Fear+less

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Fear+less I AM the Light of the World December 2, 2012 Text: John 8:1-12 (p. 894)

We fear being ___________. If we miss the heart of Jesus – when we miss the heart of Jesus - then Jesus’ ways and commands become “religious,” and religion seeks to __________ others’ weaknesses, failures and sins to make “me” look or feel better. (Lk. 18:9-14)

In our desire for esteem and value we can minimize and hide our stuff while exposing the stuff of others that we think is worse. Or, we can at least secretly ____________ a bit when their stuff becomes public. And we can give each other this idea – we can give the world this idea that this is what Jesus being “the light” is really all about. Exposure. Guilt. Condemnation. ______________.

We fear “I am what I am; I can’t __________.” In many ways in our culture, we have been taught that someone or something else is to blame for our lives, our destiny is already ___________________ and there isn’t much we can do about it. In essence, because of things like my genetics, my upbringing and my current life situations, who I am and the course of my life is pretty much a __________ ___________. The only person in that temple courtyard who could throw a stone, the only one who never sinned, also had ______________ because more than anyone He understands the story of humanity.

He understands more than anyone the slavery of sin and how it ________________ us into self-destructive lives. He understands the ___________________ that aches inside of us even if our stuff has never been exposed publicly. Jesus doesn’t ______________ or ______________. He doesn’t tell this woman that she is a victim where she has no responsibility nor does He callously act as if she has no story.

Your “story” doesn’t have to be the _________ of the story. Confession isn’t primarily about our sin, failure and weakness. Honestly, confession shouldn’t be primarily about _________. Confession should be first about Jesus – His glory, His ______________, His words of truth. Cycle: We think or believe (usually based on what we’ve heard). We then “confess” with our mouths. Confession ____________ and solidifies our beliefs. (Mt. 12:34; Prov. 18:21) The cycle works whether we believe the ____________ or we believe ___________. What would our lives be like if learned and confessed the truths of God, the words of the ______________, over our lives? What would it be like if we actively and regularly took _______________ thoughts that oppose the good news? What would we, the people of God, be like if we spoke the “___________ _______ ___________” over each other, not just confronting each other but empowering and encouraging each other by confessing God’s truth over each other? Jesus didn’t come to expose and bring shame but to ___________ and bring life.