Series: No One Else
Sermon Title: No One Lived Like Him
Passage: Hebrews 4:15
Reno Campus
Pastor Tom Chism
Carson Campus
Pastor Dusty Braun
Sparks Campus
Pastor Jericho Toilolo
Pastor Dave Pretlove
Campus Announcements / Service Moments
Reno Campus
The Great Egg Race
Good Friday
Easter at LifeChurch
Men’s Night: 4/7/25
Carson Campus
The Great Egg Race
Good Friday
Easter at LifeChurch
Men’s Night: 4/7/25
Sparks Campus
The Great Egg Race
Good Friday
Easter at LifeChurch
Men’s Night: 4/7/25
Series: No One Else
Sermon Title: No One Lived Like Him
Passage: Hebrews 4:15
SERMON POINTS:
Absolute Perfection — He Was Everything We’re Not, Yet Everything We Need
Matchless Power — Not to Dominate, But to Deliver
Approachable Love — He Knew Everything About Them, and Still Drew Close
GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. When you think of Jesus’ perfection, does it inspire you to lean on Him more—or make you feel like you’ll never measure up? Why do you think that is?
Additional Scripture: Romans 8:1
Hebrews 4:15 reminds us He understands us deeply, even in our weakness. How does that change the way we approach Him?
How might your daily rhythm change if you saw Jesus’ perfection as a covering rather than a comparison?
2. We often know that Jesus took our sin, but in what areas of life do we still try to carry the weight ourselves?
Additional Scripture: 1 Peter 5:7
Where is it hardest for you to accept His grace as a gift, rather than something to earn or measure up to?
3. Pastor Tom said, “Jesus never had one selfish thought.” What would it look like for our lives to reflect just one step more of that selflessness this week?
Additional Scripture: Philippians 2:3–5
What’s something in your week ahead that could shift from self-focus to Jesus-focus?
4. Jesus had matchless power, yet He used it to serve, not dominate. How are you currently using your influence or strength—in your family, work, or friendships?
Additional Scripture: John 13:14–15
Are there places where your power could be used to lift others rather than protect yourself?
Where is God calling you to serve someone from a posture of humility, not just responsibility?
5. Let’s be honest: What part of Jesus’ power feels distant or hard to believe in your current situation?
Additional Scripture: Ephesians 3:20
Do you struggle more with trusting Him to calm the storm—or to calm you in the storm?
6. We know Jesus was known for drawing close to “sinners and tax collectors”—people most avoided. Who are the people in your world that you’re tempted to keep at a distance?
Additional Scripture: James 2:1
What would it look like to draw near in love like Jesus?
What’s one step you could take to move toward them with Jesus’ kind of love—especially when it’s uncomfortable?
7. Pastor Tom said, “He knows everything about you and still draws close.” How easy or hard is it for you to actually believe that? Why?
Additional Scripture: Psalm 139:1–3
If you truly believed that Jesus won’t walk away from your worst moments, how would that impact your prayer life or openness with Him?
8. Head knowledge can stay safe, but living like Jesus costs something. What’s one area where you know what Jesus is calling you to do, but haven’t taken the step yet? What’s holding you back?
Additional Scripture: James 1:22
What would trusting Jesus in that step look like practically—this week, not just someday?
DAILY REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
Day 1 – Monday: Rest in His Perfection
Reflection:
Where in your life are you trying to be perfect for God… instead of resting in Jesus’ perfection for you?
Action Step:
Take 2 minutes today to thank Jesus out loud that His perfection covers you—not condemns you. You don’t need to earn what He’s already given.
Day 2 – Tuesday: Let Go of What He’s Already Carried
Reflection:
What burden have you been holding onto that Jesus already lifted at the cross?
Action Step:
Write it down. Talk to Him about it. Then toss that note—remind yourself that He already paid for it in full.
Day 3 – Wednesday: Use Your Strength to Serve
Reflection:
Where do you hold influence—in your home, work, relationships—and are you using it to lift others, or to protect yourself?
Action Step:
Find a quiet, unnoticed way to serve someone today. Don’t announce it—just live like Jesus did.
Day 4 – Thursday: Invite Him Into the Chaos
Reflection:
What’s the “storm” in your life right now? Have you asked Jesus to calm you in the middle of it?
Action Step:
Sit in stillness for 5 minutes today. No music. No words. Just breathe and say, “Jesus, I invite You here.”
Day 5 – Friday: Move Toward the One You’d Rather Avoid
Reflection:
Who’s that person you’ve kept at a distance—maybe even with a good excuse? What would Jesus say to you regarding this situation?
Action Step:
Reach out today. A text. A small act of kindness. Start small—but move toward them.
Day 6 – Saturday: Let Jesus All the Way In
Reflection:
Is there a part of your life you’ve been hiding from Jesus—assuming He might turn away?
Action Step:
Pray with bold honesty today. No filters. Invite Him into the real, raw part of your heart—and let Him love you there.
Day 7 – Sunday: Live What You’ve Learned
Reflection:
What’s one truth from Jesus’ life this week that you don’t just want to know—you want to live?
Action Step:
Name one new habit or heart posture to carry into next week. Write it down. Share it with someone. Walk it out.
