Ring The Bell Series

4 weeks helping students reject developing a sense of identity based on performance. When your students see performance mentality through the lens of the gospel, they’ll stop running, they’ll lean into grace, and they won’t fear vulnerability.

No Video Messages

Week 1

Intro: Many of us spend our days trying to “ring the bell” of life before God in order to earn His affection.

Truth: Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:8-10 that God is delighted in us despite our performance, not because of it.

Descent: If you saw yourself through the lens of the gospel, you wouldn’t do good works in order to earn God’s love but because of God’s love.

The Lens: God’s not impressed with you (He’s delighted in you).

Week 2

Intro: In our relationship with God, guilt tends to be our go-to move for making it up to Him. When guilt turns into shame, it causes us to run from God.

Truth: 1 John 1:8-2:1 tells us that when we sin, we have an Advocate pleads the case for our righteousness because of the gospel.

Descent: If you saw yourself through the lens of the gospel, you wouldn’t let yourself be riddled with shame.

The Point: When you see that God’s not impressed with you, you’ll stop running.

Week 3

Intro: When you’re overly impressed with you, you typically don’t treat others very kindly either because you feel that you’re better than them or because they’re a threat to your awesomeness.

Truth: When Jesus showed grace to the adulterous woman in John 8:1-11, He corrected the Pharisees’ unhealthy lens that they were better than anyone else.

Descent: When you see yourself through the lens of the gospel, you won’t feel threatened by others or superior to others.

The Point: When you see that God’s not impressed with you, you’ll lean into grace.

Week 4

Intro: When you see yourself through the lens of performance, you’ll be afraid of vulnerability because you need to keep up the appearance of perfection.

Truth: That fear comes from Adam and Eve back in the Garden (Genesis 2:15-17; 3:7-10). Sin threw off their lens for how they saw themselves, and suddenly they were afraid to be vulnerable and fully-known by God. So they hid.

Descent: When you see yourself through the lens of the gospel, you won’t feel the need to hide anymore.

The Point: When you see that God’s not impressed with you, you won’t fear vulnerability.