IDENTITY Ephesians 1: 17-18 NLT             "asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance." Focus on WHO’S you are not WHO you are. THE WORLD WILL TELL YOU YOU’RE A LOT OF THINGS YOU ARENT, LOOK TO GOD TO HELP FIND THE TRUTH. WHAT DOES HE SAY ABOUT YOU? Place your identity and self-worth in what Jesus did for us, and what God says about you in his word. 1 Peter 2:10         "Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." Matthew 16:24 says,         "Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.” 2. How to keep identity in check Proverbs 29:25       "The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that. Control your thoughts and your tongue (Self Talk is bigger than we realize)" Head, Heart, Harvest Carefully monitor all that does, its planting a seed, and you’re going to see that fruit from that harvest out of your mouth and out in your life So much has to be filtered through our head and minds. We have to guard our hearts. Your thoughts and words must honor and reflect him. Don’t allow the bad stuff to take root in your heart. If you notice you start thinking and feeling bad, ask yourself does it reflect what God says about me? Proverbs 4:23  Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. It can make you physically sick We need to stop saying stupid stuff In times of distress start speaking scripture over yourself. We know thinking negatively, negatively influences your health. Make sure what comes into your head aligns God’s word before we blurt it out or let it affect us When you say something out loud its 10x more powerful than if you think it When its something negative its 4-7x more powerful than if its positive. Thoughts and spoken word have power, God shows us that in the bible and we can it see it through physiological responses.  2 Corinthians 10:5         "We capture every thought and make it obedient to Christ." Ephesians 4:29           "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen" 3. Do the Work! You’re not doing the work to be saved, you’re doing the work because YOU ARE SAVED.  Staying in the word, praying, living in community, do the things to maintain a proper faith walk with the Lord and witness to others. We aren’t just saved then have this great relationship with God and he just takes care of everything for us. ITS LOVE, IT’S A RELATIONSHIP, YOU HAVE TO DO THE WORK. HE’S OUR LOVING FATHER, NOT A GENIE TO JUST FIX IT ALL. stay ready so you don’t have to get ready James 3:13           "If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom."  Jesus didn’t only save us; he was a perfect example of how to live while here on earth. Follow his lead. Matthew 6:34           "So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today." So, Where is your identity placed?  You drawing it from what you say about yourself, what others say about you, or your performance?  Or are you finding it in what God and Jesus say about you. The world tells us our worth is dependent on our performance, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. We are loved by God and Saved by him regardless of our failures and success, but it’s our duty to commit our ways to him, follow his example, and glorify him through all that we do. We can strive to be like Jesus/follow his lead, and show love to everyone while still pursuing who God uniquely created us to be. We were all made different, with different passions, I encourage you to lean into them as you seek God and watch how he works through you. Love God. Love People. And Be You.