life that pointed continually to the hope
• 1:09:40
  Speaker 1: of the love of God, the way a light shines
• 1:09:43
  Speaker 1: in the darkness to lead a ship safely to shore.
• 1:09:49
  Speaker 1: As your ship docks, you walk from your lookout spot
• 1:09:52
  Speaker 1: on the deck to the stairs on the side of
• 1:09:55
  Speaker 1: the book. You place your hand on the rail and
• 1:09:59
  Speaker 1: take three easy these steps on the dock, which leads
• 1:10:02
  Speaker 1: you to a beautiful walkway along the shore. You see
• 1:10:06
  Speaker 1: that the sidewalk leads to the jetty with the lighthouse
• 1:10:10
  Speaker 1: at the end, where you see pedestrians walking, and you
• 1:10:13
  Speaker 1: decide to explore for yourself. The path from the dock
• 1:10:19
  Speaker 1: winds through a simple garden, and you meander slowly enjoying
• 1:10:25
  Speaker 1: the beauty of this simple place. The sidewalk is wide
• 1:10:30
  Speaker 1: and other visitors wander around you. To your right is
• 1:10:34
  Speaker 1: a large, carefully manicured courtyard. The short hedges are perfectly
• 1:10:41
  Speaker 1: trimmed and arranged in a unique pattern. From where you stand,
• 1:10:47
  Speaker 1: you see the way the hedge grows, turn and swirl,
• 1:10:50
  Speaker 1: a design that resembles a flower. You walk past the
• 1:10:57
  Speaker 1: floral like hedges and the next court yard is bright
• 1:11:00
  Speaker 1: with color, with the central feature being a long multiflower
• 1:11:05
  Speaker 1: bed spanning ten or fifteen yards. Planted within this wide
• 1:11:11
  Speaker 1: space are dozens of different flowers, the mixture of colors
• 1:11:15
  Speaker 1: bringing a smile to your face. The first flowers you
• 1:11:21
  Speaker 1: notice are crescendo blue shades with a dark purple petal
• 1:11:25
  Speaker 1: and yellow center. Behind the crescendos is a mixture of
• 1:11:30
  Speaker 1: orange and yellow buttercups planted so closely together the colors
• 1:11:36
  Speaker 1: pop against the backdrop of the green stems and leaves.
• 1:11:42
  Speaker 1: You continue walking as the colors before you vary from
• 1:11:46
  Speaker 1: bright blue to pink, to lavender to red. There are
• 1:11:51
  Speaker 1: tulips and roses, barrigolds, and forget me nots. Out of
• 1:11:56
  Speaker 1: the corner of your eye, you see the bright orange
• 1:11:59
  Speaker 1: wings of a our butterfly. It gracefully flies into view
• 1:12:04
  Speaker 1: and lands on the yellow tulip you were admiring. You
• 1:12:09
  Speaker 1: continue your walk along the pathway, winding around the edge
• 1:12:13
  Speaker 1: of the shore. It's longer than you first thought. From
• 1:12:17
  Speaker 1: your view from the water, you see now that the
• 1:12:20
  Speaker 1: lighthouse stands far into the sea, a perfect place to
• 1:12:25
  Speaker 1: warn and alert passing ships. You followed the sidewalk, which
• 1:12:31
  Speaker 1: curves to the left and then widens to the generous
• 1:12:35
  Speaker 1: width of the jetty. Looking out, all you see now
• 1:12:39
  Speaker 1: is the sidewalk in front of you, the lighthouse at
• 1:12:42
  Speaker 1: the end, and the sea. The day continues to wane,
• 1:12:49
  Speaker 1: and the sun now shines straight ahead of you, halfway
• 1:12:53
  Speaker 1: along the track from its zenith to the sunset. From
• 1:12:57
  Speaker 1: this position, the sun is bright in your eyes, and
• 1:13:01
  Speaker 1: you bring your hand up to your face like a
• 1:13:04
  Speaker 1: visor to look ahead again. You are struck by the
• 1:13:10
  Speaker 1: power of the sun's light and the significance of Jesus'
• 1:13:14
  Speaker 1: words that you are the light of the world. Ask
• 1:13:18
  Speaker 1: him to shape you so that your light would shine
• 1:13:21
  Speaker 1: before others, so that they may see your good works
• 1:13:25
  Speaker 1: and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
• 1:13:30
  Speaker 1: You spend the long walk worshiping God as you enjoy
• 1:13:34
  Speaker 1: the company of his presence. The sun is slowly dropping,
• 1:13:40
  Speaker 1: causing the sky to change colors, and the evening breeze
• 1:13:44
  Speaker 1: blows gently off the water. As you walk, you acknowledge
• 1:13:51
  Speaker 1: the ways that God has faithfully led you throughout your life.
• 1:13:55
  Speaker 1: You know that you do not walk alone. The Lord,
• 1:13:58
  Speaker 1: your God goes before for you and guide you. His
• 1:14:02
  Speaker 1: light shines brightest in your life and enables you to
• 1:14:06
  Speaker 1: shine in the darkness. God, we glorify you. You are
• 1:14:14
  Speaker 1: so worthy of our praise. You approach the end of
• 1:14:20
  Speaker 1: the jetting nearest to the lighthouse. As you look out
• 1:14:24
  Speaker 1: at the sun setting over the water. The bright blue
• 1:14:27
  Speaker 1: sky from earlier in the day has faded into a
• 1:14:30
  Speaker 1: dark blue above you, and you notice that the air
• 1:14:34
  Speaker 1: has cool as the sun has faded. The sun is
• 1:14:40
  Speaker 1: now barely peering above the horizon, painting the sky a
• 1:14:44
  Speaker 1: brilliant mix of pink, purple, and radiant orange. The rays
• 1:14:49
  Speaker 1: of the sun peek out from behind the clouds, adding
• 1:14:53
  Speaker 1: streaks of bright light throughout the darkening sky. You're at
• 1:14:59
  Speaker 1: the lighthouse, now looking up at the bright red structure
• 1:15:03
  Speaker 1: you first saw hours ago. From the ship. You can
• 1:15:06
  Speaker 1: see the creases of the bricks now, and the red
• 1:15:10
  Speaker 1: still stands in contrast to the changing sky of the
• 1:15:13
  Speaker 1: setting sun. Although you could walk around it to the
• 1:15:19
  Speaker 1: edge of the jetty's path, you choose instead to opt
• 1:15:23
  Speaker 1: for a view from the top. You reach the door
• 1:15:27
  Speaker 1: at the bottom of the lighthouse, reaching out to grasp
• 1:15:30
  Speaker 1: the metal handle, and you pull the door open. Almost
• 1:15:37
  Speaker 1: immediately in front of you is a steel spiral staircase.
• 1:15:41
  Speaker 1: Before you begin to walk up, you peer around the
• 1:15:44
  Speaker 1: side of the stairway to see the remnants of an
• 1:15:48
  Speaker 1: old living quarters. You try to imagine this space as
• 1:15:54
  Speaker 1: it would have been decades or even hundreds of years ago.
• 1:15:58
  Speaker 1: You imagine the light keeper in this little room, sitting
• 1:16:02
  Speaker 1: in the reading chair in the corner, or making a
• 1:16:05
  Speaker 1: cup of coffee on the small countertop. You imagine their
• 1:16:10
  Speaker 1: readiness to jump to action in the event that something
• 1:16:13
  Speaker 1: would malfunction with the lamp in the middle of the night.
• 1:16:17
  Speaker 1: You think again of the importance of a working light
• 1:16:20
  Speaker 1: for the sailors nearing the harbor. The light keeper would
• 1:16:26
  Speaker 1: play a pivotal role in offering safety, ensuring that the
• 1:16:30
  Speaker 1: light was shining brightly the moment the sun went down
• 1:16:34
  Speaker 1: and the darkness of night set in, always ensuring that
• 1:16:38
  Speaker 1: ships had a way to come safely home. This image
• 1:16:44
  Speaker 1: of a lighthouse reminds you again of the words of
• 1:16:46
  Speaker 1: Jesus to his followers in Matthew chapter five. You are
• 1:16:51
  Speaker 1: the light of the world. A city set on a
• 1:16:54
  Speaker 1: hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp
• 1:16:58
  Speaker 1: and put it under a basket, but on a stand,
• 1:17:01
  Speaker 1: and it gives light to all in the house. In
• 1:17:05
  Speaker 1: the same way, let your light shine before others, so
• 1:17:09
  Speaker 1: that they may see your good works and give glory
• 1:17:12
  Speaker 1: to your Father who is in heaven. You imagine yourself
• 1:17:18
  Speaker 1: like a light keeper for your own life, intentionally cultivating
• 1:17:22
  Speaker 1: a spirit that reflects Christ and shines in the darkness
• 1:17:26
  Speaker 1: of the world around you. Before continuing up the lighthouse,
• 1:17:32
  Speaker 1: pause for a moment, but thank God for the gift
• 1:17:36
  Speaker 1: of the Holy Spirit who leads you into the light. God,
• 1:17:43
  Speaker 1: we give you thanks that you have not left us alone,
• 1:17:46
  Speaker 1: but have given us the companion of the Holy Spirit
• 1:17:50
  Speaker 1: to lead us into the light of righteousness. You turn
• 1:17:56
  Speaker 1: back from the small living space at the bottom of
• 1:17:58
  Speaker 1: the lighthouse and back to the staircase that leads you
• 1:18:02
  Speaker 1: to the top. You place your hand on the railing
• 1:18:05
  Speaker 1: and begin to walk up the steep steps. The staircase
• 1:18:09
  Speaker 1: sits close to the walls of the lighthouse, leaving space
• 1:18:13
  Speaker 1: in the center that you know will house the elaborate
• 1:18:16
  Speaker 1: lighting system. You steadily climb the lighthouse steps, curving with
• 1:18:23
  Speaker 1: the staircase as it winds along the inside walls. The
• 1:18:28
  Speaker 1: lighthouse is tall, and you look up to see that
• 1:18:31
  Speaker 1: you are nearing the landing of the only floor of
• 1:18:34
  Speaker 1: the lighthouse. As you get closer and closer, you see
• 1:18:40
  Speaker 1: that the spiral staircase is now going around a structure
• 1:18:43
  Speaker 1: in the center. The elaborate lighting rig hangs low, supported
• 1:18:48
  Speaker 1: by a still plate on which the rig sits. You
• 1:18:52
  Speaker 1: look at the details as you take the final steps
• 1:18:55
  Speaker 1: to the door which leads to the balcony, imagining the
• 1:18:59
  Speaker 1: power of the mag the fire that causes this light
• 1:19:02
  Speaker 1: to shine. You reach the landing at the top and
• 1:19:07
  Speaker 1: open the door that leads to the circular balcony. You
• 1:19:12
  Speaker 1: instantly feel the evening wind blowing on your face, and
• 1:19:16
  Speaker 1: you walk to the railing, similar to how you stood
• 1:19:19
  Speaker 1: on the boat at the start of your journey. You
• 1:19:24
  Speaker 1: began on a boat in the light of day, and
• 1:19:27
  Speaker 1: now as the sun has set, you think again of
• 1:19:31
  Speaker 1: the significance of this lighthouse, and how profound a structure
• 1:19:35
  Speaker 1: it is to lead people to safety and security. The
• 1:19:42
  Speaker 1: sky has grown steadily darker throughout your journey, and now
• 1:19:46
  Speaker 1: you see the light shining out over the sea. You
• 1:19:51
  Speaker 1: think back to just a few hours before when you
• 1:19:54
  Speaker 1: rode into the harbor and the clear light of day.
• 1:19:58
  Speaker 1: Imagine how much more diffult quote it would have been
• 1:20:01
  Speaker 1: if you were just now approaching the harbor and the darkness.
• 1:20:05
  Speaker 1: You give thanks again for the gift of light, and
• 1:20:08
  Speaker 1: you ask God to make you shine like a light
• 1:20:11
  Speaker 1: in the darkness, leading others to the safety and security
• 1:20:16
  Speaker 1: you have found in Christ. For indeed, you are the
• 1:20:22
  Speaker 1: light of the world. A city set on a hill
• 1:20:25
  Speaker 1: cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and
• 1:20:29
  Speaker 1: put it under a basket, but on a stand, and
• 1:20:32
  Speaker 1: it gives light to all in the house. In the
• 1:20:36
  Speaker 1: same way, let your light shine before others, so that
• 1:20:40
  Speaker 1: they may see your good works and give glory to
• 1:20:43
  Speaker 1: your Father who is in heaven. Heavenly Father, you are
• 1:20:51
  Speaker 1: the creator of light and the one who causes it
• 1:20:54
  Speaker 1: to shine in our hearts. Thank you for the gift
• 1:20:57
  Speaker 1: of Jesus, the light of the world. It is only
• 1:21:01
  Speaker 1: because of Him that we are able to reflect the
• 1:21:04
  Speaker 1: light and shine into the darkness of the world around us.
• 1:21:10
  Speaker 1: I pray for this beloved child of yours to continue
• 1:21:13
  Speaker 1: walking in the light. Let them be like a lighthouse
• 1:21:16
  Speaker 1: in the darkness, shining brightly, that the world might see
• 1:21:20
  Speaker 1: their light and glorify the name of your son, Jesus.
• 1:21:24
  Speaker 1: You are good God, and we worship you to night.
• 1:21:29
  Speaker 1: In the name of Jesus, I pray these things amen.
• 1:21:35
  Speaker 1: What a gift it is to walk with Jesus, in
• 1:21:38
  Speaker 1: whom we find the light of life, and to night.
• 1:21:42
  Speaker 1: Continue to rest in the arms of Christ, who loves
• 1:21:46
  Speaker 1: you and cares for you. May the goodness of God
• 1:21:52
  Speaker 1: be your peace and comfort. And tomorrow may you wake
• 1:21:56
  Speaker 1: to let your light shine before others, so that they
• 1:22:00
  Speaker 1: may see your good works and give glory to your
• 1:22:04
  Speaker 1: Father who is in heaven. Let's listen again to the
• 1:22:10
  Speaker 1: sleep story about shining as a lighthouse in a dark world.
• 1:22:18
  Speaker 1: The journey to the light begins to night at sea.
• 1:22:22
  Speaker 1: You find yourself in a large vessel in the water
• 1:22:25
  Speaker 1: in the early afternoon sunshine. The day is bright, and
• 1:22:30
  Speaker 1: the sky is clear except for a few puffy clouds
• 1:22:35
  Speaker 1: resembling cotton candy, and you are grateful initially for the
• 1:22:40
  Speaker 1: gift of the light in the form of sunshine. You
• 1:22:46
  Speaker 1: stand on the deck of the ship, breathing in the
• 1:22:49
  Speaker 1: salty air as the mists from the water blows in,
• 1:22:54
  Speaker 1: lightly wetting your arms and cheeks. You lean against a tall,
• 1:22:59
  Speaker 1: sturdy rain as you look out over the sea. The
• 1:23:03
  Speaker 1: ship is moving over the open water with nothing in
• 1:23:06
  Speaker 1: sight but the deep blue ocean below and the crystal
• 1:23:11
  Speaker 1: blue sky overhead. Despite the warmth of the sun, the
• 1:23:18
  Speaker 1: wind is strong as the ship carries a steady pace,
• 1:23:22
  Speaker 1: and it cools you. You take a slow, deep breath
• 1:23:27
  Speaker 1: as you relish the sweet simplicity of a day outside
• 1:23:31
  Speaker 1: on the water. Light shining above you, God's glory evident
• 1:23:37
  Speaker 1: at every turn. The boat travels for some time as
• 1:23:43
  Speaker 1: you enjoy the views from the deck. You watch the
• 1:23:46
  Speaker 1: clouds moving in the sky, the slight change and variation
• 1:23:51
  Speaker 1: of the blues both overhead and in the ocean below.
• 1:23:56
  Speaker 1: Much of the time is spent with nothing in sight,
• 1:24:00
  Speaker 1: though periodically you pass various islands or see land off
• 1:24:05
  Speaker 1: in the distance. You take time during this peaceful ride
• 1:24:11
  Speaker 1: at the start of your journey to pause and acknowledgment
• 1:24:16
  Speaker 1: and worship of the Lord, your God, God, you have
• 1:24:23
  Speaker 1: been so faithful to me. I praise you for your
• 1:24:27
  Speaker 1: presence in my life. Thank you for leading and guiding
• 1:24:31
  Speaker 1: me through life. Thank You for being my comfort and
• 1:24:36
  Speaker 1: moments of sorrow and my delight in moments of joy.
• 1:24:42
  Speaker 1: Thank you before being near. After traveling a little further,
• 1:24:49
  Speaker 1: you see something far in the distance where something catches
• 1:24:53
  Speaker 1: your eye. It's a structure of some sort, and the
• 1:24:58
  Speaker 1: bright red stands in stark contrast to the varying blue
• 1:25:02
  Speaker 1: of the sea and the light pale blue of the sky.
• 1:25:08
  Speaker 1: You see that the structure sits at the end of
• 1:25:10
  Speaker 1: a jetting, a narrow path jetting out much further into
• 1:25:15
  Speaker 1: the harbor than the shore, with rocks on either side
• 1:25:19
  Speaker 1: to break the waves. It occurs to you, from the
• 1:25:23
  Speaker 1: placement along the shore and the jetting that precedes it,
• 1:25:27
  Speaker 1: that the bright red structure must be a lighthouse. Just
• 1:25:33
  Speaker 1: as you make this connection, you notice a small shift
• 1:25:37
  Speaker 1: in the direction of the ship on which you are
• 1:25:40
  Speaker 1: a passenger. You are moving toward the harbor, and in
• 1:25:45
  Speaker 1: the light of day, the lighthouse need not shine to
• 1:25:48
  Speaker 1: lead your ship safely to shore. Instead, you enjoy the
• 1:25:53
  Speaker 1: view of the ocean and approaching the shore. As you
• 1:25:59
  Speaker 1: approach the ship, you think about the gift of light
• 1:26:04
  Speaker 1: and how it enables you to reach land safely and easily.
