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.

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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.