If You Knew Who You Were in Christ, Everything Would Change | Guest - Pastor Steven Rowton

In this episode, we welcome special guest Pastor Steven Rowton for a powerful conversation on biblical identity. Discover what Scripture says about who you are as a child of God and how embracing that truth can transform the way you live, think, and walk in God’s purpose.

If you knew who you were in Christ, everything would change.

#IdentityInChrist #ChristianPodcast #StevenRowton #Faith #JesusChrist

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Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Our identity is constantly being attacked. So many people are trying to both create their identity and maintain their identity.

SPEAKER_00 0:07

Your past does not identify you.

SPEAKER_01 0:13

Well, hello, and welcome to the Wellspring Podcast today. We are so blessed to have Pastor Stephen Routon in the studio with us. I'm here with my dad, Pastor Randy Lynn. And today we're going to be talking about a very hard subject for many Christians and for many people that aren't even in the body of Christ. And it's where our identity comes from. And so much of this world has been built on what you can raise yourself up to be when it all needs to stem back to the fact that we were created by someone for a purpose, and our true identity comes from him and him alone. And Dad, I would like you to go to Genesis chapter one, verse 27.

SPEAKER_00 1:01

Yes, and uh I'll I'll read 26 to and he said, Yes, let us make man in our image and after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and all the things on the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them in his own image.

SPEAKER_01 1:31

Yes, that means we can't find our identity in anything else other than him, the one who created us.

SPEAKER_00 1:37

That's right. And there's some great doctrine here too, son. A lot of people have a lot of different ideas who God is. What is he? Is he, you know, the new age folks, they think he's in the wind or he's in nature. No, he made those things. Yes. But literally, God, right here, right off the bat, in the book of beginnings, explains to all of anyone who will listen that God literally made a creature that looks like himself. And that word in the Hebrew means the same thing as the Greek word uh facsimile. It it means a carbon copy. We look like God. And so I love to always bring out this doctrine. You know, there is a study on the doctrine of God. There's a lot of people who study what the doctrine of God, what is he like, who is he, what what is he uh what does he look like, and all those things. And it's so overlooked today, but God said a lot of things about what he looks like, how he's made, how his body is made. He's literally a body because he made an image of himself in us. Yeah. And so I love for people to think about that. You know, uh, when you look at a human being, you're looking at an image, a godlike image.

SPEAKER_01 3:00

Yes. Our identity comes from him alone. There's nothing that we can do to gain our own identity, and that's what we're talking about, the self-proclaimed identity that the world tries to gain.

SPEAKER_02 3:14

I think uh this is such a core scripture, and in the beginning, that we were created in the image of God. So before we took our first breath, before we did one thing, either good or bad, before any mistakes, failure, sin, God created us in his image. And so, really, just the simple truth that that our um that our identity is received, it's not achieved, it's not earned. It's a gift given by God that he has created us to be his children, um, that he's accepted us, that he loved us, and literally he's had our hand, his hand on our lives.

SPEAKER_03 3:47

That's right.

SPEAKER_02 3:48

With as he knit us together in our mother's womb. That's right. And he knew us before the foundation of the world. And so um, you know, the world says, you know, you build identity from the inside out, that you start with yourself. But as a believer and as the highest creation of God, created in his image, we build our identity from the outside in. We start with God, we find our life, true life in Christ, and then we're constantly uh transformed by his spirit to become more like him.

SPEAKER_00 4:17

That's absolutely true. And what you're saying is uh the the other way around, that is what we view today as what's called secular humanism. It it it's devoid of the idea of a creator, so everything comes from me. So I start with the inside out. What do I think? Uh what do I like? Uh what will I pursue, which is I, I, I, I, self. And ideology. Ideology. And it's it's really a religion of self, it's a worship of self, and that's the basis of all secular humanism. It's formed around not the creator, but the created. Of course, they don't agree that there's a creator, so it's all about me. Yeah, it's all about me, and that's very disappointing because all of us have this sense of knowing in ourselves that wow, you know, if this is all there is, you know, what else is there out there? You know, this isn't enough. Everybody knows that at some time or another in their lives, what's in me isn't enough.

SPEAKER_01 5:25

Yeah. Without God, people find themselves waking up daily on the monotonous rat wheel of life.

SPEAKER_00 5:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:33

Just seeking more and more, and nothing is ever good enough for them.

SPEAKER_00 5:37

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 5:38

Because in the last podcast, you said everybody is uh born with this God-sized hole in their heart that only he can fill.

SPEAKER_00 5:45

Only he. Well, he created us with that need for himself.

SPEAKER_01 5:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:50

You know, a lot of people, uh, if they would just logically think out, what if I was the creator, what kind of a person would I want to create? You know, um, if you really had the ability to create something like yourself, all of us love to be uh validated and valued. Even God, think about this God created us with a desire to know him because he wants to be known of us, and so that is the God-sized hole that he created. I he created a place in our heart that only he can fill because he wants to be loved by us. Isn't that amazing? Yes, he himself wants to be loved and needed by us, and so he created us with that need for him, and and as we all know, if you don't find him, you always be seeking for something you don't know what is.

