Music: Leave a light on

To download as a PDF, click here.

INTRODUCTION

This song is a promise from one friend to another to leave a light on, ready to provide a safe place. Jesus told his followers they were to offer light to the world, bringing hope to those in dark places. This session is designed to explore that theme and challenge our young people to live in a way that brings Jesus’ light into the lives of those who need it most.

Begin the session with a light / dark icebreaker. It would be great if you were able to play a game such as glow in the dark tag (players wear glowsticks as they run around in the dark). If this is not a possibility, you could do a simple activity, such as learning some Morse code or a quiz to name as many light sources as you can.

Talk about what it means to be in a dark place and invite the young people to share their own experiences as they feel able. As leaders, you may be able to share some of your own stories or talk about more hypothetical situations. Discuss things that help to lift us out of the dark places we can find ourselves in.

TRACK: LEAVE A LIGHT ON

Introduce the song, providing copies of the lyrics for the young people to follow as appropriate. Ask the group:

• What do you notice about the relationship between the singer and the person he is singing to?
• What motivated this song?
• Can you relate to the singer? Or perhaps to his friend?

Distribute Bibles and look together at Matthew 5:14-16. In these verses, Jesus tells his followers: “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” How do these words resonate with the lyrics of the song? How is the singer living out this message in the words to his friend?

Give each member of the group a battery-operated tea light to hold. Reread Matthew 5:14-16 over them as a reminder that this is also their calling.

Challenge your group to think about how they can be a light in dark places, offering hope and grace to their friends and the people they meet. This may lead to a practical response together as a group, or it may be something for your young people to take away and think about in the coming week.

As you draw the session to a close, pray that your young people would have the courage to shine their light in the places they find themselves. Invite your group to take their tea lights away and put them somewhere as a reminder of this session and of the words of Jesus in the week ahead.