KNEE TO KNEE

Big Idea: Scripture tells a better story than shame. One where grace gets the final word, not guilt. And where your past isn’t the headline anymore, Jesus is.

Key Points:

Grace Redefines Who You Are

[1 Corinthians 6:9-11] “Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

• Paul lists every kind of sexual and moral failure and then he says, “That WAS your story. But not anymore.”
• In Christ, your history is no longer connected to your identity.
• Grace doesn’t ignore your sin – but it does erase your shame.

[1 Timothy 1:13-16] “Even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus. This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.”

“Shame says, ‘I am what I did.’ Grace says, ‘I am who He rescued.'”

Grace Restores What Sin Has Broken

[John 8:3-11] “As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. ‘Teacher,’ they said to Jesus, ‘this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?’ They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, ‘All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!’ Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, ‘Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?’ ‘No, Lord,’ she said. And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I. Go and sin no more.'”

[Psalm 103:12] “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”

• The religious leaders wanted her punished. Jesus offered restoration.
• This wasn’t a soft pass on sin. It was a strong stand for grace.
• He didn’t condone her past, He offered her a different future.

“Sin may leave scars on your heart but it doesn’t have to leave you stuck.”

Grace Invites You Into a New Way of Living

[Romans 6:12-14] “Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.”

• Forgiveness is the beginning, not the finish line.
• You don’t live a different lifestyle to earn His grace, you live a different lifestyle because you’ve received a different life.
• Because of grace, you don’t have to repeat the past. You get to rewrite it.

[Titus 2:11-12] “For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God…”

• Grace doesn’t just tell us what to turn from, it tells us what to turn to.
• Instead of godless relationships, we seek godly community.
• Instead of secret sin, we move toward honest confession.
• Instead of chasing what feels good, grace begins to grow a desire in us for what is good.

“Grace doesn’t lower the standard – it becomes the motivation to live up to it.”

Key Takeaway:

[2 Corinthians 5:17] “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

Next Steps:

Ask Yourself:

• Am I letting shame tell me a story of despair and hopelessness OR am I letting grace move in me to rewrite it?
• Have I truly received God’s forgiveness through faith in Jesus OR am I still trying to earn it?
• Is there anyone I’m treating as though they cannot change?

Action Steps:

• Confess your sin and regret, then claim your new identity
• Lean into healthy Christian community where healing happens
• Receive the grace of Jesus that promises to make all things new

“You’re not stuck. You’re not alone. In Christ you are already made new.”

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