SPEAKER_02 6:55

That's right. You're never satisfied. It's a it's a constant chase and in life, constant change, and so it's it it's you're never finding that identity, that fulfillment, that satisfaction. There's always just that desire and drive for more. And um, but but in Christ, we find that fulfillment, and we find that identity. And the world says, you know, define yourself, prove yourself, and so it's all about what you achieve or your status or or the mistakes that you make. Or mistakes. So you are your past, but no, yeah, God creates all things new, and we become new in him, and uh he's a God that does not change, so our identity in him is fixed as we as we call upon his name and become his children.

SPEAKER_00 7:42

Um being created by him, this is a beautiful thing. The enemy will try to steal and rob us of that identity, but it really, in reality, it can't be taken away from us. What God gave us, that gift of identity made in his image, made to love what he loves, made to fellowship with him. That really can't be taken away if we don't allow it to be.

SPEAKER_01 8:08

I love I love what you said. Um, and I remember you w preaching this to the youth a couple weeks ago, and it was one of the first things I put in my notes. You said, identity is received, not achieved. And that makes me think of when people come into the church and they're broken and they're hurting and they're taking the weight of their past, thinking, I I've met so many people that feel, and even in my own life, in times of mistakes that I've made, I I felt like I was not good enough. And people feel like they need to do things like to achieve what God has for them, and like that reading the Bible, which is wonderful, it makes it reading the Bible is needed every single day. That's what helps us grow. But in their minds, if they don't read the Bible or listen to worship music or or do these things, that they're always gonna be stuck with the same identity that caused them to do drugs or caused them to hurt others or cause them to sleep around. Uh, they're always feeling like that, they have to carry that identity. But the wonderful thing about the love of Jesus and his blood is you don't have to do anything. All you have to do is say, I accept you, Jesus. And he takes however many years that you had an identity in that past, and he raises it and writes your name in the Lamb's book of life and says, This is your new name. He's he writes a new name for us in heaven.

SPEAKER_03 9:59

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 9:59

And that's the identity that we can carry from that point forward. And it wasn't anything that we did. No, it wasn't anything that we wrote down and went through a set list of things that uh religion may have told people that they needed to do in order to get to heaven. It was simply surrendering to the one who paid it all. And then he gave them the identity.

SPEAKER_02 10:28

Absolutely. Yeah, we're bought with the price. So our identity is um is in him. So it identity that's self-created or or assigned by the world or performance earned is is never final. No, but our identity in Christ is because it's a gift, and it's not anything that we can earn or that we deserve, but out of the love of God, that's right, he created us.

SPEAKER_00 10:52

He actually the word says he chose us.

SPEAKER_03 10:56

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 10:56

He we are chosen in him. And so the fact that he chose us, and you were talking about uh uh this this identity crisis that people are facing today, here's the greatest trick I see the enemy playing on the human race. He knows he's taking advantage of the fact that we're a fallen race, that by one man, Adam, sin entered all of us, and so all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. But what the enemy does is, and you were mentioning, you know, people, you know, again, when we sin, that's the trick. He wants us to sin. He lures us into failure so he can steal that God identity, and he's also known as the accuser of the brethren. So here's what he does to people he tempts and allures them to fall, and when people fail or fall, then he accuses them and says, You lost your identity, you're not good enough. Well, he's the whole reason, you know, the tempter is the whole reason that the human race did fall. Yeah. And so he uses that against us, and that's the devil's biggest trick. But as many great men of God have said and are saying today, uh, your past does not identify you. You do not have to carry an identity that's associated with your past actions, failures, faults. Actually, that's what the blood of the cross was for. Yeah. Was to wipe that failure away. And uh so our identity is in Christ because he chose us, and we don't have to listen to the enemy accuse us and place that identity, and that's what he tries to do, yeah, is change our identity, and that's the whole uh enemy's modus operandi uh for every human is to literally degrade your thinking to it so they can he can change your identity to where you say, I'm a failure, yeah, or I'm gonna be an alcoholic or whatever.

SPEAKER_01 13:10

You're talking about the garden. That was the first identity crisis.

SPEAKER_00 13:16

Yeah, it was.

SPEAKER_01 13:17

If you I just thought about that, the very first moment that the enemy was trying to tempt somebody with identity was when he said, You if you eat of this fruit, you will become like God.

SPEAKER_00 13:30

You will become as God.

SPEAKER_01 13:32

So that was the very first time when he attacked the identity of the human race, and he's been doing it ever since.

SPEAKER_00 13:38

Ever since. And he always the Lord gave me this a few years ago. He always tempts people with what they already have. He said to Eve, You'll be as gods. They already were.

