You’re Invited to the Ball!

So did you hear why Cinderella got kicked off the soccer team?

Because she kept running away from the ball!

And do you know why she has such a lousy football team?

Because she has a pumpkin for a coach!

Of course, you get these (terrible) jokes because more than likely, you know the story of the girl with the glass

slipper, right? The story of Cinderella and her—shall we say “visually challenging” sisters and “compassion

deficient” stepmom has been told and retold for many decades, and now it has been redone for 2015.

Except this is a live action version that has a few twists and turns that add more depth to the classic story and it

helps the Frozen fans, who are going through withdrawal, let it go.

What I have always found fascinating is the meaning behind the name “Cinderella.” Her given name is Ella, but

because of the dirty chores her stepmother consigns her to, she wakes up one

morning with cinders from the fireplace all over her face and the name sticks.

Hence: “Cinder-Ella”…get it?

And as you know, Cinderella finds redemption in the form of a fairy godmother

who uses some sweet short-term magic to give her an extreme makeover and a

blinged out pumpkin ride that gets her to the ball in style.

But then the best part, of course, is the rest of the story with the dance, the prince, the stroke of twelve, the

sad return to her home and finally the discovery that even though Ella was covered with cinders again, her foot

fit the glass slipper that changed her destiny.

Have you ever felt like Cinderella? Not in the sense that you have an extremely difficult family situation—

although I’m sure many of you do. But what I mean is do you ever wake up feeling like you are covered with

the cinders and ashes of your shame and regret? Is there a nagging sense of grime—not on your face—but on

your soul that shackles you with the feeling that your life will forever be enslaved to a hopeless future?

I think we have all been there at some point, but the fantastic news is that there is a “rest of the story”

available to us! Listen to these words from the God who created us in His own image:

“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord.

“Though your sins are like scarlet,

I will make them as white as snow.

Though they are red like crimson,

I will make them as white as wool” (Isaiah 1:18).

We are all “Cinderellas” in the sense that our sins stain our spirit and our guilt dresses us in rags, but God has

promised that through Jesus’ death and resurrection, He can wipe our faces clean and redeem our lives! Our

faith and trust in the Savior gives us freedom from our wicked surroundings and takes us to a place where we

can befriend the King of Kings!

And the best part is that our transformation doesn’t end at the stroke of twelve. The pure garments that we

have been given by Christ do not turn back into filthy shreds, nor do we ever have to return “home” to the

wicked voice of our Accuser who fills our hearts with lies and deceit.

But if you do decide to return to a place where you are once again living in the ashes of your mistakes and sin,

remember that the Prince of Peace is knocking on your door— not with a glass slipper—but with something

infinitely more valuable:

“Let the person who is able to hear, listen to and follow what the Spirit

proclaims to all the churches. To the one who conquers through faithfulness

even unto death, I will feed you with hidden manna and give you a white

stone. Upon this stone, a new name is engraved. No one knows this name

except for its recipient” (Revelation 2:17, The Voice).

There was an ancient Roman custom of awarding white stones to the victors of athletic games that had his

name inscribed on it. This stone allowed the victors entrance to a magnificent awards banquet. So very much

like the slipper, our Redeemer has a custom-made jewel that contains our new “name” which is the new

identity we have in Jesus Christ, and one day we will celebrate that in His very presence.

So my friends, let our Lord and Savior clean the ashes from your face and give you a new name. Live each day

in the victory that was purchased for you on the Cross, and let everyone you know that they too are invited to

the ball!

Flashpoint: Ignite Into Action

Let’s not keep the good news about living happily ever after with Jesus Christ to ourselves. The stage for the

ball is set, let’s tell everyone that they can be redeemed and given a new name!

Accelerant: Fuel for THE Cause

Pray: Father, thank You for rescuing me from the ashes of my past and giving me a new name. Keep me close

to you in all that I do and say, and give me boldness in my efforts to reach people for the sake of THE Cause of

Christ.

Read: 1 John 1:9. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us

from all wickedness.

Get: Struggling with Guilt? Do you struggling with guilt for things you’ve done in the past? Check out this

helpful article on how to deal with feelings of guilt from our friends at gotquestion.org.

How should a Christian deal with feelings of guilt regarding past sins, whether pre- or post-salvation?

Everyone has sinned, and one of the results of sin is guilt. We can be thankful for guilty feelings because they drive us to seek forgiveness. The moment a person turns from sin to Jesus Christ in faith, his sin is forgiven. Repentance is part of the faith that leads to salvation (Matthew 3:2;4:17;Acts 3:19).

In Christ, even the most heinous sins are blotted out (see1 Corinthians 6:9-11for a list of some unrighteous acts that can be forgiven). Salvation is by grace, and grace forgives. After a person is saved, he will still sin, and when he does, God still promises forgiveness. “But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One” (1 John 2:1).

Freedom from sin, however, does not always mean freedom from guilty feelings. Even when our sins are forgiven, we still remember them. Also, we have a spiritual enemy, called “the accuser of our brothers” (Revelation 12:10) who relentlessly reminds us of our failures, faults, and sins. When a Christian experiences feelings of guilt, he or she should do the following things:

1) Confess all known, previously unconfessed sin. In some cases, feelings of guilt are appropriate because confession is needed. Many times, we feel guilty because we are guilty! (See David’s description of guilt and its solution inPsalm 32:3-5.)

2) Ask the Lord to reveal any other sin that may need confessing. Have the courage to be completely open and honest before the Lord. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).

3) Trust the promise of God that He will forgive sin and remove guilt, based on the blood of Christ (1 John 1:9;Psalm 85:2;86:5;Romans 8:1).

4) On occasions when guilty feelings arise over sins already confessed and forsaken, reject such feelings as false guilt. The Lord has been true to His promise to forgive. Read and meditate onPsalm 103:8-12.

5) Ask the Lord to rebuke Satan, your accuser, and ask the Lord to restore the joy that comes with freedom from guilt (Psalm 51:12).

Psalm 32is a very profitable study. Although David had sinned terribly, he found freedom from both sin and guilty feelings. He dealt with the cause of guilt and the reality of forgiveness.Psalm 51is another good passage to investigate. The emphasis here is confession of sin, as David pleads with God from a heart full of guilt and sorrow. Restoration and joy are the results.

Finally, if sin has been confessed, repented of, and forgiven, it is time to move on. Remember that we who have come to Christ have been made new creatures in Him. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Part of the “old” which has gone is the remembrance of past sins and the guilt they produced. Sadly, some Christians are prone to wallowing in memories of their former sinful lives, memories which should have been dead and buried long ago. This is pointless and runs counter to the victorious Christian life God wants for us. A wise saying is “If God has saved you out of a sewer, don’t dive back in and swim around.”

Discussion Guide for LeadersBig Idea: Cinderella reminds us that we have been redeemed by the Prince of Peace.

Key Scripture: Isaiah 1:18

Discussion Questions:

What “ashes” cover your face?

How has your life paralleled Cinderella’s?

What is keeping you from committing your life fully to Jesus?

How can you apply this Soul Fuel to THE Cause?