SCRIPTURES TO MEDITATE ON:
Hebrews 4:15-16
Philippians 2:5–8
Luke 15:1–2
James 1:22
RESOURCES:
ARTICLE | RADICAL | DAVID PLATT | MERCIFUL HIGH PRIEST
BOOK | DANN SPADER | LIVE LIKE JESUS
PODCAST | PETE SCAZZERRO | EMOTIONALLY HEALTHY LEADER | WHY LOW DIFFERENTIATION KILLS TEAMS
EMOTIONALLY HEALTHY DIFFERENTIATION MATURITY ASSESMENT
MONTHLY SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE: False Self
False Self: A Spiritual Discipline of Unmasking
Each of us is a real person, deeply known by God. But often—whether in social settings or even when we’re alone—we slip behind masks. We use them to protect our wounded places, to avoid discomfort, or to present a version of ourselves we think will be more accepted.
These masks become armor. And the danger isn’t just that we wear them with others—we often keep them on even when we sit before God.
He sees through them, of course. But we still act like He doesn’t. We carry the performance into our prayer life. This is what spiritual writers call the false self—the persona we’ve built to feel safe, accepted, or in control. Over time, we can get so good at performing this self that we forget who we truly are.
This month, we’re engaging in what I’d call deep work—the kind of soul-level exploration that doesn’t just improve behavior, but brings real freedom.
We start going all the way back to the garden in Genesis 3, where shame and fear first led to hiding. Adam and Eve covered themselves with fig leaves, hoping to mask their vulnerability. We do the same. But the heart of God is always to draw us out of hiding—not to shame us, but to set us free.
And while it may be easy to spot the false self in others, it’s much harder to name it in ourselves. That’s why this practice matters. Because to become whole—not fractured, and fully loved—not just tolerated, we have to be honest about what we’re carrying… and hiding.
As David Benner puts it in The Gift of Being Yourself:
“Some people bristle easily if they are not taken seriously, betraying a need for others to see the self-importance that is so obvious to them… Others have learned to mask these outward displays, but inner reactions of annoyance or irritation still point toward the presence of a false self.”
Let’s begin this deep work together.
Daily Practice: Unmasking the False Self
Set aside 15–20 minutes to be alone and quiet. This is a moment to slow down, breathe deeply, and welcome God to meet you.
- Read Genesis 3:1–11
- Notice how shame enters the story. Notice God’s posture in response.
- Sit in Stillness (5 minutes)
- Invite the Holy Spirit into this space.
- Pray: “Lord, I’m here. Help me be honest, help me be unafraid. Help me see myself as you see me.”
- Reflect on God’s Questions
Write down the two questions God asks Adam and Eve.
- Where are you?
- Who told you that you were naked? (or: Why are you hiding?)
These are not accusations. They are invitations—God calling you out of hiding.
- Reread the Questions in a Loving Tone
- Imagine the Father asking these gently, with compassion. Let them settle into your soul.
- Journal Freely
Answer honestly:
- Where am I hiding right now?
- What am I afraid others—or God—will see?
- What parts of me feel like they must be covered up?
Don’t rush. You’re in the presence of grace.
- Confess and Release
- Name the false selves that surfaced: fear, image, control, approval-seeking, pride, insecurity. Write them down.
- Then, surrender them to Jesus.
- End in Prayer
“Father, thank you for loving the real me. Thank you that I don’t have to hide in your presence. Thank you for your grace, your safety, and your invitation to live free. Help me walk in the truth of who I am in You.”
Closing Thought: God is not asking for your polished self. He’s asking for your real self. He sees you. He knows you. And He loves you. Let’s keep showing up—fully known, fully loved.
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT:
Devotional Thought | “Letting Go to Live Like Him”
One of the most freeing and frightening truths about Jesus is this: He knows everything about us—and still draws near. That’s what Pastor Jericho reminded us of this week. Jesus is the only one who lived in absolute perfection, carried matchless power, and moved with an approachable, scandalous love. And in His presence, something happens—we start to see the gap between who we present to the world and who we really are.
That false self—the one built on proving, performing, pretending—is the one Jesus came to free us from. Maybe it’s the version of you that’s always holding it together, or always trying to be “enough.” Maybe it’s you who hides behind spiritual knowledge, but fears intimacy with God. But here’s the good news: Jesus didn’t come to shame the false self—He came to crucify it, and raise up a truer self in its place. A self rooted not in performance, but in His perfection.
He was everything we’re not—yet everything we need. The false self tries to make up for what we lack. But Jesus already is what we could never be: perfect, powerful, whole. And because of that, spiritual formation doesn’t begin with striving—it begins with surrender.
So what if this week, you aimed to lessen the grip of the false self by just 50%? Not perfection. Just a step. Letting go of control in one conversation. Choosing honesty over image in one moment. Asking for prayer instead of pretending. Jesus isn’t asking for a performance—He’s offering presence.
Because no one lived like Him—and no one loves like Him either. As He draws near, He re-forms us, not into a better version of ourselves, but into the likeness of Himself.
So this week, ask yourself: What part of my false self is Jesus gently asking me to release? And what would it look like to let Him love the real you—the weary, imperfect, unfiltered you?