SPEAKER_01 13:50

Yeah. They were. They were clothed in his presence. In the glory of the Lord.

SPEAKER_00 13:55

They were literally to rule the planets, the solar system, every creeping thing that moved on the earth. They were gods in the earth. Yeah. But the enemy always tempts you with what you've already got, so you lose that, and he gives you a uh a shattered identity.

SPEAKER_01 14:13

Yeah, and in going to our our next point in this, it just reminded me of the fact that Satan, before he fell, he was in heaven.

SPEAKER_00 14:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:25

He was loved by God. He was. And he is always trying to get back that which he lost. And so that's why I feel like he goes and attacks those and tells them that they're not loved, that they're not chosen by God.

SPEAKER_00 14:41

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 14:42

Because he misses the fact that he once was.

SPEAKER_00 14:45

He once was. I heard a uh a a great guy on another podcast just a few months ago saying this that the Lord revealed to him why the enemy hates and goes after children so and it's because of this, because when he lost out with God, there was no more hope for him ever to have that back. And you're right, he wants that back. Yeah, he would give anything to get that back, but because he, with full, complete knowledge, standing there looking at God, chose to act against him in full knowledge, he can never have that back. And the the brother brought out this point, which is beautiful. A kid can grow up, they can fail God, they can choose not to serve him, they can be the the worst rascal they've ever been. But the minute they bow their knee and they bend their knee back to Christ, God receives them, accepts them, gives them that identity, and the enemy can never have that. Yeah. So that's why he hates children of God and children in general, yeah, and the children of mankind.

SPEAKER_01 15:54

He hates the fact that we are so loved. And he said in John 1 12, to all who did receive him, he gave the right to become children of God.

SPEAKER_00 16:04

The King James says the power or the ability to become the sons of God.

SPEAKER_01 16:08

Yes. In 1 John 3 1, he says, See what great love the Father has lavished on us that we would be called children of God. Right. And then going into Ephesians 1 4 through 5, he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, and he adopted us as his children.

SPEAKER_00 16:26

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 16:27

And I just wanted to talk to you that are watching right now and tell you that you are loved, whatever you're going through right now in this moment, whatever battle or trial or mistake you have made, Jesus loves you.

SPEAKER_04 16:41

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 16:42

Jesus loves you, and he just wants you to live a life of joy and peace. He wants to help bring you out of those struggles. And it's only him that's gonna do it. And I want you to know that you are valuable. And in going into this uh demonstration, Pastor Steve, I want you to talk about this and show them that no matter what we go through, our value is always there because God values us.

SPEAKER_02 17:14

Yeah, I think just back to that, the enemy challenging our identity and challenging who we are in God. Um we know he's the father of lies. And so um, you know, even back in the garden, what how did he challenge? How did he deceive? He questioned the word of God, the truth. And so it's always a challenge about who we are, that's right, um, who we're gonna be, who God has called us to be. But those scriptures Justin just read about the children of God, that's who we are. We're created by God. And and in this life, we have struggles, we have troubles, we have trials. The Lord's said that we would. And so um, just a simple illustration. Um, I've got a $20 bill here. Yeah. And, you know, this $20 bill, I mean, money can can go a lot of different places.

SPEAKER_01 18:00

Um not very far right now with gas. Well, that's right.

SPEAKER_02 18:02

That's right. That's true. For gas. Um but you know, if if you look at a bill, I mean, it's it's $20, whether it's in your pocket, um, you know, money gets left in pockets and washed, so it can be wet, it can be dry, money can be torn, money can be, you know, crumpled up, uh, it can be stepped on. And so no matter where it is, no matter what condition it is, you know, because this is $20, it it's its value is $20. And so, you know, sometimes in life we get stepped on, we feel like um, you know, we get torn, we get hurt, we get disappointed, we experience pain. And um, but the reality is we haven't lost our value. We're still created by God intentionally, uh, for a purpose to know him, to love him, to receive his love. And so no matter what life has thrown at you, no matter what you've been through, um, no matter how you feel, you you may feel stepped on, you may feel forgotten, you may feel ripped into based on decisions you've made, based on things that were outside of your control, what people have done to you. But hear me today, God loves you. That's right. You are still valuable, you are still loved by God, you are still called to be his son or daughter, and your identity, no matter uh what's been in your past, uh, is secure in him because it's not based on what you've done. Uh again, we can't earn it. It's not based on our achievements, it's not based on our mistakes or failures, but it's based on who he is, his plan for our life. Uh, he has chosen us to be his children, and uh nothing that that we've done um can negate that. That that's the the gift of God, and so our identity in him uh is a gift of God.

