Connect Church
Light in the Darkness
  • O Come Let Us Adore Him
  • King Of Heaven
  • A King Like This
  • Trust In God
  • Have you ever noticed how dark a room feels when just one light goes out?
    Like when you walk through your house at night and all the lights are out. It’s amazing how a place you know so well can feel unfamiliar, even unsettling, when you’re surrounded by darkness. You can’t see clearly. You don’t feel steady. Everything feels a little more threatening than it really is.
    You should try walking through the sanctuary at night.
    That’s exactly what life feels like for so many people today.
    Some are stumbling through grief. Some are navigating anxiety. Some are overwhelmed by loneliness. Some are fighting battles no one else sees.
    And the statistics confirm it: more Americans report feeling depressed, hopeless, and emotionally exhausted today than at any point in recent history. Darkness isn’t just a metaphor — for many, it is their daily reality.
    But church, here’s the good news:

    God has always stepped into darkness with light.

    Long before Jesus ever took on flesh, the prophet Isaiah spoke to a people crushed by fear, uncertainty, and despair, and he declared:
    Isaiah 9:2 NIV
    2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.
    It was a promise — a promise that God had not abandoned His people… a promise that hope was coming.
    And then, hundreds of years later, John opens his Gospel not with shepherds, angels, or a manger…
    but with eternity breaking into time:
    “In the beginning was the Word…
    In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.
    And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
    (John 1:1–5)
    John wants us to understand this from the very first sentence:
    Jesus didn’t come just to talk about light — He is the Light.
    And He didn’t come to examine our darkness — He came to conquer it.
    So today, as we begin our series The Light Has Come, we’re talking about what that means for us, for our families, for our city, for every hurting heart.
    Because if you’ve ever felt like you were walking in darkness…
    if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by life…
    if you’ve ever wondered if hope still exists…
    I want you to hear this loud and clear:

    The Light has come—and His name is Jesus. And wherever He shines, darkness doesn’t stand a chance.

    This morning go with me to the book of John and look at chapter one. I want to read the first five verses.
    John 1:1–5 NIV
    1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

    The Eternal Word

    When John opens his Gospel with the words, “In the beginning was the Word,” he uses a very specific word — Logos — and that word would have hit his original audience with tremendous force.
    Because both Jews and Greeks already had ideas about what “the Word” meant… but neither group was prepared for what John says next.

    The Greek Background — Logos as Reason, Order, Meaning

    To the Greeks, especially philosophers influenced by thinkers like Heraclitus and later the Stoics, the Logos was the rational principle that governed the universe.
    It was the idea that behind creation there is logic, structure, order.
    The Logos is what keeps the stars in motion, what keeps nature predictable, what gives life balance.
    They believed the Logos was the invisible force that gave meaning to reality.It wasn’t personal.It wasn’t someone you could know.It was more like a force — a principle woven into the fabric of existence.

    The Jewish Background — The Word as God in Action

    For the Jewish mind, the Word — the dabar of God — meant something very different.
    God’s Word creates (“And God said… and it was so”).
    God’s Word reveals (“The Word of the Lord came to the prophet…”).
    God’s Word delivers (“He sent His Word and healed them”).
    God’s Word does not return void — it accomplishes His purpose.
    So for the Jewish people, the Word of God wasn’t just sound waves.
    It was God Himself in action — God creating, God speaking, God rescuing, God revealing His will.

    And Then John Makes a Stunning Claim

    John takes both of these worlds — Greek and Jewish — and he says something neither side expected:
    “The Logos you’ve been searching for…
    The Word that shapes creation…
    The Word that speaks life…
    The force behind everything…
    Is not an idea.
    Is not a philosophy.
    Is not a principle.”
    “The Logos is a person.”
    And His name is Jesus.
    John is saying:
    Jesus is the wisdom the Greeks longed for.
    Jesus is the power the Jews had encountered.
    Jesus is the mind behind the universe and the mouth through which God speaks.
    Jesus is the Creator, the sustainer, the revealer, the redeemer — all in one.

    Why Does This Matter for Us Today?

    Because people today are still asking the same questions the Greeks and Jews were asking:
    “What holds my life together?”
    “Where do I find meaning?”
    “How do I hear God?”
    “Where do I find truth?”
    “Where is the power that can change my situation?”
    John answers all of that in five simple words:

    “In the beginning was the Word.”

