EP35 This Little Light of Mine: Being a Bright Light in a Dark World

This personal and powerful episode explores the true meaning of the song “This Little Light of Mine” not just a childhood memory, but as a bold, daily calling. With five powerful scriptures and deep Jesus filled reflections, we dive into what it means to be a bright light in a dark place. This episode will encourage you, challenge you, and send you out shining with the hope of Jesus.

Episode Transcript

(00:04):
The wooden cricket. Hey friends.
Good morning and welcome back tothe Wooden Cricket Podcast.
I'm Lawrence Today, something special, we're going back to
something simple, something we say as children, something I did
anyway. I used to sing with my grandma

(00:25):
when she babysat me. I sing in a Sunday school and
I'm singing at the Red Rock Bible Camp when I went there as
a kid. And it's that song, this little
light of mine. I didn't fully understand it
back then when I was a child, but now, after walking through
life shadows, seeing the brokenness of this world, and
feeling the darkest strato creepinto my own life, I see it so

(00:47):
much differently. This isn't just a children's
song. It's a battle cry.
It's a declaration, a choice we make every single day to carry
the light of Jesus in a world that desperately needs it.
You know, this episode is for anyone who's ever felt like
their light was maybe too small or too weak or just not enough.

(01:09):
We're going to look at 5 powerful scriptures today that
show us what it means to shine, how to do it, what it looks
like, why it matters so much nowmore than ever.
So let's lean into Jesus. Let's lean into the Word and
let's light up the darkness. And we're starting with one of

(01:29):
my favorite verses in Scripture and one that I really, really
heard, I guess, just over a yearago now, when the new pastors
named Adam Browett came to our church and he's now our lead
pastor. And I remember, I think it was
in his first sermon and he was reading this and it really
stuck. And it's Matthew chapter 5,
verse 14 to 16. It says you are the light of the
world, like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.

(01:54):
No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket.
Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand where it gives light to
everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good
deeds shine out for all to see so that everyone will praise
your Heavenly Father. This is the heart of the

(02:14):
message. Jesus didn't say we could be
light. He said we are the light of the
world. But the world is full of baskets
trying to cover that light. You know the basket of fear,
shame, compromise, exhaustion. Jesus says don't hide your
faith, live it boldly. Every kind act, every honest

(02:39):
word, every time you forgive when it's hard, you're placing
your light on a stand for the world to see, not for your
glory, but so people will see Jesus in you and praise your
Father in heaven. Shining your light isn't a
performance friends, it's a testimony.

(03:00):
Philippians chapter 2 verse 14. It says do everything without
complaining and arguing so that no one can criticize you.
Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like
bright lights in a world full ofcrooked and perverse people.

(03:24):
The world is very loud with conflict, and it's so easy to
join into that noise. Paul is reminding us, though,
that one of the most radical things you can do is live a
quiet, clean, faithful life. Friends, when you choose peace
over arguing, or gratitude over grumbling, or purity over

(03:46):
corruption, you shine. And not just a little flicker,
not dimly, but you shine brightly.
You don't shine because we're perfect.
We are not. We shine because Jesus is and he
lives in us. In a broken world, holiness

(04:06):
stands out and people are going to notice for real.
John chapter one verse 4 says the word gave life to everything
that was created and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can

(04:27):
never extinguish it. Jesus is the source of our light
and He, his light is undefeatable.
You know that the darkness triesto drown it through different
things like sin and fear, addiction, depression, hate.

(04:49):
But he can't win if Jesus isn't.If Jesus is in you, his light is
in you. And that means no matter how
dark things feel, your light cannot be put out.
So let it shine in the hard places and the quiet places and
the broken places, because the light of Jesus will always

(05:09):
overcome the dark every single time.
Always. Isaiah chapter 60, right the
beginning verse one. Arise, Jerusalem, let your light
shine for all to see, for the glory of the Lord rises to shine
on you. Darkness as black as night
covers all the nations of earth,but the glory of the Lord rises

(05:34):
and appears over you. This is a call to rise, not in
our own strength, but the glory of the Lord of Jesus.
God is looking for people who are willing to stand up and be
his light bearers. Not just a church, not just when
it's easy, but in our workplaces, in our homes and

(05:55):
communities, online, everywhere,every single place you are
expected to be a light bearer. Darkness might cover the earth,
but it doesn't own us. When you carry the light of God,
you carry His glory into the darkest corners, and that is
power, that is purpose. You know Ephesians chapter 5,

(06:18):
for once you were full of darkness, but now you have light
from the Lord. So live as people of light, for
this light within you produces only what is good and right and
true. We come from something, friends.
Darkness used to be home. But Jesus didn't just fix us, He

(06:42):
transformed us. And now we carry a new identity.
People of light. Not people who blend in, Not
people who retreat. People who show the world what
good is, what right is, and whattruth is.
So let your life be a lighthouse, firm, bright and

(07:05):
unwavering so that others can find the shore, so that others
can find their way home. This little light of mine, I'm
going to let it shine. Not just on Sunday, not just
when I feel strong, but every single day.

(07:27):
Because the light inside me is not mine.
It's Jesus, His love, His truth,His sacrifice.
He took my darkness so I could carry his light.
So I will shine in pain, I will shine in failure, I will shine
in joy. I'm going to shine when I

(07:47):
misunderstood or overlooked or mocked.
I am going to shine because the darkness can never extinguish
the light of Jesus Christ. And maybe, just maybe, someone
out there is gonna see your light friend and realize they
don't have to stay in that darkness either.
That's why it matters. So let your light shine, my

(08:11):
friend. Not perfectly, but faithfully,
because someone's breakthrough might just be at the beginning
of noticing the light of you or in you, you know?
I love you all. I hope you all enjoyed this.
Jesus loves you even more. Please shine brightly today.

(08:31):
I'm going to see you all next time.
Until then, purse.