SPEAKER_00 19:50

It is. There's a great man of God. In fact, you know, uh you guys were younger, but I lived through the 80s of all of the major ministries. There was a lot of failures in national ministers' lives. I mean, yeah, and we all learned that you know what, they're human. And these were good men. All of these guys were great men and touched the world with their ministries. And there was about four or five of them that literally just within a span of the whole decade of the eighties was just riddled with national ministry failure, which was kind of disheartening to the body. But and one of the most sincere men, I won't mention his name, but he had just really had it with himself, and the enemy was just hammering him, look what you've done. I mean, you have shamed the name of the Lord, and that's that there's it there goes the enemy again. Tempts you to fall, and when he does, he comes in for the kill.

SPEAKER_04 20:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:52

Look what you've done. You've preached the gospel all over the world, you have uh shamed the name of the God you're supposed to serve. And he was just at his lowest low. And uh he just fell on his knees and began to cry out to God. And the thing that God said to him, he said, You know what? The Lord said to him, I can I can restore a failure, I can help a failure, but I can't help a quitter. I can do many things for a failure, but I can't do anything for a quitter. And he got up off his knees, he said, Well, God, I've been a failure, but he said, I'm not a quitter. And God turned it around his life, and he finished his life still touching the world for Christ.

SPEAKER_03 21:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:45

Because God can help a failure, but he can't help a quitter. Yeah. We have to keep going.

SPEAKER_01 21:52

I like the fact that you brought up uh the ministers uh falling because that moves us right into our next point. Um That the world will try to rename you.

SPEAKER_04 22:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:02

Because in that time, uh, I wasn't alive in that time, but I look back, um, I can see on YouTube and different videos and stuff that all over the news outlets and all over the world, they were trying to rename him and make it out there as a minister that has fallen to negate everything that he had done for God. And that leads us to a scripture in Romans, Romans chapter 12 and 2. It says, Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. In that moment, I'm sure he had to get into the word and uh allow the Holy Spirit to transform his mind and clean his mind out of all of the lies that he's seeing all over the place and um all of the labels of the world.

SPEAKER_02 23:02

Yeah, I just think about you know, God gives grace to the humble and so, you know, just no one's perfect. We're we're God's continually um, you know, sanctifying us by his spirit, making us more like him. And uh, you know, I think about the apostle Paul, we forget those things that are behind and we press forward to that high calling of God in Christ Jesus. And, you know, the world tries to label us as the enemy comes and with those thoughts about what we've done or what we haven't done, his favorite thing, you know, constantly just challenging who we are.

SPEAKER_00 23:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:37

And um, you know, um, we can have that insecurity of I'm not enough, or um, you know, I'm I'm a failure, or I am my past, I am my mistakes. And we can constantly live looking in the rearview mirror, but God says, you know, I I used I think about, you know, the vehicle that rear view mirror is pretty small. That windshield is big. And so God wants us, you know, to look forward in what he has and be led by his spirit and and not allow those labels of the past or even the present to be attached to us, that we're unloved, or that we're alone, or that, you know, um so many people are constantly chasing more because they're trying to either, you know, receive the approval of maybe a a dad or a family member or uh somebody else and always trying to, you know, be more and do more and and without which is which can be positive if if we have this identity in God because we're to do everything that we do for the glory of God.

SPEAKER_00 24:33

We're gonna do good works.

SPEAKER_02 24:34

But but if we're finding our purpose and who we are in those things, that's right. Um it's never it's never gonna be enough. We're never gonna be satisfied or fulfilled because it's only in God. We're gonna constantly be chasing that identity. That's right. It's gonna constantly be changing.

SPEAKER_00 24:49

Well, and there you go, that is it opens up a whole nother subject. Works-based religion, legalistic serving God in a religious way where my works are what brings me uh who I am, and that is not true at all. Uh, we do good works not to become somebody, we do good works because of who we are. Yes. Out of the heart of service to the Lord, we do good works, and so our identity is not works based. Right. It is what you've been saying all day. It's a free gift. God gave it to us, none of us deserved it. None of us deserved it. Yes, but the free gift of grace gives us instantaneous upon when we believe, uh, identity in Christ because He simply chose us.

SPEAKER_01 25:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:42

And then we do good works out of that. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 25:44

Yes. Day by day the enemy is going to speak lies into your mind. Always to try to get you to revert back to the old identity that you had.

SPEAKER_04 25:57

Right.

SPEAKER_01 25:57

But that's what's so important about having that those moments uh when you first wake up. Um I heard uh on a Bevere podcast, uh, I think it was Arden talking about going through your sleep cycles and when you wake up, the first 15 minutes of your day is very detrimental on how your brain begins to process things from that point forward.

