Sermon Summary:
We just wrapped up our "Unstuck" series exploring the 12 steps, but a question remains: why do we get stuck in the first place? Why do we believe the right things yet live like they're not true? The gap between intellectual belief and lived experience is where we often find ourselves stuck. We position ourselves as observers of truth rather than participants in it.

In 3 John 1:3-4, we see joy not in believers having correct theology, but in people walking in the truth. C.S. Lewis captures this distinction in his essay "Reflections in a Tool Shed," where he differentiates between looking at a beam of light versus looking along it. Looking at something is examination; looking along it is experience.
Like a couple in love who experiences reality differently than a biologist analyzing their brain chemistry, there's a profound difference between analyzing truth and experiencing it. The most important truths can't be accessed from the outside – you must step inside them.

Our problem? We're running on a secular operating system while trying to install kingdom beliefs. Romans 12:2 calls us to "be transformed by the renewing of your minds" – making our mental patterns new again and again. This isn't just reciting facts but transforming our imagination.

Hebrews 11:1 describes faith as "the substantiating of things hoped for" – making future realities feel substantial now. The heroes of faith didn't just intellectually believe; they vividly envisioned God's promises, which transformed how they lived.
When we get inside truths like Romans 8:18 – that present sufferings aren't worth comparing to coming glory – it changes everything. It expands our frame of reference, making current problems more manageable and giving hope in suffering.
Our task is to regularly imagine eternity, not just believe in it theoretically. Let's be disciples of our minds, allowing truth to get inside us so we live as eternal beings in a temporary world.

Discussion Questions:

1. In what areas of your life do you find the biggest gap between what you intellectually believe and how you actually live? What might be causing that disconnect?
2. The sermon used C.S. Lewis's illustration of "looking at" versus "looking along" a beam of light. Can you share an example from your own life where you moved from examining a truth to experiencing it? How did that shift change you?
3. The sermon suggested that many of us operate on a "secular mental narrative" even while holding Christian beliefs. What aspects of secular thinking do you notice influencing your daily decisions and reactions?
4. How might your life look different if you truly lived as though Romans 8:18 were real – that present sufferings aren't worth comparing to future glory? What specific situations would you approach differently?
5. The sermon emphasized the role of imagination in transforming belief into lived experience. What practices might help you develop a "sanctified imagination" that envisions eternal realities more vividly?
6. If someone asked you tomorrow, "What difference does believing in eternity make in how you live today?", what would be your honest answer? What's one step you could take toward living more consistently with your eternal perspective?

Sermon Summary:
In the final message of our "Unstuck" series, we examined Step 12: "Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we sought to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all of our affairs." This step poses a profound question for all of us: What message are we carrying? Whether intentionally or not, we're all carrying some message through our words, actions, and priorities.

The concept of carrying a message originated with Jesus himself, who commissioned his followers to share the good news of God's kingdom. But why should we carry this message? The answer comes from Bill W., co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, who discovered that sharing his story with another alcoholic wasn't just about helping the other person—it was essential for his own survival. This reveals a powerful truth: there is no healing without helping. When we focus outward instead of inward, we find purpose beyond ourselves.

Despite this, we often resist carrying the message. Like Jonah, we run from our calling, gripped by what psychologist Abraham Maslow called the "Jonah Complex"—the tendency to flee from our greatest potential. To overcome this, we offered two simple actions: talk to people about God's love and serve people with God's love.

When it comes to talking about God, we often feel inadequate or afraid. But remember Jonah's sermon to Nineveh—just eight words that changed an entire city. God works in the space between our words and others' hearts. And our fears? Usually, they're not about persecution but awkwardness. In America, we won't be fed to lions for sharing our faith—we might just experience a moment of discomfort.

By serving others with no strings attached, we demonstrate God's love in tangible ways that bypass people's defenses. Like Sam Shoemaker, who welcomed recovering alcoholics into his church, we're called to "stay near the door"—close enough to God to know Him, but close enough to others to help them find the door too. Our healing isn't complete until we're helping others find healing.

Discussion Questions:

1. The sermon states "We are all carrying a message." Reflect honestly on what message your life might be communicating right now. Is it different from the message you want to carry?
2. Bill W. discovered that "there is no healing without helping." How have you experienced this principle in your own life? When has helping someone else unexpectedly helped you?
3. The "Jonah Complex" describes our tendency to run from our greatest potential. In what areas of your life might you be avoiding your true calling or purpose? What fears are driving that avoidance?
4. The sermon mentioned that often "we don't fear physical persecution; we fear awkwardness." How has fear of awkward moments prevented you from sharing your faith? What's the worst that could realistically happen if you stepped out of your comfort zone?
5. Sam Shoemaker wrote about staying "near the door" – close enough to God but also close enough to help others find Him. Where are you positioned right now? Too far in, too far out, or near the door? What might need to change?
6. The sermon emphasized both talking about God's love and serving with God's love. Which comes more naturally to you, and which represents a growth area? What's one specific way you could practice your "growth area" this week?

