The text for this morning sermon is found in 2 Timothy 1, 6 through 12.

If you have not brought your Bible with you this morning, you will find one in the pew pocket in front of you.

2nd Timothy 1st through 12. Hence I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power and love and self-control.

Do not be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in

suffering for the Gospel in the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not in virtue of our works, but in virtue

of his own purpose and the grace which he gave us in Christ Jesus ages ago, and now has manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ

Jesus who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. For this gospel I was appointed a preacher

an apostle and teacher and therefore I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am sure that

he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.

Should we pray together?

Father, my hearts's desire and I'm sure I speak for the people as well, is that in the remaining minutes of this worship service, we would indeed worship, in that we, with all our hearts,

give heed to the truth of your word. So my prayer for myself is that I would only

speak truth, that it might be your word and not merely mine, and that it might come in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction

and that lives might be changed for good, for your glory, for joy, that there might be clarity and that there might be wisdom

and that there might be new power for a life of clear, unabashed, forthright,

courageous testimony to the glories, the fair glories of your grace in this city.

Now ask it in Jesus name. Amen.

I'd like to begin with a definition of shame that is just an ordinary definition taken from contemporary circulation and then moved from this definition toward a biblical refinement of it and then into discussions of how to battle it where battling is appropriate.

So let's start with the definition.

Shame is a painful emotion that comes from a consciousness of guilt,

shortcoming, or impropriety.

Let me illustrate those three possible causes of this painful emotion.

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