• 1:26:09
  Speaker 1: You try to imagine what it might be like in
• 1:26:11
  Speaker 1: the darkness of night after the sun has set. It
• 1:26:18
  Speaker 1: is essential that another light would shine in the darkness
• 1:26:21
  Speaker 1: to lead the way home. As you think about the light,
• 1:26:26
  Speaker 1: you are reminded of the words of Jesus in Matthew
• 1:26:29
  Speaker 1: Chapter five, verses fourteen through sixteen. You are the light
• 1:26:37
  Speaker 1: of the world. A city set on a hill cannot
• 1:26:40
  Speaker 1: be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put
• 1:26:44
  Speaker 1: it under a basket, put on a stand, and it
• 1:26:48
  Speaker 1: gives light to all in the house. In the same way,
• 1:26:52
  Speaker 1: let your light shine before others, so that they may
• 1:26:56
  Speaker 1: see your good works and give glory to your Father,
• 1:27:00
  Speaker 1: who is in heaven. You let these words sink in
• 1:27:06
  Speaker 1: as your ship easily makes its way into the harbor,
• 1:27:09
  Speaker 1: finding a place to dock. The image of the light
• 1:27:13
  Speaker 1: is striking to you as you easily approach the shore
• 1:27:17
  Speaker 1: in broad daylight gifted by the light of the sun
• 1:27:23
  Speaker 1: in the Gospel of John, Jesus makes several i am statements.
• 1:27:29
  Speaker 1: These statements both affirm his identity and his deity, and
• 1:27:34
  Speaker 1: they give understanding to his followers about who he is
• 1:27:37
  Speaker 1: and what his purpose was on earth. In one of
• 1:27:42
  Speaker 1: those statements, found in the eighth chapter of John, verse twelve,
• 1:27:47
  Speaker 1: Jesus says, I am the light of the world. Whoever
• 1:27:52
  Speaker 1: follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have
• 1:27:55
  Speaker 1: the light of life. Of all the i am statements
• 1:28:01
  Speaker 1: that Jesus makes, there is only one that is also
• 1:28:04
  Speaker 1: used to describe those who follow Jesus, and it is
• 1:28:09
  Speaker 1: this statement. Not only does Jesus say I am the
• 1:28:13
  Speaker 1: light of the world, he tells you you are the
• 1:28:17
  Speaker 1: light of the world. You think about the life that
• 1:28:22
  Speaker 1: Jesus lived during his thirty three years on earth, considering
• 1:28:27
  Speaker 1: how he was truly the essence of light in the darkness.
• 1:28:34
  Speaker 1: Jesus lived a life that pointed continually to the hope
• 1:28:37
  Speaker 1: of the love of God, the way a light shines
• 1:28:41
  Speaker 1: in the darkness to lead a ship safely to shore.
• 1:28:46
  Speaker 1: As your ship docks, you walk from your lookout spot
• 1:28:50
  Speaker 1: on the deck to the stairs. On the side of
• 1:28:52
  Speaker 1: the book. You place your hand on the rail and
• 1:28:56
  Speaker 1: take three easy steps on the dock, which leads you
• 1:29:00
  Speaker 1: to a beautiful walkway along the shore. You see that
• 1:29:04
  Speaker 1: the sidewalk leads to the jetty with the lighthouse at
• 1:29:07
  Speaker 1: the end, where you see pedestrians walking, and you decide
• 1:29:11
  Speaker 1: to explore for yourself. The path from the dock winds
• 1:29:17
  Speaker 1: through a simple garden, and you neander slowly, enjoying the
• 1:29:22
  Speaker 1: beauty of this simple place. The sidewalk is wide and
• 1:29:28
  Speaker 1: other visitors wander around you. To your right is a large,
• 1:29:32
  Speaker 1: carefully manicured courtyard. The short hedges are perfectly trim and
• 1:29:40
  Speaker 1: arranged in a unique pattern. From where you stand, you
• 1:29:44
  Speaker 1: see the way the hedge grows, turn and swirl a
• 1:29:48
  Speaker 1: design that resembles a flower. You walk past the floral
• 1:29:55
  Speaker 1: like hedges and the next courtyard is bright with color,
• 1:29:59
  Speaker 1: the central feature being a long multiflower bed spanning ten
• 1:30:04
  Speaker 1: or fifteen yards. Planted within this wide space are dozens
• 1:30:09
  Speaker 1: of different flowers, the mixture of colors bringing a smile
• 1:30:14
  Speaker 1: to your face. The first flowers you notice are a
• 1:30:19
  Speaker 1: crescendo blue shades with a dark purple petal and yellow center.
• 1:30:25
  Speaker 1: Behind the crescendos is a mixture of orange and yellow
• 1:30:28
  Speaker 1: buttercups planted so closely together the colors pop against the
• 1:30:34
  Speaker 1: backdrop of the green stems and leaves. You continue walking
• 1:30:41
  Speaker 1: as the colors before you vary from bright blue to pink,
• 1:30:45
  Speaker 1: to lavender to red. There are tulips and roses, barrel golds,
• 1:30:51
  Speaker 1: and forget me nots. Out of the corner of your
• 1:30:54
  Speaker 1: eye you see the bright orange wings of a monarch butterfly.
• 1:30:59
  Speaker 1: A graceful flies into view and lands on the yellow
• 1:31:02
  Speaker 1: tulip you were admiring. You continue your walk along the pathway,
• 1:31:09
  Speaker 1: winding around the edge of the shore. It's longer than
• 1:31:13
  Speaker 1: you first thought. From your view from the water, you
• 1:31:17
  Speaker 1: see now that the lighthouse stands far into the sea,
• 1:31:21
  Speaker 1: a perfect place to warn and alert passing ships. You
• 1:31:27
  Speaker 1: followed the sidewalk, which curves to the left and then
• 1:31:31
  Speaker 1: widens to the generous width of the jetty. Looking out,
• 1:31:35
  Speaker 1: all you see now is the sidewalk in front of you,
• 1:31:39
  Speaker 1: the lighthouse at the end, and the sea. The day
• 1:31:45
  Speaker 1: continues to wane, and the sun now shines straight ahead
• 1:31:49
  Speaker 1: of you, halfway along the track from its zenith to
• 1:31:53
  Speaker 1: the sunset. From this position, the sun is bright in
• 1:31:57
  Speaker 1: your eyes and you bring your hand up to your
• 1:32:00
  Speaker 1: face like a visor to look ahead again. You are
• 1:32:07
  Speaker 1: struck by the power of the sun's light and the
• 1:32:10
  Speaker 1: significance of Jesus' words that you are the light of
• 1:32:13
  Speaker 1: the world. Last came to shape you so that your
• 1:32:17
  Speaker 1: light would shine before others, so that they may see
• 1:32:21
  Speaker 1: your good works and give glory to your Father, who
• 1:32:24
  Speaker 1: is in heaven. You spend the long walk worshiping God
• 1:32:31
  Speaker 1: as you enjoy the company of his presence. The sun
• 1:32:35
  Speaker 1: is slowly dropping, causing the sky to change colors, and
• 1:32:40
  Speaker 1: the evening breeze blows gently off the water. As you walk,
• 1:32:47
  Speaker 1: you acknowledge the ways that God has faithfully led you
• 1:32:50
  Speaker 1: throughout your life. You know that you do not walk alone.
• 1:32:55
  Speaker 1: The Lord, your God goes before you and guide you.
• 1:33:00
  Speaker 1: His light shines brightest in your life and enables you
• 1:33:03
  Speaker 1: to shine in the darkness. God, we glorify you. You
• 1:33:11
  Speaker 1: are so worthy of our praise. You approach the end
• 1:33:17
  Speaker 1: of the jetting nearest to the lighthouse. As you look
• 1:33:21
  Speaker 1: out at the sun setting over the water, the bright
• 1:33:24
  Speaker 1: blue sky from earlier in the day has faded into
• 1:33:27
  Speaker 1: a dark blue above you, and you notice that the
• 1:33:31
  Speaker 1: air as cool as the sun has faded. The sun
• 1:33:37
  Speaker 1: is now barely peering above the horizon, painting the sky
• 1:33:42
  Speaker 1: a brilliant mix of pink, purple, and radiant orange. The
• 1:33:47
  Speaker 1: rays of the sun peek out from behind the clouds,
• 1:33:50
  Speaker 1: adding streaks of bright light throughout the darkening sky. You're
• 1:33:56
  Speaker 1: at the lighthouse now, looking up at the bright red
• 1:33:59
  Speaker 1: sh structure you first saw hours ago. From the ship.
• 1:34:04
  Speaker 1: You can see the creases of the bricks now, and
• 1:34:07
  Speaker 1: the red still stands in contrast to the changing sky
• 1:34:10
  Speaker 1: of the setting sun. Although you could walk around it
• 1:34:16
  Speaker 1: to the edge of the jetty's path, you choose instead
• 1:34:20
  Speaker 1: to opt for a view from the top. You reach
• 1:34:24
  Speaker 1: the door at the bottom of the lighthouse, reaching out
• 1:34:27
  Speaker 1: to grasp the metal handle, and you pull the door away.
• 1:34:34
  Speaker 1: Almost immediately in front of you is a steel spiral staircase.
• 1:34:39
  Speaker 1: Before you begin to walk up, you peer around the
• 1:34:42
  Speaker 1: side of the stairway to see the remnants of an
• 1:34:45
  Speaker 1: old living quarters. You try to imagine this space as
• 1:34:51
  Speaker 1: it would have been decades or even hundreds of years ago.
• 1:34:55
  Speaker 1: You imagine the light keeper living in this little room,
• 1:34:59
  Speaker 1: sitting in the re chair in the corner, or making
• 1:35:02
  Speaker 1: a cup of coffee. On a small countertop. You imagine
• 1:35:08
  Speaker 1: their readiness to jump to action in the event that
• 1:35:11
  Speaker 1: something would malfunction with the lamp in the middle of
• 1:35:13
  Speaker 1: the night. You think again of the importance of a
• 1:35:17
  Speaker 1: working light for the sailors nearing the harbor. The lightkeeper
• 1:35:23
  Speaker 1: would play a pivotal role in offering safety, ensuring that
• 1:35:27
  Speaker 1: the light was shining brightly the moment the sun went
• 1:35:30
  Speaker 1: down and the darkness of night set in, always ensuring
• 1:35:35
  Speaker 1: that ships had a way to come safely home. This
• 1:35:41
  Speaker 1: image of a lighthouse reminds you again of the words
• 1:35:44
  Speaker 1: of Jesus to his followers in Matthew chapter five. You
• 1:35:48
  Speaker 1: are the light of the world. A city set on
• 1:35:51
  Speaker 1: a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a
• 1:35:55
  Speaker 1: lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand,
• 1:35:59
  Speaker 1: and it gives light to all in the house. In
• 1:36:02
  Speaker 1: the same way, let your light shine before others, so
• 1:36:07
  Speaker 1: that they may see your good works and give glory
• 1:36:10
  Speaker 1: to your Father who is in heaven. You imagine yourself
• 1:36:15
  Speaker 1: like a light keeper for your own life, intentionally cultivating
• 1:36:20
  Speaker 1: a spirit that reflects Christ and shines in the darkness
• 1:36:23
  Speaker 1: of the world around you. Before continuing up the lighthouse,
• 1:36:30
  Speaker 1: pause for a moment to thank God for the gift
• 1:36:34
  Speaker 1: of the Holy Spirit who leads you into the light. God,
• 1:36:40
  Speaker 1: we give you thanks that you have not left us alone,
• 1:36:44
  Speaker 1: but have given us the companion of the Holy Spirit
• 1:36:47
  Speaker 1: to lead us into the light of righteousness. You turn
• 1:36:53
  Speaker 1: back from the small living space at the bottom of
• 1:36:56
  Speaker 1: the lighthouse and back to the staircase that leads you
• 1:36:59
  Speaker 1: to them at the top. You place your hand on
• 1:37:02
  Speaker 1: the railing and begin to walk up the steep steps.
• 1:37:06
  Speaker 1: The staircase sits close to the walls of the lighthouse,
• 1:37:10
  Speaker 1: leaving space in the center that you know will house
• 1:37:13
  Speaker 1: the elaborate lighting system. You steadily climb the lighthouse steps,
• 1:37:20
  Speaker 1: curving with the staircase as it winds along the inside walls.
• 1:37:25
  Speaker 1: The lighthouse is tall, and you look up to see
• 1:37:29
  Speaker 1: that you are nearing the landing of the only floor
• 1:37:31
  Speaker 1: of the lighthouse. As you get closer and closer, you
• 1:37:37
  Speaker 1: see that the spiral staircase is now going around a
• 1:37:40
  Speaker 1: structure in the center. The elaborate lighting rig hangs low,
• 1:37:45
  Speaker 1: supported by a still plate on which the rig sits.
• 1:37:49
  Speaker 1: You look at the details as you take the final
• 1:37:52
  Speaker 1: steps to the door, which leads to the balcony, imagining
• 1:37:56
  Speaker 1: the power of the magnifier that causes this light to shine.
• 1:38:02
  Speaker 1: You reach the landing at the top and open the
• 1:38:05
  Speaker 1: door that leads to the circular balcony. You instantly feel
• 1:38:10
  Speaker 1: the evening wind blowing on your face, and you walk
• 1:38:14
  Speaker 1: to the railing, similar to how you stood on the
• 1:38:17
  Speaker 1: boat at the start of your journey. You began on
• 1:38:22
  Speaker 1: a boat in the light of day, and now, as
• 1:38:25
  Speaker 1: the sun has set, you think again of the significance
• 1:38:29
  Speaker 1: of this lighthouse and how profound a structure it is
• 1:38:33
  Speaker 1: to lead people to safety and security. The sky has
• 1:38:40
  Speaker 1: grown steadily darker throughout your journey, and now you see
• 1:38:44
  Speaker 1: the light shining out over the sea. You think back
• 1:38:49
  Speaker 1: to just a few hours before, when you rowed into
• 1:38:52
  Speaker 1: the harbor in the clear light of day. Imagine how
• 1:38:56
  Speaker 1: much more difficult it would have been if you were
• 1:38:59
  Speaker 1: just now a pro the harbor in the darkness. You
• 1:39:03
  Speaker 1: give thanks again for the gift of light, and you
• 1:39:06
  Speaker 1: ask God to make you shine like a light in
• 1:39:09
  Speaker 1: the darkness, leading others to the safety and security you
• 1:39:13
  Speaker 1: have found in Christ, For indeed you are the light
• 1:39:20
  Speaker 1: of the world. A city set on a hill cannot
• 1:39:23
  Speaker 1: be hidden, nor do people light a lamp and put
• 1:39:27
  Speaker 1: it under a basket, but on a stand, and it
• 1:39:30
  Speaker 1: gives light to all in the house. In the same way,
• 1:39:34
  Speaker 1: let your light shine before others, so that they may
• 1:39:38
  Speaker 1: see your good works and give glory to your Father,
• 1:39:42
  Speaker 1: who is in heaven. Heavenly Father, you are the creator
• 1:39:49
  Speaker 1: of light and the one who causes it to shine
• 1:39:52
  Speaker 1: in our hearts. Thank you for the gift of Jesus,
• 1:39:56
  Speaker 1: the light of the world. It is only because of
• 1:39:59
  Speaker 1: Him that we are able to reflect the light and
• 1:40:02
  Speaker 1: shine into the darkness of the world around us. I
• 1:40:07
  Speaker 1: pray for this beloved child of yours to continue walking
• 1:40:11
  Speaker 1: in the light. Let them be like a lighthouse in
• 1:40:14
  Speaker 1: the darkness, shining brightly, that the world might see their
• 1:40:17
  Speaker 1: light and glorify the name of your son, Jesus. You
• 1:40:22
  Speaker 1: are good God, and we worship you tonight in the
• 1:40:26
  Speaker 1: name of Jesus. I pray these things amen. What a
• 1:40:33
  Speaker 1: gift it is to walk with Jesus, in whom we
• 1:40:36
  Speaker 1: find the light of life and tonight. Continue to rest
• 1:40:41
  Speaker 1: in the arms of Christ, who loves you and cares
• 1:40:45
  Speaker 1: for you. May the Goodness of God be your peace
• 1:40:50
  Speaker 1: and comfort, And tomorrow may you wake to let your
• 1:40:55
  Speaker 1: light shine before others, so that they may see your
• 1:40:58
  Speaker 1: good works and give glory to your father, who is
• 1:41:02
  Speaker 1: in heaven. A light shining in the darkness can be
• 1:41:26
  Speaker 1: a symbol of hope, safety, comfort, and arrival. It is
• 1:41:32
  Speaker 1: a reality longed for by those in seasons of darkness,
• 1:41:37
  Speaker 1: for those waiting for the dawn to come after a
• 1:41:40
  Speaker 1: long dark night, and so it is the same for
• 1:41:45
  Speaker 1: those at sea looking and longing for the shore. In
• 1:41:51
  Speaker 1: Matthew five, verses fourteen through sixty, Jesus says to the
• 1:41:57
  Speaker 1: crowd gathered on the shore, you are the light of
• 1:42:02
  Speaker 1: the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
• 1:42:07
  Speaker 1: Nor do people light a lamp and put it under
• 1:42:09
  Speaker 1: a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light
• 1:42:13
  Speaker 1: to all in the house. In the same way, let
• 1:42:17
  Speaker 1: your light shine before others, so that they may see
• 1:42:21
  Speaker 1: your good works and give glory to your father who
• 1:42:25
  Speaker 1: is in heaven. Tonight's journey will give you the perspective
• 1:42:31
  Speaker 1: of light from the sea, where you will see the
• 1:42:35
  Speaker 1: lighthouse from the sea as you approach in the light
• 1:42:37
  Speaker 1: of day, and again as you stand on the balcony
• 1:42:41
  Speaker 1: of that very same lighthouse after the sun has set
• 1:42:46
  Speaker 1: an experience that will remind you of those words of
• 1:42:49
  Speaker 1: Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount. Just as the
• 1:42:55
  Speaker 1: light from a lighthouse guides a ship safely to shore,
• 1:43:00
  Speaker 1: so the Lord has made you to be a light
• 1:43:02
  Speaker 1: to the world, shining in the darkness and serving as
• 1:43:07
  Speaker 1: a faithful, consistent guide for others to find safety and comfort,
• 1:43:13
  Speaker 1: a beacon offering hope in the darkest of places. As
• 1:43:20
  Speaker 1: you're ready yourself for a good night of a sleep,
• 1:43:24
  Speaker 1: take a moment to settle in and get comfortable in
• 1:43:27
  Speaker 1: your bed. Turn off your lights and put your phone
• 1:43:34
  Speaker 1: down as you climb into bed. Make sure you have
• 1:43:38
  Speaker 1: your favorite pillow and adjust it underneath your head. Now
• 1:43:45
  Speaker 1: that you're lying down, take a moment to relax your
• 1:43:49
  Speaker 1: muscles and release any tension you've been carrying today. Start
• 1:43:56
  Speaker 1: by mentally scanning your body identify find any place where
• 1:44:01
  Speaker 1: you might be carrying tension. Adjust your shoulders and tilt
• 1:44:06
  Speaker 1: your head side to side as if touching each ear
• 1:44:10
  Speaker 1: to each shoulder. Now take a few deep breaths. Breathe
• 1:44:18
  Speaker 1: in slowly through your nose for the count of one, two, three,
• 1:44:26
  Speaker 1: and pause for a moment before slowly exhaling through your
• 1:44:30
  Speaker 1: mouth one two three. Repeat this once more, allowing your
• 1:44:41
  Speaker 1: body and mind to truly rest. Breathe in through your
• 1:44:47
  Speaker 1: nose one two three, pausing briefly before exhaling through your
• 1:44:56
  Speaker 1: mouth one two three. There are likely many things fighting
• 1:45:07
  Speaker 1: for your attention as your body slows down and you
• 1:45:11
  Speaker 1: prepare to sleep. No matter what happened today, the time
• 1:45:17
  Speaker 1: has come for you to rest. There is nothing more
• 1:45:23
  Speaker 1: for you to produce or accomplish. There is nothing more
• 1:45:28
  Speaker 1: that God requires of you except the peaceful surrender of
• 1:45:33
  Speaker 1: a heart that trusts in Him. For while you need sleep,
• 1:45:41
  Speaker 1: God does not. As the Psalmist says in Psalm one
• 1:45:45
  Speaker 1: hundred twenty one, he who watches over Israel will neither
• 1:45:51
  Speaker 1: slumber nor sleep. The Lord will watch over your coming
• 1:45:56
  Speaker 1: and going, both now and forevermore. Yes, indeed, the Lord
• 1:46:04
  Speaker 1: watches over you, and he invites you to trust him
• 1:46:07
  Speaker 1: with your fears, worries, and concerns, and to simply rest
• 1:46:13
  Speaker 1: in the confidence that He is good and he is
• 1:46:16
  Speaker 1: taking care of you. Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for
• 1:46:24
  Speaker 1: this blessed gift of sleep, and for the invitation you
• 1:46:28
  Speaker 1: have given your children to simply rest in your arms.
