Sheri Sapone
Sheri loves Jesus and has faithfully served on The Heights leadership team for many years. She is currently leading our service host team, a part of the teaching team, and regularly facilitates courses like Emotionally Healthy Spirituality and Emotionally Healthy Relationships. Sheri is living proof that God can use anyone at any stage of life when they're willing to say yes. She works as a kidney transplant nurse, loves spending time with her daughters, granddaughters, and bonus son, enjoys being outdoors, and is always ready to dive into a new hobby. If you've met Sheri, you know she's "aggressively friendly", so don't be surprised if she introduces herself before you have the chance!
Series: Hello, My Name Is…
Title: Part 8 Labeled
Speaker: Sheri Sapone
Date: 7.12.26
Scripture: James 2:25-26
Big Idea: How do our labels keep us from demonstrating our faith?
Main Point: We may be labeled, but we are not cabled
Car ride conversation: What labels are keeping us from living fully in faith? How do our labels hold us back from living free enough in our faith, that our deeds demonstrate our faith?
Anchor Passage: James 2:17 Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
Prophetic Thought:
Rahab’s story reminds us that while people may label us, those labels don’t define or confine us. Though known as a prostitute, Rahab’s faith was revealed through her courageous actions—hiding the spies and protecting her family—which showed that true belief is demonstrated through deeds, not labels. The scripture challenges us to examine the labels we’ve accepted that might hinder our walk with Jesus and to consider whether our lives reflect actionable faith. Just as claiming to be a vegetarian while eating steak would contradict belief, professing faith without living it out shows inconsistency; genuine faith is proven through consistent, visible action.
Application:
How have labels others placed on you or you have picked up, shaped—or limited—your view of yourself in Christ?
Can you identify any labels you have picked up that are hindering your walk with Jesus. That are holding you back from actionable faith.
Does your life demonstrate your faith in Jesus? Are you allowing yourself to be defined or hindered by your labels? What are those labels? Are those labels hindering actionable faith?
James 2: 24-26 ESV 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
Joshua 2: 1-24 ESV And Joshua the son of Nun sent[a] two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” And they went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there. 2 And it was told to the king of Jericho, “Behold, men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.” 3 Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.” 4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. And she said, “True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. 5 And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.” 6 But she had brought them up to the roof and hid them with the stalks of flax that she had laid in order on the roof. 7 So the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords. And the gate was shut as soon as the pursuers had gone out. 8 Before the men[b] lay down, she came up to them on the roof 9 and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. 10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction.[c] 11 And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. 12 Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a sure sign 13 that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” 14 And the men said to her, “Our life for yours even to death! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the Lord gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you.” 15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, so that she lived in the wall. 16 And she said[d] to them, “Go into the hills, or the pursuers will encounter you, and hide there three days until the pursuers have returned. Then afterward you may go your way.” 17 The men said to her, “We will be guiltless with respect to this oath of yours that you have made us swear. 18 Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's household. 19 Then if anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be guiltless. But if a hand is laid on anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head. 20 But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath that you have made us swear.” 21 And she said, “According to your words, so be it.” Then she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.
22 They departed and went into the hills and remained there three days until the pursuers returned, and the pursuers searched all along the way and found nothing. 23 Then the two men returned. They came down from the hills and passed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and they told him all that had happened to them. 24 And they said to Joshua, “Truly the Lord has given all the land into our hands. And also, all the inhabitants of the land melt away because of us.”
Joshua 6: 22-25 Then they devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword. 22 But to the two men who had spied out the land, Joshua said, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, tas you swore to her.” 23 So the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab and uher father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. And they brought all her relatives and put them outside the camp of Israel. 24 And they burned the city with fire, and everything in it. vOnly the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. 25 But Rahab the prostitute and her father’s household and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive. And wshe has lived in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
Prophetic Thought:
Rahab’s story reminds us that while people may label us, those labels don’t define or confine us. Though known as a prostitute, Rahab’s faith was revealed through her courageous actions—hiding the spies and protecting her family—which showed that true belief is demonstrated through deeds, not labels. The scripture challenges us to examine the labels we’ve accepted that might hinder our walk with Jesus and to consider whether our lives reflect actionable faith. Just as claiming to be a vegetarian while eating steak would contradict belief, professing faith without living it out shows inconsistency; genuine faith is proven through consistent, visible action.
Application:
How have labels others placed on you or you have picked up, shaped—or limited—your view of yourself in Christ?
Can you identify any labels you have picked up that are hindering your walk with Jesus. That are holding you back from actionable faith.
Does your life demonstrate your faith in Jesus? Are you allowing yourself to be defined or hindered by your labels? What are those labels? Are those labels hindering actionable faith?
James 2: 24-26 ESV 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
Joshua 2: 1-24 ESV And Joshua the son of Nun sent[a] two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” And they went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there. 2 And it was told to the king of Jericho, “Behold, men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.” 3 Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.” 4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. And she said, “True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. 5 And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.” 6 But she had brought them up to the roof and hid them with the stalks of flax that she had laid in order on the roof. 7 So the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords. And the gate was shut as soon as the pursuers had gone out. 8 Before the men[b] lay down, she came up to them on the roof 9 and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. 10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction.[c] 11 And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. 12 Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a sure sign 13 that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” 14 And the men said to her, “Our life for yours even to death! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the Lord gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you.” 15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, so that she lived in the wall. 16 And she said[d] to them, “Go into the hills, or the pursuers will encounter you, and hide there three days until the pursuers have returned. Then afterward you may go your way.” 17 The men said to her, “We will be guiltless with respect to this oath of yours that you have made us swear. 18 Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's household. 19 Then if anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be guiltless. But if a hand is laid on anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head. 20 But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath that you have made us swear.” 21 And she said, “According to your words, so be it.” Then she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.
22 They departed and went into the hills and remained there three days until the pursuers returned, and the pursuers searched all along the way and found nothing. 23 Then the two men returned. They came down from the hills and passed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and they told him all that had happened to them. 24 And they said to Joshua, “Truly the Lord has given all the land into our hands. And also, all the inhabitants of the land melt away because of us.”
Joshua 6: 22-25 Then they devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword. 22 But to the two men who had spied out the land, Joshua said, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, tas you swore to her.” 23 So the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab and uher father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. And they brought all her relatives and put them outside the camp of Israel. 24 And they burned the city with fire, and everything in it. vOnly the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. 25 But Rahab the prostitute and her father’s household and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive. And wshe has lived in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.