You Are What You Love

Confession

Connection

As well as sharing highs and lows, share a time when you experienced the relief of being truly honest with someone. It doesn't have to be a deep confession, just a moment of genuine openness.

Worship

Song Suggestion: O God Would You Move

Bible

Read: 1 John 1:5-10

Read the bible passage aloud together.

  • What are the key points John is making about God and our relationship with Him?

  • What does it mean to "walk in the light"?

Verse 8 states, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

  • Why do you think it's so difficult for people to admit their sin?

  • What are some common ways we try to deny or minimise our sin?

Verse 9 promises, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

  • What does this verse reveal about God's character?

  • How does this promise impact our understanding of confession?

Glenn Packiam says, “You need a community that confesses sin. We need a community of people who know us, who love us even in our brokenness, and who will call us to repentance for our failures, for the things we have done and for the things we have left undone. We need a community that leads us in confession… Why recite a prayer of repentance in the middle of worship?... Worship services are supposed to embody and reenact the gospel… To make our services, in their very shape, tell the gospel story, we have to include a time where we confess our sins. Together. Out loud. We need a community to lead us in confession, and we need a community to remind us of God’s grace.”

  • How does this quote challenge or affirm your understanding of the role of community in confession?

  • How does the practice of communal confession, as Packiam describes, relate to the "You Are What You Love" series? How might regular confession shape our desires and loves towards God?

Prayer

  • Is there anything that the Holy Spirit is prompting you to confess to God?

  • Pray for the strength to walk in the light and for the growth of the St Thomas' family that values confession and forgiveness.