• 1:46:34
  Speaker 1: Thank you especially for this beloved child of yours. Thank
• 1:46:38
  Speaker 1: you for the ways you are providing for and protecting them.
• 1:46:43
  Speaker 1: I pray that tonight you would grant them the ability
• 1:46:45
  Speaker 1: to set aside their worries and concerns and lean into
• 1:46:50
  Speaker 1: your spirit. I also thank you, Lord for the gift
• 1:46:56
  Speaker 1: of your son Jesus. You sent him to be the
• 1:47:00
  Speaker 1: light of the world, and in him we find freedom
• 1:47:04
  Speaker 1: and salvation. Thank you for Jesus. I pray that tonight
• 1:47:11
  Speaker 1: your message of hope would shine in your beloved's heart
• 1:47:15
  Speaker 1: the way a lamp shines from a lighthouse into the darkness.
• 1:47:20
  Speaker 1: Thank you, Lord for your goodness and nearness to us.
• 1:47:26
  Speaker 1: We love you, and we worship you and the precious
• 1:47:30
  Speaker 1: name of Jesus. I pray Amen. The journey to the
• 1:47:36
  Speaker 1: Light begins tonight at sea. You find yourself in a
• 1:47:41
  Speaker 1: large vessel on the water in the early afternoon sunshine.
• 1:47:46
  Speaker 1: The day is bright and the sky is clear except
• 1:47:50
  Speaker 1: for a few puffy clouds resembling cotton candy, and you
• 1:47:56
  Speaker 1: are grateful initially for the gift of the light in
• 1:47:59
  Speaker 1: the form of sunshine. You stand on the deck of
• 1:48:05
  Speaker 1: the ship, breathing in the salty air as the mists
• 1:48:09
  Speaker 1: from the water blows in, lightly wetting your arms and cheeks.
• 1:48:15
  Speaker 1: You lean against a tall, sturdy rail as you look
• 1:48:18
  Speaker 1: out over the sea. The ship is moving over the
• 1:48:22
  Speaker 1: open water with nothing in sight but the deep blue
• 1:48:26
  Speaker 1: ocean below and the crystal blue sky overhead. Despite the
• 1:48:34
  Speaker 1: warmth of the sun, the wind is strong as the
• 1:48:37
  Speaker 1: ship carries a steady pace, and it cools you. You
• 1:48:42
  Speaker 1: take a slow, deep breath as you relish the sweet
• 1:48:46
  Speaker 1: simplicity of a day outside on the water. Light shining
• 1:48:51
  Speaker 1: above you, God's glory evident at every turn. The boat
• 1:48:58
  Speaker 1: travels for some time as you enjoy the views from
• 1:49:02
  Speaker 1: the day. You watch the clouds moving in the sky,
• 1:49:07
  Speaker 1: the slight change and variation of the blues both overhead
• 1:49:11
  Speaker 1: and in the ocean below. Much of the time is
• 1:49:14
  Speaker 1: spent with nothing in sight, though periodically you pass various
• 1:49:20
  Speaker 1: islands or see land off in the distance. You take
• 1:49:27
  Speaker 1: time during this peaceful ride at the start of your journey,
• 1:49:30
  Speaker 1: to pause and acknowledgment and worship of the Lord, your God, God,
• 1:49:40
  Speaker 1: You have been so faithful to me. I praise you
• 1:49:44
  Speaker 1: for your presence in my life. Thank you for leading
• 1:49:48
  Speaker 1: and guiding me through life. Thank you for being my
• 1:49:53
  Speaker 1: comfort in moments of sorrow and my delight in moments
• 1:49:58
  Speaker 1: of joy. Thank you for being near. After traveling a
• 1:50:05
  Speaker 1: little further, you see something far in the distance where
• 1:50:10
  Speaker 1: something catches your eye. It's a structure of some sort,
• 1:50:15
  Speaker 1: and the bright red stands in stark contrast to the
• 1:50:19
  Speaker 1: varying blue of the sea and the light pale blue
• 1:50:22
  Speaker 1: of the sky. You see that the structure sits at
• 1:50:27
  Speaker 1: the end of a jetty, a narrow path jetting out
• 1:50:31
  Speaker 1: much further into the harbor than the shore, with rocks
• 1:50:35
  Speaker 1: on either side to break the waves. It occurs to you,
• 1:50:40
  Speaker 1: from the placement along the shore and the jetty that
• 1:50:43
  Speaker 1: precedes it, that the bright red structure must be a lighthouse.
• 1:50:51
  Speaker 1: Just as you make this connection, you notice a small
• 1:50:54
  Speaker 1: shift in the direction of the ship on which you
• 1:50:57
  Speaker 1: are a passenger, moving toward the harbor, and in the
• 1:51:02
  Speaker 1: light of day, the lighthouse need not shine to lead
• 1:51:06
  Speaker 1: your ship safely to shore. Instead, you enjoy the view
• 1:51:11
  Speaker 1: of the ocean and approaching the shore. As you approach
• 1:51:17
  Speaker 1: the shore, you think about the gift of light and
• 1:51:22
  Speaker 1: how it enables you to reach land safely and easily.
• 1:51:26
  Speaker 1: You try to imagine what it might be like in
• 1:51:29
  Speaker 1: the darkness of night after the sun has set, it
• 1:51:36
  Speaker 1: is essential that another light would shine in the darkness
• 1:51:39
  Speaker 1: to lead the way home. As you think about the light,
• 1:51:44
  Speaker 1: you are reminded of the words of Jesus in Matthew
• 1:51:47
  Speaker 1: Chapter five, verses fourteen through sixteen. You are the light
• 1:51:55
  Speaker 1: of the world. A city set on a hill cannot
• 1:51:58
  Speaker 1: be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put
• 1:52:01
  Speaker 1: it under a basket, but on a stand, and it
• 1:52:05
  Speaker 1: gives light to all in the house. In the same way,
• 1:52:10
  Speaker 1: let your light shine before others, so that they may
• 1:52:13
  Speaker 1: see your good works and give glory to your Father,
• 1:52:17
  Speaker 1: who is in heaven. You let these words sink in
• 1:52:23
  Speaker 1: as your ship easily makes its way into the harbor,
• 1:52:27
  Speaker 1: finding a place to dock. The image of the light
• 1:52:31
  Speaker 1: is striking to you as you easily approach the shore
• 1:52:34
  Speaker 1: in broad daylight gifted by the light of the sun.
• 1:52:41
  Speaker 1: In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes several i am statements.
• 1:52:47
  Speaker 1: These statements both affirm his identity and his deity, and
• 1:52:51
  Speaker 1: they give understanding to his followers about who he is
• 1:52:55
  Speaker 1: and what his purpose was on Earth. Of those statements,
• 1:53:01
  Speaker 1: found in the eighth chapter of John verse twelve, Jesus says,
• 1:53:07
  Speaker 1: I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me
• 1:53:10
  Speaker 1: will never walk in darkness, but will have the light
• 1:53:13
  Speaker 1: of life. Of all the I am statements that Jesus makes,
• 1:53:20
  Speaker 1: there is only one that is also used to describe
• 1:53:23
  Speaker 1: those who follow Jesus, and it is this statement. Not
• 1:53:28
  Speaker 1: only does Jesus say I am the light of the world,
• 1:53:32
  Speaker 1: he tells you you are the light of the world.
• 1:53:38
  Speaker 1: You think about the life that Jesus lived during his
• 1:53:41
  Speaker 1: thirty three years on earth, considering how he was truly
• 1:53:47
  Speaker 1: the essence of light in the darkness. Jesus lived a
• 1:53:52
  Speaker 1: life that pointed continually to the hope of the love
• 1:53:55
  Speaker 1: of God, the way a light shines in the darkness
• 1:53:59
  Speaker 1: to lead a ship safely to shore. As your ship docks,
• 1:54:06
  Speaker 1: you walk from your lookout spot on the deck to
• 1:54:08
  Speaker 1: the stairs on the side of the book. You place
• 1:54:12
  Speaker 1: your hand on the rail and take three easy steps
• 1:54:15
  Speaker 1: on the dock, which leads you to a beautiful walkway
• 1:54:19
  Speaker 1: along the shore. You see that the sidewalk leads to
• 1:54:23
  Speaker 1: the jetty with the lighthouse at the end, where you
• 1:54:26
  Speaker 1: see pedestrians walking, and you decide to explore for yourself.
• 1:54:33
  Speaker 1: The path from the dock winds through a simple garden,
• 1:54:37
  Speaker 1: and you meanders thought enjoying the beauty of this simple place.
• 1:54:43
  Speaker 1: The sidewalk is wide and other visitors wander around you.
• 1:54:48
  Speaker 1: To your right is a large, carefully manicured courtyard. The
• 1:54:55
  Speaker 1: short hedges are perfectly trim and arranged in a unique pattern.
• 1:55:00
  Speaker 1: From where you stand, you see the way the hedge grows,
• 1:55:03
  Speaker 1: turn and swirl, a design that resembles a flower. You
• 1:55:10
  Speaker 1: walk past the floral like hedges and the next courtyard
• 1:55:15
  Speaker 1: is bright with color, with the central feature being a
• 1:55:19
  Speaker 1: long multi flower bed spanning ten or fifteen yards. Planted
• 1:55:25
  Speaker 1: within this wide space are dozens of different flowers, the
• 1:55:29
  Speaker 1: mixture of colors bringing a smile to your face. The
• 1:55:35
  Speaker 1: first flowers you notice are a crescendo blue shades with
• 1:55:38
  Speaker 1: a dark purple petal and yellow center. Behind the crescendos
• 1:55:44
  Speaker 1: is a mixture of orange and yellow buttercups, planted so
• 1:55:49
  Speaker 1: closely together the colors pop against the backdrop of the
• 1:55:53
  Speaker 1: green stems and leaves. You continue walking as the colors
• 1:56:00
  Speaker 1: before you vary from bright blue to pink, to lavender
• 1:56:04
  Speaker 1: to red. There are tulips and roses, barrigolds and forget
• 1:56:09
  Speaker 1: me nots. Out of the corner of your eye you
• 1:56:13
  Speaker 1: see the bright orange wings of a monarch butterfly. It
• 1:56:17
  Speaker 1: gracefully flies into view and lands on the yellow tulip
• 1:56:20
  Speaker 1: you were admiring. You continue your walk along the pathway,
• 1:56:27
  Speaker 1: winding around the edge of the shore. It's longer than
• 1:56:31
  Speaker 1: you first thought. From your view from the water, you
• 1:56:34
  Speaker 1: see now that the lighthouse stands far into the sea,
• 1:56:39
  Speaker 1: a perfect place to warn and alert passing ships. You
• 1:56:45
  Speaker 1: follow the sidewalk, which curves to the left and then
• 1:56:48
  Speaker 1: widens to the generous width of the jetty. Looking out,
• 1:56:53
  Speaker 1: all you see now is the sidewalk in front of you,
• 1:56:56
  Speaker 1: the lighthouse at the end, and the sea. The day
• 1:57:02
  Speaker 1: continues to wane, and the sun now shines straight ahead
• 1:57:06
  Speaker 1: of you, halfway along the track from its zenith to
• 1:57:10
  Speaker 1: the sunset. From this position, the sun is bright in
• 1:57:15
  Speaker 1: your eyes, and you bring your hand up to your
• 1:57:18
  Speaker 1: face like a visor to look ahead again. You are
• 1:57:24
  Speaker 1: struck by the power of the sun's light and the
• 1:57:28
  Speaker 1: significance of Jesus' words that you are the light of
• 1:57:31
  Speaker 1: the world. Ask him to shape you so that your
• 1:57:35
  Speaker 1: light would shine before others. So that they may see
• 1:57:39
  Speaker 1: your good works and give glory to your Father, who
• 1:57:42
  Speaker 1: is in heaven. You spend the long walk worshiping God
• 1:57:49
  Speaker 1: as you enjoy the company of his presence. The sun
• 1:57:53
  Speaker 1: is slowly dropping, causing the sky to change colors, and
• 1:57:58
  Speaker 1: the evening breeze blows gently off the water. As you walk,
• 1:58:05
  Speaker 1: you acknowledge the ways that God has faithfully led you
• 1:58:08
  Speaker 1: throughout your life. You know that you do not walk alone.
• 1:58:13
  Speaker 1: The Lord, your God goes before you and guide you.
• 1:58:17
  Speaker 1: His light shines brightest in your life and enables you
• 1:58:21
  Speaker 1: to shine in the darkness. God, we glorify you. You
• 1:58:29
  Speaker 1: are so worthy of our praise. You approach the end
• 1:58:35
  Speaker 1: of the jetting nearest to the lighthouse, as you look
• 1:58:38
  Speaker 1: out at the sun setting over the water. The bright
• 1:58:42
  Speaker 1: blue sky from earlier in the day has faded into
• 1:58:45
  Speaker 1: a dark bloom above you, and you notice that the
• 1:58:49
  Speaker 1: air has cooled as the sun has faded. The sun
• 1:58:55
  Speaker 1: is now barely peering above the horizon, painting the sky
• 1:59:00
  Speaker 1: brilliant mix of pink, purple and radiant orange. The rays
• 1:59:04
  Speaker 1: of the sun peek out from behind the clouds, adding
• 1:59:08
  Speaker 1: streaks of bright light throughout the darkening sky. You're at
• 1:59:14
  Speaker 1: the lighthouse now, looking up at the bright red structure
• 1:59:18
  Speaker 1: you first saw hours ago from the ship. You can
• 1:59:21
  Speaker 1: see the creases of the bricks now, and the red
• 1:59:25
  Speaker 1: still stands in contrast to the changing sky of the
• 1:59:28
  Speaker 1: setting sun. Although you could walk around it to the
• 1:59:34
  Speaker 1: edge of the jetty's path, you choose instead to opt
• 1:59:38
  Speaker 1: for a view from the top. You reach the door
• 1:59:42
  Speaker 1: at the bottom of the lighthouse, reaching out to grasp
• 1:59:46
  Speaker 1: the metal handle, and you pull the door open. Almost
• 1:59:52
  Speaker 1: immediately in front of you is a steel spiral staircase.
• 1:59:56
  Speaker 1: Before you begin to walk up, you peer around the
• 1:59:59
  Speaker 1: side of the stairway to see the remnants of an
• 2:00:03
  Speaker 1: old living quarts. You try to imagine the space as
• 2:00:09
  Speaker 1: it would have been decades or even hundreds of years ago.
