Stop the Cap

Intro

Well happy new year to you guys

Hopefully your first Unite group went well.

Who is excited to be back in school

Today we are starting a new sermon series

Who can tell me what this phrase means

with that being said that is what our new whole sermon series is going to be about

What is the truth?

How do we know what things are lies?

Why do we lie?

What lies that we hear alot?

How many of you have ever had someone lie to you before?

That being said my hope and prayer

Is that as you go into 2026 we would be confident in the truth of God

But also that you would STOP THE CAP

That being said we are starting off with the capping that we hear in the world around us

In other words what are some of the biggest lies that we hear

And more importantly what is the truth

Lie number 1.

1. I create my own identity

Psalm 139:13–16 “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”

I know I have told you guys stories about Henry before

But I want to share something kind of embarresing about him

For the first hour or so after he was born he didn’t have a name lol

When he first came out there were all the emotions

And one of the nurses asked us whats his name

And Delaney and I kinda just looked at each other.

I wanted the name Bowen, and

Delaney wanted the name Harrison

But what I find most interesting is that

We were the ones that got to decide his identity

Right Delaney and I created this baby

He didn’t have choice right. He didn’t like standup

And tell us he didn’t want that name

I say all of this because Henry didn’t get to pick his own identity

Likewise for us we don’t get to pick our identity

and No i don’t just mean your name

But your finger prints

Your eye color

Your gender

the shape of your nose

Your giftings

Your purpose

This scripture tells us that God created all of these parts of us

We unfortunately live in a world where we are taught that we are whoever we decide that we are going to be

And I don’t just mean “what do you want to be when you grow up”

But I mean even though God created me as a boy I don’t want to be a boy

Even though the Bible says that I should be patient and kind

I am just a very direct person

I know the Bible says that I am supposed to share him with others I am just more introverted so thats like not my thing

Here is the point I wanted you to understand

Knowing your true identity doesn’t mean you don’t have free will, but it does require sacrificing it at times

There will be moments in life where you can make your own decions

Many of you have already made decions today

What clothes you are wearing

Who you are sitting next to

But when it comes to who you are!!!!!!

How God made us to be!!!!!!!

We can make as many decions as we want

God still knows who we truly are

And who we are truly called to be

And I don’t say any of this to make think bad about yourself

But I am telling this, because I want you to go to the ONLY one that can give you these answers in life

The Author of Life

The Alpha and Omega

the creator of the universe

God himself Made you

2. Your truth is what Matters most

John 8:31–32 “Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.””

What age were you guys when you found out that Santa wasn’t real

What some ways that it happened for you?

I always remember my parents sat me and my brother down and told us that he wasn’t real

But what I find more funny did you guys know anyone who like didn’t believe their parents.

Do you guys know anyone who was like that?

Even though these people have heard THE truth they still believe in THEIR truth

It doesn’t matter what you tell them

The evidence they can see

The books they read

They know THEIR truth and that matters MORE

we unfortunatley live in a world today where there is such a thing as

“My Truth”

And sadly not about just Santa, but real things that matter

Reasons why God doesn’t exist

Reasons why I know MY life better than any “religious person” would know

I hate to be the bearer of news for some of you today, but there is no such things as “your truth”

Just like Santa, it doesn’t exist

Scripture shows that those who follow Jesus will know the real truth.

The one and only truth

“THE TRUTH comes from Jesus

Here is one more important fact that I want you to hear

The Truth is freeing not enslaving

I think many times our world paints the truth in bad light

If it hurts someones feelings we can’t say it

If it makes us uncomfortable don’t talk about it

But once again in our scripture we see that Jesus says “the truth will set you free”

The truth isn’t supposed to be this poopoo on the stuff I like

But rather help us to know the truth and live in it

Earlier I gave the example of Santa clause

How many 30 or 40 year olds do you know putting out cookies for Santa

Right knowing the truth

Living in the truth

Making decions based off of THE truth that Jesus reveals to us sets us free

And what does being set free mean?

It means I don’t need to question it or be afraid

I can trust in Jesus

3. Love means I have to affirm of everything

James 1:14–15 “Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.”

Bowl with “affirmation” on it, collider with “Love “on it

I want to show you how the world screws up Love

I need a volunteer

This colander represents you

This bowl represents your interactions, and day to day things that you say and do

“Oh you don’t go to church. its cool man you do you”

“Oh you don’t think God is real. its alright dude. do what you want”

“Did you just cuss that guy out?”oh you are a virgo so you were born that way okay”

When affirm of everything and we call it “Love”

We are missing the mark on 2 huge important details.

1. Love doesn’t always mean saying Yes

2. Our desires lead to sinful actions.

Why do all of this?

I want you to see that when we affirm of everything that are holes in our faith

As much that God is love,

God is also a God of truth.

And he wants us to flee from Sin.

We unfortunately live in a world where this is normal.

As Christians there is label painted over us that we are just supposed to love all the time

And that we can’t judge anyone “because Jesus wouldn’t do that”

Here is what I want you to hear this morning

Jesus would love people so much that he warned them about the dangers of sin

When Jesus walked the Earth we saw this over and over again

He would interact with people

But he would often end his conversations by saying go and sin no more

This matters because we are called to do the same

We don’t want to make people feel good, but as Christians we are called to stay strong

Love people yes

But also hold on to the truth.

4. Me at church is different than me at home

James 1:22–24 “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.”

When I was in College I had Church friends and party friends

I learned very quickly that I was living a double life

Not only that, but I learned:

That I was saying let me act this way in front of Jesus

Let me act this way when I am not around him

Which even more goofy when you think about it

Because God is always with us right?

Here is what I want to end with this morning

If your faith only works at church, it doesn’t really work

When we live the Christian life

our faith is supposed to be ALL THE TIME

Not just when it sounds nice.

Not just when we are in the mood

Not just when we are around the “Right kind of people”

Becasue for me I had one of group of friends that I would:

cry with during worship

Pray together

Read our Bibles together

And another group friends that i would:

Drink with

Smoke with

Party with

James paints this picture for us of someone looking into a mirror and forgetting what they look like

This is what means for us when we live this life

We have expiernced God, and Yet

We believe this lie that we can seperate that expierece for what is more convient for us so we can live how we want to live

I wanted to end with this today. not to make you discouraged

But to be a healthy reminder for you that God wants you to live for him

And when we live for him

We are covered by the blood

We have a calling a purpose for our lives

God blesses those who love him, and follow his ways

Pray