Guilt in the Bible

Guilt - sell your possessions, Judas, prodigal son. Any other stories?

I was going into Ollie's with Callie. 

A guy on a bike approached us pretty aggressively, so I was kind of in protective mode with Callie. He asked if I had money. And honestly, I didn’t have any cash on me. My car was 20 feet away, and I know I had cash in it. My excuse was that I gave a good tip at the restaurant, so I used it there. 

What's the point? 

Shortly after I felt guilt. Like from God. It was weird. I hadn’t felt that before. 

What did we just get done talking about for 4 weeks here? 

Love - 

So am I showing love or not? What do you think when I said no to a homeless man asking me for money - directly? 

So guilt in the bible. Let’s talk about it. 

Judas. Did Judas feel guilt? What's the story of Judas? 

Judas Iscariot was one of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ. He is best known for betraying Jesus to the religious leaders for 30 pieces of silver. Judas identified Jesus to the soldiers with a kiss in the Garden of Gethsemane, leading to Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion.

Afterward, Judas felt deep regret. He returned the money and later died tragically. His story is often used as a warning about betrayal, greed, and turning away from truth, but also shows the weight of guilt and the consequences of choices.

What about the guy who was asked to sell all of his possessions?

 Jesus Christ met a wealthy young man who asked what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him to obey God’s commandments, and the man said he already had.

Then Jesus said, “Sell everything you have, give to the poor, and follow me.”

The man became sad because he had many possessions and walked away with his head down. 

What about the prodigal son? 

Jesus Christ told the story of a younger son who asked his father for his inheritance early, then left home and wasted all his money on reckless living.

After losing everything, he became poor and hungry, working in a pig field. Realizing his mistakes, he decided to return home and ask to be treated like a servant.

But when his father saw him coming, he ran to him, hugged him, and celebrated his return. The father said, “My son was lost and now is found.”

So what do you think about guilt? 

I have been struggling with this myself. I wanted to show you, through a biblical example, that if you feel guilt, it's real. 

Listen to how you feel. God is talking to you. 

Abraham and isaac 

Jesus at dinner.

How is your relationship with God?

What are two things you should not see at the same time? 

Jeans and ties 

Alligators and swimming pools. 

We finished our series on love last week. Now we will get into some practical thoughts and ideas on real life. 

How to move forward. 

Real-life examples. 

A little about me. 

No one talked about God or Jesus in college. 

Have any of your professors talked to you in class about God? Or Jesus? 

It's our job individually to share our lives with others. That's my challenge to you. 

My second challenge to you is to live a life that someone else might want. 

Not your car, your job, or your house. 

I am talking about the joy that comes out of you. 

James 1:2-3 (ESV)

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”

So what's next in life? 

A little more about me. 

The preacher didn’t need to tell me to repent. I know what that means. And so do you. 

You get to make a choice each and every day. A choice to admit when you fail or turn your head and continue. 

You know the fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) represents nine visible attributes of a Christian’s life shaped by the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

At 18, I recognized my need for a savior 

At 36, I committed my life to sharing God's love with everyone. Not perfect, but committed.

The last 4 have been better than the first 36 years. 

If you had six months to live, what would you do? Anything you wanted? What would it be? 

Write it on this card. 

Why are you here at SIU? 

If you are an athlete, why are you here? 

You get to choose how you spend each day. 

Some of you need to quit being athletes and get your lives in Christ started. 

Some of you need to quit playing games with this world and commit your life to Christ. 

Some of you need to choose God’s love and share it with the world. 

Whatever it is that you would be doing if you only had 6 months to live, 

You should be doing that now.

Do not wait for your life to be right. Do it now. 

I wish I had chosen my life right now 20 years ago. 

I was 18 years old in college, playing basketball. October 17, 2004, when I realized I needed God more than ever. Now I realize I need God every day more than ever. I also now know that I need to be sharing that relationship with anyone and everyone. 

God does not call the equipped. He equips the called. 

If you get bumped and have coffee in your hand, what would you spill? 

Why did you spill your coffee? 

Because you had coffee in your cup 

Whatever is inside of you is what will spill out. 

Remember the cup being half empty or half full? That's a myth. Your cup needs to be overflowing, so that you can give what you have away. 

Stop asking people for directions from people who have never been where you're going.

Ask someone who has been there. 

If you want a career in accounting, who should you ask? A doctor? 

If you want to be a nurse, who should you ask? A lawyer? 

If you need help with your car? Who should you ask? 

Get the point? Get more from someone who has been there. 

The bible is clear when it comes to getting wisdom. 

James 1:5, if you lack wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault. 

Proverbs 4:5 commands: "Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them." 

Do you want chocolate or vanilla? 

How quickly you answer is key. 

Confidence in who you are. Every day. The best version of yourself. 

You have no obligation to the person you were next to 5 minutes ago.

You are not a tree 

You can change. 

Be whatever and whoever you want to be

None of us knows who we are. We decide who we are. I created this Chris Duckworth. Tried many different versions and failed often. 

Getting closer to God and listening to God is the best way to find the best version of yourself. 

I pray for those that no one ever apologized to you for. 

I am praying for you. I am praying for the best version of you. 

God loves you. God wants to be a part of your life. 

Only you can choose whether to have a relationship with God. God isn’t going anywhere. 

This summer, focus on your relationship with God.