Sunday, 9 October.,

1. Being a good influence

2. Ideas You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world Be on your guard, stupidity comes around when you think you are right

3. Matthew 5:13-16 13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

4. We are not alone We are all someone to somebody. Each of us means something to somebody, somewhere, all the time. A child, a son or daughter to a parent A friend A student A partner A colleague

5. Genesis 4:7 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

6. What we do echoes into eternity What we should do is focusing on doing the right things (Genesis 4:7) Not just the ‘what’ but also doing it well Just as God has left His footprints for us to follow, so must we leave our footprints for others to follow Our actions are constantly watched by others and even more so, copied by the next generation. Thus we must be on our guard always

7. Matthew 16:5-12 5 Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. 6 Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” 7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.” 8 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread?[c]9 Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? 10 Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? 11 How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

8. Be excellent at doing the right things Who does the right things? Those who meditate the Word of God (Psalm 1) Signs of excellence – whatever they do prospers Extraordinarily right, or extraordinarily stupid!

9. Psalm 1:2-3 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,And in His law he meditates day and night.3 He shall be like a treePlanted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

10. Leaving a lasting positive legacy- teaching others to do things right The next generation – it is your children and your children’s children Imagine you teach your child and your child teaches their child and so on – the very things that you teach is an everlasting legacy and thus you leave your mark in the echoes of eternity! This is what it means to be a good influence on others!

11. Deuteronomy 6:4-7 4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.