Identity Theft 2 -- Finding Freedom

This has been one of my most favorite series that we have ever done in student ministry! Why? Because I have seen first hand the fruit that has been produced through it. I've witnessed the "light switch" being turned on in students' hearts as they come to the realization that they truly are God's masterpiece. Last night's service easily fell into the top 3 services I've ever been apart of in student ministry. ever. A friend of Husband and I's from Greenville came and shared his story of how God has set him free from being labeled as "gay". As a young student, because of this label and the comments made to him and about him, he started on a path believing that he was in fact, gay. If you missed last night, you can read a more in-depth account of his story here and how God has put him on a journey to freedom.

I've been humbled over the past two weeks from hearing stories of students that have been set free from eating disorders, set free from looking to others for approval or disproval, set free from homosexuality, and set free from carrying labels that others have given them. Let me tell you, it's a cruel world out there and labels stick. The more that we can instill in teenagers (especially) that the Lord is the only one allowed to label them, the more they will start to seek the Lord for their identity and not seek ways to take their own lives and dispose of their identity. Here are some lessons learned from last night.

• Every person on the planet has their own unique fingerprint. God didn't create you to be someone else.
• We are trying so hard to be someone that God has not called us to be.
• In order to understand who we are we have to understand whose we are.
• We let others that know us the least define us the most.
• The only person allowed to label you is the One who created you.
• Your value and worth does not vanish because you've been through stuff.
• Jesus was tempted by ALL things! All means ALL! (Heb. 4) But He never sinned because he patterned His life after the Father.

"Words bring life or death." 

"Always speak words of LIFE over someone's life. Not death.

You never know what they're going through."

Thanks, Caleb, for your transparency and your authentic testimony last night. Your words spurred LIFE into our students and a hope for freedom! Keep patterning your life after the Father!

There's freedom in Him,