Where Are You?

Pastor Tim Rigdon
19 hours ago
4 min read

Pastor Tim Rigdon

Sunday, August 9th, 2026

Today's Scriptures and Notes:

Psalm 34:4–5  NKJV I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.  They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed.  

Sin says,  ”I did something wrong.

”  Shame says, “I am something wrong.” 

Many people have been forgiven by God... 

but still live as prisoners of shame. 

Jesus didn’t just die to  forgive your sin... He died to  remove your shame. 

I. Shame Entered in the Garden  

Genesis 2:25 NKJV  And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.  

Genesis 3:7–10  NKJV 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.    8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.   9 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”   10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”  Adam and Eve sinned by taking fruit from a tree and afterward they hid among the trees. 

We hide in the very things that contributed to our fall. 

The very place of your failure is never meant to become your hiding place. 

Shame drives you to hide. 

Grace always invites you to come out from hiding 

Shame makes you isolate. 

Shame convinces you that God doesn’t want you anymore. 

 Shame changes how you see yourself. 

 II. Shame Makes You Hide From the One Who Can Heal You 

Jesus never heals the person you’re pretending to be.   He heals the real you 

III. Jesus Took Our Shame at the Cross  

Hebrews 12:2  NKJV looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  

He was carrying your shame.  

Isaiah 53:3 NKJV  He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.  

He entered our shame  …so we could enter His righteousness. 

IV. Jesus Restores the Ashamed  

John 8:3–11  NKJV 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act.   5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?”    6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.   7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”   8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.  9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.   10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”    11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”  

The crowd saw her FAILURE  …Jesus saw her FUTURE

The enemy has a way of convincing people …that their past … is their identity 

He removed her shame  …before He challenged her lifestyle. 

Grace always comes before growth. 

Jesus didn’t replace Peter …He restored Peter 

Grace is greater than failure 

 V. The Devil Uses Shame to Keep You From Your Purpose 

You’re too dirty. 

You’ve failed too much. 

 God can’t use someone like you. 

Your damaged goods 

Everyone remembers what you did.  

Romans 8:1  NKJV There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.  

Why are you still carrying … what He buried? 

VI. God Gives Beauty Instead of Shame

  Isaiah 61:7 NKJV  Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs.   

God doesn’t merely erase your past …He redeems it 

 Your greatest testimony  …often comes from … your deepest shame 

Refuse to let yesterday  …define tomorrow 

Don’t let your Failures  …define your Destiny

 It was also about freedom. 

The blood removes guilt. 

The cross removes shame. 

The resurrection restores hope. 