40 Days 2026 – Week 1

Own The Mess – 1 John 1:9

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Mark your calendar and plan to attend Consume, our Good Friday Worship Service, on April 3, at 6:30 pm, at our Orange City location. Just a reminder that childcare is not provided, so please start planning now.

Memory Verse for Week 1: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (NIV)

We’ve all promised God we’re done with sin, only to relapse, fueling shame and self-doubt, and feeling like the mess itself. Despite loving Jesus and wanting true freedom, the pull leads us to doubt our own transformation, often settling for managing sin rather than overcoming it. This week, we will discuss how we can move from knowing about the power of Jesus to owning it.

  1. What stood out to you most from this message about owning our mess rather than hiding it?
  2. Share about a time when you tried to hide something that went wrong (maybe you broke something as a kid, made a mistake at work, etc.). What made you want to hide it, and how did it feel when the truth finally came out?
  3. Pastor James shared about his cousin, who said, “I can’t stay like this… I just don’t know what to do.” Have you ever felt that way about something in your life? What does that feeling reveal about our hearts?
  4. Freedom does not begin when you try harder. Freedom begins when you get honest. You cannot heal what you refuse to acknowledge. Pastor James mentioned that we often start “managing sin instead of confronting it” and settle for being “forgiven but not transformed.” What do you think is the difference between managing sin and confronting it?
  5. Read Galatians 5:17: “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other.” Why is it important to admit there’s a war within us? How does this change how we view our spiritual struggles?
  6. Read Genesis 3:8-9. Adam and Eve hid from God after they sinned, but God called out, “Where are you?” Pastor James said this wasn’t a geography question but a mercy question. What does this reveal about God’s heart toward us when we mess up?
  7. Read 1 John 1:9: Confess means to agree with; to say the same thing about your sin that God says. There is a difference between regret and confession. How would you explain the difference between these two responses to sin?
  8. Pastor James said, “You cannot heal what you refuse to acknowledge.” Is there something in your life right now that you’ve been trying to manage rather than bring into the light? What makes it hard to be fully honest about it?
  9. Read Matthew 11:28-29. Some of you are tired of sin and yourself, tired of promises and cycling back. The lie claims He’s tired of you, too, but He’s not. The disqualifying place is actually where He’s calling you. Your weariness is an invitation. How does knowing that Jesus is “gentle and humble in heart” change your perspective?
  1. The driving force behind change is not a list of regulations. It is a relationship with a living Savior. Out of love, He will put His finger on the areas destroying you. Not to expose you publicly, but to heal you personally. Not to condemn you, but to say, “I want what is best for you.” How does this truth encourage you in your current struggles?
  2. Regret is easier. Regret hates the consequences. Confession hates the root. Regret wants relief. Confession wants healing. Think about the difference between hiding from God and running to God when you mess up. Which has been more your pattern? What would it look like for you to “run to Him” instead of “run from Him”?

Prayer

“Jesus, thank You that Your heart toward me is gentle and humble, not harsh or disappointed. I confess that I’ve been trying to manage things in my life instead of bringing them fully into Your light. I admit there’s a real war going on inside me – part of me wants to follow You completely, and part of me still wants control.

I’m tired of hiding and pretending I have it all together. Right now, I bring You [specific area of struggle] – not just the behavior, but whatever is in my heart that keeps pulling me back to this. I don’t just want relief from guilt; I want real change. I trust that You meet me right here in this mess, and that You’re more committed to my freedom than I am.

Help me to stop running from You when I fail and instead run to You. Give me the courage to be honest with safe people who can walk this journey with me. Thank You that I don’t have to stay like this, and thank You that I don’t have to figure it out alone. In Your name, Amen.”