Mike Breaux - Light Up the Darkness (01/13/2026)
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Summary:
Mike teaches that Jesus came as the light of the world to shine into our personal and collective darkness, just as prophesied in Isaiah 9:2 and declared in John 1, where the light overcomes darkness every time. Drawing from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, he explains that followers of Jesus—who live out the Beatitudes—become the light of the world themselves, called to brighten, guide, warm, include, and chase out darkness through their good deeds. The ultimate encouragement is to intentionally shine this Christmas season so that others see our good works and praise our heavenly Father, and to personally invite Jesus to light up our own darkness.
Welcome and Christmas Joy
Man, it’s so great to see you all. Hey, I want to welcome those of you who are joining us online today and all of our campuses. Those of you over in the bridge, thank you so much for making room in this room. I love Christmas! My name is Mike, and I don’t know whether we’ve met or not, but I’d love to meet you out in the lobby after the service, if possible. My wife, Debbie, and I were going through Christmas ornaments the other day while decorating our tree. She would pull one out and say, «Remember who made this? Remember when he did this? Or she gave us this?» I found myself getting really nostalgic while decorating, and the older I get, the more nostalgic I actually become.
I’ve learned that life can pretty much be summed up by four different stages: Stage one is you believe in Santa Claus; stage two, you don’t believe in Santa Claus; stage three, you are Santa Claus; and stage four, you look like Santa Claus! So here we are. But I love all things Christmas. We put up decorations the day after Thanksgiving. I’ve been playing Christmas music in my truck on like four different channels—different styles of Christmas music. I just love it.
I love all the movies. I’ve already watched «Elf.» I’ve already watched «Christmas Vacation.» I love the sugar cookies, all the presents, the lights, all the church services. I love the hope, the peace. I love the candles, the singing, the carols. I love «Silent Night» and «Joy to the World.» I mean, I just love it all. And even though I will really miss being here with you all on Christmas, I’ll join online. I do get to preach eight Christmas Eve services in Southern California, then I’ll fly back home on Christmas Day and get to be together with most of our family. Man, we’ll eat a bunch of food, we’ll laugh, we’ll sing, we’ll probably dance, play some games, put together a few puzzles, and open a few presents. We’ll probably read this story, a little children’s book that my youngest son, Drew, wrote a few years back. The book is called «Light Up the Darkness, » and that’s exactly what Jesus came to do.
The Prophecy of Light
There was an ancient prophecy written about him in Isaiah 9:2 that says, «The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; for those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.» This is the season for light. You know, there’s a 400-year period of darkness between the last page of the Old Testament, the book of Malachi, and the birth of Jesus. It was a time when no prophets were speaking on behalf of God. It was a very dark time, and it seemed like God was doing absolutely nothing. But haven’t you discovered that God is never not doing something? I mean, God is always working behind the scenes. He’s at work in the dark of your life and mine. He’s always shaping, molding, making plans, and preparing something.
I find this very cool: in those 400 years of darkness, the big, bad bully on the block was the Roman Empire. Around 312 BC, right at the beginning of that period of silence and darkness, guess what they were doing? They were starting construction on the intricate Roman road system. The very road system that would be ready just in time for the early followers of Jesus to carry the good news of God’s love all over the known world! In the silence and in the dark, God was getting all things ready for the light to come shine in the darkness. The prophecy was right: the people will see a great light. Eyes will be opened; hearts will be illuminated. Hopelessness, despair, and darkness will be driven out of people’s lives when He comes.
Hey, I hope you’ll tune in to «The Daily Drive» this week and next. I know you all might not be in the same kind of routine, but it might help get your heart ready for Christmas. Then, in the new year, we’re going to start walking through the Gospel of John. Now, the gospel simply means «good news, » and John was one of Jesus’ closest friends and followers, and his book is just amazing. So I hope you’ll tune in and follow along.
