Join us for Easter
8:30am | 9:45am | 11:00am
__largepreview__.webp)
Sermon Discussion Guide - 07/20/2025
Published July 20, 2025
note to self - seeing what god sees:
Labels Lie
Sermon Recap
This message challenges us to reject the false labels we've been carrying - names like failure, forgotten, or unworthy - and embrace the truth of our new identity in Christ. Using 2 Corinthians 5:17 and the story of Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 9, Dallas shows that God has always been in the business of renaming, restoring, and repurposing His people. In Jesus, the old has gone and the new has come. We are not just healed, we are given a mission to carry grace to others as Christ's ambassadors.
Ice Breakers
- Did you ever have a childhood nickname that stuck way too long?
- What’s the weirdest or most random label someone’s ever given you?
- If you could rename yourself for a week, what name would you pick and why?
Discussion Questions
1. What label from your past do you still carry today?
- Context: Whether serious or silly, labels have a way of sticking. The sermon referenced names like “failure” or “fraud” that become part of our self-image.
- Application: What’s one label that’s been hard to shake? Where do you think it came from?
2. How does 2 Corinthians 5:17 speak to your identity in Christ?
- Context: “If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation; the old has passed away.” Dallas likened this transformation to a restored classic car - flawed history, but showroom fresh.
- Application: What part of your past do you need to stop letting define your present? How does this verse help reframe that?
3. Where in your life do you need to “delete the number” of your old self?
- Context: Dallas told a story of inheriting someone else’s phone number, and how eventually he had to inform people, “That person doesn’t live here anymore.”
- Application: When false identities or accusations resurface, how can you remind yourself (and the enemy) that your identity is now in Christ?
4. How can God’s renaming of people in the Bible encourage you today?
- Context: Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Peter, and Mephibosheth all received new names or roles that reflected God's transformation in their lives.
- Application: What kind of new name or identity do you think God might be speaking over you? How can you begin to live into that?
5. What does it mean to be an ambassador for Christ in your everyday life?
- Context: As new creations, we’re also called into the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18–20). Ambassadors represent the Kingdom wherever they go.
- Application: Where has God “stationed” you right now (work, neighborhood, etc.)? What’s one intentional step you can take this week to reflect Christ there?
Prayer
- Pray for freedom from false labels and the courage to live in God’s truth
- Ask for clarity and boldness in our calling as Christ’s ambassadors
- Thank God for His restoration, new identity, and renewed purpose
- Encourage prayers for those still wrestling with identity and acceptance
Leader Tip
Some group members may struggle to even articulate the labels they carry - shame can keep these buried deep. This week, lead with vulnerability by sharing a label you've personally had to surrender. Model both honesty and the joy of redemption. Your willingness to go first can open the door for powerful healing conversations.