SPEAKER_04 26:27

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_01 26:28

Yes, and like he's he said on this podcast, it's um I don't remember the statistic, but it is a crazy amount of people that between uh the first one and five minutes of waking up, they reach for their phone, start checking their email, start doing all of these things. Um, and it's in those moments where the enemy is trying to capture the initial waking moment so that he can overtake your mind and begin speaking those lies to you throughout the day. And I want to encourage you that when you wake up in the morning and you if you are struggling with this, if you're struggling with your identity in Jesus and you're waking up and all you can think about is the person that you were and not the person that God has made you to be. I encourage you, write these scriptures down and and say them every day. And don't just say them, don't just repeat them as words that you would do in a school book studying for a test. The word of God is alive and active. And when you read this with your spirit, it speaks things to you. And it says in 2 Corinthians 5, 17, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone and the new is here. You can wake up every morning and read, I am a new creation. That old, the old Justin is gone. The mistakes that I made, that's all been covered by the blood. Yeah. That old, that old Justin is gone, and I am the new Justin walking in the path that God has for my life. Today I give my life to you once again. I put my flesh under, I put my past under, and I'm looking forward to what God has for me today. Holy Spirit, guide my feet today.

SPEAKER_04 28:21

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 28:22

Guide my mind, guide my eyes. Allow me to run into somebody that is having the same struggles, and I can speak into their life and let them know that God creates the new identity in them. He also says in Galatians 2.20, for I've been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. Paul also said, I crucify myself daily. I die daily.

SPEAKER_00 28:49

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 28:50

He takes his flesh and puts his flesh under so that Jesus can step in with his new person.

SPEAKER_02 28:58

Yeah, that's awesome. Um, I think, you know, our our identity is secured in Christ. Yeah. And it's so important to have these truths. This is who we are, this is who we've been called and chosen to be, and to live in light of this every day. And um, you know, meditating and just thinking about the scriptures, getting in the word, like you were talking about, um really um really brings that encouragement and strength and that knowing to really combat the lies of the enemy and the world. And uh, I mean that's going back to Romans 12, too, you read just a moment ago, that's the renewing of our mind because our identity is constantly being attacked. Um, and I think so many people, you know, are trying to keep trying to both create their identity and maintain their identities. Yes. And so so many people I think are just exhausted and just worn down by chasing identity or maintaining. And so many people try to maintain multiple identities. So they might be one person at home, one person at work, one person on social media in this circle of friends with family or uh yeah, social media, um, or even at church. And so, but God has wants us to be the same.

SPEAKER_00 30:17

Yeah, he does ever everywhere. That brings up a good point, Steve, that when you're that multi uh faceted by because you aren't solidified knowing who you are, yeah. It's like wherever you go, I gotta remember who I am here. Yeah. Where you know you go to work. Well, who am I here at work? Yeah, you know, who am I at home?

SPEAKER_03 30:39

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 30:39

And there's the discrepancy.

SPEAKER_03 30:41

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 30:41

You got all these different faces, different hats you have to wear, if you would say, when it's so peaceful just to know in Christ I'm who he made me.

SPEAKER_03 30:51

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 30:52

And I don't have to pretend, yes, yeah. I can I'm just who I am in Christ. Yes. Am I not perfect? None of us, you know, we're all right there. That's right. I wanted to say this to you, son, as your dad, uh, you brought out that time in your life. And so as a father, I can look at you, and when you made those mistakes under the enemy's influence, discouragement, trying to find your way. I, as your father, I knew that's not who you are. I knew your heart as my son.

SPEAKER_03 31:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:26

I knew that's not who you were, but I knew the enemy and how he tempts us, and and so, you know, if I'm the father of a I'm your natural father, and I knew that's not who you were, how much more does our heavenly father know that's that's not who I've made them?

SPEAKER_03 31:46

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:47

That's not who they are. That's not what my son did to bring them into relationship with me. And so again, I want to say to anyone listening, that's not who you are. That who the enemy's trying to make you, that's a lie. That's his idea for you. That's not your father's. And and many of those temptations are demonic and they're not your thoughts. Don't own them. They come from outside, you know. But your identity is that free gift of grace in Jesus Christ.

SPEAKER_02 32:20

Yes. And I I think about, you know, labels. Sometimes you, you know, you go somewhere and meet new people. Hello, my name is, you know, or even a post-it note, you know, you can write things and those labels. And so whether it's failure or my past, my mistakes, whatever, maybe even achievements, right? That we are, you know, our job title, or we are, you know, what we've what we own or what we wear. But just like a poster, just like that name tag, we need to take it off. And so we need to say, hello, my name is I'm a new creation in Christ. Hello, my name is I am a child of God.

SPEAKER_00 32:54

I'm my father's child.

SPEAKER_02 32:56

It's not about striving, um, but it's about that that sonship, that being a children of God, that being in Christ.

SPEAKER_00 33:04

And I already am if I've been born again.

SPEAKER_02 33:06

Right. I'm already accepted, I'm already approved, and God demonstrated that love because he died on the cross for me. That's right.

SPEAKER_01 33:13

That makes me think of that Matthew West song, Hello, my name is Child of the One True King. Oh, that's good. The verses talk about stripping off the labels that you once held. Yeah. And then uh I love the first line of the chorus just being, I'm the child of the one true king.