Jesus as the Light
This is how John starts his book. In the first chapter, he refers to Jesus as the Eternal Word. He says, «In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.» He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness is not overcome. Isn’t that amazing? The one who initially said, «Let there be light, » is the same one who came down, wrapped himself in our flesh, to light up the darkness in your life and mine. Like we just sang, «Life and light to all He brings.»
Well, Jesus, that light that shines in the darkness, gave this amazing talk one time while standing on a hillside. It’s commonly referred to as the Sermon on the Mount. You can find it in Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7 in the New Testament part of the Bible, and you really ought to read it sometime. It is this cultural, counterintuitive, countercultural, radical, upside-down, totally backwards kind of teaching. For instance, He stands up on this hillside and kind of asks the question of everybody there. He says, «Well, if you want to be truly happy, if you want to be truly blessed and deeply satisfied in the depths of your soul, here’s how you start: blessed are the busted.» He starts with you.
If you want to live a rich, deeply fulfilling life, then it all begins with recognizing your spiritual poverty. When you reach into your spiritual pockets and turn them inside out, and you find out all you’ve got are little lint balls in there—that’s a good day because it makes you realize your desperate need for God in your life. And when you come to Him in your brokenness, that’s when real life begins: blessed are the busted.
Then Jesus goes on to talk about humility and surrender and how those things are the pathway to recovery. He talks about being hungry and thirsty for the things of God. He talks about you and me extending the same kind of mercy and grace that we have been given. He talks about us dropping all the image-management games and becoming authentic, just these pure-hearted, peacemaking kind of people.
Those first 12 verses recorded in Matthew chapter 5 are often called the Beatitudes. By the way, most 12-step recovery programs are based on those Beatitudes. So Jesus gives us this against-the-flow pathway to living a great life. Then He wraps up this intro to the Sermon on the Mount by saying this in verses 14-16: «You, I’m talking to you, are the light of the world, like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 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.» It is the season for light!
We Are the Light of the World
Now, this section about light is not like Jesus saying, «Okay, hope you all got the Beatitudes; now let’s move on to something else.» No, this is the culminating paragraph to His introduction on the Sermon on the Mount. It’s meant to wrap up all these Beatitudes. So Jesus is saying, listen, if you will live like I just described—being broken and dependent upon God, humbly surrendered to His power and control every day; if you will maintain this hunger and thirst for the things of God; if you will walk through your day extending the same kind of grace and mercy that you have received from Him; if you will live your life as a relational peacemaker and do it with a pure and authentic heart—even in the midst of tough times, whether pain or persecution—if you live like that, you will be so different, you will be so countercultural that you, yes, you, will be the light of the world. Gang, that’s our job description. Just go shine! Go shine! It is the season for light.
And I know there is a lot of darkness in this world, and I don’t know about you, but I think it seems to get darker every day. I know that some of you may be in situations right now that seem pretty dark, so much so that it feels overwhelming to you. But it always helps me to remember that the darker it gets, the brighter the light shines. The darker it gets, the brighter the light shines. Paul tells us this in Philippians chapter 2. He 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 of crooked and perverse people.» He’s just saying, listen, your good life, your kind life, your compassionate life, your selflessly humble life is going to stand out in stark contrast because the darker it gets, the brighter the light shines.
Light Brightens
Now, when light is too bright, it can cause blindness and squinting—like somebody heading toward you with their high-beam headlights on, you know, on a two-lane road. It can be so obnoxiously intense that it causes people to turn away. But at its best—at its very best—light does some pretty amazing things. Light brightens. Light just brightens up people’s lives. And I know a lot of people like that. They’re like the sun coming out on a cloudy day at the beach. You ever experienced that? You’re lying on the sand, and the cloud covers up the sun. You’re lying there thinking, man, it’s kind of chilly out here, right? Then the cloud moves, and the sun comes back out. It’s like, oh man, that feels so good! Some of you are people like that. You just show up at the right time, kind of remove the clouds. You have a way of saying the right thing at the right time, cracking the right kind of joke, giving the right kind of hug. It’s just like light walked into the room.
