Talk It Over - January 30, 2022

Mandy Kasper: Share Your Messy Story

Scripture Passages

Luke 18:9-14

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’


13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’


14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

1 John 1:5-7

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

2 Corinthians 4:7-10

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”...


Reflect on the Passages

Take a moment to read through the passages slowly. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you through them.


Is there a word or phrase that God is drawing to your attention? What is He saying to you through these passages?

Engage with the Message

1) What stood out to you from the Scripture passages and/or this week's message?


2) In what ways is God challenging you and/or encouraging you through the message?


3) Where in Scripture do you see God working through messy, imperfect people? Why do you think God does this so often?


4) Why do you think we so often try to hide our brokenness? What do you think the impact of this is?


5) In what ways do we tend to "put on masks" to try to cover up our brokenness?


6) How do you think things would change in the church if we were more comfortable with messiness?" What challenges might it introduce? What do you think the positive outcomes would be?


7) When have you experienced the power of God’s grace showing up in your weakness? What was that experience like?


8) What broken area of your life have you been trying to hide? In what place of weakness do you need to experience God’s grace?