Sermon Series: Scrooge (part 2) | Letting Go of Old Labels
A message from James A. Holloway, delivered on December 14, 2025.
Our lives are often shaped by moments. Sometimes they are failures, words spoken over us, or choices we regret. Those moments often turn into lasting labels. One mistake becomes a defining trait. One season becomes an identity. Over time, we can begin living as though those labels are permanent and unchangeable.
This sermon challenges that assumption by pointing to a deeper truth: one chapter does not get to name an entire story.
Through the familiar story of Ebenezer Scrooge and the biblical account of Saul’s transformation into Paul, we are reminded that God’s work of redemption is real, radical, and life-altering. God does not merely forgive the past. He gives a new identity and calls His people to recognize that transformation in themselves and in others.
You can watch the full message below or visit our sermon archive to see other messages.
Key Takeaways
- How moments, mistakes, and spoken words can become unhealthy labels
- Why people often remember someone’s past more than their transformation
- God’s pattern of seeing people not by who they were, but by who He is making them
- Saul’s dramatic transformation in Acts 9 and the role of Ananias and Barnabas
- The responsibility of the church to celebrate new life rather than rehearse old failures
- Embracing forgiveness, not only from God, but toward others and ourselves
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