Since this is the season of light, I was thinking that maybe all of us could get a little more intentional about brightening other people’s lives. So I’m going to ask you to think about that right now. Just bring someone to your mind. Who is it in your world right now that you know could really use some light these days? Who is it that could really use some encouragement from you, some kindness from you, maybe some financial help from you, maybe even an unexpected gift? Who is it in your life right now that would just love to get a text from you, would love to get a phone call from you, or maybe even—as Josh talked about a couple of weeks ago—could even use some forgiveness from you?
I’m guessing that some of you are dreading those upcoming Christmas dinners because there’s always a lot of tension around the table. The thought of Cousin Eddie parking his RV in front of your house for the next two weeks is about to make you throw up, right? Well, if that’s you, and there’s a lot of tension going on in the family, I just want to show you something. It’s amazing; there has been this breakthrough that could be just what the doctor ordered for you and all your relational tension. Check this out. This is amazing!
I just never thought it could happen to me, to my own family. It just felt like we were trapped in this black hole of anger and resentment, like the walls were just closing in on me, like I was in the trash compactor from «Star Wars, » and I’m Luke Skywalker. There’s Princess Leia, who I don’t know is my sister yet. Even though Han Solo is trying his hardest to save us, he’s driving me crazy. Then there’s Chewy in the corner just going, «Rrrr.» Anyway, the holidays roll around, and it’s just like Christmas brings out the worst in all of us. All those longstanding grudges and unresolved family conflict just seem to rear their ugly heads this time of year. The last thing I wanted to do was go to the annual family holiday party.
Then my doctor told me about Reconcile. Reconcile is the safe, easy, and effective way to bring relational reconciliation to you and yours during the chaos that Christmas brings. Reconcile is recommended for all occasions where friends and family need a little help getting over those long-held resentments and bitter grudges. Reconcile is not for people who are dating, engaged, or may become engaged during the holidays. Reconcile should never be taken with in-laws. In lab tests, in-laws taking Reconcile showed no improvement over those taking a placebo. Relational conflicts involving money or inheritance also showed no improvement. Take Reconcile at least 30 minutes before any anticipated conflict. Sharing Reconcile with others may increase your chances of reconciliation.
So if you’re looking for immediate reconciliation with the ones you’re supposed to love, look no further. Ask your doctor if Reconcile is right for you. Thank you, Reconcile. Ask your doctor about Reconcile. Side effects may include excessive hugging, chronic hand-holding, inexplicable affection for in-laws, and sloppy kisses from aunts and grandmas. Exceeding the recommended dosage may result in marriage proposals or pregnancy. If you experience reconciliation lasting more than 24 hours, that means the drug is working. Other side effects include dry mouth, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness, earache, nosebleed, loss of vision, loss of hearing, euphoria, sudden paralysis, leprosy, and plague. Oh man!
Hey, don’t you wish it was that easy? But honestly, who is it that you know that, if you would just intentionally choose to be a light this holiday season, it would make a huge difference in your family? It would really brighten their life. You know, Romans 12:18 reminds us, «If it’s possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.» Sometimes, you know what? It’s not possible. But he’s saying don’t you be the reason that the tension remains. You choose to shine. You choose to light up the darkness, because that’s what light does—it brightens.
Light Guides
Light also guides. How many lost hikers or campers have found their way out of the woods with a flashlight, or seen the lights of a house in the distance and walked toward that light? How many ships at sea looking for a safe port have been guided by the light of a lighthouse? And how many people in this dark world right now are just looking for a safe haven? Who do you know like that? Who do you know right now that could just use some loving guidance?
Again, maybe there’s somebody in your world who could use someone just like you—someone who has the relational equity with them who can honestly speak some truth into their life that might help them get back on track. Maybe there’s somebody struggling right now with confidence, self-esteem issues, fear, and anxiety. Maybe they’re a younger person, and they really look up to you. They could just use somebody like you to tell them it’s going to be okay, that you believe in them, and that they are actually God’s masterpiece. Maybe there’s somebody in your neighborhood, maybe at your workplace or at school, that you could just invite to one of our Christmas services. It’s an easy invite! You don’t have to say a whole lot, just show up and shine, and let the peace and the joy and the light that God has given you help guide them all the way home.
