Summary

In this sermon, Pastor Griff challenges us to examine the story we are living and whether it truly aligns with the kingdom of God. Drawing from his own life, he shares how he once lived a story shaped by ambition, success, and cultural values rather than by Jesus. He uses the parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price to illustrate that the kingdom of heaven is not a side topic or an addition to our existing plans. It is the overarching story that Jesus invites us to believe and live, one so valuable that it reframes everything else. Using the Sermon on the Mount and the image of God in Genesis 1, Pastor Griff explains that we are created to bear God's image and make the invisible king visible to the world around us. He warns that even deeply religious people can miss the kingdom by allowing other stories, whether politics, success, comfort, or the desire for admiration, to shape their lives more than Jesus does. True repentance, he argues, is not about shame but about changing the way we see everything. It is about saying yes to the story Jesus is inviting us into and allowing it to reshape our priorities, relationships, and daily decisions.

Intro Prayer

Heavenly Father, we come together today grateful for the time and space to stop and focus on something bigger than ourselves. As we open Your Word and reflect on the story You are inviting us into, we ask that You quiet the noise of our daily lives. Holy Spirit, open our hearts and minds to what You specifically want each of us to receive today. Help us to be honest with ourselves and with one another. May this time together draw us closer to You and to each other. In Jesus' name, amen.

Ice Breaker

What is one thing you wanted to be when you grew up, and did you ever actually pursue it?

Key Verses

• Matthew 4:17
• Matthew 13:44-46
• Matthew 5:3-10
• Genesis 1:26
• Matthew 22:21

Questions

• Pastor Griff says that 'the story you believe is the life that you live.' What story do you think has most shaped your life up to this point, and where did it come from?
• He describes how we inherit our life story from parents, culture, schools, and social media without consciously choosing it. What are some of the loudest voices that have shaped your story, and have they pointed you toward or away from the kingdom?
• In the parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price, the men sold everything they had with joy, not reluctance. What does it look like practically for someone today to respond to the kingdom with that kind of joy and wholehearted commitment?
• Pastor Griff says Jesus is not offering to improve your existing story but is inviting you into an entirely different one. How does that distinction challenge or encourage you personally?
• The Beatitudes describe values that feel upside down compared to what our culture celebrates. Which of the Beatitudes feels most countercultural to you right now, and why?
• Pastor Griff shared a personal story about being rude to a Target employee over politics and his wife asking, 'What will you say if she shows up at church tomorrow?' When have you noticed another story, whether politics, success, comfort, or something else, shaping how you treated someone?
• He says that image bearers make the invisible king visible. They do not just explain God's love, they embody it. Who in your life has embodied the kingdom in a way that gave you a clearer picture of Jesus?
• Pastor Griff closes by asking us to let the Holy Spirit reveal what story has been shaping our calendars, conversations, ambitions, fears, spending, and relationships. As you reflect on that question, what is one area where you sense God is inviting you to repent and believe a bigger story?

Life Application

This week, take 10 to 15 minutes in a quiet moment to honestly examine one area of your life, whether it is your schedule, your spending, your relationships, or your conversations, and ask yourself: what story is shaping this? Then ask Jesus specifically, 'What would this look like if Your kingdom story were shaping it instead?' Write down what comes to mind and take one small, concrete step toward living that kingdom story before the week is over.

Key Takeaways

• The story you believe is the life you live. Whether we realize it or not, every decision, priority, and relationship is shaped by the story we are living inside of, and most of us have never consciously chosen that story.
• Jesus did not come to improve your existing story. He came to invite you into an entirely different one. The kingdom of heaven is not a side topic or a safety net. It is the overarching story that gives everything else its meaning and value.
• Repentance is not about shame. It is about freedom. The word Jesus used means to change the way you think, to begin seeing yourself, others, and the world through the lens of God's kingdom rather than the lens of culture.
• We are created to bear God's image and make the invisible king visible. When people encounter us, they should catch a glimpse of the character of Jesus, His compassion, generosity, mercy, and love.
• Even sincere followers of Jesus can allow other kingdoms, politics, success, comfort, or the desire for admiration, to shape their lives more than the Sermon on the Mount does. Becoming aware of this is the first step toward change.

Ending Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for the invitation into a story far greater than anything we could write for ourselves. As we leave this time together, we ask that Your Holy Spirit would continue to work in each of us, revealing the places where we have allowed other stories to take the lead. Give us the courage to repent, to change the way we see, and to say yes to Your kingdom with joy rather than reluctance. May the people in our lives encounter something in us this week that points them to You. Haunt us with Your love and Your truth until our lives look more and more like the King we serve. In Jesus' name, amen.