SPEAKER_02 33:28

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 33:28

You are who the child is. And then it's after you realize that you're his child, then you can say, Um, I no longer am bound by sadness because I have joy through him. Yes. I'm no longer bound by depression because I have joy through him.

SPEAKER_00 33:44

That's good.

SPEAKER_02 33:45

It's who I am before what I do.

SPEAKER_00 33:47

That's right. That's right. And now in Christ, I do because of who I am. Yes. Because now what I do, the works that I do now is the works of Christ.

SPEAKER_01 34:00

Yes. And it's really hard to some days see ourselves the way that God sees us. And that's why I wanted to point to Gideon. The Holy Spirit um brought up Gideon because in the moment in this story, um, Gideon is hiding because the armies are surrounding them.

SPEAKER_03 34:23

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 34:24

He's in the wine press, yeah, as his father told him, crushing wheat to make food for the family.

SPEAKER_00 34:32

And that's not where you could normally crush wheat.

SPEAKER_01 34:34

No, he's hiding there out of fear. He's he's fearful, he's afraid of death. They've come to the conclusion in their own minds that God has forsaken them. Yeah, they felt ultimately that they were going to be annihilated. Right. And in the story of Gideon, an angel of the Lord appears to him shows up and says, The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor.

SPEAKER_00 35:02

Yeah. And he goes, Where? Who are you talking to? You got the wrong guy here.

SPEAKER_01 35:09

Yes. Yes. He saw himself as weak and insignificant, um, and just fearful. And uh here in Judges, I don't know if you wanted to read uh some of that scripture.

SPEAKER_00 35:23

Yeah. And this is his mindset, and you brought out this point that the enemy is the one who gives us this this mindset. I'm I'm done.

unknown 35:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:36

You know, we're I'm defeated. And where does that come from?

SPEAKER_03 35:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:40

We we know that's not God's plan for us. And so Gideon, yeah, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor. And Gideon does what we all do. Uh, O my Lord, if if if the Lord be with us, why then has all this happened to us?

SPEAKER_01 35:58

Exactly. They thought God had forsaken them.

SPEAKER_00 36:00

Yeah, he thought God had forsaken him, but uh and he said, Where be all his, where are all the miracles we've heard from uh from our fathers? And the Lord looked upon him and said, You go in your might and you'll save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. And God asks him a rhetorical question Have I not sent thee? Yeah, we need to ask ourselves that question. Have we not been justified? Have we not been forgiven? Have we not been born again, filled with the Spirit? Have we not been? And that's who God says we are. Yes, you know, love goes back to what John Osteen used to say. We'd hold up his Bible every Sunday, and this is my Bible. I am what it says I am, I have what it says I have, and I can do what it says I can do. And so that's the fight of faith to continuously not believe the circumstance, yeah, but believe what God said about us.

SPEAKER_01 37:03

Yeah, and in a world where people are constantly trying to achieve their purpose or ask God for their calling, they're trying to find that without asking God first what is my calling, and then they're not knowing what to do because they're not seeking after the one who gives it.

SPEAKER_00 37:22

That's probably the greatest point we've brought up in this podcast. That's our part. God has done his part, but what is your part? We need to find out, and that's why people are chasing rainbows and they're not happy they didn't find what God's plan was for them.

SPEAKER_03 37:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:41

You have to fear the Lord in in a good way. Lord, you are the one who made me. What's your dream for me? Yeah. What do you think about me? And verse uh 14 the Lord looked upon him and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent thee? And he said unto him, O my Lord, wherewith, or how am I going to save Israel? Behold, my family's poor. This will preach right here. Uh we can we often are tempted by the devil. Well, God may say this, but I don't have any money.

SPEAKER_03 38:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:19

And that's what he was saying. My family's poor. And uh I'm the least in my father's house. Boy, the enemy had really done a number on his mind, hadn't he? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:29

Yeah. But with God, all things are possible. But with God, it doesn't matter our means, doesn't matter where we grew up, our family background. That's right. It doesn't matter our intellect, our education. With God, all things are possible.

SPEAKER_00 38:44

The next verse says, said the Lord said to him, Surely I will be with you.

unknown 38:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:51

And you will smite the Midianites as one man.

SPEAKER_02 38:55

If God's with us, that's all that's all we need.

SPEAKER_00 38:58

Yes, brother. That's it. And you've got to find out. That's that's the point. Make sure the Lord is with you.

SPEAKER_03 39:04

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 39:05

Yeah. How do I do that? You've got to come to him and receive Christ as your Lord and Savior. You've got to bow your knee to the one who loves you so much that he created you in his own image with a purpose and a divine destiny. So that's our part. We have to find God's plan for us.

SPEAKER_01 39:24

Yes. And uh another thing that's so relatable in this chapter is every time the angel of the Lord spoke to him, he spoke to him the way that God sees him.

SPEAKER_00 39:36

That's exactly right.

