How To Hang Your Hat

In one paragraph

Jay, who helps lead young adults at Tribe, brought this message as part of the ongoing series "Hanging Your Hat on God's Truth." Using a hat rack as a physical illustration, he walked through what it means to actually commit your beliefs to God rather than letting circumstances or other people decide where your trust lands. The setup came from Numbers 14, where the Israelites stood at the edge of...

Read together

1. Romans 8:31 used to support trusting God as the best hook, 'if God is for us, who can be against us'
2. Colossians 3:2 used to encourage sober-minded focus, 'set your mind on the things above, not on the things of this earth'
3. Matthew 6:33 used to encourage surrendering circumstances to God, 'seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness'
4. John 14:6 quoted to identify Jesus as the trustworthy hook, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life'
5. John 8:31-32 quoted to show that abiding in Jesus brings freedom, 'the truth will set you free'
6. Proverbs 3:5-6 used to encourage trust over paralysis, 'trust in the Lord with all your heart'
7. 2 Corinthians 13:5 used to call the congregation to examine whether they are living in faith
8. Matthew 7:24-25 used to contrast the Jesus hook as a firm foundation against all other hooks that will fail
9. Psalm 34:8-10 used to affirm that those who trust in the Lord lack nothing
10. Ephesians 2:8-10 used to close the sermon, emphasizing salvation by grace through faith, not works or perfect theological beliefs
11. Joshua 24:15 spoken from the floor during prayer time, 'choose yourselves this day whom you will serve... as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord'

Talk about it

1. The ten spies saw the same miracles as Joshua and Caleb but came back with a very different response. What do you think made the difference between those two reactions, and where do you see that same split happening in your own life?
2. Janet pointed out that the Israelites wanted to go back to Egypt even though they were slaves there, because it was familiar. Have you ever found yourself drawn back to something you knew was harmful just because it felt familiar? What did that look like?
3. Jay described three hooks where people tend to put their trust: circumstances, other people, and God. Which of those three do you find yourself defaulting to most, and why do you think that is?
4. Jay said the Pharisees were so focused on having the correct beliefs that they missed Jesus standing right in front of them. Have you ever seen that happen in a church setting, or in your own life, where getting the theology exactly right became more important than the relationship with Jesus?
5. Julie shared how the Lord has been washing out lies she received as a child, even decades after she was saved. Is there an area of your life where you suspect you are still hanging your hat on something the enemy told you a long time ago rather than on what God says is true?