    He’s pointing us to Jesus —
    the One who holds all things together,
    the One who reveals God’s heart,
    the One who speaks purpose into empty souls,
    the One who brings order into chaos,
    the One who steps into darkness with light.
    This is why Jesus can bring hope to a hurting world —because He’s not just another teacher or prophet.
    He is the Logos. God in action. God made visible. God stepping into our darkness to reveal the light of life.
    Then John continues by reiterating the pre-existence of Christ. He says, the Word was here in the beginning and everything was made through Him.
    By revealing this they understood that Jesus is not a passive observer. Because He is creator. Because He made everything. He sustains it. And because He sustains it, He also cares.
    This is good news for those that are hurting. The Word, the one who created all things, the one who is the sustainer of life, He holds the broken pieces of your life.

    Life in the Word

    John 1:4 NIV
    4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
    For the word light, John chooses the Greek word zōē, and this is huge.
    He doesn’t use bios—the word for biological, physical life. Bios is heartbeats, brainwaves, breathing, survival. But zōē means the life that belongs to God Himself. It is eternal, indestructible, overflowing, purposeful, joy-filled life. It is the kind of life mankind lost in Eden.
    John is saying:

    Jesus doesn’t just give life—He is life.

    Everything God wants humans to experience—wholeness, peace, purpose, joy, spiritual vitality—is found in Jesus.

    “…and the life was the light of men.”

    John then ties life to light, which is another massive theological theme.
    In Scripture—and especially in John—light represents:
    Divine truth (God showing us what is real)
    Understanding (God opening our eyes)
    Revelation (God making Himself known)
    Direction (God showing the path)
    Purity (God exposing and healing what is broken)
    So John is declaring:

    The life Christ gives doesn’t stay hidden inside—it radiates out as light.

    It illuminates the human soul. It reveals what we could never see on our own. It gives meaning to our past, clarity for our present, and hope for our future.
    This is why Jesus later says in John 8:12
    John 8:12 NIV
    12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
    Notice that phrase again—the light of life.
    His life produces light. His presence brings clarity. His Spirit opens eyes.
    When Jesus steps into a person’s life, confusion begins to clear. Darkness loses its power. Purpose becomes visible. Hope becomes possible.

    Jesus offers more than just existence—He gives abundant life.

    A lot of people wake up, breathe, work, pay bills, go to bed… and repeat. But that’s bios—existing, not living.
    Jesus came so you could experience zōē—a life filled with meaning, joy, and eternal purpose.
    If your life feels drained, dull, or directionless… Jesus restores life.

    His life illuminates our darkness.

    When we come to Christ, He doesn’t just forgive us—He opens our eyes. He helps us see ourselves accurately. He helps us see God clearly. He helps us see our purpose confidently. He gives wisdom for decisions, clarity for calling, and understanding for the moments we feel lost.
    For those feeling empty, disconnected, or spiritually lost:
    John 1 is saying to you:

    You do not have to stay in the dark.

    Christ’s life is not merely a doctrine—it is a light that shines into you.
    He gives direction where you feel confused. He gives peace where you feel anxious. He gives identity where you feel insecure. He gives hope where you feel hopeless.
    You may feel overwhelmed. You may feel like life has dimmed your vision. You may feel like you’re walking through shadows. But the Light has come.
    And when His life enters your life, darkness doesn’t stand a chance.
    Scientists tell us that light is the foundation of all life on Earth.
    Every plant, every tree, every blade of grass is alive because of one simple process: photosynthesis—the ability to take in light and turn it into energy.
    If you remove light, plants can’t grow.
    If you take away light long enough, they wither.
    Eventually, they die.
    And it doesn’t stop there.
    Because plants produce the oxygen we breathe and form the base of the food chain, if light disappeared… all of life would collapse.
    No light, no life.
    It’s a scientific fact.
    But the same is true spiritually.
    Human beings can survive for a while without Christ. They can work, eat, sleep, pay bills, and look functional. But without the Light of Christ, the soul slowly withers.
    Hope fades.
    Joy drains.
    Purpose dries up.
    We start going through the motions but stop truly living.
    Just like plants cannot produce life without sunlight, we cannot produce spiritual life without Jesus.
    He is the Light that brings warmth to cold hearts, energy to weary souls, and hope to places that feel dead.
    He doesn’t just brighten life—He creates it.
    So when John says, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men,” he’s telling us:

    Jesus is to the soul what the sun is to creation.