• 2:00:13
  Speaker 1: You imagine the lightkeeper living in this little room, sitting
• 2:00:17
  Speaker 1: in the reading chair in the corner, or making a
• 2:00:20
  Speaker 1: cup of coffee on a small countertop. You imagine their
• 2:00:26
  Speaker 1: readiness to jump to action in the event that something
• 2:00:29
  Speaker 1: would malfunction with the lamp in the middle of the night.
• 2:00:32
  Speaker 1: You think again of the importance of a working light
• 2:00:35
  Speaker 1: for the sailors nearing the harbor. The lightkeeper would play
• 2:00:41
  Speaker 1: a pivotal role in offering safety, ensuring that the light
• 2:00:45
  Speaker 1: was shining brightly the moment the sun went down and
• 2:00:49
  Speaker 1: the darkness of night set in, always ensuring that ships
• 2:00:53
  Speaker 1: had a way to come safely home. This image of
• 2:00:59
  Speaker 1: a lighthouse reminds you again of the words of Jesus
• 2:01:02
  Speaker 1: to his followers in Matthew chapter five. You are the
• 2:01:06
  Speaker 1: light of the world. A city set on a hill
• 2:01:09
  Speaker 1: cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and
• 2:01:13
  Speaker 1: put it under a basket, but on a stand, and
• 2:01:17
  Speaker 1: it gives light to all in the house. In the
• 2:01:20
  Speaker 1: same way, let your light shine before others, so that
• 2:01:24
  Speaker 1: they may see your good works and give glory to
• 2:01:27
  Speaker 1: your Father who is in heaven. You imagine yourself like
• 2:01:33
  Speaker 1: a light keeper for your own life, intentionally cultivating a
• 2:01:37
  Speaker 1: spirit that reflects Christ and shines in the darkness of
• 2:01:41
  Speaker 1: the world around you. Before continuing up the lighthouse, pause
• 2:01:48
  Speaker 1: for a moment to thank God for the gift of
• 2:01:51
  Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit who leads you into the light. God,
• 2:01:58
  Speaker 1: we give you thanks that you have not left us alone,
• 2:02:02
  Speaker 1: but have given us the companion of the Holy Spirit
• 2:02:05
  Speaker 1: to lead us into the light of righteousness. You turn
• 2:02:11
  Speaker 1: back from the small living space at the bottom of
• 2:02:13
  Speaker 1: the lighthouse and back to the staircase that leads you
• 2:02:17
  Speaker 1: to the top. You place your hand on the railing
• 2:02:20
  Speaker 1: and begin to walk up the steep steps. The staircase
• 2:02:24
  Speaker 1: sits close to the walls of the lighthouse, leaving space
• 2:02:28
  Speaker 1: in the center that you know will house the elaborate
• 2:02:31
  Speaker 1: lighting system. You steadily climb the lighthouse steps, curving with
• 2:02:38
  Speaker 1: the staircase as it winds along the inside walls. The
• 2:02:43
  Speaker 1: lighthouse is tall, and you look up to see that
• 2:02:46
  Speaker 1: you are nearing the landing of the only floor of
• 2:02:49
  Speaker 1: the lighthouse. As you get closer and closer, you see
• 2:02:55
  Speaker 1: that the spiral staircase is now going around to structure
• 2:02:58
  Speaker 1: in the center. The elaborate lighting rig hangs low, supported
• 2:03:03
  Speaker 1: by a still plate on which the rig sits. You
• 2:03:07
  Speaker 1: look at the details as you take the final steps
• 2:03:10
  Speaker 1: to the door which leads to the balcony, imagining the
• 2:03:14
  Speaker 1: power of the magnifier that causes this light to shine.
• 2:03:20
  Speaker 1: You reach the landing at the top and open the
• 2:03:23
  Speaker 1: door that leads to the circular balcony. You instantly feel
• 2:03:28
  Speaker 1: the evening wind blowing on your face, and you walk
• 2:03:32
  Speaker 1: to the railing, similar to having stood on the boat
• 2:03:35
  Speaker 1: at the star of your journey. You began on a
• 2:03:40
  Speaker 1: boat in the light of day, and now as the
• 2:03:43
  Speaker 1: sun has set, you think again of the significance of
• 2:03:47
  Speaker 1: this lighthouse, and how profound a structure it is to
• 2:03:51
  Speaker 1: lead people to safety and security. The sky has grown
• 2:03:58
  Speaker 1: steadily darker throughout your journey, and now you see the
• 2:04:01
  Speaker 1: light shining out over the sea. You think back to
• 2:04:07
  Speaker 1: just a few hours before when you rode into the
• 2:04:10
  Speaker 1: harbor and the clear light of day. Imagine how much
• 2:04:14
  Speaker 1: more difficult it would have been if you were just
• 2:04:17
  Speaker 1: now approaching the harbor and the darkness. You give thanks
• 2:04:21
  Speaker 1: again for the gift of light, and you ask God
• 2:04:24
  Speaker 1: to make you shine like a light in the darkness,
• 2:04:28
  Speaker 1: leading others to the safety and security you have found
• 2:04:32
  Speaker 1: in Christ. For indeed, you are the light of the world.
• 2:04:39
  Speaker 1: A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor
• 2:04:43
  Speaker 1: do people light a lamp and put it under a basket,
• 2:04:46
  Speaker 1: but on a stand, and it gives light to all
• 2:04:49
  Speaker 1: in the house. In the same way, let your light
• 2:04:53
  Speaker 1: shine before others, so that they may see your good
• 2:04:57
  Speaker 1: works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
• 2:05:04
  Speaker 1: Heavenly Father, you are the creator of light and the
• 2:05:08
  Speaker 1: one who causes it to shine in our hearts. Thank
• 2:05:11
  Speaker 1: you for the gift of Jesus, the light of the world.
• 2:05:16
  Speaker 1: It is only because of Him that we are able
• 2:05:18
  Speaker 1: to reflect the light and shine into the darkness of
• 2:05:21
  Speaker 1: the world around us. I pray for this beloved child
• 2:05:26
  Speaker 1: of yours to continue walking in the light. Let them
• 2:05:30
  Speaker 1: be like a lighthouse in the darkness, shining brightly, that
• 2:05:34
  Speaker 1: the world might see their light and glorify the name
• 2:05:37
  Speaker 1: of your son, Jesus. You are good God, and we
• 2:05:42
  Speaker 1: worship you tonight in the name of Jesus. I pray
• 2:05:45
  Speaker 1: these things amen. What a gift it is to walk
• 2:05:51
  Speaker 1: with Jesus, in whom we find the light of life
• 2:05:56
  Speaker 1: and tonight, continue to rest in the arms of Christ,
• 2:06:00
  Speaker 1: who loves you and cares for you. May the Goodness
• 2:06:06
  Speaker 1: of God be your peace and comfort. And tomorrow may
• 2:06:11
  Speaker 1: you wake to let your light shine before others, so
• 2:06:15
  Speaker 1: that they may see your good works and give glory
• 2:06:18
  Speaker 1: to your Father who is in heaven. Let's listen again
• 2:06:25
  Speaker 1: to this sleep story about shining as a lighthouse in
• 2:06:28
  Speaker 1: a dark world. The journey to the light begins to
• 2:06:35
  Speaker 1: night at sea. You find yourself in a large vessel
• 2:06:39
  Speaker 1: on the water in the early afternoon sunshine. The day
• 2:06:44
  Speaker 1: is bright and the sky is clear except for a
• 2:06:48
  Speaker 1: few puffy clouds resembling cotton candy, and you are grateful
• 2:06:54
  Speaker 1: initially for the gift of the light in the form
• 2:06:57
  Speaker 1: of sunshine. You stand on the deck of the ship,
• 2:07:03
  Speaker 1: breathing in the salty air as the mist from the
• 2:07:06
  Speaker 1: water blows in, lightly wetting your arms and cheeks. You
• 2:07:12
  Speaker 1: lean against a tall, sturdy rail as you look out
• 2:07:16
  Speaker 1: over the sea. The ship is moving over the open
• 2:07:19
  Speaker 1: water with nothing in sight but the deep blue ocean
• 2:07:24
  Speaker 1: below and the crystal blue sky overhead. Despite the warmth
• 2:07:31
  Speaker 1: of the sun, the wind is strong as the ship
• 2:07:35
  Speaker 1: carries a steady pace, and it cools you. You take
• 2:07:40
  Speaker 1: a slow, deep breath as you relish the sweet simplicity
• 2:07:44
  Speaker 1: of a day outside on the water, light shining above you,
• 2:07:50
  Speaker 1: God's glory evident at every turn. The boat travels for
• 2:07:57
  Speaker 1: some time as you enjoy the views from the deck,
• 2:08:01
  Speaker 1: You watch the clouds moving in the sky, the slight
• 2:08:04
  Speaker 1: change and variation of the blooms both overhead and in
• 2:08:08
  Speaker 1: the ocean below. Much of the time is spent with
• 2:08:12
  Speaker 1: nothing in sight, though Periodically you pass to various islands
• 2:08:19
  Speaker 1: or see land off in the distance. You take time
• 2:08:25
  Speaker 1: during this peaceful ride, at the start of your journey,
• 2:08:27
  Speaker 1: to pause and acknowledgment and worship of the Lord, your God, God,
• 2:08:37
  Speaker 1: you have been so faithful to me. I praise you
• 2:08:41
  Speaker 1: for your presence in my life. Thank you for leading
• 2:08:46
  Speaker 1: and guiding me through life. Thank You for being my
• 2:08:50
  Speaker 1: comfort and moments of sorrow and my delight in moments
• 2:08:55
  Speaker 1: of joy. Thank you before being near. After traveling a
• 2:09:03
  Speaker 1: little further, you see something far in the distance where
• 2:09:07
  Speaker 1: something catches your eye. It's a structure of some sort,
• 2:09:12
  Speaker 1: and the bright red stands in stark contrast to the
• 2:09:16
  Speaker 1: varying blue of the sea and the light pale blue
• 2:09:20
  Speaker 1: of the sky. You see that the structure sits at
• 2:09:25
  Speaker 1: the end of a jetting, a narrow path jetting out
• 2:09:29
  Speaker 1: much further into the harbor than the shore, with rocks
• 2:09:33
  Speaker 1: on either side to break the waves. It occurs to you,
• 2:09:37
  Speaker 1: from the placement along the shore and the jetty that
• 2:09:41
  Speaker 1: precedes it, that the bright red structure must be a lighthouse.
• 2:09:48
  Speaker 1: Just as you make this connection, you notice a small
• 2:09:52
  Speaker 1: shift in the direction of the ship on which you
• 2:09:54
  Speaker 1: are A passenger. You are moving toward the harbor, and
• 2:09:59
  Speaker 1: in the light of day, the lighthouse need not shine
• 2:10:03
  Speaker 1: to lead your ship safely to shore. Instead, you enjoy
• 2:10:08
  Speaker 1: the view of the ocean and approaching the shore. As
• 2:10:14
  Speaker 1: you approach the shore, you think about the gift of
• 2:10:17
  Speaker 1: light and how it enables you to reach land safely
• 2:10:21
  Speaker 1: and easily. You try to imagine what it might be
• 2:10:26
  Speaker 1: like in the darkness of night after the sun has set.
• 2:10:33
  Speaker 1: It is essential that another light would shine in the
• 2:10:36
  Speaker 1: darkness to lead the way home. As you think about
• 2:10:40
  Speaker 1: the light, you are reminded of the words of Jesus
• 2:10:43
  Speaker 1: in Matthew Chapter five, verses fourteen through sixteen. You are
• 2:10:51
  Speaker 1: the light of the world. A city set on a
• 2:10:54
  Speaker 1: hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp
• 2:10:58
  Speaker 1: and put it under a basket, but on a stand,
• 2:11:02
  Speaker 1: and it gives light to all in the house. In
• 2:11:06
  Speaker 1: the same way, let your light shine before others, so
• 2:11:10
  Speaker 1: that they may see your good works and give glory
• 2:11:13
  Speaker 1: to your Father who is in heaven. You let these
• 2:11:19
  Speaker 1: words sink in as your ship easily makes its way
• 2:11:23
  Speaker 1: into the harbor, finding a place to dock. The image
• 2:11:28
  Speaker 1: of the light is striking to you as you easily
• 2:11:30
  Speaker 1: approach the shore in broad daylight, gifted by the light
• 2:11:35
  Speaker 1: of the sun. In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes
• 2:11:41
  Speaker 1: several i am statements. These statements both affirm his identity
• 2:11:47
  Speaker 1: and his deity, and they give understanding to his followers
• 2:11:51
  Speaker 1: about who he is and what his purpose was on earth.
• 2:11:57
  Speaker 1: In one of those statements, found in the eighth chapter
• 2:12:00
  Speaker 1: of John, verse twelve, Jesus says, I am the light
• 2:12:05
  Speaker 1: of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness,
• 2:12:09
  Speaker 1: but will have the light of life. Of all the
• 2:12:15
  Speaker 1: i am statements that Jesus makes, there is only one
• 2:12:19
  Speaker 1: that is also used to describe those who follow Jesus,
• 2:12:23
  Speaker 1: and it is this statement. Not only does Jesus say
• 2:12:27
  Speaker 1: I am the light of the world, he tells you
• 2:12:31
  Speaker 1: you are the light of the world. You think about
• 2:12:36
  Speaker 1: the life that Jesus lived during his thirty three years
• 2:12:40
  Speaker 1: on earth, considering how he was truly the essence of
• 2:12:45
  Speaker 1: light in the darkness. Jesus lived a life that pointed
• 2:12:50
  Speaker 1: continually to the hope of the love of God, the
• 2:12:55
  Speaker 1: way a light shines in the darkness to lead a
• 2:12:57
  Speaker 1: ship safely to shore. As your ship docks, you walk
• 2:13:03
  Speaker 1: from your lookout spot on the deck to the stairs
• 2:13:06
  Speaker 1: on the side of the book. You place your hand
• 2:13:10
  Speaker 1: on the rail and take three easy steps on the dock,
• 2:13:14
  Speaker 1: which leads you to a beautiful walkway along the shore.
• 2:13:18
  Speaker 1: You see that the sidewalk leads to the jetty with
• 2:13:21
  Speaker 1: the lighthouse at the end, where you see pedestrians walking,
• 2:13:25
  Speaker 1: and you decide to explore for yourself. The path from
• 2:13:31
  Speaker 1: the dock winds through simple garden, and you meanders slowly,
• 2:13:37
  Speaker 1: enjoying the beauty of this simple place. The sidewalk is
• 2:13:41
  Speaker 1: wide and other visitors wander around you. To your right
• 2:13:46
  Speaker 1: is a large, carefully manicured courtyard. The short hedges are
• 2:13:53
  Speaker 1: perfectly trim and arranged in a unique pattern. From where
• 2:13:58
  Speaker 1: you stand, you see the way the hedge grows, turn
• 2:14:01
  Speaker 1: and swirl a design that resembles a flower. You walk
• 2:14:08
  Speaker 1: past the floral like hedges and the next courtyard is
• 2:14:12
  Speaker 1: bright with color, with the central feature being a long
• 2:14:17
  Speaker 1: multi flower bed spanning ten or fifteen yards. Planted within
• 2:14:22
  Speaker 1: this wide space are dozens of different flowers, the mixture
• 2:14:27
  Speaker 1: of colors bringing a smile to your face. The first
• 2:14:33
  Speaker 1: flowers you notice are crescendo blue shades with a dark
• 2:14:36
  Speaker 1: purple petal and yellow center. Behind the crescendos is a
• 2:14:42
  Speaker 1: mixture of orange and yellow buttercups planted so closely together
• 2:14:48
  Speaker 1: the colors pop against the backdrop of the green stems
• 2:14:51
  Speaker 1: and leaves. You continue walking as the colors before you
• 2:14:58
  Speaker 1: vary from bright blue to pink, to lavender to red.
• 2:15:03
  Speaker 1: There are tulips and roses, barrigolds, and forget me nots.
• 2:15:08
  Speaker 1: Out of the corner of your eye you see the
• 2:15:10
  Speaker 1: bright orange wings of a monarch butterfly. It gracefully flies
• 2:15:15
  Speaker 1: into view and lands on the yellow tulip you were admiring.
• 2:15:21
  Speaker 1: You continue your walk along the pathway, winding around the
• 2:15:25
  Speaker 1: edge of the shore. It's longer than you first thought.
