"You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden" (Matthew 5:14 NLT)
The question is whether we, as the body of Christ, will position ourselves as the answer God designed us to be.
"Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him" (Luke 10:33-34 NLT)
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
God didn't save you to sit; He saved you to serve.
"What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don't show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, 'Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well'—but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?" (James 2:14-16 NLT)
"The greatest challenge of the day is how to bring about a revolution of the heart, a revolution which has to start with each one of us." - Dorothy Day
We preserve by meeting real needs. We illuminate by showing God's love in practical ways.
"There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need" (Acts 4:34-35 NLT)
"And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare" (Jeremiah 29:7 NLT)
The church isn't called to isolate from culture but to influence it. Not through political power or cultural dominance, but through servant leadership and prophetic witness.
"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." - Frederick Douglass
"Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith" (Galatians 6:10 NLT).
"No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8 NLT)
"Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame...Go out into the highways and country lanes and urge people to come in, so that my house will be full" (Luke 14:21-23 NLT)
The kingdom of God has no second-class citizens.
"For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us" (Ephesians 2:14 NLT)
The church is most powerful when it fosters a community where the unifying strength of the gospel transcends racial, socioeconomic, and cultural barriers.
Our love must become tangible, touchable, and radically inclusive.
"If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one." - Mother Teresa
The church that God designed—the church that truly reflects Jesus—is:
'Look, God's home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them'" (Revelation 21:3 NLT)
Let us be a church that doesn't just occupy space in our community but transforms it—bringing light to darkness, hope to despair, and the tangible love of Christ to every person within our reach.
