Have you ever wanted to reinvent yourself? Maybe you’ve changed your hairstyle, adopted a new nickname, or even tried to become someone completely different to fit in. But what I learned is that no matter what others call you—or even what you call yourself—only the One who created you has the authority to define you. Tonight, we’re going to explore how embracing your God-given identity can transform your life.
Introduction:
- We gather not for each other, but to encounter God.
- Prayer: Seeking God's presence and truth.
- Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 5:17 – "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
Point 1: The Search for Identity
- Personal story of changing my name in high school or similar story.
- Desire for reinvention and external validation.
- The lesson from my mother: Only the Creator has the right to name us.
- Biblical Reference: Isaiah 43:1 – "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine."
Point 2: God's Authority Over Our Identity
- You are not defined by your past, failures, or circumstances.
- Biblical Examples: Abram to Abraham (Genesis 17:5), Jacob to Israel (Genesis 32:28).
- Aligning with God's truth rather than cultural labels.
- Key Verse: Ephesians 2:10 – "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
Point 3: The Battle for Identity
- The enemy seeks to distort who we are.
- The Israelites’ struggle with identity despite being in the Promised Land.
- Modern-day identity struggles and cultural confusion.
- Biblical Reference: John 10:10 – "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."
Point 4: Gideon’s Story—Living Below His Calling
- Judges 6:12 – "The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor."
- Gideon hides in fear, but God calls him a “valiant warrior.”
- Identity is based on God's truth, not circumstances.
- Gideon’s transformation led to breaking generational strongholds and national victory.
- Romans 8:37 – "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."
Point 5: Walking in Your True Identity
- Who God says you are: (list of affirmations).
- Key Verses:
- Galatians 2:20 – "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me."
- 1 Peter 2:9 – "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession."
- Embracing God’s truth leads to transformation.
- Call to action: Stepping into the fullness of our God-given identity.
Conclusion:
- Invitation to live aligned with God’s identity for us.
- Prayer for boldness, freedom, and victory in Christ.
- Declaration: "I am who God says I am."
- Final Scripture: Romans 12:2 – "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."