What’s Your Brand?
John 17:20-26 (NIV)
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you[a] known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
Discussion Questions
The sermon opened with the idea that everyone has a brand — a characteristic way others experience them — whether they cultivate it or not. How do you think the people closest to you would describe your personal brand, and does that match how you see yourself?
Fishhook identified four traits of Zionsville UMC — unifying, centered, present, and loving. Which of those four resonates most with your own experience of this church, and which do you think the congregation still has the most room to grow into?
Tony Dungy's distinction between reputation and integrity stuck with Pastor Dave — you can't control how others see you, only your own character. Where in your life are you most tempted to manage your reputation rather than simply living with integrity?
The sermon acknowledged honestly that many people outside the church view Christianity as judgmental, hypocritical, and too political — and that this perception hasn't improved much since a 2007 study documented it. How do you respond to that assessment, and where do you think it comes from?
Pastor Dave suggested that a negative reputation can actually become an opportunity — that people notice when we behave "off brand" from their expectations. When have you seen unexpected grace, inclusion, or forgiveness genuinely surprise someone who didn't expect it from a Christian or a church?
The early church didn't rehab its reputation through a marketing campaign — it did so by staying behind during plagues to care for the sick when everyone else fled. What would that level of sacrificial, countercultural love look like in your community today?
The 2-4-6 framework — two commandments, four ways to love, six practices — is designed to be a practical discipleship map. Looking at worship, prayer, learning, service, play, and giving, which of those six is most alive in your life right now, and which one has quietly gone quiet?
The message closed with the image of a brand burned into the hide of an animal — not as a marketing technique but as a mark of belonging. How does it change the way you think about your identity as a Christian to see it as a mark of belonging rather than a set of behaviors to perform?
Jesus said, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." If the people in your neighborhood, workplace, or school were asked whether they'd seen that kind of love from you this past month, what do you think they'd say?
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