Light Warms
Light brightens. Light guides. And I love the way light warms. I recently built a fire pit at our house. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s just a place to hang out with family and friends. I’ve got some guys who will occasionally come over, and we’ll just talk about all kinds of stuff—talk about God, talk about life, talk about football and basketball. We’ll do the whole Monday morning quarterback thing, dissecting it all. We’ll trash talk each other and encourage each other. We’ll even get the kids involved and do kind of the s’mores thing. Everything just seems to feel better around the warmth of that kind of glow, doesn’t it? So here’s a probing question to ask yourself. I had to ask myself this week: Would people see me as a warm person? Is there like this safe, inviting glow about me? If not, then why not?
Listen, this has nothing to do with your personality type. There are some folks who are just more naturally people-oriented, and others who are a bit more introverted—and that’s okay! You’ve got to be who God wired you up to be. However, cold and uninviting is not the way the Holy Spirit wants any of us to be. Remember, we are the light of the world, and one of the things that light does is it warms. Whether we’re an extrovert or an introvert, whether we’re a feeler or a thinker, whether we’re a hugger or we turn into an ironing board when we see huggers approaching us, the same Holy Spirit wants to flow through uniquely you and me to warm up the lives of people, because that’s what light does. And it is the season for light! We are the light of the world.
Light Includes
I also love how light is indiscriminate. Light has this inclusive way of spreading out its beams on everybody. I mean, think about it. There will be thousands of candles in all of our auditoriums this Christmas service. But even if there were just one simple candle, the light from that one single candle would fill the entire room. A little bit of light falls on everybody. Even though you can direct a spotlight or a floodlight toward a particular object, still a little piece of that light shines on everybody. Again, it’s the season for light. So is there somebody in your world that needs somebody to include them? Again, bring that person to mind.
Think about it for a second. Is there a kid at school that would just love to hear, «Hey, you want to sit with us? You want to go to the game with us? Want to hang out with us?» Is there a neighbor that kind of seems like they’re a loner who might come over for a cookout at your house or some Christmas dinner at your place? Is there somebody you know that God just keeps putting in your path that could just use an invite into your circle of inclusion? Mother Teresa once said, «The problem with the world is that we draw our family circles way too small.» With all the division in the world, with all the opinions, labeling, and all the exclusion going on, maybe we as the light of the world could start drawing bigger circles to include people who are just dying to be a part of a family—a family of belonging, a family of hope and joy, a family of light. You see, that’s what light does.
Light Chases Out Darkness
But out of all these attributes of light, here’s the best part, I think: light chases out the darkness. Light just chases out the darkness. Anyone else, when they were a kid, afraid of the dark? I remember sleeping with the light on for like a month after I watched that creepy movie, «The Wizard of Oz, » when I was a kid. Now sure, it’s got cute little Toto, the munchkins, and ruby slippers, but you also have witches and tornadoes and talking scarecrows and lions and a guy that looks like an oil can. You’ve got these flying monkeys, and those flying monkeys to me were absolutely terrifying. I still hate those things! I went to see «Wicked» in a play in Chicago a while back, and when the flying monkeys came out, I thought I was going to have to leave! I’m still terrified by the flying monkeys.
In fact, I hate all scary movies. I don’t understand why, with all the darkness in our world, we insist on cranking out more and more violent horror films. If you’ve ever watched a scary movie, they’re all the same. There’s always a girl walking down a dark hallway, and you know somebody’s in the house. How do you know? Because the creepy music is playing! That’s how you know! It’s pitch dark, and what does she do? Does she walk right past the light switch? I’m screaming inside, just flip the switch! Just turn on the light! Because if you do, the darkness and the creepy music will stop!
