Series: No One Else
Sermon Title: No One Changes Everything Like Him
Passage: John 21:15–21, Luke 24:46–47, 1 Peter 1:3, 1 Corinthians 15:20-22;44-54, John 14:19

Reno Campus
Pastor Dave Pretlove

Carson Campus
Pastor Dusty Braun

Sparks Campus
Pastor Jericho Toilolo

 

Campus Announcements / Service Moments

Reno Campus:
New Series begins next week – The Cave

Carson Campus:
New Series begins next week – The Cave

Sparks Campus
New Series begins next week – The Cave

Series: No One Else
Sermon Title: No One Changes Everything Like Him
Passage: John 21:15–21, Luke 24:46–47, 1 Peter 1:3, 1 Corinthians 15:20-22;44-54, John 14:19

SERMON POINTS: 

1. My Past No Longer Chains Me to Guilt and Shame. 

• John 21:15-17 
• Luke 24:46-47

2. My Present Is No Longer a Search For Meaning or Identity.  

• John 21:15-17 
• John 20:21

3. My Future Is No Longer Marked By Fear or Dread. 

• John 21:18-19
• 1 Peter 1:3
• 1 Corinthians 15: 20-22
• John 14:19
• 1 Corinthians 15: 44-54

QUOTE: Randy Alcorn – “For the Christian, death is not the end of the adventure but a doorway to a greater one.”

GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. If you truly embraced the truth that your past is completely forgiven, how would your daily life look different?

• Additional Scripture: 
• Romans 8:1-2 
• Psalm 103:11-12
• Follow-Up Question: What specific shame or regret do you find hardest to let go of, and what step might you take today toward fully surrendering it to Christ?

2. How has the resurrection changed the way you understand your worth and identity?

• Additional Scripture: 
• Ephesians 1:4-6
• 1 John 3:1
• Follow-Up Question: If you were to fully embrace your identity as a beloved child of God, how would your interactions with others shift?

3. What does it look like practically, in your life, to move from believing in Christ’s resurrection intellectually to living out its reality each day?

• Additional Scripture: 
• Galatians 2:20
• Colossians 3:1-3
• Follow-Up Question: What’s one practical habit or spiritual practice you could adopt to cultivate daily awareness of Christ’s presence?

4. How has your purpose or direction in life been clarified or changed since encountering the risen Christ?

• Additional Scripture: 
• Matthew 5:14-16 
• Philippians 1:21
• Follow-Up Question:  Where do you feel Christ is inviting you to step out with greater boldness or intentionality?

5. What would it mean for you to move beyond just surviving spiritually—to thriving in intimacy and communion with Jesus?

• Additional Scripture: 
• John 15:4-5
• Psalm 16:11
• Follow-Up Question:  In what area of your life do you feel God might be inviting you to slow down and experience deeper joy and connection?

6. In what specific area do you still find yourself living out of fear rather than resurrection hope?

• Additional Scripture: 
• 2 Timothy 1:7
• Hebrews 2:14-15
• Follow-Up Question:  How can a greater focus on Christ’s victory over death help reshape your responses to fear or anxiety?

7. If your eternal future is truly secure in Christ, how would that confidence influence your decisions, ambitions, or risks you’re willing to take today?

• Additional Scripture: 
•  Romans 8:38-39
• 1 Peter 1:3-5
• Follow-Up Question:  What’s one practical decision or risk you might take if you fully trusted the security of your eternal hope?

8. How might your life better reflect the passionate mission Christ entrusted to us after His resurrection?

• Additional Scripture: 
• Matthew 28:18-20
• Acts 1:8
• Follow-Up Question: What barrier internal or external is currently keeping you from fully embracing and living out Christ’s mission for you?

PERSONAL REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

Monday: Rewriting My Story with Grace

• Focus: Letting go of shame and embracing forgiveness
• Additional Scripture:  
• Luke 24:46–47
• Psalm 103:11–12
• What parts of your story still carry shame or regret—places where you haven’t fully received Christ’s forgiveness?
  
• How might your life be different if you truly believed that Jesus sees you, knows everything about you, and still calls you His own?

Tuesday: Living from Identity, Not Performance

• Focus: Rooting identity in Christ instead of what we’ve done or failed to do
• Additional Scripture:  
• John 20:17
• Ephesians 1:4–5
• When are you most tempted to define yourself by your mistakes or achievements rather than your identity as a child of God?
  
• What would it look like to walk through today as someone fully loved and fully accepted—without striving?

Wednesday: Inviting Jesus into the Present

• Focus: Experiencing His presence in your daily moments
• Additional Scripture:  
• Luke 24:32
•  John 15:4–5
• Where do you most often look for meaning or purpose apart from Jesus?
  
• What’s one small way you can invite the presence of Jesus into your ordinary moments today?

Thursday: Living for Something Bigger

• Focus: Resurrection purpose and spiritual courage
• Additional Scripture:  
• John 20:21
• 1 Corinthians 15:58
• What area of your life feels aimless or “just going through the motions”?
  