• 2:15:29
  Speaker 1: From your view from the water, you see now that
• 2:15:33
  Speaker 1: the lighthouse stands far into the sea, a perfect place
• 2:15:37
  Speaker 1: to warn and alert passing ships. You followed the sidewalk,
• 2:15:43
  Speaker 1: which curves to the left and then widens to the
• 2:15:47
  Speaker 1: generous width of the jetting. Looking out, all you see
• 2:15:51
  Speaker 1: now is the sidewalk in front of you, the lighthouse
• 2:15:54
  Speaker 1: at the end, and the sea continues to wane, and
• 2:16:02
  Speaker 1: the sun now shines straight ahead of you. Halfway along
• 2:16:06
  Speaker 1: the track from its zenith to the sunset. From this position,
• 2:16:11
  Speaker 1: the sun is bright in your eyes, and you bring
• 2:16:14
  Speaker 1: your hand up to your face like a visor to
• 2:16:17
  Speaker 1: look ahead again. You are struck by the power of
• 2:16:23
  Speaker 1: the sun's light and the significance of Jesus' words that
• 2:16:27
  Speaker 1: you are the light of the world. Last came to
• 2:16:30
  Speaker 1: shape you so that your light would shine before others,
• 2:16:35
  Speaker 1: so that they may see your good works and give
• 2:16:38
  Speaker 1: glory to your Father, who is in heaven. You spend
• 2:16:43
  Speaker 1: the long walk worshiping God as you enjoy the company
• 2:16:47
  Speaker 1: of his presence. The sun is slowly dropping, causing the
• 2:16:53
  Speaker 1: sky to change colors, and the evening breeze blows gently
• 2:16:57
  Speaker 1: off the water. As you walk, you acknowledge the ways
• 2:17:03
  Speaker 1: that God has faithfully led you throughout your life. You
• 2:17:08
  Speaker 1: know that you do not walk alone. The Lord, your
• 2:17:11
  Speaker 1: God goes before you and guide you. His light shines
• 2:17:15
  Speaker 1: brightest in your life and enables you to shine in
• 2:17:19
  Speaker 1: the darkness. God, we glorify you, you are so worthy
• 2:17:27
  Speaker 1: of our praise. You approach the end of the jetting
• 2:17:34
  Speaker 1: nearest to the lighthouse as you look out at the
• 2:17:36
  Speaker 1: sun setting over the water. The bright blue sky from
• 2:17:40
  Speaker 1: earlier in the day has faded into a dark blue
• 2:17:43
  Speaker 1: above you, and you notice that the air has cool
• 2:17:47
  Speaker 1: as the sun has faded. The sun is now barely
• 2:17:53
  Speaker 1: peering above the horizon, painting the sky a brilliant mix
• 2:17:58
  Speaker 1: of pink, purple, and radiant orange. The rays of the
• 2:18:02
  Speaker 1: sun peek out from behind the clouds, adding streaks of
• 2:18:06
  Speaker 1: bright light throughout the darkening sky. You're at the lighthouse now,
• 2:18:13
  Speaker 1: looking up at the bright red structure you first saw
• 2:18:16
  Speaker 1: hours ago from the ship. You can see the creases
• 2:18:20
  Speaker 1: of the bricks now, and the red still stands in
• 2:18:23
  Speaker 1: contrast to the changing sky of the setting sun. Although
• 2:18:29
  Speaker 1: you could walk around it to the edge of the
• 2:18:32
  Speaker 1: jetty's path, you choose instead to opt for a view
• 2:18:36
  Speaker 1: from the top. You reach the door at the bottom
• 2:18:39
  Speaker 1: of the lighthouse, reaching out to grasp the metal handle,
• 2:18:44
  Speaker 1: and you pull the door open. Almost immediately in front
• 2:18:50
  Speaker 1: of you is a still spiral staircase. Before you begin
• 2:18:54
  Speaker 1: to walk up, you peer around the side of the
• 2:18:57
  Speaker 1: stairway to see the remnants of an old living quarters.
• 2:19:04
  Speaker 1: You try to imagine this space as it would have
• 2:19:06
  Speaker 1: been decades or even hundreds of years ago. You imagine
• 2:19:11
  Speaker 1: the lightkeeper living in this little room sitting in the
• 2:19:14
  Speaker 1: reading chair in the corner, or making a cup of
• 2:19:17
  Speaker 1: coffee on the small countertop. You imagine their readiness to
• 2:19:24
  Speaker 1: jump to action in the event that something would malfunction
• 2:19:27
  Speaker 1: with the lamp in the middle of the night. You
• 2:19:30
  Speaker 1: think again of the importance of a working light for
• 2:19:33
  Speaker 1: the sailors nearing the harbor. The lightkeeper would play a
• 2:19:38
  Speaker 1: pivotal role in offering safety, ensuring that the light was
• 2:19:43
  Speaker 1: shining brightly the moment the sun went down and the
• 2:19:46
  Speaker 1: darkness of night set in, always ensuring that ships had
• 2:19:51
  Speaker 1: a way to come safely home. This image of a
• 2:19:56
  Speaker 1: lighthouse reminds you again of the words of Jesus followers
• 2:20:00
  Speaker 1: in Matthew chapter five. You are the light of the world.
• 2:20:05
  Speaker 1: A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor
• 2:20:09
  Speaker 1: do people light a lamp and put it under a basket,
• 2:20:12
  Speaker 1: but on a stand, and it gives light to all
• 2:20:15
  Speaker 1: in the house. In the same way, let your light
• 2:20:19
  Speaker 1: shine before others, so that they may see your good
• 2:20:23
  Speaker 1: works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
• 2:20:29
  Speaker 1: You imagine yourself like a light keeper for your own life,
• 2:20:33
  Speaker 1: intentionally cultivating a spirit that reflects Christ and shines in
• 2:20:37
  Speaker 1: the darkness of the world around him. Before continuing up
• 2:20:43
  Speaker 1: the lighthouse, pause for a moment to thank God for
• 2:20:48
  Speaker 1: the gift of the Holy Spirit who leads you into
• 2:20:51
  Speaker 1: the light. God, we give you thanks that you have
• 2:20:57
  Speaker 1: not left us alone, but have given us the companion
• 2:21:01
  Speaker 1: of the Holy Spirit to lead us into the light
• 2:21:04
  Speaker 1: of righteousness. You turn back from the small living space
• 2:21:10
  Speaker 1: at the bottom of the lighthouse and back to the
• 2:21:13
  Speaker 1: staircase that leads you to the top. You place your
• 2:21:17
  Speaker 1: hand on the railing and begin to walk up the
• 2:21:19
  Speaker 1: steep steps. The staircase sits close to the wallhouse of
• 2:21:23
  Speaker 1: the lighthouse, leaving space in the center that you know
• 2:21:27
  Speaker 1: will house the elaborate lighting system. You steadily climb the
• 2:21:33
  Speaker 1: lighthouse steps, curving with the staircase as it winds along
• 2:21:38
  Speaker 1: the inside walls. The lighthouse is tall, and you look
• 2:21:43
  Speaker 1: up to see that you are nearing the landing of
• 2:21:45
  Speaker 1: the only floor of the lighthouse. As you get closer
• 2:21:51
  Speaker 1: and closer, you see that the spiral staircase is now
• 2:21:54
  Speaker 1: going around a structure in the center. The elaborate lighting
• 2:21:58
  Speaker 1: rig hangs low, supported by a still plate on which
• 2:22:02
  Speaker 1: the rig sits. You look at the details as you
• 2:22:06
  Speaker 1: take the final steps to the door which leads to
• 2:22:09
  Speaker 1: the balcony, imagining the power of the magnifier that causes
• 2:22:13
  Speaker 1: this light to shine. You reach the landing at the
• 2:22:18
  Speaker 1: top and open the door that leads to the circular balcony.
• 2:22:24
  Speaker 1: You instantly feel the evening wind blowing on your face,
• 2:22:28
  Speaker 1: and you walk to the railing, similar to how you
• 2:22:31
  Speaker 1: stood on the boat at the start of your journey.
• 2:22:36
  Speaker 1: You began on a boat in the light of day,
• 2:22:39
  Speaker 1: and now as the sun has set, you think again
• 2:22:43
  Speaker 1: of the significance of this lighthouse and how profound a
• 2:22:47
  Speaker 1: structure it is to lead people to safety and security.
• 2:22:54
  Speaker 1: The sky has grown steadily darker throughout your journey, and
• 2:22:58
  Speaker 1: now you see the light shining out over the sea.
• 2:23:03
  Speaker 1: You think back to just a few hours before when
• 2:23:06
  Speaker 1: you rode into the harbor and the clear light of day.
• 2:23:10
  Speaker 1: Imagine how much more difficult it would have been if
• 2:23:13
  Speaker 1: you were just now approaching the harbor in the darkness.
• 2:23:17
  Speaker 1: You give thanks again for the gift of light, and
• 2:23:21
  Speaker 1: you ask God to make you shine like a light
• 2:23:23
  Speaker 1: in the darkness, leading others to the safety and security
• 2:23:28
  Speaker 1: you have found in Christ, For indeed, you are the
• 2:23:35
  Speaker 1: light of the world. A city set on a hill
• 2:23:38
  Speaker 1: cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and
• 2:23:41
  Speaker 1: put it under a basket, but on a stand, and
• 2:23:45
  Speaker 1: it gives light to all in the house. In the
• 2:23:48
  Speaker 1: same way, let your light shine before others, so that
• 2:23:53
  Speaker 1: they may see your good works and give glory to
• 2:23:56
  Speaker 1: your Father, who is in heaven. Heavenly Father, you are
• 2:24:03
  Speaker 1: the creator of light and the one who causes it
• 2:24:06
  Speaker 1: to shine in our hearts. Thank you for the gift
• 2:24:10
  Speaker 1: of Jesus, the light of the world. It is only
• 2:24:13
  Speaker 1: because of Him that we are able to reflect the
• 2:24:16
  Speaker 1: light and shine into the darkness of the world around us.
• 2:24:22
  Speaker 1: I pray for this beloved child of yours to continue
• 2:24:25
  Speaker 1: walking in the light. Let them be like a lighthouse
• 2:24:28
  Speaker 1: in the darkness, shining brightly, that the world might see
• 2:24:32
  Speaker 1: their light and glorify the name of your son, Jesus.
• 2:24:37
  Speaker 1: You are good God, and we worship you tonight. In
• 2:24:41
  Speaker 1: the name of Jesus. I pray these things amen. What
• 2:24:47
  Speaker 1: a gift it is to walk with Jesus, in whom
• 2:24:51
  Speaker 1: we find the light of life and tonight. Continue to
• 2:24:55
  Speaker 1: rest in the arms of Christ, who loves you and
• 2:24:59
  Speaker 1: cares for May the goodness of God be your peace
• 2:25:05
  Speaker 1: and comfort. And tomorrow may you wake to let your
• 2:25:10
  Speaker 1: light shine before others, so that they may see your
• 2:25:13
  Speaker 1: good works and give glory to your father who is
• 2:25:17
  Speaker 1: in heaven. Let's listen again to the Sleep story about
• 2:25:24
  Speaker 1: shining as a lighthouse in a dark world. The journey
• 2:25:31
  Speaker 1: to the light begins tonight at sea. You find yourself
• 2:25:35
  Speaker 1: in a large vessel on the water in the early
• 2:25:38
  Speaker 1: afternoon sunshine. The day is bright and the sky is
• 2:25:43
  Speaker 1: clear except for a few puffy clouds resembling cotton candy,
• 2:25:50
  Speaker 1: and you are grateful initially for the gift of the
• 2:25:53
  Speaker 1: light in the form of sunshine. You stand on the
• 2:25:59
  Speaker 1: deck of the shy breathing in the salty air as
• 2:26:03
  Speaker 1: the mists from the water blows in, lightly wetting your
• 2:26:07
  Speaker 1: arms and cheeks. You lean against a tall, sturdy rail
• 2:26:12
  Speaker 1: as you look out over the sea. The ship is
• 2:26:16
  Speaker 1: moving over the open water, with nothing in sight but
• 2:26:20
  Speaker 1: the deep blue ocean below and the crystal blue sky overhead.
• 2:26:28
  Speaker 1: Despite the warmth of the sun, the wind is strong
• 2:26:32
  Speaker 1: as the ship carries a steady pace, and it cools you.
• 2:26:37
  Speaker 1: You take a slow, deep breath as you relish the
• 2:26:40
  Speaker 1: sweet simplicity of a day outside on the water, light
• 2:26:45
  Speaker 1: shining above you, God's glory evident at every turn. The
• 2:26:53
  Speaker 1: boat travels for some time as you enjoy the views
• 2:26:56
  Speaker 1: from the deck, you watch the clouds moving in the sky,
• 2:27:01
  Speaker 1: the slight change in variation of the blues both overhead
• 2:27:05
  Speaker 1: and in the ocean below. Much of the time is
• 2:27:09
  Speaker 1: spent with nothing in sight, though periodically you pass to
• 2:27:14
  Speaker 1: various islands or see land off in the distance. You
• 2:27:21
  Speaker 1: take time during this peaceful ride, at the start of
• 2:27:24
  Speaker 1: your journey, to pause and acknowledgment and worship of the Lord,
• 2:27:30
  Speaker 1: your God, God, you have been so faithful to me.
• 2:27:38
  Speaker 1: I praise you for your presence in my life. Thank
• 2:27:42
  Speaker 1: you for leading and guiding me through life. Thank You
• 2:27:47
  Speaker 1: for being my comfort and moments of sorrow and my
• 2:27:51
  Speaker 1: delight in moments of joy. Thank You for being near.
• 2:28:00
  Speaker 1: Traveling a little further, you see something far in the
• 2:28:03
  Speaker 1: distance where something catches your eye. It's a structure of
• 2:28:08
  Speaker 1: some sort, and the bright red stands in stark contrast
• 2:28:13
  Speaker 1: to the varying blue of the sea and the light
• 2:28:16
  Speaker 1: pale blue of the sky. You see that the structure
• 2:28:22
  Speaker 1: sits at the end of a jetty, a narrow path
• 2:28:25
  Speaker 1: jetting out much further into the harbor than the shore,
• 2:28:29
  Speaker 1: with rocks on either side to break the waves. It
• 2:28:34
  Speaker 1: occurs to you, from the placement along the shore and
• 2:28:37
  Speaker 1: the jetty that precedes it, that the bright red structure
• 2:28:41
  Speaker 1: must be a lighthouse. Just as you make this connection,
• 2:28:48
  Speaker 1: you notice a small shift in the direction of the
• 2:28:51
  Speaker 1: ship on which you are a passenger. You are moving
• 2:28:55
  Speaker 1: toward the harbor, and in the light of day, the
• 2:28:59
  Speaker 1: light not shine to lead your ship safely to shore. Instead,
• 2:29:05
  Speaker 1: you enjoy the view of the ocean and approaching the shore.
• 2:29:11
  Speaker 1: As you approach the shore, you think about the gift
• 2:29:14
  Speaker 1: of light and how it enables you to reach land
• 2:29:18
  Speaker 1: safely and easily. You try to imagine what it might
• 2:29:23
  Speaker 1: be like in the darkness of night after the sun
• 2:29:29
  Speaker 1: has set. It is essential that another light would shine
• 2:29:33
  Speaker 1: in the darkness to lead the way home. As you
• 2:29:37
  Speaker 1: think about the light, you are reminded of the words
• 2:29:40
  Speaker 1: of Jesus in Matthew Chapter five, verses fourteen through sixteen.
• 2:29:48
  Speaker 1: You are the light of the world. A city set
• 2:29:51
  Speaker 1: on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light
• 2:29:55
  Speaker 1: a lamp and put it under a basket, but on
• 2:29:58
  Speaker 1: a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
• 2:30:03
  Speaker 1: In the same way, let your light shine before others,
• 2:30:07
  Speaker 1: so that they may see your good works and give
• 2:30:10
  Speaker 1: glory to your Father, who is in heaven. You let
• 2:30:16
  Speaker 1: these words sink in as your ship easily makes its
• 2:30:20
  Speaker 1: way into the harbor, finding a place to back. The
• 2:30:25
  Speaker 1: image of the light is striking to you as you
• 2:30:27
  Speaker 1: easily approach the shore in broad daylight gifted by the
• 2:30:32
  Speaker 1: light of the sun. In the Gospel of John, Jesus
• 2:30:38
  Speaker 1: makes several i am statements. These statements both affirm his
• 2:30:43
  Speaker 1: identity and his deity, and they give understanding to his
• 2:30:48
  Speaker 1: followers about who he is and what his purpose was
• 2:30:51
  Speaker 1: on earth. In one of those statements, found in the
• 2:30:56
  Speaker 1: eighth chapter of John, verse twelve, Jesus says, I am
• 2:31:02
  Speaker 1: the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never
• 2:31:05
  Speaker 1: walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.
• 2:31:11
  Speaker 1: Of all the i am statements that Jesus makes, there
• 2:31:15
  Speaker 1: is only one that is also used to describe those
• 2:31:18
  Speaker 1: who follow Jesus, and it is this statement. Not only
• 2:31:23
  Speaker 1: does Jesus say I am the light of the world,
• 2:31:27
  Speaker 1: he tells you you are the light of the world.
• 2:31:33
  Speaker 1: You think about the life that Jesus lived during his
• 2:31:36
  Speaker 1: thirty three years on earth, considering how he was truly
• 2:31:42
  Speaker 1: the essence of light in the darkness, Jesus lived a
• 2:31:47
  Speaker 1: life that pointed continually to the hope of the love
• 2:31:50
  Speaker 1: of God. The way a light shines in the darkness
• 2:31:54
  Speaker 1: to lead a ship safely to shore. As your ship does,
• 2:32:01
  Speaker 1: you walk from your lookout spot on the deck to
• 2:32:03
  Speaker 1: the stairs on the side of the boat. You place
• 2:32:07
  Speaker 1: your hand on the rail and take three easy steps
• 2:32:10
  Speaker 1: on the dock, which leads you to a beautiful walkway
• 2:32:13
  Speaker 1: along the shore. You see that the sidewalk leads to
• 2:32:17
  Speaker 1: the jetty with the lighthouse at the end, where you
• 2:32:20
  Speaker 1: see pedestrians walking, and you decide to explore for yourself.
• 2:32:28
  Speaker 1: The path from the dock winds through a simple garden,
• 2:32:32
  Speaker 1: and you meanders slowly, enjoying the beauty of this simple place.
• 2:32:38
  Speaker 1: The sidewalk is wide and other visitors wander around you.
• 2:32:43
  Speaker 1: To your right is a large, carefully manicured courtyard. The
• 2:32:50
  Speaker 1: short hedges are perfectly trim and arranged in a unique pattern.