You see, here’s the deal: darkness cannot stand the effects of light. Here’s the thing about light: light wins every single time! Darkness has no choice! Light wins every time! Again, «In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not and will not ever overcome it.»
Like many of you, I pray daily for what’s going on in the Middle East—all the horrible stuff happening. But I had the privilege of going to Israel a few years back, and I got to stand where Jesus taught that famous Sermon on the Mount. From Jesus’ teaching perspective, I noticed that He and the crowd could see the city of Tiberias set up on a hill across the Sea of Galilee. Now, it’s certainly got a lot more light bulbs today than it did back then, but even back then, it was one of those cities that everybody could see. So when Jesus said, «A city on a hill can’t be hidden, » He was probably pointing across the lake and saying, «A city on a hill like that—like Tiberias—you can’t miss it, especially at night. You could not not see it.»
A Story of Shining Light
I got to be a part of a really cool thing a few years back. A few of us got talking about how we ought to intentionally bless somebody. We decided to pool our extra Christmas gift budget and just pick somebody in need. We all had a little remodeling experience, so we knew of this sweet lady who just lost her husband, and her house needed some major attention. We had collected about $3,000, so we got our daughters to invite her out of town for a week-long visit—not telling her anything about what was going on. It was going to be a total surprise! They were in on it, but nobody else knew. We got the keys from them and got started, hoping to surprise her with like a fresh coat of paint and some hardwood floors in her kitchen and her small family room. That’s what we had budgeted and prepared to do.
Well, it didn’t go exactly as planned. Even though we were trying to keep it totally anonymous, somebody got wind of what our little crew was doing, and on the very first day, a couple of guys show up and say, «Hey, do you all know the bathroom tile needs replacing?» We said, «Yeah, but…» Oh, we got it! We got it! Then somebody else shows up—the back door is broken and there’s water standing at the threshold. I got it! This guy went and bought a brand new sliding glass door, installed it, and fixed the water issue. I mean, it got completely out of control! People were walking all over each other doing projects. By the end of the week, there was new landscaping, new couches, every room got painted, as well as the kitchen cabinets, and a roofing crew even stopped by and gave her a brand new roof!
What began as just three guys with a very meager budget turned into over $30,000 worth of donated materials and work done in five days by over 30 people. Other people brought food all day long, some people dropped off gift cards for her, and encouragement cards for her. Her neighbors gathered in their yards just to watch it all go down. You could not not notice! It was like a city on a hill. Gang, it was not about any of us at all; we were just simply trying to anonymously bless somebody. But word got out, and apparently a bunch of other people like doing that too. It’s like this whole help-someone-in-need thing has been wired up within us by our creator.
I tell you all this not to boast in any way about our goodness, but because I got to see the goodness of God flowing through so many people who just chose to intentionally shine. Do you remember how Jesus said, «Let your good deeds shine out for all to see so that people will applaud you, so that people will talk about you on social media, how great you are, so that people will think you’re awesome?» No! Let your good deeds shine out so that people will praise your heavenly Father! Let your intentional, authentic acts of compassion throw a floodlight on the goodness and compassion and love of our Father. It is the season to light up the darkness! So who is it right now that you know that could use some light from you?
Light Up the Darkness — The Children’s Book
Well, if it’s okay, I want to wrap this up by reading this little children’s book that my youngest son, Drew, wrote. I know this might feel like a bedtime story with Papa, but hopefully this will flood some hope and light into your soul. The book is called «Light Up the Darkness, » and this is how it goes:
«I was just a boy one winter’s night beneath my favorite tree. It was the night of my 12th birthday, all alone as I could be. No cards, no cake, no candles, no presents wrapped for me, because no one threw a party for a little boy who could not see. I sat there like most nights before, wishing the darkness would light up for me. When in my ear a voice came near, and I wondered who could it be? I heard the stress in his voice as he pleaded for a room, a place to stay for him, his wife, and the baby in her womb. 'There’s no place for you here, ' he was told again, and once more those words I’d heard enough myself to not knock on anyone’s door. With no place left to go, they shuffled closer to my tree—a family of only two who were soon to become three. His very first cry was sharp and shrill; I could feel the animals scurry. His parents laughed, and then they cried, softly whispered, 'Don’t you worry.' And suddenly the night was gleaming beneath my sightless eyes, as if someone chose the brightest star and plucked it from the skies. One by one they came to see him; their songs made their way to my tree. They called him names like Lord and Savior, said he’d light up the dark for all to see. I could smell that some were shepherds; I heard voices in the sky singing, 'Peace on earth, goodwill to men, glory to God on high! ' But soon the singing turned to silence; I was sure that they’d moved on. I hoped he was the Prince of Peace, the Messiah, God’s own Son.
