Locations & Times

1 Corinthians 1:27: "But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong."

I want to take a moment to talk about something we all deal with—guilt, shame, and forgiveness. Maybe you're wondering why I’m diving into this. The simple answer is that I’m human, just like you. I mess up. I fall short. And I’ve been wrestling with shame for as long as I can remember.

I grew up in a Christian home with missionary parents who lived out an authentic faith, and I wanted that for myself. But about ten years ago, I found myself sitting in my therapist’s office, admitting to a decade-long addiction to pornography. There was no dramatic backstory, no trauma to explain it—just brokenness. I stared at my reflection, feeling the weight of shame, unsure why I couldn’t break free.

Even though I knew the “right” answers—verses like 1 John 1:9 that say, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness"—I still felt stuck. I was caught in this relentless cycle of shame, self-hatred, turning to porn for comfort, repenting, and then falling back into it. It felt like there was no way out.

Here’s what shame does—it lies to us. It tells us we should be stronger, better. But the truth is, our brokenness and neediness can be the very places where God does His best work. It’s in those vulnerable, painful moments that we meet Him deeply.

Romans 5:8 reminds us, "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." When we recognize our need, we open ourselves up to fully receive God’s love and understand that we are loved more than we could ever imagine. Timothy Keller sums it up perfectly: "The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed than we ever dared believe, yet at the same time, more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope."

We weren’t created to carry the weight of life on our own. Independence leads to shame because it disconnects us from the One who made us. From the moment we take our first breath, we show our need for others, for God. Even in the Garden, Adam and Eve relied on God for everything. It’s only when they believed the lie that they didn’t need Him that shame entered their story. That same lie still haunts us today.

But here’s the good news—there’s hope. 2 Corinthians 5:17 reminds us, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." When we accept Jesus, repent of trying to do things our way, and embrace our need for Him, we find His love and grace in that surrender—like a child finding comfort in their mother’s arms.

When our hearts condemn us and the weight of guilt feels overwhelming, 1 John 3:20 offers us reassurance: "For whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything." God knows everything—our sins, our struggles, our shame—and yet, He still meets us with compassion, love, and forgiveness. He is greater than our guilt, greater than our darkest moments.

The question is, when sin, shame, and doubt hit, will we turn to Him or try to hide?

Know this: God loves you. He forgives you. And when it’s hard to believe, remind yourself that God is bigger than your heart. He knows everything about you and still chooses to love you. That’s one of the things I love most about Flatirons—we’re a church full of broken people, walking this journey of freedom together. If you’re feeling weighed down by guilt or trapped in shame, know that you’re not alone.