Identity Theft 1

"But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

2 Corinthians 3:16-18

Last night was the beginning of our new series, "Identity Theft". Normally this post would be an easy one for me because I get to just repeat all the good stuff my husband said from the night before. This week was a little different. As you may see I haven't posted anything on here since last Wednesday night because I've been hunkered down preparing for this week's message...that's right, I had "got" to speak last night! If you know anything about me, you'll know that speaking just isn't my thing. I'd rather write than speak any day but I knew that God had placed in me things that people really needed to hear concerning their Identity in Christ and the insecurities that they face daily. So, if you missed last night, here are some things I tried to hammer home and hopefully they'll stick :)

We showed this video that has gone viral and came to the conclusion that the way we see ourselves is not they way that God sees us!

And just for fun, check out the guy versions on YouTube, they're pretty histarical!

• When we look at ourselves, often times, we see a mistake while God sees a masterpiece.
• A lot of our insecurities stem from the fact that so many of us are focused on the way that others approve or disprove of us.
• We all have veils of insecurity that we walk around with that cloud our vision of God and who He says that we are.
• It scares me that Christians are some of the most insecure people. God doesn't see us as insecure or inadequate.
• We tend to stare in the mirror long enough to start hating what we see.
• We need to lay down our worldly self-image and replace it with God's view of us.
• God's truth about you is way more powerful than other's opinions about you! 
• God will take the pain of your insecurities and use that to accomplish His purpose for your life.
• We can't find freedom from our insecurities in our culture but in the only unchanging factor of our lives, Christ.
• We are co-heirs with Christ. Just as we have inherited very specific traits from our parents, we have inherited very specific traits from our heavenly Father. When we criticize ourselves and wish that God had made us differently, we are insulting His work. 
• God has given you everything you need in order to fulfill His purpose for which He created you for.
• We need to focus less on ME ME ME and more on HE!
• We will continue to struggle with insecurities until we become more inwardly focused on Christ and less outwardly focused on ourselves.
• God will often times take our insecurities and write a story that portrays His glory. His power is made perfect in our weaknesses!
• God died for your insecurities, we continue to carry them, and He's asking for them back! Let Him carry them and use them.
• Guys, I beg of you to be careful how you talk to and about girls. Your words carry a powerful weight on the way that a girl looks and thinks about herself. Talk to them how you would want your sister or your future daughter to be talked to. After all, she is the daughter of your King.
• Girls, we all want to be told we're beautiful and treated as though we're the only person on this earth. But if a guy never tells you those things you want to here, we have to be okay with that! Guys don't want nor do they need the pressure of keeping you propped up all the time. We have to look to Christ for affirmations about ourselves and let the words that people say about us not make or break our day.
• God doesn't make mistakes, He doesn't make junk, and He didn't screw up when He created you.
• You are not who others say you are, you are who the King says you are!

'Til next time,