Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.” Light illuminates and gives light to others. Light should display itself, for it is meant to shine. When we shine, we show ourselves. A light covered or concealed is useless. When light shines, it shows us the way or gives us direction. Our life should show people the way. Our life is on display daily with our family, people we encounter, school, work or wherever your live your life. Our light should shine more as we are intimate with the Lord. The Lord is our light, and He should shine through us. If we have fellowship with the Lord, we will walk in light and not darkness. Ephesians Chapter 5 says we are to walk as children of the light. We should call others out of darkness just as we have been called out of darkness into light. People should be drawn to the light in us. We all have a ministry or calling in life to let our lives shine or show forth the Lord.
In Matthew 5:16, Jesus is telling us how to behave. As people see our good works (being kind, compassionate, full of joy, etc.) they will know that God is at work in us by the power of His grace. We are to point others to the proper way. We should influence people’s lives in a positive way. By doing good work, people see that we abide by what we profess.
Philippians 2:15 “. . . so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as {or luminaries, star} lights in the world, . . .” It does not matter how others act in the world, we are to be lights, holding forth the Word of Life. As we let our lights shine, we will walk worthy of God. We are to radiate and point others to the proper path or way of life. People who radiate light live so that others see their good deeds, conduct, and actions, bringing praise, and honor to their Father in heaven. Their light indicates an intimate relationship with the Father. Contentions and strife among believers will not attract non-believers to the Lord and His ways. We need to be above reproach. Every believer is called on to live out the salvation God has worked in him or her, to progress in his or her spiritual maturity.
Copyright @ July 2026 Carol Wright/Oasis Worship Center
Too often, people feel pressure to acquire all they can—even what they believe are the necessities of life. As believers, however, we can rest in the knowledge of how deeply the Lord loves us and no longer live under the pressure of constantly pursuing material things. When we have a personal relationship with Him, we understand that He knows our needs and holds the future in His hands. This gives us the freedom to set our priorities correctly.
Jesus teaches us in Matthew 6:33 to "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness." Our highest priority should be to live for Him and pursue His kingdom—His ways, His standards, His principles, and His methods. Rather than being consumed with worry about our needs, our primary concern should be to please the Lord. This requires the right attitude and state of mind.
As we keep our focus on the Lord, He faithfully takes care of the things we need in the physical realm. Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."
Author Earl D. Wilson wrote, "What is the command associated with being given the desires of our heart? 'Delight yourself.' The word 'delight' means to be soft and pliable. We might say moldable and teachable. It means more than being happy or excited about God."
This insight reminds us that delighting in the Lord is more than expressing joy; it is a willingness to be shaped by Him. As we remain teachable and allow Him to mold our character, we learn to embrace His ways, His methods, His standards, and His principles. As we seek Him first and submit our lives to His leading, we can trust that He will faithfully provide everything we truly need.
Copyright @ June 2026 Carol Wright/Oasis Worship Center
Ephesians 4:29 (NIV) “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Our tongues or mouth can easily get us in trouble. We need to be careful what we say. Our tongues can often be sharp cutting people by the words that flow from them. Too often we are careless about the things we say, not realizing the impact that it might have on someone else. We need to be wise in choosing our words. We need to listen to the Holy Spirit and check our words before they proceed from our mouths. The Holy Spirit is here to help us guard our speech. Ephesians state that our speech should be beneficial or bring edification. Our speech should build up not tear down.
Sometimes, people do not think words matter but the words that we say are a powerful force. Think back about words that have been spoken to you in the past by someone that was significant in your life. Were the words positive, building you up? I have heard parents speaks words to their children “you’re stupid,” “you will not amount to anything,” or “why are you not like so and so.” Recollections of past things spoken to us can either bring great joy or cause us sadness. Our words have the same effect on those around us, especially young people. Allow the Holy Spirit to help you take an inventory of your speech. By God’s grace, His enabling ability be kind and speak words that uplift. Colossians 4:6a (AMP) “Let your speech at all times be gracious (pleasant and winsome), ….”
Copyright @ June 2026 Carol Wright/Oasis Worship Center
We need to be hungry and thirsty for God. Psalm 12:1-2 Amplified says, "As the hart (deer) pants and longs for the water brook, so I pant and long for you, O God. My inner self thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?" We should never be satisfied where we are. However, we should continually want more of God. Our heart cry should be "I just can't get enough of God."
Hunger and thirst from your heart for all that God has. Do not let other things such as jobs, sports, TV, possessions satisfy you and take the place that belongs to God. We sometimes allow even Christian TV, tapes, videos, good works; bible reading etc. to take the place that belongs to God. We just need to come into His presence and receive all that He has for us.
Jesus said in John chapter 7 "If any man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.” Water is what quenches thirst. We must come to the Lord and drink of His presence. First, we need to be thirsty. Then we must decide to come and drink. We are not talking about natural water, but we need spiritual water the water of the Holy Ghost. We can compare it to the natural. In the natural world, water is vital for life. We are supposed to drink 64 ounces of water a day. Water helps us function; if we do not drink, we can become dehydrated and die. We need fresh water daily. You need fresh spiritual water daily.
The more we want of God. The more He gives us. Never become satisfied. Psalm 34 says "O taste and see that the Lord our God is good.” Once we have tasted of God we will want more. We will not be able to get enough. When we get the real thing, we will not settle for a substitute.
Copyright @ June 2026 Carol Wright/Oasis Worship Center
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33.
What impact do these words of Jesus have on us? What does “seek ye first the kingdom of God” mean? Too often the great concern of life is how we are going to make it, and not the Lord God and His kingdom. Jesus in this verse states just the opposite; put God first and the maintaining of that relationship as the great concern of your life and do not worry about other things. Our relationship with the Lord God should be the dominating focus of our life.
We should ask ourselves what rules our lives are; is it our concern about how we will live? We need to put our relationship with God first and everything else second. So where is our heart? If our hearts are fixed on the fleeting things of earth, then we will worry. But if our hearts are fixed on the Lord God (the eternal) then God’s peace will guard our minds and hearts. We must realize that the Lord God Almighty knows our every need, so we can trust Him to meet them. We are His children, and He will see to it that our needs are fully met. The Lord God is not only to be trusted completely but He should be our number one priority in life.
The sum and substance of our life is to seek Him first. This should be our concern. This is our responsibility. The Lord God needs to be first in priority and first in the day. Matthew Henry states, “Let this be our principle, to do that first which is most needful, and let Him that is the First, have the first.”
Copyright @ June 2026 Carol Wright/Oasis Worship Center
Nothing good comes from hatred and animosity. Hatred and fear lead to destruction. Not only does hatred harm those who are wounded by it, but it also damages the person who harbors and spreads it. People who hurt others will never be truly content. They are always searching for their next victim. The world is full of fear, hatred, and pain, but as believers, we are called to be different.
How can we, as believers, make a difference? By walking in the Spirit. Jesus came to teach us that love and compassion are the way. We should be kind and desire what is good not only for ourselves but also for others. Even when people are hateful toward us, we are called to love them.
Galatians 5:14–16 (AMP) says, “For the whole Law [concerning human relationships] is complied with in the one precept, ‘You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another [in partisan strife], be careful that you [and your whole fellowship] are not consumed by one another. But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).”
We should allow the Holy Spirit to influence our thoughts, attitudes, behavior, and speech. Each day, we should walk in love, demonstrating compassion, kindness, and grace to those around us.
Copyright @ May 2026 Carol Wright/Oasis Worship Center