John 3 invites us to think deeply about what it means to live as light in the world—to bring the Kingdom of God into different spaces and places. Living on mission means that our lives are meant to reflect God’s grace, love, and truth in every setting we find ourselves. We are not just saved; we are sent Sent into our neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, and families as stewards— of the presence of God.

Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3 about being born again, not just to escape the troubles of this world, but to enter into God’s Kingdom—a Kingdom that is actively at work here and now. Grace and love without truth can hurt people, just as truth without grace can do the same. Loving someone means holding both, even when it’s difficult.

Love Over Judgment

Disdain and judgment have never moved someone’s heart closer to Christ. We may think that by keeping others at a distance or by using fear, we can keep our community “safe” from the brokenness of the world. But Christ didn’t call us to stay safe; He called us to love radically, to step into the mess with others, and to extend a love that is committed.

Too often, love can be mistaken as just an emotion or a feeling. But Jesus shows us that love is much deeper than that—it’s a commitment to work for someone else’s good, even when we don’t feel the emotions we think should accompany it. Loving someone also doesn’t mean we always agree, but it means we act for their benefit and approach them with compassion rather than judgment.

We Are Not Just Saved; We’re Sent.

If we only stay in our Christian homes, Christian churches, and Christian coffee shops, how are we being a light in the world? God’s call to His people in Jeremiah 29 was to seek the welfare of the city they were in—even if it wasn’t their permanent home.

To live on mission is to see yourself not just as saved, but as sent—sent to wherever you are, knowing that your very presence carries a message. You can’t separate any area of your life from your spiritual life. Wherever you go, God is at work. And wherever you go, there is the opportunity for the Kingdom of God to break in.

Are You a Renter or a Gardener?

We believe Jesus has invited us into the good life, but how often do we settle for a gray existence instead of a life that could be permeated with beauty?

If we see the end of the Christian story as an escape from this world—like a renter who trashes a place knowing they’ll be moving out soon—then we won’t care about the world we’re called to love. But God invites us to be gardeners, to cultivate and bring beauty to the places we’re in. He is making all things new—a new heaven and a new earth—and we have the honor of participating in that work.

Living in the Light

Jesus told us to be light in the world, and the reality is that light creates shadows. There is no judgment on darkness without light.

Being a witness to Christ is more than words; it is the way we live our lives. People need to see a witness before they are ready to hear gospel truth.

Everywhere you go and everything you do, you are a representative of Jesus. You are a witness—a living representation of the work of the gospel. Proclamation is important, but witness often comes first. People need to see the good news lived out before they are open to it being explained.

Loving someone well requires choosing their good even at the cost of comfort. How might this missional thinking affect the way we live? How can we get outside of ourselves, moving beyond our Christian bubbles and into the places where God has called us to be light?

The world doesn’t need more fear or judgment; it needs people who are committed to loving radically and stewarding God’s presence in every place they go. It needs people who are willing to choose love over disdain and indifference, and who are willing to be light in a dark world.