    Without Him, nothing grows.
    But with Him, everything comes alive.
    When John talks about darkness, he’s not speaking in abstract poetry. He’s describing a very real condition of the human soul — and we see the evidence of that all around us today.
    Let me show you just how widespread this darkness is:

    Depression Is at an All-Time High

    According to a recent Gallup poll, over 18% of U.S. adults say they are currently experiencing depression or being treated for it.
    That is the highest number ever recorded in the history of the survey.
    Think about that — almost one out of every five people around us is battling depression right now.
    This means the struggle is not hidden in some corner of society.
    It is in our workplaces, our neighborhoods, our schools… and yes, even in our churches.

    Hopelessness Is Growing

    CDC data shows that many Americans report depressive symptoms so severe that they impair daily functioning.
    People are finding it harder to get out of bed, harder to concentrate, harder to believe tomorrow will be any better than today.
    And this trend has increased dramatically over the last decade.
    This tells us something important:
    People are walking through a kind of emotional and spiritual darkness that is affecting the very way they live.
    We cannot pretend this is only a personal issue or an isolated issue.
    This is a societal issue.
    This is the condition of the culture we are living in.
    So many around us feel:
    emotionally exhausted
    relationally strained
    spiritually empty
    mentally overwhelmed
    quietly hopeless
    This is the darkness John is talking about — a darkness that tries to swallow people whole.

    Why the Light of Jesus Matters

    And this is what makes the message of Jesus so powerful and so necessary today.
    The Light He brings is not a warm feeling, a spiritual hobby, or some optional add-on to life.
    For all people, the light of Christ is life-giving, hope-giving, and world-changing.
    Jesus offers clarity in confusion, peace in turmoil, courage in fear, and hope in the deepest despair.
    He doesn’t just speak light —
    He IS the Light that breaks through the suffocating darkness of the human soul.
    So when we preach, when we worship, when we gather…
    we aren’t just celebrating a religious idea.
    We are proclaiming the only Light that has the power to push back the darkness that so many people in our world are drowning in.
    Let me close with this.
    Remember what John shows us as he begins his Gospel.
    Jesus is the Logos — the eternal Word, fully divine, with God and God Himself.
    Through Him everything was made — including you.
    In Him is life — not just existence, but true, abundant, eternal life.
    And that life is the light of humanity — the only light strong enough to pierce the darkness of this world.
    The light shines in the darkness, and no matter how deep the darkness feels…
    the darkness has not overcome it.
    Because of that, we have real hope.
    If you’re here today and you’ve been walking in darkness — maybe it’s loneliness, depression, confusion, shame, addiction, fear — Jesus didn’t bring you here by accident.
    The same God who spoke light into the world is speaking to your heart right now.

    You don’t need more information. You need transformation.

    You don’t just need ideas about Jesus.
    You need Jesus Himself — the Light, the Life, the Word.
    Today, if you’re ready to step out of darkness and into His light…
    If you’re ready to receive forgiveness for your sins…
    If you’re ready for a new beginning…
    Then this is your moment.
    Will you pray this prayer with me?
    “Jesus, I give You my life. I ask You to save me, forgive me, and bring Your light into my darkness. I believe You died and rose again. I put my trust in You. Be my Lord, my Savior, and the Light of my life.”
    If you prayed that today, here in a minute, tell someone in your group. We want to pray for you. Also, we have a book to give you that tells you the next steps.
    Let me remind you, the Light has come… and the Light has come for you.
    And for those of you who are already saved…
    This message is not just an invitation — it’s a challenge.

    Where in your life are you experiencing darkness?

    Where do you feel spiritually dim?
    Where do you need Jesus to shine?
    Maybe it’s a relationship.
    Maybe it’s fear.
    Maybe it’s discouragement.
    Maybe it’s confusion about your purpose.
    Bring that darkness to Jesus today.
    Pray this prayer with me. Say…
    “Jesus, shine Your light in my heart again.
    Illuminate what I can’t see.
    Heal what is broken.
    Revive what has grown dim.
    Fill me with Your life and Your light.”
    And now…
    be a light-bearer.
    This week, let the light of Christ you carry shine into someone else’s darkness.
    Be a friend to someone who’s lonely.
    Speak hope to someone who is hurting.
    Share Jesus with someone who is searching.
    Serve someone who feels unseen.
    You are not just a receiver of the Light —
    you are a reflector of the Light.

      • Isaiah 9:2NIV2011

      • John 1:1–5NIV2011

      • John 1:4NIV2011

      • John 8:12NIV2011

  • Trust In God

      • Colossians 3:16–17NIV2011

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