When We Hide

·38 min·3 clips

A pastor shares his own story of shame after college and a transformative encounter with God through a child.

The episode begins with a prayer, setting a reflective tone for the sermon. The speaker announces a break from the Moses series to address the heavy topic of shame, noting it was introduced to youth the previous Sunday. He shares a personal anecdote from 2015, describing feeling lost after dropping out of college but encountering God's presence through a child at a church camp, which alleviated his shame. The sermon then shifts to Genesis 3:8-9, analyzing Adam and Eve's hiding as the first response to sin and shame. The speaker cites Christian psychologist Kurt Thompson's book 'The Soul of Shame,' emphasizing that shame is a universal human infection. A key distinction is made between guilt (about actions) and shame (about identity), using Adam and Eve as examples. Four effects of shame are detailed: it causes hiding, inner division through compartmentalization, isolation from others and God, and destroys creativity by fostering fear of failure. The speaker connects this to modern societal shifts post-2020. He highlights God's response in Genesis, where clothing Adam and Eve symbolizes redemption, pointing to Jesus. Scripture from John 3:18-21 is read, discussing light versus darkness and the need to expose shame. The sermon references Hebrews 12:2, noting Jesus despised shame on the cross. A story from a college winter retreat illustrates how public confession can break shame's power, distinguishing honesty from transparency. The speaker uses the game Operation as a metaphor for God's deep surgical healing, contrasting it with superficial fixes. He observes Gen Z's desire for authenticity and cites Barna group statistics on church attendance. The episode ends with a prayer inviting listeners to cry out to God for freedom from shame.

As heard by us

A warm, scripture-led sermon on shame, hidden wounds and the difficult movement toward healing and light.

The sermon treats shame as a force that sends people into hiding, cuts them off from others and dulls their creativity. The preacher handles that weighty subject with warmth.

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Why you'd press play

You can face the shame that keeps you isolated without being left there alone.

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