New Story Church

Protecting Yourself Is What's Killing You | Ruth 1

Paul D. Anderson

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0:00 | 42:50

You're not a bad friend. You're just making Orpah's choice — over and over — without knowing it.

This sermon walks through one of the most quietly devastating scenes in the Bible: three women on a road, a friendship at a crossroads, and two very different choices about what makes life worth living. Ruth 1 turns out to be less about loyalty and more about something harder — the moment you decide whether to protect yourself or choose a person before you know the outcome.

It turns out Ruth's choice isn't just about friendship. It's about the logic underneath everything — and the reason you exist.

And underneath all of it: the question of whether the life you're carefully protecting is actually the life you want.

Download the group discussion guide here.