In this recent series called, Identity Crisis, we looked at all the roles in which we find our identity and what can happen when these roles change throughout different seasons of our lives. We can become insecure, feel rejected or look to unstable things to once again establish who we are. Pastor Jess started the series by taking us back to the Garden to find out who we are and how God designed us to be… Look at some thoughts from the series and please share with us in the comment at the end your thoughts!
Week 1 - Identity Fraud
Ever have someone steal your identity, commit ID fraud with one of your accounts? It’s so hard to get it all worked out and back to “normal!” Well, someone, the enemy of your soul, stole your identity years ago… Who does God say you are? 2 Corinthians 5:17 says that you are a “new creation” in Him, old things (identities rooted in unstable roles) are passed away, all things are NEW in Him! Often we don’t like how we see ourselves based on the identity we’ve formed around one of those roles and we begin to “curse ourselves” speaking badly of ourselves, to ourselves. Jesus said in John 10:10, “I come that you may have life and that more abundantly.” Don’t curse whom He has blessed! Yes, you!
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Week 2 - Lessons from Eve
In Genesis 1:28 God told Adam and Eve to be “fruitful and multiply”… Perhaps you’re not married or have passed the childbearing season of life, but His message is still to be fruitful and multiply in every area of your life. He is the God of abundance and wants us to be constantly growing, increasing in our love for Him and others. Adam needed a helpmate. Yep, they do need us, as much as you (or they) might not think they do! Genesis 2:24 – God ordained marriage and for sex to be within the confines of marriage [did I just say that in this PC world??]. Yes, and He gives grace for those of us not in that role. When sin came into the world through Adam’s disobedience (Eve was deceived but Adam knew exactly what he was doing…), guilt and shame were introduced. So we have to abide in God’s Word (the Truth) to not be deceived. Stay in Jesus! Stay in His Word!
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Week 3 - Overcoming Insecurity
Every decade or so it seems our bodies, our roles go through changes – metabolism slows down, kids aren’t home as much anymore with sports and activities… We form identities around these roles and many times we’ve put the wrong things in our “bucket!” When we come to Christ, He wants to put new things in our bucket but we’ve got to make room and let some things go: exchange perfectionism for grace, shame for His justification, bad habits for victory, lost for redeemed, brokenness for restoration… We become insecure when we don’t know who we are, our value, our purpose. Genesis 1:27-28 gives us our core identity: we were made in His image, to reflect God; our core purpose: to be fruitful and multiply; our core fulfillment: to do everything for the glory of God. We were created out of love, to reflect His image—concerning all of creation, God said that it was “good,” but when He was done creating mankind, He said it was “very good!” We need to renew our minds to what God says about us (Romans 12:1-2).
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Week 4 - Rejection or Redirection?
Often the people that have rejected us in our past are not even in our lives anymore; perhaps God didn’t want them to be and He allowed it to get us where He wanted us. We see a severe case of this in the life of Joseph: what his brothers meant for evil—selling him off into a life of slavery was really God’s positioning of him into the palace where he could be used to save God’s people in a time of famine. Joseph said, “Even though you intended to harm me, God intended it only for good, and through me, He preserved the lives of countless people, as He is still doing today.” (Genesis 50:20, Voice) By looking to God and trusting Him through the hurtful times of rejection, not getting bitter, but walking in love and forgiveness, God will “work it for good” in our lives (Romans 8:28) and develop the character and strength needed for the days ahead.
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