SPEAKER_01 39:37

But then Gideon was doubtful. He was so doubtful he didn't believe it in himself. And so he asked God to do three different miracles with the angel of the Lord. He did. He asked God to uh burn up uh what was I think it he burned up food on a rock and then he put out a fleece uh and asked for the ground to be wet and the fleece to be dry. And then vice. And then the next morning, if that wasn't enough, yeah, he said, Can you go down to that verse? I can't remember which one. He's he he's like almost apologizing to the Lord. He's like, do not be mad at me. I just need one more, one more confirmation.

SPEAKER_00 40:19

Alas, Lord, for I've seen an angel of the Lord face to face. And God did so that night, verse 40, for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground. And so God God met him at his moment of request. Yeah, God will go an awful long way with us. He will because he loves us so much, yeah. You know, to get us over into the plan that he has for us.

SPEAKER_01 40:47

Yes, and it wasn't even it didn't even end there with the testing. Um he comes out of this saying, I've seen the Lord, and then he has this moment of uh bravery and confidence in realizing who God said he was. Yes, but then God tests him again, yeah. And he tells him to gather up all of these men.

SPEAKER_00 41:09

All those men, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:10

And he takes them down uh to the riverbanks and God tells him to filter it out even more. Yeah, he does, and he he brings them all the way down to 300 people, 300 million. The original 300.

SPEAKER_00 41:24

Yeah, the original.

SPEAKER_01 41:26

And yeah, and in that moment, Gideon's questioning God again, saying, you know, thinking like, the Midianites are so many. How how can we do this with so few? That's where before he he realized who he was in the moment, he had confidence in God, yeah, but then something happened in the natural which caused his flesh to doubt.

SPEAKER_00 41:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:49

And then he started to uh move his vision away from God's vision and started to focus on what was happening in the natural. And he started to, like what a lot of us do, focus on the problem. And then the problem begins bigger and bigger and bigger. And we serve a God of the impossible, yeah, and what we're going through is nothing to him. But the more that we focus on the problem, the smaller God gets in our vision. And he did this here. He was he he saw in the natural that the Midianites were so many people, and then God just filtered them down to 300.

SPEAKER_00 42:33

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:34

How is this gonna happen? Right and then God had to encourage him again and say, Look, if you'll just follow my commandment, right, I'll do what I said I was going to do. That's right. And ultimately, at the end of the story, with God, they conquered the Midianites. They did. And he did it in a way that the natural mind could not comprehend. Absolutely. Gideon in his mind is seeing 300 men going in with swords and spears and bows and annihilating the Midianites and seeing the number difference there.

SPEAKER_04 43:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 43:08

But what God did was it was more a battle of the mind, and God used the circumstance in a way that Gideon didn't think it would be. All Gideon thought was of war.

SPEAKER_04 43:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 43:20

And then God told him to get the lamps and uh the vases.

SPEAKER_00 43:25

Yeah, the vases.

SPEAKER_01 43:26

And it was really just a distraction that caused the enemy to go into fear. It was a psyop from God. Yes, it was. And so the enemy began to fight themselves, thinking that Gideon and his army was in the midst of them.

SPEAKER_03 43:41

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 43:42

And so in that moment, God fought their battle.

SPEAKER_03 43:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 43:46

And all that had to happen was God had or that Gideon had to put his trust in the Lord, even though even though the situation in his mind wouldn't he didn't think would pan out. The way that he thought.

SPEAKER_00 44:01

That's right, on a natural level. And see, there's where we limit God. Yeah. We always limiting God. Okay, well, God, I need this done. So we we draw all these scenarios. How are you going to do it? Well, we need to let God be God.

SPEAKER_03 44:14

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 44:14

And God can do it any way he wants, like he did with these 300 men.

SPEAKER_03 44:18

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 44:18

And you know, God knew, I I heard somebody bring this out too, that the the guys who drank water straight like you and me would from a crystal clear stream, you know, just put your lips in there and just take the water in. The reason he wanted the ones that would lap is because they were looking around while they were lapping water, they didn't get so absorbed with drinking.

unknown 44:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:40

And that's if these hadn't have been those guys that were so attentive to instruction and their surroundings, they would have been distracted when it was time to do the trick, if you will. So you had to have the ones that were, you know, multitaskers.

SPEAKER_02 44:58

Yeah. Head on a swivel. That's right. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 45:02

Just like when we're hunting. Head on a swivel, you're gonna miss the buck that's coming right by.

SPEAKER_00 45:07

Yeah, you couldn't have these guys that were so hyper focused with getting their water. You had to have people that were, you know, watching all the way around.

SPEAKER_01 45:15

I love the fact in this story that God defined him from the very beginning.

SPEAKER_00 45:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 45:21

Said, You mighty man of valor. And through all of Gideon's questioning, all of Gideon's doubting, God never changed his mind on him.

