You’re Not Who You Think You Are

Sunday, April 5, 2026

Scriptures: Luke 15:11-32

• Sermon Summary

  This Easter, we wrapped up our series on Parables of Grace. On Easter Sunday we looked at the story of the Prodigal son. We often focus on the younger son who ran away, but the "twist" in the story is actually about the older brother who stayed, as he is the one who was also lost, and he was more lost than he could realize. The point is that no matter in what ways we are lost, God’s grace always chases us down to invite us to the party .

  Easter shows us that God refuses to let death, shame, or pride have the last word in our lives.

• Discussion Guide

  Community is shaped by the conversations we share. These questions and reflections are a tool to help you meaningfully engage with the themes of this week's teaching.

  Eastertide: A Season of Celebration

  Easter Sunday begins Eastertide, a 50-day celebration of the resurrection. To lean into this season, consider trying a spiritual practice together:

  • Gratitude Journal: Take 10- 15 minutes for this practice. First write down 10 things you are grateful for, when you’re done with first 10, write down 10 more things you are grateful for, then 10 more (you’ll end up with three sets of 10). Notice how your reflections shift as you reach the final ten.

  • Set an Intention: Choose one intention for the next 50 days. Share it with the group and check in on each other’s progress midway through the season.

  Feel free to focus on the practices above, or if your group still wants to have a discussion, here are a few questions for you:

  Questions:

  1) What is one thing you usually do on Easter to celebrate or reflect? Share a family tradition, a key memory, or a practice that helps you ground yourself in the meaning of the day.

  2) In the parable of the prodigal son, there’s a point when the some comes to his senses.

  Jeremy noted:
  “One day he returned to himself.
  That's what the Greek actually says here, and the core idea is that he finally remembered who he was.

  He snapped out off the false self he’s been living out of, and in some sense, right here in this moment he became himself again.

  And that is just a really profound idea that at our worst we are not ourselves.

  At our worst, this is not our core identity.
  At our worst, there may be, like here is in this story, still a lot of work ahead to repair relationships that we have damaged.
  But even at worst, we can still return to the best of who we were meant to be.”

  How does the idea that "at our worst, we are not ourselves" resonate with you?

  When was the last time you had that experience of forgetting who you were and living out of the false self? What helped you to snap out of it?

  3) Think about the twist in the parable, how this story is about the second son who never left the father, but turned out to be the one who was actually lost.

  How has the idea that we all think that we’re the “exception to the rule” or that “we’re in the right” shown up in your life?

  How does it feel to acknowledge that we have all been lost, but "thank God, all of us are being found"?

  Feel free to engage with this quote from the message:

  “The whole long chapter, all three stories as they build and compound on each other, all of it has been pointing toward the absolutely absurd idea:

  that any of us have ever thought that we've been in the right all this time, when the truth is, we have — every single one of us—at some point — found ourselves out in the field missing the party, refusing to come inside because of who else was invited.

  And the question then isn’t whether we are lost We are.
  The question is whether we would stoop to attend a party that someone like us would find themselves invited to.

  That’s what this chapter all about — all the ways that we think we’re the exception to the rule.”

  4) What encouragement do you want to carry with you into the Eastertide?

  Jeremy: “And so maybe that’s the invitation for us today: not to decide whether we’re the younger son or the older brother, or even the religious leaders who sit and grumble with contempt.

  Truth is perhaps we’ve all been all three, at some point anyway…
  But the invitation is simply to acknowledge that somewhere along the way we’ve all gotten lost, and thank God, all of us are being found.”

  5) Take time this week to reflect on where you feel most “lost” right now, and what would it look like for you to be found? Maybe this can be your eastertide prayer.

  Prayer from the sermon:
  Father of all life
  Son of all grace
  Spirit our mother who upholds and sustains all of us
  God of such great surprise
  as to put a catch in our breath and wings in our heart,
  we praise you for this joy too great for words.

  For this new world unleashed in us,
  and now — us in it,
  for today there are no more dead ends.
  We have journeyed with you toward this day
  and now that we have arrived
  through life and death
  at resurrection
  at goodness, and truth
  alive and breathing in the world, 

  would you remind us today
  that resurrection is happening all around us.
  All the time.

  As life returns with spring
  as hope is renewed within us
  as you continue to repair your world piece by beloved piece.

  Breathe new breath into dusty lungs,
  pump fresh blood into tired hearts,
  bring new vision to eyes that have become to dull to see your beauty that surrounds us always

  all so that we might celebrate life
  from where ever it comes to find us today.

  In the strong name of the Christ who died and rose to new life, we pray. Amen.

• Service Songs & Prayers

  CALL TO WORSHIP Luke 24:1-6

  MUSIC Curated by Kevin Borst.
  Rejoice
  Brooke Ligertwood - King of Kings
  CityAlight - Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me
  Hillsong Worship - O Praise The Name
  North Point Worship - Death Was Arrested
  
  SERIES BUMPER
  Easter Sunday