Introduction: Have you ever been or are you currently afraid of the dark? Why or why not?

Study
1. Read John 8:12. What is the “I Am” statement Jesus makes in this verse? What does Jesus say the people should do? (Follow Him.) What does He promise those who follow Him? (They’ll never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.)

2. How does that work? How can we avoid darkness and have the light of life?
First, we need to be followers of Jesus. He IS light. He is the One who can show us the right way to go. The world or our own great ideas cannot guide us. This light that is mentioned isn’t the light we’re used to receiving when we flip on a light switch in our home. That’s called artificial light. Artificial light is attained when systems take electrical energy and turn it into light. These systems usually pass an electrical current through something that heats until it glows or through different gases that can end up producing light when they get excited. Jesus is NOT artificial light. He IS light. So, if we follow Him, and He’s light itself, we’ll be walking in light, too. His presence can guide us away from darkness and into the light. How does He do it?

3. What else (besides seeing what Jesus does and doing tasks ourselves) does the Word say will help us never to walk in darkness but have the light of life? Read the following verses and share what you learn about light and/or walking in the light:
Proverbs 4:18-19; Proverbs 6:23; Psalms 119:105; Psalm 119:130
So, it seems the Lord uses His Word to guide and direct us in light.

4. Later on in life, John (who wrote this gospel we’ve been reading from) wrote a few letters that are referred to in our Bibles as 1, 2 and 3 John.
Read 1 John 1:5-6. What is not in God? (Any darkness)
Read 1 John 1:8-10. What is darkness called in these verses? (Sin)

What should we do with our sin so we walk in the light and not in darkness? (Don’t deny or ignore it. Instead, confess it, receive forgiveness, and be purified.)

Challenge
Are you living according to the light or in darkness? Do you sometimes jump from one to the next depending on who is around you? Could you improve in the area of spending time in the Word? Would you like help with that?

Remember, walking in the light isn’t always a painless process. How would you feel if someone turned on a super bright flashlight in your room at 3 a.m. and shined it in your eyes while you were trying to sleep? I’m guessing you’d be a little uncomfortable, wouldn’t you? Sometimes that’s how our lives might feel while we turn from darkness and walk in the light. Remember, the Lord promises that walking in this way will lead to life! So, it’s definitely worth it!

Lesson 5: John 10:9: “I Am the Gate“