Sermon Summary:
In our "Unstuck" series, we explored Steps 8 and 9 of the Twelve Steps: making a list of those we've harmed and making amends. We began with Jesus' radical teaching from the Sermon on the Mount that challenges our priorities. While religious leaders of His day would never interrupt worship, Jesus said, "If you remember someone you've wronged while worshiping, leave your gift at the altar and go make it right." For Jesus, reconciled relationships matter more than religious rituals.
We then examined the story of Zacchaeus, the hated tax collector who climbed a tree to see Jesus. Instead of condemning him, Jesus invited Himself to Zacchaeus' house, taking on the crowd's contempt by associating with this "sinner." This act of radical acceptance transformed Zacchaeus, who immediately declared, "I give half my possessions to the poor, and if I've cheated anybody, I'll pay back four times the amount."
This transformation illustrates the power of making amends. We can't simply say "sorry" while continuing to benefit from harm we've caused others. That's what AA calls being a "dry drunk" – physically sober but spiritually sick. True transformation means acknowledging specific harms, understanding their ripple effects, and taking concrete action to make things right.
The process isn't easy. It requires making a list, recognizing the harm we've caused, approaching those we've hurt with humility, and offering to make things right. While some situations make direct amends impossible, we can still practice "living amends" – consistently changing our behavior to demonstrate genuine transformation.
When we take these courageous steps of obedience, we experience freedom from regret, fear, and isolation – just as Zacchaeus did when salvation came to his house.

Discussion Questions:

1. The sermon opened with a contrast between Emily Post's church etiquette and Jesus' priorities. How might our modern church culture sometimes prioritize religious practices over reconciled relationships?
2. Jesus told his followers to interrupt their worship to address broken relationships. What unresolved relationship might God be asking you to prioritize right now? What's keeping you from taking that step?
3. Zacchaeus was transformed when Jesus chose to associate with him despite public criticism. When have you experienced or witnessed acceptance that led to transformation?
4. The sermon mentioned the "ripple effect" of our harmful actions. Think about a time you harmed someone – how might that harm have spread beyond just that person?
5. Making amends often involves significant cost, as it did for Zacchaeus. What fears or concerns make you hesitant to make amends in your own life?
6. The concept of "living amends" was introduced for situations where direct amends aren't possible. What might a living amends look like in a specific situation from your own life?

Sermon Summary:
Shame drives us to hide. From the moment Adam and Eve felt shame in the garden and covered themselves with fig leaves, humanity has been stuck in this pattern of concealing our true selves. We begin with a confession – whether we realize it or not, we're all hiding something.
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The "Unstuck" series explores how the 12 steps of AA correspond with Jesus' teachings. While the first four steps help us acknowledge our powerlessness, recognize our need for God, surrender control, and take honest inventory of ourselves, it's the fifth step that often becomes the sticking point: "We admit to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs."

This confession step is where transformation begins. James 5:16 tells us to "confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." There's healing power in bringing our hidden struggles into the light with another person. When we try to manage shame alone, it only grows deeper.

The distinction between guilt and shame is crucial: guilt says "I did something bad," while shame whispers "I am bad." Guilt can lead to positive change, but shame drives us further into hiding and isolation.

What makes confession so powerful is that it shatters shame's greatest lie – that if people really knew us, they wouldn't love us. When someone hears our worst moments and still responds with love, shame loses its grip.

The good news of the gospel is that God cancels our record of debt through Christ. We are fully known and still deeply loved. There should be nothing in our lives that someone doesn't know, because connection is the antidote to shame.
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Coming out from hiding means reclaiming what was stolen in the garden – living as we were always intended to: open, honest, known, and deeply loved.

Discussion Questions:

1. When have you experienced the impulse to hide due to shame? What did you learn from that experience?
2. What's the difference between healthy guilt and destructive shame in your own life? How do you distinguish between the two?
3. The sermon mentions "the cost of concealment is always greater than the cost of confession." Do you agree or disagree? Why?
4. Who is someone in your life that you trust enough to be completely honest with? What qualities make them trustworthy for confession?
5. How does the idea that "God has canceled your record of debt" impact how you view your past mistakes and failures?
6. What specific step could you take this week toward greater honesty and openness in your relationships?

Sermon Summary:
In our "Unstuck" sermon series, we explored Step 4 of the 12-step recovery program: making a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. This practice, which began with Bill W. in 1935 through Alcoholics Anonymous, isn't just for those struggling with addiction but offers freedom to everyone.

While the first three steps are somewhat theoretical (admitting powerlessness, believing in a power greater than ourselves, and turning our lives over to God's care), Step 4 marks the transition to concrete action. Here we put pen to paper, getting specific about our defects of character instead of hiding behind vague statements like "everyone has issues."

Jesus demonstrated the importance of moral inventory throughout his ministry. He often helped people see truths about themselves they couldn't or wouldn't acknowledge. The difference is that Jesus could do this for others because he was without sin, while we need to focus primarily on examining ourselves rather than others.

A proper moral inventory is both searching (thorough and deliberate) and fearless (done with the confidence that we're in God's care). When we avoid honest self-examination, we tend to fall into either despair or self-righteousness – neither of which leads to growth.

The practical approach involves examining four key areas: resentments, fears, harms we've caused others, and sexual conduct. Through this process, we begin to recognize patterns and underlying issues that keep us stuck. While this inventory takes time initially, it eventually becomes a natural rhythm in our spiritual lives.
This process isn't about shame but freedom. At communion, we remember that Christ's sacrifice is the ultimate answer to our moral inventory – the intersection of our honesty and his mercy is where true healing occurs.
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Discussion Questions:

1. What makes the concept of a "searching and fearless moral inventory" feel intimidating or uncomfortable? What fears might prevent us from engaging in this process?
2. The sermon mentions that we're often quick to do moral inventories on others rather than ourselves. Can you think of a time when you focused on someone else's flaws to avoid examining your own?
3. Of the four areas for moral inventory (resentments, fears, harms, and sexual conduct), which do you find most challenging to examine honestly? Why?
4. How might regular self-examination change your relationships with others? Can you think of a specific relationship that might benefit from this practice?
5. The sermon suggests that patterns emerge when we do this inventory thoroughly. What patterns of behavior or thinking have you noticed in your own life that might be worth examining more deeply?
6. How does knowing that God's grace covers all our failings change how we approach this process of self-examination? How might communion serve as a reminder of this truth?