5 Minutes with Jesus is a daily devotional series for people in the midst of real life, whether facing anxiety, grief, questions of purpose, or simply needing encouragement and connection. Hosted by Sheila Walsh, each five-minute episode offers Biblical truth, honest reflections on faith and emotions, and closes with a moment of prayer.
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| Sheila Walsh: The Light of the World | 5 Minutes with Jesus | December 20, 2025
- Light changes everything.
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- When we walk into a dark room,
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- The first thing we do is turn on the light.
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- When there's a power cut, we'd like a candle
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- To navigate away in the darkness.
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- So two.
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- We cannot navigate this dark, ever shifting world
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- Without the illuminating light of christ.
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- There's something just so beautiful and peaceful,
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- But the quiet flickering of candle light in the evening.
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- The christmas eve
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- Candlelight service has been one of my favorites
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- Ever since i was a child
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- In our church, as a service draws to a close.
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- The lights are turned off and in darkness
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- We begin with only the light of a single candle burning.
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- I passed out, lights, another candle,
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- And then they light another and another
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- Until the whole sanctuary begins to glow.
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- As we sing together.
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- Silent night and that holy moment.
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- I always feel as if i'm in bethlehem.
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- Kneeling by the baby.
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- And awe and wonder
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- Being raised in a small scottish baptist church.
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- My understanding of what advent meant was limited
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- To the calendar.
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- My siblings and i rushed to open each morning in december.
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- It's only in recent years i've come to understand
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- And appreciate the meaning of advent for the church
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- And the lighting of the advent candles.
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- Each sunday leading up to christmas, there's
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- So much found meaning and symbolism in each one.
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- If this is new to you as
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- Well, here are a few things i've come to understand.
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- The word advent simply means arrival or coming.
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- During advent,
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- We remember
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- How god's people waited for the promised messiah to arrive.
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- Waiting is hard.
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- If you have children,
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- You'll know that's particularly hard
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- For little ones at this time of year.
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- For those who are waiting for messiah,
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- It must have seemed like their wait would never end.
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- Waiting is something we all have to face
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- At some point in our life.
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- You know, we waited for a few years
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- Wondering when the pandemic would be over.
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- We wondered when life would get back to normal,
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- To what we knew as normal.
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- We've asked the lord how long?
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- How long will this go on?
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- A cry is not unique to our times or to this generation.
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- That's been the cry of god's people throughout the centuries.
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- In one of the most poignant psalms, david cries
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- Out, o lord, how long will you forget me?
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- Forever.
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- How long will you look the other way?
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- Perhaps you felt some of that this year.
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- If you're waiting for a prayer
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- To be answered, how long, lord, is a god
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- Given longing in each one of us to see darkness recede.
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- And the light of christ shine.
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- Jesus told those who were following him
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- That he didn't
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- Just come to bring some light, but rather that he is the light.
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- Jesus spoke to the people once more
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- And said, i am the light of the world.
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- If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness
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- Because you will have the light that leads to life.
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- That is a promise from the mouth of christ.
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- Therefore, we can stick our lips on it.
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- Jesus is the very light of god with us,
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- And he is the light that leads to eternal life.
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- What does it mean to follow him?
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- What does that look life like for our daily lives?
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- William barclay writes, to be a follower of christ
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- Is to give oneself, body,
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- Soul and spirit into the obedience of the master
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- And to enter upon that following is to walk in the light.
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- Light changes everything.
- 00:03:39.542 --> 00:03:41.611
- When we walk into a dark room,
- 00:03:41.611 --> 00:03:42.979
- The first thing we do is turn on the light.
- 00:03:42.979 --> 00:03:45.515
- When there's a power cut, we'd like a candle
- 00:03:45.515 --> 00:03:47.383
- To navigate away in the darkness.
- 00:03:47.383 --> 00:03:49.652
- So two.
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- We cannot navigate this dark, ever shifting world
- 00:03:50.753 --> 00:03:54.524
- Without the illuminating light of christ.
- 00:03:54.524 --> 00:03:57.660
- The prophet isaiah wrote
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- About 700 years before the birth of christ.
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- He was living in a very dark time,
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- But prophetically he looked forward
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- Through the darkness to the one who was coming to bring light.
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- Galilee, at that time was an area where paganism
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- And jewish religious rituals had become
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- Mixed, giving no clear light to anyone.
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- The people who had once loved and served god now worshiped
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- All sorts of false gods,
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- Or they worshiped the earth, or they worshiped nature.
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- It was a place and a time of real spiritual darkness
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- With no apparent hope in sight.
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- However, the message that the holy spirit gave to
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- Isaiah was one of hope and light for the future.
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- In isaiah chapter nine, we read nevertheless that
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- Time of darkness and despair will not go on forever.
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- The land of zebulun and naphtali will be humbled,
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- And there will be a time in the future
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- When galilee of the gentiles, which lies along the road,
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- That runs
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- Between the jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.
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- The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.
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- For those who live in a land of deep darkness.
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- A light will shine.
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- This scripture is a promise through the prophet isaiah
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- That although israel is experiencing
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- A time of great darkness, a great time like this coming.
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- It seems as if everything
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- About the birth and life of jesus was disguised, you know?
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- Born to a poor teenage couple and the least likely place.
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- Bringing good news, healing, hope and peace to those
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- And a despised area of the world.
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- I love that i find such comfort in those facts.
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- I hope you do too.
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- But we've placed our trust in christ.
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- We no longer walk in darkness.
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- Yeah, we may walk through dark days.
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- But we are never alone.
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- Perhaps as the day ends today, you could light a candle.
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- And remember the light
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- That christ came to bring to the world.
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- No matter how dark things may seem at times,
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- We have this promise.
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- The light shines in the darkness.
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- And the darkness can never be extinguished.
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- Let's pray.
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- Lord jesus, we thank you right now
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- That you are the light in our world.
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- We thank that you were willing to come to a place
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- Of such darkness and bring hope and joy and peace.
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- Thank you.
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- You don't just bring some light,
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- But you are the light of the world.
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- And as we light candles, lord, remind us of the light
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- And the warmth
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- And the change that you have brought to our lives.
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- And let us worship you there in jesus name.
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- Amen.
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