Week 2 "Today you will be with me in paradise" 11a

The congregation is invited into a posture of honest surrender: to physically lay down burdens, to acknowledge the heavy idols that masquerade as good gifts, and to reorient affections so God occupies first place. The call frames idols not merely as overt sins but as rightly given blessings—relationships, money, status—that become ultimate things when misplaced. Confession is presented as the necessary turning point: naming sin aloud, bringing it into community, and allowing the light of God to heal what secrecy has warped. Psalm 32 and practical examples underline that hidden sin drains life, while confession restores strength, intimacy, and authority.

Generosity and stewardship are taught as expressions of discipleship with communal consequences. Tithes and offerings are described not only as personal acts of trust but as the fuel that enables the body of Christ to meet urgent needs—local repairs, refugee relief, and care for orphans—demonstrating how faithfulness with resources multiplies kingdom impact. A vivid account from Juba shows how practical aid opened doors for prayer, healing, and ongoing ministry.

Alongside public worship, a ministry of inner healing is introduced for those whose wounds require a slower, relational process than an instantaneous encounter. Personal testimony affirms that healing often involves deliberate choice, costly work, and trustworthy counselors who help people remove old scabs so true restoration can begin. Guidelines for confession are given: confess first to God, avoid blame-shifting, own the sin’s reality without minimizing it, and share with a trusted person.

The cross scene in Luke is central: a dying criminal’s simple confession—“Jesus, remember me”—becomes the template for receiving mercy. That plea and Jesus’ promise, “Today you will be with me in paradise,” show salvation’s accessibility even in a last breath. Communion is then framed as an act of remembering Christ’s body and blood and as a communion practice aligned with the thief’s faith: honest recognition of need, a cry for mercy, and receiving Christ’s assurance. The invitation is both pastoral and urgent: come with honesty, receive forgiveness, and step into the lightness of living under Christ’s lordship.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Lay down misplaced idols now Idols often arrive as God-given gifts that become tyrants when prioritized above the Creator. Choosing to set them down is not moralism but a reordering of devotion that frees energy for worship and service. This act is both symbolic and practical—an opening to restoration of soul and relationships. [22:18]
• 2. Confession unlocks true healing Hidden sin corrodes body, soul, and leadership; bringing transgression into honest light invites God’s restorative mercy. Public, safe confession within community breaks the power of secrecy and allows healing to move from spiritual truth into everyday life. The discipline is painful but necessary for renewed authority and intimacy. [61:50]
• 3. Cry for mercy in faith The dying thief’s plea shows that salvation hinges on a heart that recognizes need and calls out to Jesus, not on prior ritual or works. Mercy is accessed when a person turns from mockery or self-reliance and entrusts eternity to Christ’s promise. That simple cry embodies humility, dependence, and hope. [56:47]
• 4. Generosity equips urgent kingdom work Faithful giving multiplies the church’s capacity to respond quickly to crises and to incarnate the gospel in tangible aid. Stewardship is discipleship with social consequences: when resources flow, doors open for compassion, witness, and long-term ministry fruit. Giving is both trust in God’s provision and investment in others’ flourishing. [31:37]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [20:10] - Invitation to lay burdens down
• [21:02] - Idols as misplaced gifts
• [22:18] - Come forward: physical surrender
• [29:54] - Tithes, Titus, and productivity
• [31:37] - Meeting urgent needs locally
• [32:37] - Juba refugee response story
• [35:53] - Oasis Soul Care announced
• [56:47] - Thief on the cross: promise
• [61:50] - Psalm 32: consequences of hiding sin
• [71:03] - Guidelines for honest confession
• [84:20] - Communion invitation and practice
• [98:14] - Altar open and lingering worship

Bible reading
Luke 23:39-43 (ESV)
One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Psalm 32:3-5 (ESV)
For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

James 5:16 (ESV)
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Observation questions

1. What two specific things did the second criminal on the cross say to Jesus?
2. According to Psalm 32, what were the physical and spiritual consequences of keeping silent about sin?
3. What does James 5:16 instruct believers to do with their sins, and what is the promised result?
4. What was the immediate and specific promise Jesus gave to the criminal in response to his request? [56:47]

Interpretation questions

1. The criminal’s request, “Jesus, remember me,” was incredibly simple. What does this simplicity reveal about what is fundamentally required to receive salvation and God’s promise?
2. Psalm 32 describes a heavy, draining burden associated with hidden sin, while confession brings relief. Why does unconfessed sin have such a powerful, draining effect on a person’s entire being—body, soul, and spirit?
3. James instructs us to confess to one another for healing. Why is confessing to another trusted person often a necessary step for healing, even after we have already confessed privately to God?
4. The criminal received salvation without performing any religious rituals or good works. How does his story challenge common misconceptions about what a person must *do* to be right with God?

Application questions

1. Idols often start as good gifts from God—like relationships, work, or money—that become ultimate things. What good thing in your life currently feels the heaviest, as if your well-being depends on it? What would it look like to physically and spiritually lay that down this week? [22:18]
2. Hidden sin corrodes life and leadership. Is there a thought pattern, a private struggle, or a past action you have only confessed to God that continues to feel like a “heavy hand” upon you? What is one practical step you could take to bring it into the light with a safe person? [01:01:50]
3. Generosity is discipleship with communal consequences; it fuels urgent kingdom work. How does understanding your giving as directly meeting urgent needs (like a broken water line or refugee relief) change your perspective from it being just a “personal act”? [31:37]
4. Healing can be a slow, relational process that requires choice and work. Are you currently relying solely on a one-time spiritual experience for a deep wound, or are you willing to engage in the costly, ongoing work of inner healing with a trusted counselor or friend?
5. The thief’s plea was, “Jesus, remember me.” When you take communion or pray, is your approach more of a formal ritual or a simple, honest cry for mercy from a place of recognized need? How can you incorporate his simple prayer into your daily rhythm?
6. Confession requires owning our part without blame-shifting or minimizing. In a current relational tension, even if you feel you are only 2% at fault, what does it look like to fully own that 2% before God and the other person without any excuses? [01:15:14]