Have you had people - to whom you aren't related - become like family to you? 

Finding the kind of freedom that the Bible talks about means finding a freely-given place in the household of God. This belonging is a gift and nobody can take it from you. At the same time, this freedom is offered to everyone you meet, which means that finding the kind of freedom that the Bible talks about means learning to see everyone around you as a free member of. God's family.

Now that you've answered the Icebreaker, here's another question - this one, about messes.

Hopefully that makes enough sense to get you started. As you continue into the Worship portion of the Spotlight, pray this prayer together:

Lord,
You are eager for the small compromises
that are required for collaboration 
because you are eager for the great promise
of unity in love. For this,
you give us freedom to act and react,
and we are glad to see your kingdom come
in every moment of this gracious exercise.
Amen.

Begin by reading this story:

John 8:2-11
2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Respond to this with this prayer:

Merciful Jesus,
you who bent down into the dust while others stood ready with stones,
we come before you as people who know both accusation and desire,
the voices that condemn us, and the longings that pull us toward what does not give life.

You do not meet us with shame.
You do not trap us in our worst moments.
You look at us with a love that is steady, unhurried, and unafraid.
You protect the vulnerable.
You quiet the accusers.
You create space where we can finally breathe.

We confess that we have been entangled
in choices, habits, and patterns that promise freedom but become chains.
Sometimes we hide.
Sometimes we justify.
Sometimes we feel too tired to change.

But you speak a different word over us:
not condemnation, but invitation.
So today we hear you again:
“Neither do I condemn you. Go, and leave your life of sin.”

Lord, let that word reach deeper than our guilt.
Let it reach into our instincts, our fears, our desires.

Free us from slavery—to approval, to impulse, to secrecy, to despair.
Free us not by force, but by love so compelling that we want to walk with you.
Teach us to stand up.
Teach us to walk away from what binds us.
Teach us to live as people who are forgiven, restored, and new.

And when we see others caught in their own struggles,
make us people who drop stones, create space, and reflect your mercy.
We receive your grace.
We step into your freedom.
We follow you.
Amen.

Read and discuss the rest of John 8. This part is not contested, early manuscripts include it.

Dispute Over Jesus’ Testimony
12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 
13 The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.”

• What is the problem with "appearing as your own witness?" 

14 Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. 16 But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. 17 In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. 18 I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”

• In the middle of this argument, don't miss the words: "I pass judgment on no one." Why does this line up with the story in John 8:1-11? 

 
19 Then they asked him, “Where is your father?” 
“You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.

Dispute Over Who Jesus Is
21 Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.” 
22 This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?” 
23 But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.” 
25 “Who are you?” they asked. 
“Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. 26 “I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.”
 

• "I have much to say in judgment..." but he doesn't. What reason does he give for not saying the judgments he has in mind?

27 They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. 28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. 29 The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” 30 Even as he spoke, many believed in him.
 
Dispute Over Whose Children Jesus’ Opponents Are
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 
33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

• Answer their question.

34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. 38 I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.”
39 “Abraham is our father,” they answered. 
“If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did. 40 As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. 41 You are doing the works of your own father.” 
“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.” 
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

• This is the core of the exchange: Two families, two fathers, two states of being. Take some time to put the distinction into your own words. 

Jesus’ Claims About Himself
48 The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?” 
49 “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. 50 I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.” 
52 At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?” 
54 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55 Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” 
57 “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” 
58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

• Again - the almost-stoning of the woman caught in adultery would give a nice parallel to this. What pushed them over the edge? 
• Interesting that they call him "possessed." That is the opposite of freedom! 
  • As a group, give this some time: What are the teachers of the law missing - to what are they still enslaved? How many ways has Jesus tried to set them free in this chapter?

Discuss together:

1. When you hear the phrase human trafficking, what images or scenarios come to mind?
2. Where do you think most of your understanding comes from?
   (News, social media, movies, school, church, etc.)

What Trafficking Actually Is
Human trafficking involves force, fraud, or coercion used to exploit someone for labor or commercial sex.

Research shows many victims are:

• Economically vulnerable
• Experiencing housing instability
• Young people lacking strong support systems
• Groomed by someone they already know

It is usually not random abductions by strangers.

Discuss:

1. Does this match what you expected, or surprise you?
2. Why do you think the public perception is often different from reality?

When Awareness Becomes Fear
Awareness campaigns can help, but sometimes messaging becomes exaggerated.
You may have seen examples like:

• Viral warnings about kidnappings in parking lots.
• Claims that major events always cause huge spikes in trafficking.
• Social media posts that turn suspicious situations into trafficking stories without evidence.

Fear-based messaging can lead to:

• Panic instead of preparation
• Distrust of strangers or outsiders
• Missing the people who are actually most vulnerable
• Loss of credibility when claims aren’t accurate

Discuss:

1. Why do you think fear-based messages spread so easily?
2. Have you ever seen or shared something online that you later learned wasn’t accurate?
3. What harm might come from exaggerating a real problem?

Where Risk Actually Increases
Trafficking tends to grow where vulnerability exists:

• Poverty
• Isolation
• Lack of safe housing
• Lack of supportive relationships
• Economic desperation

This means prevention often looks like:

• Strong communities
• Support systems
• Awareness training
• Paying attention to people who feel unseen

Discuss:

1. How is this different from the “stranger danger” idea many of us grew up with?
2. What kinds of people in our community might be more vulnerable than we realize?
3. How could communities of faith play a positive role?

We don’t need exaggeration to care.
We don’t need fear to take action.
Clear understanding helps us protect people more effectively.
The safest communities aren’t the most suspicious ones.
They’re the most connected ones.