Then the wind blew for a while, and the nights felt dark again. Thirty years had come and gone since that night beneath my tree. I traded in my shaded spot for a place by the road to plea. Day after day, I sat in hope the darkness would light up for me. When in my ear a crowd came near, and I wondered who could it be? I heard voices calling, 'Lord and Savior! ' as they sang familiar praises. 'The lame can walk, the blind now see, and the dead this man raises.' So with all my might, I called his name. He took my hand; he noticed me. With just a touch, he lit up the darkness; he opened my eyes so I could see. The little baby born that night, as I listened to his cries, now listened to my humble cry and gave sight to sightless eyes. That’s why they called him the light of the world at night beneath my tree, because he was born to light up the darkness for ones like you and me.»
Invitation to Receive the Light
So here’s what I know, because I’ve been there. Some of you are going to be so close to the message of Christmas this year. You’re going to feel a light and this warmth, kind of a stirring in your heart. Maybe even you’re feeling it right now. You may forget all about wanting and warming for a season. You may put away corporate ladders and ledgers and laptops and such. You may unplug life’s treadmill, and you just might gaze toward the Star of Bethlehem and wonder what happened away in a manger on a silent night. But I’m just telling you from experience, if you don’t find that light for yourself, if you don’t find peace with God for yourself, the magic of the season will just be temporary. Because the reality is, in a few days, all the decorations are coming down, and pine needles are going to clog your vacuum cleaner. Your trash can is going to be overflowing with wrapping paper, and you’re going to be taking back size 32 for a size 36. Eggnog is going to be half price, and it’ll all be just back to normal again. Once again, Christmas will come and go, where you kind of felt this warm glow, but you never called out to Him personally and asked Him to light up your darkness.
So I’ve been praying that you would really get to personally know the God of love—the one that’s changed my life and so many others in this place—that you would unwrap and embrace His gracious gift of forgiveness, hope, heaven, and peace—light and life to all He brings. So I’m going to ask you to bow your heads just for a few moments. It’s true today; you could actually move from darkness to light just by saying yes to Jesus, and it starts with just a simple childlike faith. It begins with that honest «blessed are the busted» kind of prayer, where you just say from an honest heart—no formula, no ritualistic kind of words—just simple, humble faith, where you just say, «Jesus, I need you to be my light. I want you to be my forgiver. I want you to be my peace. I want you to be my leader.»
If that’s you, I just urge you to pray that kind of prayer in your own words. Something like: «Jesus, I believe. I believe that you are the Son of God. I believe that you are the Prince of Peace. You are the light of the world. I want to thank you for coming into my darkness. Thank you for dying on a cross and rising from the dead so that I could experience eternal life and light. I just want to follow you with all my heart.»
Jesus, thank you for coming to this world. Thank you that you wrapped yourself in our flesh, and you came full of grace and truth, and you did light up the darkness. I can’t even imagine what this world would be like without your light in it. Father, I pray for all of us to get intentional about our job description wherever we’re at this week, whether we’re out shopping, hanging with friends, with family, or whatever we’re doing. God, I pray we get intentional about brightening somebody’s life, about helping somebody in need-just warming up their soul. God, just use us to do that this week, and I pray that this Christmas season will be one of those that we’ll never ever forget because we let you flow through us-let you light up our darkness. I pray all this in your name. Amen.