Sermon Guide

Final Words

September 21, 2025
Dr. Allen Holmes

If you were preaching your own funeral, what would you say? What words would you want people to remember? On the cross, Jesus gave us His final words—words that reveal His heart, His mission, and His love.

1. Jesus is a God of Mercy

READ: Luke 23:34 –
“Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.’ And they divided his clothes and cast lots.”

DISCUSS: How can we respond with forgiveness when we are hurt? Where do you need to release bitterness and extend mercy this week?

2. Jesus shows us He is a God of Grace

READ: Ephesians 2:8–9 –
“For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast.”

DISCUSS: How have you personally experienced the unearned grace of God? Who in your life needs to see God’s grace through you?

3. Jesus is a God of the Details

READ: John 19:26–27 –
“When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing there, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.”

DISCUSS: How has God shown His care for the details of your life? How can you learn to trust Him with even the small things?

4. Jesus is the Triune God

READ: 1 Corinthians 12:12–13 –
“For just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all given one Spirit to drink.”

DISCUSS: How does Jesus’ experience of abandonment give you comfort when you feel lonely or unseen? How can you help someone else know they are seen and loved?

5. Jesus is a God of Desire

READ: John 7:37–38 –
“On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. The one who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.’”

DISCUSS: What desires compete for your attention and affection? How can you redirect those desires toward God and His kingdom?

6. Jesus is the God of Victory

READ: Hebrews 10:10 –
“By this will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time.”

DISCUSS: What victories has Jesus already won in your life? How can remembering His finished work give you confidence today?

7. Jesus is a God of Surrender

READ: Romans 12:1 –
“Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.”

DISCUSS: What would it look like for you to fully surrender your life to God today? What area are you holding back from Him?

ASK

What else did you take from Jesus’ final words? Which of these words—mercy, grace, care, presence, desire, victory, surrender—do you need most right now?

PRAY

Father, thank You for the final words of Jesus that reveal Your heart for us. Thank You for Your mercy, grace, attention to detail, and love that sees us even in our loneliness. Thank You for giving us holy desires, victory over sin, and the power to surrender in faith. Teach us to live like Jesus lived and die trusting as Jesus trusted. Amen.

INVITATION TO RESPOND

This week, live out Jesus’ final words:

  • Show mercy by forgiving someone who hurt you.
  • Offer grace by serving someone who doesn’t deserve it.
  • Trust God’s details by giving Him your daily decisions.
  • See the unseen by reaching out to someone who feels alone.
  • Thirst for God by spending intentional time in His Word and prayer.
  • Walk in victory by claiming the finished work of the cross.
  • Practice surrender by offering your whole life to God in prayer.

Jesus’ final words point us to life—mercy, grace, holiness, and surrender. The question is: Will you receive them and live in their power?

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