Spring Cleaning - Week 7

Sermon Summary:
This week, Pastor Josh took us to the hall closet—that hidden space in our hearts where we stash things we don’t want others to see. Like a real closet jammed with clutter, this part of our lives often holds shame, secret sin, or past regrets. Drawing from Psalm 51, we saw David’s raw and honest confession after his sin with Bathsheba. He wasn’t just sorry—he was desperate to be cleansed and renewed. In verse 7, David says, “Cleanse me with hyssop,” pointing to a deeper spiritual cleansing. That same branch—hyssop—reappears in John 19, when Jesus, on the cross, is offered a drink from a sponge on a hyssop stalk. This connection reminds us that Jesus is the ultimate source of our cleansing. The hall closet doesn't have to stay shut—Jesus invites us to open it, so He can heal what’s inside.

Q1 – Let’s start with Psalm 51:1-3.
David begins with honesty: “I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.”
Why is it often easier to hide certain parts of our lives—like putting junk in a hall closet—rather than deal with them? What keeps us from being honest like David?

Q2 – Read Psalm 51:7 aloud.
“Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean.”
Hyssop was used for ceremonial cleansing in the Old Testament. What do you think David is really asking for here? Why is he not just asking for forgiveness but for cleansing?

Q3 – Now turn to John 19:28-30.
“…they put a sponge soaked in wine vinegar on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.”
How does this moment connect with David’s cry in Psalm 51? What does the use of the hyssop branch at the crucifixion say about the cleansing Jesus offers us?

Q4 – Read Psalm 51:10.
“Create in me a pure heart, O God...”
David isn’t just asking to be cleaned up—he wants to be made new. What areas of your life feel like a “hall closet” right now—tucked away and untouched? What would renewal look like there?

Q5 – Let’s reflect on Psalm 51:17.
“My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit…”
Why do you think a “broken and contrite heart” is so important to God? What does it look like to bring Him this kind of openness?

Q6 – Pastor Josh used the metaphor of the hall closet—things look clean on the outside, but inside, it’s stuffed with hidden mess.
What’s one step you could take this week to open that closet to Jesus—not for shame, but for healing?

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