• If Jesus truly sent you today—on purpose—where might He be inviting you to love, serve, or show up with renewed courage?

Friday: Releasing Fear and Control

• Focus: Living from peace, not anxiety or dread
• Additional Scripture: 
• 1 Corinthians 15:54–55
• Philippians 4:6–7
• What is one fear that still has a hold on you?
  
• What would it mean for you to surrender that fear and trust Jesus with the outcome?

Saturday: Anchoring My Hope in the Resurrection

• Focus: Cultivating a heart that anticipates eternity
• Additional Scripture: 
• John 14:19
• 1 Peter 1:3–4
• How often do you reflect on eternity and the hope of the resurrection?
  
• How could a deeper confidence in your future shape the way you live today—with peace, passion, or freedom?

Sunday: Abiding and Becoming

• Focus: Growing in intimacy and spiritual transformation
• Additional Scripture:  
• 2 Corinthians 3:18
• Psalm 27:4
• What does your soul most need today—to slow down and be with Jesus?
  
• In what ways are you slowly becoming more like Jesus—and where might He be inviting you to grow next?

 

SCRIPTURES TO MEDITATE ON:

• Romans 8:1–2 
• 2 Corinthians 5:17 
• 1 Peter 1:3–4

 

RESOURCES:

• ARTICLE | Forgive: Why Should I and How Can I? by Timothy Keller
• PODCAST | THE DENISON PODCAST | WHO AM I INLIGHT OF THE RESURRECTION
• PODCAST | CATCHING FAITH | FROM PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL TO MINISTRY
• BOOK | Raised with Christ: How the Resurrection Changes Everything by Adrian Warnock
• BOOK | RANDY ALCORN | HEAVEN: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO EVERYTHIGN THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT OUR ETERNAL HOME

 

MONTHLY SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE: False Self

False Self vs. True Self in Christ | Rob Hans, Spiritual Formation Pastor

In John 1:20–27, John the Baptist is given the perfect opportunity to lean into a false self—to claim power, prestige, or a title that wasn’t his. Yet, he doesn’t. He resists the pull of public image and chooses instead to stand firm in his God-given identity. “I am not the Christ,” he says plainly. Instead, he identifies as “a voice” pointing others to Jesus.

John surely felt the inner pull to be admired, to be somebody. He That desire to be seen or valued isn’t foreign to any of us. But John models something powerful: staying grounded in who God says we are, even when the false self whispers tempting lies.

Our false self often forms as a defense—a mask shaped by past wounds, fears, or unmet needs. It becomes a projection: how we want others to see us, or even how we convince ourselves to cope. But God never meets us in the illusion. He meets us in truth. And when we let go of our false self, we make space for the Spirit to work deeply in us and through us.

If John had chosen the false self, imagine the awkwardness of baptizing Jesus the next day. But because he stood in his true identity, he was free to play his part in God’s greater story.

Scripture calls us to this same process of surrender:

• “Put on the new self, created to be like God…” – Ephesians 4:24
• “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation…” – 2 Corinthians 5:17
• “Put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge…” – Colossians 3:10

Spiritual Exercise: Shedding the False Self
Use this for small group reflection or personal journaling.

Step 1: Identify the Mask
Reflect quietly or journal your answers:

• What identity or image am I tempted to project?
• What do I fear people might see if I didn’t wear this mask?
• When do I feel the need to prove myself, perform, or protect?

Step 2: Name the Source

• Where did this false self come from?
  (A parent’s words? A wound? A cultural expectation? Fear of failure?)

Step 3: Hold It to the Light
Read Ephesians 4:24, 2 Corinthians 5:17, and Colossians 3:10 out loud.
Ask:

• What does God say is true of me now, in Christ?
• What identity am I being invited to “put on”?

Step 4: Declare and Surrender
Write a short statement naming what you’re laying down and what you’re receiving in its place.
Example: I lay down the need to be impressive. I receive the truth that I am loved, chosen, and secure in Christ.

Step 5: Share (Optional maybe in your LifeGroup)
With gentleness and trust, invite the group to share one false self identity they are releasing, and what truth they’re choosing instead.

 

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: 

We all carry parts of our story that we wish we could rewrite. Moments marked by failure, words we regret, relationships that fractured, seasons that drained the life out of us. And yet… Jesus.

Jesus doesn’t offer us a religious Band-Aid. He offers resurrection.

After Peter had denied Him, Jesus met him not with a lecture—but with breakfast. On the beach, the same Savior Peter had failed looks at him and restores him: “Do you love me?” (John 21:15–17). He wasn’t shaming Peter—He was redeeming him. That’s what resurrection does. It rewrites our past with grace.

And not only that—it reorients our present. The search for identity ends when Jesus looks you in the eyes and says, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21). You’re not here by accident. Your life has a holy calling written into it. Not because of what you’ve done, but because of Who He is.

And when we look ahead, we don’t brace for the worst—we boldly await the best. “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). Death has been swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54). We don’t live in fear of the ending; we live in anticipation of eternity. For us, death isn’t a stop sign. It’s a doorway.

Rob Hans, Spiritual Formation Pastor