• 2:32:55
  Speaker 1: From where you stand, you see the way the hedge grows,
• 2:32:58
  Speaker 1: turn and swirl a design that resembles a flower. You
• 2:33:05
  Speaker 1: walk past the floral like hedges, and the next courtyard
• 2:33:10
  Speaker 1: is bright with color, with the central feature being a
• 2:33:13
  Speaker 1: long multi flower bed spanning ten or fifteen yards. Planted
• 2:33:20
  Speaker 1: within this wide space are dozens of different flowers, the
• 2:33:24
  Speaker 1: mixture of colors bringing a smile to your face. The
• 2:33:30
  Speaker 1: first flowers you notice are crescendo blue shades with a
• 2:33:34
  Speaker 1: dark purple petal and yellow center. Behind the crescendos is
• 2:33:39
  Speaker 1: a mixture of orange and yellow buttercups, planted so closely
• 2:33:44
  Speaker 1: together the colors pop against the backdrop of the green
• 2:33:48
  Speaker 1: stems and leaves. You continue walking as the colors before
• 2:33:55
  Speaker 1: you vary from bright blue to pink, to lavender to red.
• 2:34:00
  Speaker 1: There are tulips and roses, barrigolds, and forget me nots.
• 2:34:06
  Speaker 1: Out of the corner of your eye you see the
• 2:34:08
  Speaker 1: bright orange wings of a monarch butterfly. It gracefully flies
• 2:34:13
  Speaker 1: into view and lands on the yellow tulip you were admiring.
• 2:34:19
  Speaker 1: You continue your walk along the pathway winding around the
• 2:34:23
  Speaker 1: edge of the shore. It's longer than you first thought.
• 2:34:27
  Speaker 1: From your view from the water, you see now that
• 2:34:30
  Speaker 1: the lighthouse stands far into the sea, a perfect place
• 2:34:34
  Speaker 1: to warn and alert passing ships. You followed the sidewalk,
• 2:34:41
  Speaker 1: which curves to the left and then widens to the
• 2:34:44
  Speaker 1: generous width of the jetting. Looking out, all you see
• 2:34:48
  Speaker 1: now is the sidewalk in front of you, the lighthouse
• 2:34:52
  Speaker 1: at the end, and the sea. The day continues to wane,
• 2:34:59
  Speaker 1: and the sun now now shines straight ahead of you,
• 2:35:02
  Speaker 1: halfway along the track from its zenith to the sunset.
• 2:35:07
  Speaker 1: From this position, the sun is bright in your eyes,
• 2:35:11
  Speaker 1: and you bring your hand up to your face like
• 2:35:14
  Speaker 1: a visor to look ahead again. You are struck by
• 2:35:20
  Speaker 1: the power of the sun's light and the significance of
• 2:35:23
  Speaker 1: Jesus' words that you are the light of the world.
• 2:35:27
  Speaker 1: Ask Him to shape you so that your light would
• 2:35:30
  Speaker 1: shine before others, so that they may see your good
• 2:35:34
  Speaker 1: works and give glory to your Father, who is in heaven.
• 2:35:40
  Speaker 1: You spend the long walk worshiping God as you enjoy
• 2:35:44
  Speaker 1: the company of his presence. The sun is slowly dropping,
• 2:35:49
  Speaker 1: causing the sky to change colors, and the evening breeze
• 2:35:54
  Speaker 1: blows gently off the water. As you walk, you acknowledge
• 2:36:00
  Speaker 1: the ways that God has faithfully led you throughout your life.
• 2:36:05
  Speaker 1: You know that you do not walk alone. The Lord
• 2:36:08
  Speaker 1: your God goes before you and guide you. His light
• 2:36:12
  Speaker 1: shines brightest in your life and enables you to shine
• 2:36:17
  Speaker 1: in the darkness. God, we glorify you, you are so
• 2:36:24
  Speaker 1: worthy of our praise. You approach the end of the
• 2:36:30
  Speaker 1: jetty nearest to the lighthouse. As you look out at
• 2:36:34
  Speaker 1: the sun setting over the water. The bright blue sky
• 2:36:37
  Speaker 1: from earlier in the day has faded into a dark
• 2:36:40
  Speaker 1: bluem above you, and you notice that the air has
• 2:36:44
  Speaker 1: cool as the sun has faded. The sun is now
• 2:36:50
  Speaker 1: barely peering above the horizon, painting the sky a brilliant
• 2:36:55
  Speaker 1: mix of pink, purple, and radiant marge. The rays of
• 2:36:59
  Speaker 1: the sun sun peek out from behind the clouds, adding
• 2:37:03
  Speaker 1: streaks of bright light throughout the darkening sky. You're at
• 2:37:09
  Speaker 1: the lighthouse now looking up at the bright red structure
• 2:37:12
  Speaker 1: you first saw hours ago from the ship. You can
• 2:37:16
  Speaker 1: see the creases of the bricks now, and the red
• 2:37:19
  Speaker 1: still stands in contrast to the changing sky of the
• 2:37:23
  Speaker 1: setting sun. Although you could walk around it to the
• 2:37:29
  Speaker 1: edge of the jetty's path, you choose instead to opt
• 2:37:33
  Speaker 1: for a view from the top. You reach the door
• 2:37:36
  Speaker 1: at the bottom of the lighthouse, reaching out to grasp
• 2:37:40
  Speaker 1: the metal handle and you pull the door open. Almost
• 2:37:46
  Speaker 1: immediately in front of you is a steel spiral staircase.
• 2:37:51
  Speaker 1: Before you begin to walk up, you peer around the
• 2:37:54
  Speaker 1: side of the stairway to see the remnants of an
• 2:37:57
  Speaker 1: old living quarters. You try to imagine this space as
• 2:38:03
  Speaker 1: it would have been decades or even hundreds of years ago.
• 2:38:08
  Speaker 1: You imagine the light keeper living in this little room,
• 2:38:11
  Speaker 1: sitting in the reading chair in the corner, or making
• 2:38:14
  Speaker 1: a cup of coffee on the small countertop. You imagine
• 2:38:20
  Speaker 1: their readiness to jump to action in the event that
• 2:38:23
  Speaker 1: something would malfunction with the lamp in the middle of
• 2:38:25
  Speaker 1: the night. You think again of the importance of a
• 2:38:29
  Speaker 1: working light for the sailors nearing the harbor. The light
• 2:38:35
  Speaker 1: keeper would play a pivotal role in offering safety, ensuring
• 2:38:39
  Speaker 1: that the light was shining brightly the moment the sun
• 2:38:42
  Speaker 1: went down and the darkness of night set in, always
• 2:38:47
  Speaker 1: ensuring that ships had a way to come safely home.
• 2:38:53
  Speaker 1: This image of a lighthouse reminds you again of the
• 2:38:56
  Speaker 1: words of Jesus to his followers in Matthew chapter five.
• 2:39:00
  Speaker 1: You are the light of the world, a city, so
• 2:39:03
  Speaker 1: that on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people
• 2:39:07
  Speaker 1: light a lamp and put it under a basket but
• 2:39:10
  Speaker 1: on a stand, and it gives light to all in
• 2:39:13
  Speaker 1: the house. In the same way, let your light shine
• 2:39:17
  Speaker 1: before others, so that they may see your good works
• 2:39:21
  Speaker 1: and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
• 2:39:27
  Speaker 1: You imagine yourself like a light keeper for your own life,
• 2:39:31
  Speaker 1: intentionally cultivating a spirit that reflects Christ and shines in
• 2:39:35
  Speaker 1: the darkness of the world around you. Before continuing up
• 2:39:41
  Speaker 1: the lighthouse, pause for a moment, but thank God for
• 2:39:45
  Speaker 1: the gift of the Holy Spirit who leads you into
• 2:39:49
  Speaker 1: the light. God, we give you thanks that you have
• 2:39:54
  Speaker 1: not left us alone, but have given us the companion
• 2:39:58
  Speaker 1: of the Holy Spirit to lead us into the light
• 2:40:01
  Speaker 1: of righteousness. You turn back from the small living space
• 2:40:07
  Speaker 1: at the bottom of the lighthouse and back to the
• 2:40:10
  Speaker 1: staircase that leads you to the top. You place your
• 2:40:14
  Speaker 1: hand on the railing and begin to walk up the
• 2:40:16
  Speaker 1: steep steps. The staircase sits close to the walls of
• 2:40:21
  Speaker 1: the lighthouse, leaving space in the center that you know
• 2:40:24
  Speaker 1: will house the elaborate lighting system. You steadily climb the
• 2:40:31
  Speaker 1: lighthouse steps, curving with the staircase as it winds along
• 2:40:35
  Speaker 1: the inside walls. The lighthouse is tall, and you look
• 2:40:40
  Speaker 1: up to see that you are nearing the landing of
• 2:40:42
  Speaker 1: the only floor of the lighthouse. As you get closer
• 2:40:48
  Speaker 1: and closer, you see that the spiral staircase is now
• 2:40:52
  Speaker 1: going around a structure in the center. The elaborate lighting
• 2:40:56
  Speaker 1: rig hangs low, supported by a steel plate on which
• 2:41:00
  Speaker 1: the rig sits. You look at the details as you
• 2:41:03
  Speaker 1: take the final steps to the door which leads to
• 2:41:06
  Speaker 1: the balcony, imagining the power of the magnifier that causes
• 2:41:11
  Speaker 1: this light to shine. You reach the landing at the
• 2:41:16
  Speaker 1: top and open the door that leads to the circular balcony.
• 2:41:21
  Speaker 1: You instantly feel the evening wind blowing on your face
• 2:41:26
  Speaker 1: and you walk to the railing, similar to how you
• 2:41:29
  Speaker 1: stood on the boat at the start of your journey.
• 2:41:34
  Speaker 1: You began on a boat in the light of day,
• 2:41:37
  Speaker 1: and now as the sun has set, you think again
• 2:41:41
  Speaker 1: of the significance of this lighthouse and how profound a
• 2:41:45
  Speaker 1: structure it is to lead people to safety and security.
• 2:41:51
  Speaker 1: The sky has grown steadily darker throughout your journey, and
• 2:41:55
  Speaker 1: now you see the light shining out over the sea.
• 2:42:01
  Speaker 1: You think back to just a few hours before, when
• 2:42:04
  Speaker 1: you rode into the harbor and the clear light of day.
• 2:42:08
  Speaker 1: Imagine how much more difficult it would have been if
• 2:42:11
  Speaker 1: you were just now approaching the harbor and the darkness.
• 2:42:15
  Speaker 1: You give thanks again for the gift of light, and
• 2:42:18
  Speaker 1: you ask God to make you shine like a light
• 2:42:21
  Speaker 1: in the darkness, leading others to the safety and security
• 2:42:25
  Speaker 1: you have found in Christ. For indeed, you are the
• 2:42:32
  Speaker 1: light of the world. A city set on a hill
• 2:42:35
  Speaker 1: cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and
• 2:42:39
  Speaker 1: put it under a basket, but on a stand, and
• 2:42:42
  Speaker 1: it gives light to all in the house. In the
• 2:42:46
  Speaker 1: same way, let your light shine before others, so that
• 2:42:50
  Speaker 1: they may see your good works, and give glory to
• 2:42:53
  Speaker 1: your Father, who is in heaven. Heavenly Father, you are
• 2:43:00
  Speaker 1: the creator of light and the one who causes it
• 2:43:04
  Speaker 1: to shine in our hearts. Thank you for the gift
• 2:43:07
  Speaker 1: of Jesus, the light of the world. It is only
• 2:43:11
  Speaker 1: because of Him that we are able to reflect the
• 2:43:14
  Speaker 1: light and shine into the darkness of the world around us.
• 2:43:20
  Speaker 1: I pray for this beloved child of yours to continue
• 2:43:23
  Speaker 1: walking in the light. Let them be like a lighthouse
• 2:43:26
  Speaker 1: in the darkness, shining brightly, that the world might see
• 2:43:29
  Speaker 1: their light and glorify the name of your son, Jesus.
• 2:43:34
  Speaker 1: You are good God, and we worship you to night.
• 2:43:38
  Speaker 1: In the name of Jesus, I pray these things amen.
• 2:43:45
  Speaker 1: What a gift it is to walk with Jesus, in
• 2:43:48
  Speaker 1: whom we find the light of life. And to night,
• 2:43:52
  Speaker 1: continue to rest in the arms of Christ, who loves
• 2:43:56
  Speaker 1: you and cares for you. May the Goodness of God
• 2:44:02
  Speaker 1: be your peace and comfort. And tomorrow may you wake
• 2:44:06
  Speaker 1: to let your light shine before others, so that they
• 2:44:10
  Speaker 1: may see your good works and give glory to your
• 2:44:13
  Speaker 1: Father who is in heaven. Let's listen again to the
• 2:44:20
  Speaker 1: Sleep story about shining as a lighthouse in a dark world.
• 2:44:28
  Speaker 1: The journey to the light begins to night at sea.
• 2:44:32
  Speaker 1: You find yourself in a large vessel on the water
• 2:44:35
  Speaker 1: in the early afternoon sunshine. The day is bright and
• 2:44:40
  Speaker 1: the sky is clear except for a few puffy clouds
• 2:44:45
  Speaker 1: resembling cotton candy, and you are grateful initially for the
• 2:44:50
  Speaker 1: gift of the light and the form of sunshine. You
• 2:44:55
  Speaker 1: stand on the deck of the ship, breathing in the
• 2:44:59
  Speaker 1: salty the air as the mist from the water blows in,
• 2:45:03
  Speaker 1: lightly wetting your arms and cheeks. You lean against a tall,
• 2:45:09
  Speaker 1: sturdy rail. As you look out over the sea. The
• 2:45:13
  Speaker 1: ship is moving over the open water with nothing in
• 2:45:16
  Speaker 1: sight but the deep blue ocean below and the crystal
• 2:45:21
  Speaker 1: blue sky overhead. Despite the warmth of the sun, the
• 2:45:28
  Speaker 1: wind is strong as the ship carries a steady pace,
• 2:45:32
  Speaker 1: and it cools you. You take a slow, deep breath
• 2:45:37
  Speaker 1: as you relish the sweet simplicity of a day outside
• 2:45:41
  Speaker 1: on the water. Light shining above you, God's glory evident
• 2:45:46
  Speaker 1: at every turn. The boat travels for some time as
• 2:45:52
  Speaker 1: you enjoy the views from the deck, You watch the
• 2:45:56
  Speaker 1: clouds moving in the sky, the slight chain and variation
• 2:46:01
  Speaker 1: of the blues both overhead and in the ocean below.
• 2:46:06
  Speaker 1: Much of the time is spent with nothing in sight,
• 2:46:09
  Speaker 1: though periodically you pass various islands or see land off
• 2:46:15
  Speaker 1: in the distance. You take time during this peaceful ride
• 2:46:21
  Speaker 1: at the start of your journey, to pause and acknowledgment
• 2:46:26
  Speaker 1: and worship of the Lord, your God, God, You have
• 2:46:32
  Speaker 1: been so faithful to me. I praise you for your
• 2:46:37
  Speaker 1: presence in my life. Thank you for leading and guiding
• 2:46:41
  Speaker 1: me through life. Thank You for being my comfort and
• 2:46:46
  Speaker 1: moments of sorrow and my delight in moments of joy.
• 2:46:52
  Speaker 1: Thank you for being near. After traveling a little further,
• 2:46:59
  Speaker 1: see something far in the distance where something catches your eye.
• 2:47:05
  Speaker 1: It's a structure of some sort, and the bright red
• 2:47:08
  Speaker 1: stands in stark contrast to the varying blue of the
• 2:47:12
  Speaker 1: sea and the light pale blue of the sky. You
• 2:47:18
  Speaker 1: see that the structure sits at the end of a
• 2:47:20
  Speaker 1: jetting a narrow path jetting out much further into the
• 2:47:25
  Speaker 1: harbor than the shore, with rocks on either side to
• 2:47:29
  Speaker 1: break the waves. It occurs to you, from the placement
• 2:47:33
  Speaker 1: along the shore and the jetty that precedes it, that
• 2:47:37
  Speaker 1: the bright red structure must be a lighthouse. Just as
• 2:47:43
  Speaker 1: you make this connection, you notice a small shift in
• 2:47:47
  Speaker 1: the direction of the ship on which you are a passenger.
• 2:47:51
  Speaker 1: You are moving toward the harbor, and in the light
• 2:47:55
  Speaker 1: of day, the lighthouse need not shine to lead your
• 2:47:58
  Speaker 1: ship safely to Instead, you enjoy the view of the
• 2:48:04
  Speaker 1: ocean and approaching the shore. As you approach the shore,
• 2:48:11
  Speaker 1: you think about the gift of light and how it
• 2:48:14
  Speaker 1: enables you to reach land safely and easily. You try
• 2:48:19
  Speaker 1: to imagine what it might be like in the darkness
• 2:48:22
  Speaker 1: of night after the sun has set. It is essential
• 2:48:29
  Speaker 1: that another light would shine in the darkness to lead
• 2:48:32
  Speaker 1: the way home. As you think about the light, you
• 2:48:36
  Speaker 1: are reminded of the words of Jesus in Matthew Chapter five,
• 2:48:41
  Speaker 1: verses fourteen through sixteen. You are the light of the world.
• 2:48:48
  Speaker 1: A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor
• 2:48:52
  Speaker 1: do people light a lamp and put it under a basket,
• 2:48:55
  Speaker 1: but on a stand, and it gives light to all
• 2:48:59
  Speaker 1: in the house. In the same way, let your light
• 2:49:03
  Speaker 1: shine before others, so that they may see your good
• 2:49:06
  Speaker 1: works and give glory to your Father, who is in heaven.
