Morning Star Las Cruces

2026 Discussion Questions

June 14, 2026

Series: Unbound: Stories That Challenge and Change Us

Title: Melissa by Alex Gino

Text: Psalm 139:13-18

1. When you were growing up, were you someone who felt comfortable being exactly yourself, or did you tend to adapt to what others expected of you?

2. Can you remember a season in life when you felt misunderstood, mislabeled, or unseen for who you really were? What made that difficult, and how did you work through it?

3. What image, phrase, or story from the message "Un-Bound: Melissa" stayed with you? What did it make you want to discuss?

4. Read Psalm 139:13-18 aloud. What words or images stand out to you in this passage? What does this psalm suggest about how deeply God knows and values each person?

5. If this scripture tells us that every person is fearfully and wonderfully made by God, how might that challenge the labels, assumptions, or judgments people place on one another?

6. The message invited us to think about identity, authenticity, and being truly known. What helps a person find the courage to live honestly as who they are? How might we also become the kind of people who are willing to know others on their terms, rather than through our assumptions or expectations about them?

7. Read 1 Samuel 16:7 aloud. Scripture says that people look on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. What does it mean to "look on the heart" in everyday interactions with people? What attitudes or habits could help us pause our initial impressions and snap judgments?

8. Read Galatians 3:28 aloud. Paul describes a community in Christ where the usual divisions that separate people no longer define worth or belonging. What responsibility do we have, as members of the church, to speak up when someone is not being treated with dignity or safety? What are some phrases we could use to gently but firmly hold people accountable and invite greater understanding?

9. Where might God be calling you this week to more deeply honor the image of God in yourself or in someone who may feel unseen or misunderstood?

10. How might your group pray for you this week as you seek to practice greater compassion, courage, and welcome?