Time To Rise & Shine
Larry Brey
Sermon Highlights
Peter stood up to preach; that means he was sitting down.
Denial starts with a little distance and drifts you away from the purposes of God.
If you don’t define success correctly, you will always feel like a failure.
When Peter denied Jesus, he deflected, defended, and was disgusted.
Chaos will push you away from the promises of God, but Jesus is the anchor who sets a limit on how far you drift.
God doesn’t make you aware of where you sat down to punish you, but to recognize He sat down with you.
We all sit in things as humans. To truly get up you can’t try harder, you need Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Success is realizing Jesus is holding onto you. Failure is trying to do it in your own strength.
Scriptures
Acts 2:14 - Peter stands to preach
Luke 22:31-34 - Jesus predicts Peter’s denial
Matthew 26:69-74 - Peter denies Jesus
Luke 23:44-45 - Darkness when Jesus was on the cross
Acts 2:1-4 - The Holy Spirit fills Jesus’ followers
Sermon Discussion
Conversation Starter
Pastor Larry Brey talked about how his mom used to come in and yell, “Rise and Shine!” Are you a morning person? What is the most unique way you have ever been woken up?
Discussion Questions
“Peter stood up to preach; that means he was sitting down. We all sit in things as humans.” Where do you feel you have taken a seat, and what’s keeping you there?
“Denial starts with a little distance.” Where in your life have you noticed a "little distance" creeping in between you and God? How can you actively resist this drift?
Additional Questions
“If you don’t define success correctly, you will always feel like a failure. Success is realizing He is holding onto you.” How do you need to redefine success to keep you anchored to what God is calling you to?
“When Peter denied Jesus, he deflected, defended, and was disgusted.” When you are feeling pressure or shame, which of those reactions do you tend to display?
“The current of chaos will try to push you away from the promises of God, but Jesus is the anchor who sets a limit on how far we drift.” Share a time when you experienced God's anchoring presence in the midst of chaos in your life.
Prayer Prompt
Ask this question to your eGroup and include it as part of your closing prayer:
"Think about where in your life you feel like you've 'sat down' or drifted away from God's purpose. What's one specific way that you need Jesus and the Holy Spirit to help you 'rise and shine' this week?"
Pray for each person to have clarity in recognizing the areas where they've "sat down" or allowed distance to creep into their relationship with God. Specifically, pray for those who feel like they've drifted too far. Pray for a renewed understanding of success, shifting from worldly definitions to a recognition of God's presence and holding power. Ask for the group to experience the empowering presence of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, enabling them to "rise and shine" in their God-given purpose. Thank God for His unwavering presence, even in our moments of weakness and drift.