• 2:49:13
  Speaker 1: You let these words sink in as your ship easily
• 2:49:17
  Speaker 1: makes its way into the harbor, finding a place to
• 2:49:20
  Speaker 1: doc The image of the light is striking to you
• 2:49:25
  Speaker 1: as you easily approach the shore in broad daylight gifted
• 2:49:29
  Speaker 1: by the light of the sun. In the Gospel of John,
• 2:49:35
  Speaker 1: Jesus makes several i am statements. These statements both affirm
• 2:49:41
  Speaker 1: his identity and his deity, and they give understanding to
• 2:49:45
  Speaker 1: his followers about who he is and what his purpose
• 2:49:48
  Speaker 1: was on earth. In one of those statements, found in
• 2:49:54
  Speaker 1: the eighth chapter of John, verse twelve, Jesus says, the
• 2:50:00
  Speaker 1: light of the world, whoever follows me will never walk
• 2:50:03
  Speaker 1: in darkness, but will have the light of life. Of
• 2:50:09
  Speaker 1: all the I Am statements that Jesus makes, there is
• 2:50:13
  Speaker 1: only one that is also used to describe those who
• 2:50:16
  Speaker 1: follow Jesus, and it is this statement. Not only does
• 2:50:21
  Speaker 1: Jesus say I Am the light of the world, he
• 2:50:24
  Speaker 1: tells you you are the light of the world. You
• 2:50:31
  Speaker 1: think about the life that Jesus lived during his thirty
• 2:50:34
  Speaker 1: three years on earth, considering how he was truly the
• 2:50:39
  Speaker 1: essence of light in the darkness. Jesus lived a life
• 2:50:45
  Speaker 1: that pointed continually to the hope of the love of God,
• 2:50:49
  Speaker 1: the way a light shines in the darkness to lead
• 2:50:52
  Speaker 1: a ship safely to shore. As your ship docks, you
• 2:50:58
  Speaker 1: walk from your lookout spot on the deck to the
• 2:51:01
  Speaker 1: stairs on the side of the book. You place your
• 2:51:04
  Speaker 1: hand on the rail and take three easy steps on
• 2:51:07
  Speaker 1: the dock, which leads you to a beautiful walkway along
• 2:51:11
  Speaker 1: the shore. You see that the sidewalk leads to the
• 2:51:15
  Speaker 1: jetty with the lighthouse at the end, where you see
• 2:51:18
  Speaker 1: pedestrians walking, and you decide to explore for yourself. The
• 2:51:25
  Speaker 1: path from the dock winds through a simple garden, and
• 2:51:29
  Speaker 1: you meanders slowly enjoying the beauty of this simple place.
• 2:51:35
  Speaker 1: The sidewalk is wide and other visitors wander around you.
• 2:51:40
  Speaker 1: To your right is a large, carefully manicured courtyard. The
• 2:51:47
  Speaker 1: short hedges are perfectly trimmed and arranged in a unique pattern.
• 2:51:52
  Speaker 1: From where you stand, you see the way the hedge grows,
• 2:51:56
  Speaker 1: turn and swirl, a design that resembles a flower. You
• 2:52:03
  Speaker 1: walk past the floral like hedges, and the next courtyard
• 2:52:07
  Speaker 1: is bright with color, with the central feature being a
• 2:52:11
  Speaker 1: long multiflower bed spanning ten or fifteen yards. Planted within
• 2:52:17
  Speaker 1: this wide space are dozens of different flowers, the mixture
• 2:52:22
  Speaker 1: of colors bringing a smile to your face. The first
• 2:52:28
  Speaker 1: flowers you notice are crescendo blue shades with a dark
• 2:52:31
  Speaker 1: purple petal and yellow center. Behind the crescendos is a
• 2:52:36
  Speaker 1: mixture of orange and yellow buttercups planted so closely together
• 2:52:43
  Speaker 1: the colors pop against the backdrop of the green stems
• 2:52:46
  Speaker 1: and leaves. You continue walking as the colors before you
• 2:52:53
  Speaker 1: vary from bright blue to pink, to lavender to red.
• 2:52:58
  Speaker 1: There are tulips and roses, barrigolds, and forget me nots.
• 2:53:03
  Speaker 1: Out of the corner of your eye, you see the
• 2:53:05
  Speaker 1: bright orange wings of a monarch butterfly. It gracefully flies
• 2:53:10
  Speaker 1: into view and lands on the yellow tulip you were admiring.
• 2:53:16
  Speaker 1: You continue your walk along the pathway, winding around the
• 2:53:20
  Speaker 1: edge off the shore. It's longer than you first thought.
• 2:53:24
  Speaker 1: From your view from the water, you see now that
• 2:53:27
  Speaker 1: the lighthouse stands far into the sea, a perfect place
• 2:53:32
  Speaker 1: to warn and alert passing ships. You followed the sidewalk,
• 2:53:38
  Speaker 1: which curves to the left and then widens to the
• 2:53:41
  Speaker 1: generous width of the jetting. Looking out, all you see
• 2:53:46
  Speaker 1: now is the sidewalk in front of you, the lighthouse
• 2:53:49
  Speaker 1: at the end, and the sea. The day continues to wane,
• 2:53:56
  Speaker 1: and the sun now shines straight ahead of you, halfway
• 2:54:00
  Speaker 1: along the track from its zenith to the sunset. From
• 2:54:05
  Speaker 1: this position, the sun is bright in your eyes, and
• 2:54:08
  Speaker 1: you bring your hand up to your face like a
• 2:54:11
  Speaker 1: visor to look ahead again. You are struck by the
• 2:54:17
  Speaker 1: power of the sun's light and the significance of Jesus'
• 2:54:21
  Speaker 1: words that you are the light of the world. Ast
• 2:54:25
  Speaker 1: came to shape you so that your light would shine
• 2:54:28
  Speaker 1: before others, so that they may see your good works
• 2:54:32
  Speaker 1: and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
• 2:54:37
  Speaker 1: You spend the long walk worshiping God as you enjoy
• 2:54:42
  Speaker 1: the company of His presence. The sun is slowly dropping,
• 2:54:47
  Speaker 1: causing the sky to change colors, and the evening breeze
• 2:54:51
  Speaker 1: blows gently off the water. As you walk, you acknowledge
• 2:54:58
  Speaker 1: the ways that God has faithful led you throughout your life.
• 2:55:02
  Speaker 1: You know that you do not walk along the Lord.
• 2:55:06
  Speaker 1: Your God goes before you and guide you. His light
• 2:55:10
  Speaker 1: shines brightest in your life and enables you to shine
• 2:55:14
  Speaker 1: in the darkness. God, we glorify you. You are so
• 2:55:21
  Speaker 1: worthy of our praise. You approach the end of the
• 2:55:27
  Speaker 1: jetting nearest to the lighthouse. As you look out at
• 2:55:31
  Speaker 1: the sun setting over the water. The bright blue sky
• 2:55:35
  Speaker 1: from earlier in the day has faded into a dark
• 2:55:38
  Speaker 1: blue above you, and you notice that the air has
• 2:55:42
  Speaker 1: cool as the sun has faded. The sun is now
• 2:55:47
  Speaker 1: barely peering above the horizon, painting the sky a brilliant
• 2:55:52
  Speaker 1: mix of pink, purple, and radiant orange. The rays of
• 2:55:57
  Speaker 1: the sun peek out from behind the clouds, adding streaks
• 2:56:01
  Speaker 1: of bright light throughout the darkening sky. You're at the lighthouse,
• 2:56:07
  Speaker 1: now looking up at the bright red structure you first
• 2:56:10
  Speaker 1: saw hours ago. From the ship, you can see the
• 2:56:14
  Speaker 1: creases of the bricks now, and the red still stands
• 2:56:18
  Speaker 1: in contrast to the changing sky of the setting sun.
• 2:56:24
  Speaker 1: Although you could walk around it to the edge of
• 2:56:26
  Speaker 1: the jetty's path, you choose instead to opt for a
• 2:56:31
  Speaker 1: view from the top. You reach the door at the
• 2:56:34
  Speaker 1: bottom of the lighthouse, reaching out to grasp the metal handle,
• 2:56:39
  Speaker 1: and you pull the door open. Almost immediately in front
• 2:56:45
  Speaker 1: of you is a still spiral staircase. Before you begin
• 2:56:49
  Speaker 1: to walk up, you peer round the side of the
• 2:56:52
  Speaker 1: stairway to see the remnants of an old living quarters.
• 2:56:59
  Speaker 1: You try to imagine the space as it would have
• 2:57:01
  Speaker 1: been decades or even hundreds of years ago. You imagine
• 2:57:06
  Speaker 1: the lightkeeper living in this little room, sitting in the
• 2:57:09
  Speaker 1: reading chair in the corner, or making a cup of
• 2:57:12
  Speaker 1: coffee on the small countertop. You imagine their readiness to
• 2:57:18
  Speaker 1: jump to action in the event that something would malfunction
• 2:57:22
  Speaker 1: with the lamp in the middle of the night. You
• 2:57:25
  Speaker 1: think again of the importance of a working light for
• 2:57:27
  Speaker 1: the sailors nearing the harbor. The lightkeeper would play a
• 2:57:33
  Speaker 1: pivotal role in offering safety, ensuring that the light was
• 2:57:37
  Speaker 1: shining brightly. The moment the sun went down and the
• 2:57:41
  Speaker 1: darkness of night set in, always ensuring that ships had
• 2:57:46
  Speaker 1: a way to come safely home. This image of a
• 2:57:51
  Speaker 1: lighthouse reminds you again of the words of Jesus to
• 2:57:54
  Speaker 1: his followers in Matthew chapter five. You are the light
• 2:57:59
  Speaker 1: of the world. A city set on a hill cannot
• 2:58:02
  Speaker 1: be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put
• 2:58:05
  Speaker 1: it under a basket, but on a stand, and it
• 2:58:09
  Speaker 1: gives light to all in the house. In the same way,
• 2:58:14
  Speaker 1: let your light shine before others, so that they may
• 2:58:17
  Speaker 1: see your good works and give glory to your Father
• 2:58:20
  Speaker 1: who is in heaven. You imagine yourself like a light
• 2:58:26
  Speaker 1: keeper for your own life, intentionally cultivating a spirit that
• 2:58:30
  Speaker 1: reflects Christ and shines in the darkness of the world
• 2:58:33
  Speaker 1: around you. Before continuing up the lighthouse, pause for a
• 2:58:41
  Speaker 1: moment to thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit,
• 2:58:45
  Speaker 1: who leads you into the light. God, we give you
• 2:58:51
  Speaker 1: thanks that you have not left us alone, but have
• 2:58:54
  Speaker 1: given us the companion of the Holy Spirit to lead
• 2:58:58
  Speaker 1: us into the light of righteousness. You turn back from
• 2:59:04
  Speaker 1: the small living space at the bottom of the lighthouse
• 2:59:07
  Speaker 1: and back to the staircase that leads you to the top.
• 2:59:11
  Speaker 1: You place your hand on the railing and begin to
• 2:59:13
  Speaker 1: walk up the steep steps. The staircase sits close to
• 2:59:17
  Speaker 1: the wallhouse of the lighthouse, leaving space in the center
• 2:59:21
  Speaker 1: that you know will house the elaborate lighting system. You
• 2:59:27
  Speaker 1: steadily climb the lighthouse steps, curving with the staircase as
• 2:59:32
  Speaker 1: it winds along the inside walls. The lighthouse is tall,
• 2:59:37
  Speaker 1: and you look up to see that you are nearing
• 2:59:39
  Speaker 1: the landing of the only floor of the lighthouse. As
• 2:59:45
  Speaker 1: you get closer and closer, you see that the spiral
• 2:59:48
  Speaker 1: staircase is now going around a structure in the center.
• 2:59:52
  Speaker 1: The elaborate lighting rig hangs low, supported by a still
• 2:59:56
  Speaker 1: plate on which the rig sits. You look at the
• 3:00:00
  Speaker 1: details as you take the final steps to the door
• 3:00:03
  Speaker 1: which leads to the balcony, imagining the power of the
• 3:00:07
  Speaker 1: magnifier that causes this light to shine. You reach the
• 3:00:13
  Speaker 1: landing at the top and open the door that leads
• 3:00:16
  Speaker 1: to the circular balcony. You instantly feel the evening wind
• 3:00:21
  Speaker 1: blowing on your face, and you walk to the railing,
• 3:00:25
  Speaker 1: similar to how you stood on the boat at the
• 3:00:28
  Speaker 1: start of your journey. You began on a boat in
• 3:00:33
  Speaker 1: the light of day, And now as the sun has set,
• 3:00:37
  Speaker 1: you think again of the significance of this lighthouse and
• 3:00:41
  Speaker 1: how profound a structure it is to lead people to
• 3:00:44
  Speaker 1: safety and security. The sky has grown steadily darker throughout
• 3:00:51
  Speaker 1: your journey, and now you see the light shining out
• 3:00:55
  Speaker 1: over the sea. You think back to just a few
• 3:01:00
  Speaker 1: hours before when you rode into the harbor and the
• 3:01:03
  Speaker 1: clear light of day. Imagine how much more difficult it
• 3:01:07
  Speaker 1: would have been if you were just now approaching the
• 3:01:10
  Speaker 1: harbor in the darkness. You give thanks again for the
• 3:01:14
  Speaker 1: gift of light, and you ask God to make you
• 3:01:17
  Speaker 1: shine like a light in the darkness, leading others to
• 3:01:21
  Speaker 1: the safety and security you have found in Christ. For indeed,
• 3:01:29
  Speaker 1: you are the light of the world. A city set
• 3:01:32
  Speaker 1: on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light
• 3:01:36
  Speaker 1: a lamp and put it under a basket, put on
• 3:01:39
  Speaker 1: a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
• 3:01:43
  Speaker 1: In the same way, let your light shine before others,
• 3:01:47
  Speaker 1: so that they may see your good works and give
• 3:01:50
  Speaker 1: glory to your Father who is in heaven. Heavenly Father,
• 3:01:57
  Speaker 1: you are the creator of light and the one who
• 3:02:00
  Speaker 1: causes it to shine in our hearts. Thank you for
• 3:02:04
  Speaker 1: the gift of Jesus, the light of the world. It
• 3:02:08
  Speaker 1: is only because of Him that we are able to
• 3:02:10
  Speaker 1: reflect the light and shine into the darkness of the
• 3:02:14
  Speaker 1: world around us. I pray for this beloved child of
• 3:02:19
  Speaker 1: yours to continue walking in the light. Let them be
• 3:02:22
  Speaker 1: like a lighthouse in the darkness, shining brightly, that the
• 3:02:26
  Speaker 1: world might see their light and glorify the name of
• 3:02:29
  Speaker 1: your son, Jesus. You are good God, and we worship
• 3:02:34
  Speaker 1: you tonight in the name of Jesus. I pray these
• 3:02:38
  Speaker 1: things amen. What a gift it is to walk with Jesus,
• 3:02:45
  Speaker 1: in whom we find the light of life. And tonight,
• 3:02:49
  Speaker 1: continue to rest in the arms of Christ, who loves
• 3:02:53
  Speaker 1: you and cares for you. May the goodness of God
• 3:02:59
  Speaker 1: be your peace and comfort. And tomorrow may you wake
• 3:03:04
  Speaker 1: to let your light shine before others, so that they
• 3:03:08
  Speaker 1: may see your good works and give glory to your
• 3:03:11
  Speaker 1: Father who is in heaven. Let's listen again to the
• 3:03:18
  Speaker 1: Sleep story about shining as a lighthouse in a dark world.
• 3:03:25
  Speaker 1: The journey to the light begins tonight at sea. You
• 3:03:29
  Speaker 1: find yourself in a large vessel on the water in
• 3:03:33
  Speaker 1: the early afternoon sunshine. The day is bright and The
• 3:03:37
  Speaker 1: sky is clear except for a few puffy clouds resembling
• 3:03:43
  Speaker 1: cotton candy, and you are grateful initially for the gift
• 3:03:48
  Speaker 1: of the light and the form of sunshine. You stand
• 3:03:53
  Speaker 1: on the deck of the ship, breathing in the salty
• 3:03:57
  Speaker 1: air as the mists from the water blow, lightly wetting
• 3:04:02
  Speaker 1: your arms and cheeks. You lean against a tall, sturdy
• 3:04:07
  Speaker 1: rail as you look out over the sea. The ship
• 3:04:10
  Speaker 1: is moving over the open water with nothing in sight
• 3:04:14
  Speaker 1: but the deep blue ocean below and the crystal blue
• 3:04:18
  Speaker 1: sky overhead. Despite the warmth of the sun, the wind
• 3:04:26
  Speaker 1: is strong as the ship carries a steady pace, and
• 3:04:30
  Speaker 1: it cools you. You take a slow, deep breath as
• 3:04:34
  Speaker 1: you relish the sweet simplicity of a day outside on
• 3:04:38
  Speaker 1: the water. Light shining above you, God's glory evident at
• 3:04:44
  Speaker 1: every turn. The boat travels for some time as you
• 3:04:50
  Speaker 1: enjoy the views from the deck. You watch the clouds
• 3:04:54
  Speaker 1: moving in the sky, the slight change and variation of
• 3:04:58
  Speaker 1: the blues both overhead and in the ocean below. Much
• 3:05:03
  Speaker 1: of the time is spent with nothing in sight, though
• 3:05:07
  Speaker 1: periodically you pass various islands or see land off in
• 3:05:13
  Speaker 1: the distance. You take time during this peaceful ride at
• 3:05:19
  Speaker 1: the start of your journey to pause and acknowledgment and
• 3:05:24
  Speaker 1: worship of the Lord, your God, God, you have been
• 3:05:30
  Speaker 1: so faithful to me. I praise you for your presence
• 3:05:34
  Speaker 1: in my life. Thank You for leading and guiding me
• 3:05:39
  Speaker 1: through life. Thank You for being my comfort and moments
• 3:05:44
  Speaker 1: of sorrow and my delight in moments of joy. Thank
• 3:05:50
  Speaker 1: You for being near. After traveling a little further, you
• 3:05:57
  Speaker 1: see something far in the distance where some then catches
• 3:06:00
  Speaker 1: your eye. It's a structure of some sort, and the
• 3:06:05
  Speaker 1: bright red stands in stark contrast to the varying blue
• 3:06:09
  Speaker 1: of the sea and the light pale blue of the sky.
• 3:06:15
  Speaker 1: You see that the structure sits at the end of
• 3:06:18
  Speaker 1: a jetty, a narrow path jetting out much further into
• 3:06:22
  Speaker 1: the harbor than the shore, with rocks on either side
• 3:06:26
  Speaker 1: to break the waves. It occurs to you, from the
• 3:06:30
  Speaker 1: placement along the shore and the jetty that precedes it,
• 3:06:35
  Speaker 1: that the bright red structure must be a lighthouse. Just
• 3:06:41
  Speaker 1: as you make this connection, you notice a small shift
• 3:06:45
  Speaker 1: in the direction of the ship on which you are
• 3:06:47
  Speaker 1: a passenger. You are moving toward the harbor, and in
• 3:06:52
  Speaker 1: the light of day, the lighthouse need not shine to
• 3:06:56
  Speaker 1: lead your ship safely to shore. Instead, you enjoy the
• 3:07:00
  Speaker 1: view of the ocean and approaching the shore. As you
• 3:07:06
  Speaker 1: approach the shore, you think about the gift of light
• 3:07:11
  Speaker 1: and how it enables you to reach land safely and easily.
• 3:07:16
  Speaker 1: You try to imagine what it might be like in
• 3:07:18
  Speaker 1: the darkness of night after the sun has set. It
• 3:07:25
  Speaker 1: is essential that another light would shine in the darkness
• 3:07:29
  Speaker 1: to lead the way home. As you think about the light,
• 3:07:33
  Speaker 1: you are reminded of the words of Jesus in Matthew
• 3:07:36
  Speaker 1: Chapter five, verses fourteen through sixteen. You are the light
• 3:07:44
  Speaker 1: of the world. A city sit on a hill cannot
• 3:07:47
  Speaker 1: be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put
• 3:07:51
  Speaker 1: it under a basket, but on a stand, and it
• 3:07:55
  Speaker 1: gives light to all in the house. In the same way,
• 3:08:00
  Speaker 1: your light shine before others, so that they may see
• 3:08:03
  Speaker 1: your good works and give glory to your Father, who
• 3:08:07
  Speaker 1: is in heaven. You let these words sink in as
• 3:08:13
  Speaker 1: your ship easily makes its way into the harbor, finding
• 3:08:17
  Speaker 1: a place to dock. The image of the light is
• 3:08:21
  Speaker 1: striking to you as you easily approach the shore in
• 3:08:24
  Speaker 1: broad daylight gifted by the light of the sun. In
• 3:08:31
  Speaker 1: the Gospel of John, Jesus makes several i am statements.
• 3:08:37
  Speaker 1: These statements both affirm his identity and his deity, and
• 3:08:41
  Speaker 1: they give understanding to his followers about who he is
• 3:08:44
  Speaker 1: and what his purpose was on earth. In one of
• 3:08:49
  Speaker 1: those statements, found in the eighth chapter of John, verse twelve,
• 3:08:54
  Speaker 1: Jesus says, I am the light of the world. Whoever
• 3:08:59
  Speaker 1: follows me, he will never walk in darkness, but will
• 3:09:02
  Speaker 1: have the light of life. Of all the i am
• 3:09:08
  Speaker 1: statements that Jesus makes, there is only one that is
• 3:09:11
  Speaker 1: also used to describe those who follow Jesus, and it
• 3:09:16
  Speaker 1: is this statement. Not only does Jesus say I am
• 3:09:20
  Speaker 1: the light of the world, he tells you you are
• 3:09:24
  Speaker 1: the light of the world. You think about the life
• 3:09:29
  Speaker 1: that Jesus lived during his thirty three years on earth,
• 3:09:34
  Speaker 1: considering how he was truly the essence of light in
• 3:09:39
  Speaker 1: the darkness. Jesus lived a life that pointed continually to
• 3:09:44
  Speaker 1: the hope of the love of God, the way a
• 3:09:47
  Speaker 1: light shines in the darkness to lead a ship safely
• 3:09:50
  Speaker 1: to shore. As your ship docks, you walk from your
• 3:09:56
  Speaker 1: lookout spot on the deck to the stairs. On the
• 3:09:59
  Speaker 1: side of the book. You place your hand on the
• 3:10:02
  Speaker 1: rail and take three easy steps on the dock, which
• 3:10:06
  Speaker 1: leads you to a beautiful walkway along the shore. You
• 3:10:11
  Speaker 1: see that the sidewalk leads to the jetty with the
• 3:10:14
  Speaker 1: lighthouse at the end, where you see pedestrians walking, and
• 3:10:18
  Speaker 1: you decide to explore for yourself. The path from the
• 3:10:23
  Speaker 1: dock winds through a simple garden, and you meanders slowly,
• 3:10:29
  Speaker 1: enjoying the beauty of this simple place. The sidewalk is
• 3:10:34
  Speaker 1: wide and other visitors wander around you. To your right
• 3:10:39
  Speaker 1: is a large, carefully manicured courtyard. The short hedges are
• 3:10:45
  Speaker 1: perfectly trim and arranged in a unique pattern. From where
• 3:10:50
  Speaker 1: you stand, you see the way the hedge grows, turn
• 3:10:53
  Speaker 1: and swirl a design that resembles a flower. You walk
• 3:11:01
  Speaker 1: past the floral like hedges and the next courtyard is
• 3:11:05
  Speaker 1: bright with color, with the central feature being a long
• 3:11:09
  Speaker 1: multi flower bed spanning ten or fifteen yards. Planted within
• 3:11:15
  Speaker 1: this wide space are dozens of different flowers, the mixture
• 3:11:19
  Speaker 1: of colors bringing a smile to your face. The first
• 3:11:25
  Speaker 1: flowers you notice are crescendo blue shades with a dark
• 3:11:29
  Speaker 1: purple petal and yellow center. Behind the crescendos is a
• 3:11:34
  Speaker 1: mixture of orange and yellow buttercups planted so closely together,
• 3:11:40
  Speaker 1: the colors pop against the backdrop of the green stems
• 3:11:44
  Speaker 1: and leaves. You continue walking as the colors before you
• 3:11:50
  Speaker 1: vary from bright blue to pink, to lavender to red.
• 3:11:55
  Speaker 1: There are tulips and roses, barrigolds, and forget me nots.
• 3:12:01
  Speaker 1: Out of the corner of your eye you see the
• 3:12:03
  Speaker 1: bright orange wings of a monarch butterfly. It gracefully flies
• 3:12:07
  Speaker 1: into view and lands on the yellow tulip you were admiring.
• 3:12:14
  Speaker 1: You continue your walk along the pathway winding around the
• 3:12:18
  Speaker 1: edge of the shore. It's longer than you first thought.
• 3:12:21
  Speaker 1: From your view from the water, you see now that
• 3:12:25
  Speaker 1: the lighthouse stands far into the sea, a perfect place
• 3:12:29
  Speaker 1: to warn and alert passing ships. You followed the sidewalk,
• 3:12:36
  Speaker 1: which curves to the left and then widens to the
• 3:12:39
  Speaker 1: generous width of the jetty. Looking out, all you see
• 3:12:43
  Speaker 1: now is the sidewalk in front of you, the lighthouse
• 3:12:47
  Speaker 1: at the end, and the sea. The day continues to wane,
• 3:12:54
  Speaker 1: and the sun now shines straight ahead of you, halfway
• 3:12:58
  Speaker 1: along the track from its zena to the sunset. From
• 3:13:02
  Speaker 1: this position, the sun is bright in your eyes and
• 3:13:06
  Speaker 1: you bring your hand up to your face like a
• 3:13:09
  Speaker 1: visor to look ahead again. You are struck by the
• 3:13:15
  Speaker 1: power of the sun's light and the significance of Jesus
• 3:13:19
  Speaker 1: words that you are the light of the world. Last
• 3:13:22
  Speaker 1: came to shape you so that your light would shine
• 3:13:25
  Speaker 1: before others, so that they may see your good works
• 3:13:29
  Speaker 1: and give glory to your Father, who is in heaven.
• 3:13:35
  Speaker 1: You spend the long walk worshiping God as you enjoy
• 3:13:39
  Speaker 1: the company of his presence. The sun is slowly dropping,
• 3:13:44
  Speaker 1: causing the sky to change colors, and the evening breeze
• 3:13:49
  Speaker 1: blows gently off the water. As you walk, you acknowledge
• 3:13:55
  Speaker 1: the ways that God has faithfully led you throughout your life.
• 3:14:00
  Speaker 1: You know that you do not walk alone. The Lord,
• 3:14:03
  Speaker 1: your God goes before you and guide you. His light
• 3:14:07
  Speaker 1: shines brightest in your life and enables you to shine
• 3:14:12
  Speaker 1: in the darkness. God, we glorify you. You are so
• 3:14:19
  Speaker 1: worthy of our praise. You approach the end of the
• 3:14:25
  Speaker 1: jetting nearest to the lighthouse. As you look out at
• 3:14:28
  Speaker 1: the sun setting over the water, the bright blue sky
• 3:14:32
  Speaker 1: from earlier in the day has faded into a dark
• 3:14:35
  Speaker 1: blue above you, and you notice that the air has
• 3:14:39
  Speaker 1: cool as the sun has faded. The sun is now
• 3:14:45
  Speaker 1: barely peering above the horizon, painting the sky a brilliant
• 3:14:50
  Speaker 1: mix of pink, purple, and radiant orange. The rays of
• 3:14:54
  Speaker 1: the sun peek out from behind the clouds, adding streaks
• 3:14:58
  Speaker 1: of bright light throughout the darkening sky. You're at the
• 3:15:04
  Speaker 1: lighthouse now, looking up at the bright red structure you
• 3:15:08
  Speaker 1: first saw hours ago. From the ship. You can see
• 3:15:11
  Speaker 1: the creases of the bricks now, and the red still
• 3:15:15
  Speaker 1: stands in contrast to the changing sky of the setting sun.
• 3:15:21
  Speaker 1: Although you could walk around it to the edge of
• 3:15:24
  Speaker 1: the jetty's path, you choose instead to opt for a
• 3:15:28
  Speaker 1: view from the top. You reach the door at the
• 3:15:31
  Speaker 1: bottom of the lighthouse, reaching out to grasp the metal handle,
• 3:15:37
  Speaker 1: and you pull the door open. Almost immediately in front
• 3:15:42
  Speaker 1: of you is a steell spiral staircase. Before you begin
• 3:15:47
  Speaker 1: to walk up, you peer around the side of the
• 3:15:50
  Speaker 1: stairway to see the remnants of the old living quarters.
• 3:15:56
  Speaker 1: You try to imagine this space as it would have
• 3:15:59
  Speaker 1: been decades or even hundreds of years ago. You imagine
• 3:16:03
  Speaker 1: the lightkeeper living in this little room, sitting in the
• 3:16:07
  Speaker 1: reading chair in the corner, or making a cup of
• 3:16:10
  Speaker 1: coffee on a small countertop. You imagine their readiness to
• 3:16:16
  Speaker 1: jump to action in the event that something would malfunction
• 3:16:19
  Speaker 1: with the lamp in the middle of the night. You
• 3:16:22
  Speaker 1: think again of the importance of a working light for
• 3:16:25
  Speaker 1: the sailors nearing the harbor. The lightkeeper would play a
• 3:16:31
  Speaker 1: pivotal role in offering safety, ensuring that the light was
• 3:16:35
  Speaker 1: shining brightly the moment the sun went down and the
• 3:16:39
  Speaker 1: darkness of night set in, always ensuring that ships had
• 3:16:43
  Speaker 1: a way to come safely home. This image of a
• 3:16:49
  Speaker 1: lighthouse reminds you again of the words of Jesus to
• 3:16:52
  Speaker 1: his followers in Matthew chapter five. You are the light
• 3:16:56
  Speaker 1: of the world. A city set on a hill cannot
• 3:16:59
  Speaker 1: be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put
• 3:17:03
  Speaker 1: it under a basket, but on a stand, and it
• 3:17:06
  Speaker 1: gives light to all in the house. In the same way,
• 3:17:11
  Speaker 1: let your light shine before others, so that they may
• 3:17:15
  Speaker 1: see your good works and give glory to your Father,
• 3:17:18
  Speaker 1: who is in heaven. You imagine yourself like a light
• 3:17:23
  Speaker 1: keeper for your own life, intentionally cultivating spirit that reflects
• 3:17:28
  Speaker 1: Christ and shines in the darkness of the world around you.
• 3:17:34
  Speaker 1: Before continuing up the lighthouse, pause for a moment, but
• 3:17:40
  Speaker 1: thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit who
• 3:17:43
  Speaker 1: leads you into the light. God, we give you thanks
• 3:17:49
  Speaker 1: that you have not left us alone, but have given
• 3:17:52
  Speaker 1: us the companion of the Holy Spirit to lead us
• 3:17:55
  Speaker 1: into the light of righteousness. You turn back from the
• 3:18:01
  Speaker 1: small living space at the bottom of the lighthouse and
• 3:18:05
  Speaker 1: back to the staircase that leads you to the top.
• 3:18:08
  Speaker 1: You place your hand on the railing and begin to
• 3:18:11
  Speaker 1: walk up the steep steps. The staircase sits close to
• 3:18:15
  Speaker 1: the walls of the lighthouse, leaving space in the center
• 3:18:19
  Speaker 1: that you know will house the elaborate lighting system. You
• 3:18:24
  Speaker 1: steadily climb the lighthouse steps, curving with the staircase as
• 3:18:29
  Speaker 1: it winds along the inside walls. The lighthouse is tall,
• 3:18:35
  Speaker 1: and you look up to see that you are nearing
• 3:18:37
  Speaker 1: the landing of the only floor of the lighthouse. As
• 3:18:42
  Speaker 1: you get closer and closer, you see that the spiral
• 3:18:46
  Speaker 1: staircase is now going around a structure in the center.
• 3:18:50
  Speaker 1: The elaborate lighting rig hangs low, supported by a still
• 3:18:54
  Speaker 1: plate on which the rig sits. You look at the
• 3:18:57
  Speaker 1: details as you take the final steps to the door,
• 3:19:00
  Speaker 1: which leads to the balcony. Ilagining the power of the
• 3:19:04
  Speaker 1: magnifier that causes this light to shine. You reach the
• 3:19:10
  Speaker 1: landing at the top and open the door that leads
• 3:19:14
  Speaker 1: to the circular balcony. You instantly feel the evening wind
• 3:19:18
  Speaker 1: blowing on your face, and you walk to the railing,
• 3:19:23
  Speaker 1: similar to how you stood on the boat at the
• 3:19:25
  Speaker 1: start of your journey. You began on a boat in
• 3:19:30
  Speaker 1: the light of day, and now, as the sun has set,
• 3:19:35
  Speaker 1: you think again of the significance of this lighthouse and
• 3:19:39
  Speaker 1: how profound a structure it is to lead people to
• 3:19:42
  Speaker 1: safety and security. The sky has grown steadily darker throughout
• 3:19:49
  Speaker 1: your journey, and now you see the light shining out
• 3:19:52
  Speaker 1: over the sea. You think back to just a few
• 3:19:57
  Speaker 1: hours before when you rode into the harbor and the
• 3:20:00
  Speaker 1: clear light of day. Imagine how much more difficult it
• 3:20:05
  Speaker 1: would have been if you were just now approaching the
• 3:20:07
  Speaker 1: harbor and the darkness. You give thanks again for the
• 3:20:11
  Speaker 1: gift of light, and you ask God to make you
• 3:20:15
  Speaker 1: shine like a light in the darkness, leading others to
• 3:20:18
  Speaker 1: the safety and security you have found in Christ, For
• 3:20:25
  Speaker 1: indeed you are the light of the world. A city
• 3:20:29
  Speaker 1: set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do people
• 3:20:33
  Speaker 1: light a lamp and put it under a basket, but
• 3:20:36
  Speaker 1: on a stand, and it gives light to all in
• 3:20:38
  Speaker 1: the house. In the same way, let your light shine
• 3:20:43
  Speaker 1: before others, so that they may see your good works
• 3:20:47
  Speaker 1: and give glory to your Father, who is in heaven.
• 3:20:53
  Speaker 1: Heavenly Father, you are the creator of light and the
• 3:20:57
  Speaker 1: one who causes it to shine in our hearts. Thank
• 3:21:01
  Speaker 1: you for the gift of Jesus, the light of the world.
• 3:21:05
  Speaker 1: It is only because of Him that we are able
• 3:21:08
  Speaker 1: to reflect the light and shine into the darkness of
• 3:21:11
  Speaker 1: the world around us. I pray for this beloved child
• 3:21:16
  Speaker 1: of yours to continue walking in the light. Let them
• 3:21:20
  Speaker 1: be like a lighthouse in the darkness, shining brightly, that
• 3:21:23
  Speaker 1: the world might see their light and glorify the name
• 3:21:27
  Speaker 1: of your son, Jesus. You are good God, and we
• 3:21:31
  Speaker 1: worship you tonight. In the name of Jesus. I pray
• 3:21:35
  Speaker 1: these things amen. What a gift it is to walk
• 3:21:41
  Speaker 1: with Jesus, in whom we find the light of life
• 3:21:46
  Speaker 1: and tonight. Continue to rest in the arms of Christ,
• 3:21:50
  Speaker 1: who loves you and cares for you. May the Goodness
• 3:21:56
  Speaker 1: of God be your peace and comfort, And tomorrow may
• 3:22:01
  Speaker 1: you wake to let your light shine before others, so
• 3:22:05
  Speaker 1: that they may see your good works and give glory
• 3:22:08
  Speaker 1: to your father, who is in heaven. I feel like
• 3:22:24
  Speaker 1: when I listen to the sleep meditations that I have
• 3:22:27
  Speaker 1: a friend next to me,