SPEAKER_00 45:30

And God proved to me, you know.

SPEAKER_02 45:32

And strengthened his faith. I mean, God is so merciful, even though, I mean, we can make all the excuses. God always has a better plan. He does. I mean, we we would through our eyes, we might, you know, try to have plan A, plan B. God's plan is always superior. Always. It's always better. And uh, but we but what you were saying about focus, we get so focused on the problem, or we get so focused we let our feelings, um, you know, our emotions get the best of us. But yeah, that's why it's so important to get back in the truth and remember who we are and whose we are and and trust in him and trust in his promises and know that you know um he's gonna give us wisdom, he's he's with us. Yes, um, he's gonna lead and guide us into all truth. That's right. And uh there's always another way. There's always. And instead of going to God last, let's let's go to him first, let's let's depend on him, not our own intellect, not our.

SPEAKER_00 46:28

Yeah, I know. I've heard people say, Man, I've done everything else I know. I guess I'll go pray. Well, you meant you got it backwards.

SPEAKER_02 46:35

Let's start with that, but that's where identity is, right? About starting with self inside out rather than outside in, back to the beginning. Very easy. We got to start with God, start and end with him, and by his grace and by his spirit, we can do and be everything he's called us to be.

SPEAKER_00 46:50

Well, and that tells him starting with him says that's faith. Yes, that's worship. Yes. That is I trust you, God. And I know this is bigger than me. Yes. And so I need you on the scene. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 47:02

And even like, I mean, just talk thinking about Gideon. I mean, when we experience things in life, you know, James says the count at all joy when we fall into various trials. When. So back to, you know, some people can think, well, if I'm if I'm the perfect Christian, then I'm never going to experience struggle, right? If I'm doing everything right and I'm in the will of God, I'm not gonna face anything. But Jesus said, you know, in this world you're gonna have tribulation. Gonna be. But be of good cheer. You know, I've overcome the world. And so we we trust in God, knowing that he's producing, he's growing, he's building that patience, that endurance, that that faith in us when we go through things and when we depend on him and when we trust him. So um we hold on to that, knowing that he's refining us, he's growing us, right, and um, and he's doing a work even in the midst of the problem, the struggle, the trouble. Yeah, and um, he's gonna take us through. And uh, and we're gonna be more like him, we're gonna have stronger faith um coming out the other side because he's forever faithful.

SPEAKER_01 48:04

Yeah, we talked about in a podcast a couple episodes ago about the fact that the enemy, there's certain things that he comes at you with whenever you're um not saved yet. Certain battles that people fight, but then there's certain battles that he doesn't even introduce into your life until you become a child of God. There's things that he'll cause you to suffer with. Um, he'll bring depression or oppression on your life after you've been saved. Yeah. Uh, like I said, I heard uh John Bevere talking about how he never suffered with or had there was never a trial of depression until he started the ministry that God had for him.

SPEAKER_04 48:47

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 48:48

It was never anything that he struggled with.

SPEAKER_04 48:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 48:52

You know, all of the struggles that he had before were put under the blood of Jesus, and God had overcome through him and given him a new identity away from those things. Yeah. And then he's starting his ministry doing what God said, and then the enemy comes in with a whole nother form, trying to take away his identity and get him to give up.

SPEAKER_00 49:18

I'm glad you brought this point up because a lot of times people, and sometimes us preachers are guilty of making it look like you come to Christ, everything's gonna be roses.

SPEAKER_03 49:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 49:29

No, you come to Christ and you get a whole new set of battles because the enemy is not worried about you when you're not belonging to the Lord.

SPEAKER_03 49:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 49:40

But when you immediately engage the warfare of the kingdom of light, because we were translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. And so immediately, and so you know, I want the listeners to hear today, if you're getting opposition uh as a Christian, just know it's because the enemy doesn't want you to be a Christian anymore. Yeah, he wants to, he wants to sack you while he can, you know, he wants to stop what you're doing, so you do get a whole new round and realm of spiritual opposition.

SPEAKER_03 50:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:14

So you you may be doing something right. So don't think it's always wrong. If your heart is right with God, if you know you're doing your best and following the word of God and you still have great opposition, you know, welcome to the battle of a soldier of the Lord Jesus Christ, because that's what it really is.

SPEAKER_01 50:34

Yeah, it all stems back to the theme of this podcast. Yeah. Knowing who you are in him.

SPEAKER_00 50:40

Who you are in him.

SPEAKER_01 50:41

Knowing that you didn't do anything to earn that or get there.

SPEAKER_00 50:46

Right.

SPEAKER_01 50:46

You are who he says you are.

SPEAKER_00 50:49

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 50:49

Because he loves you and you accepted him.

SPEAKER_00 50:52

And he gave us a set of weapons to fight with.

SPEAKER_01 50:54

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 50:55

We got government issue from heaven, government issue with him, GI weaponry and equipment to fight that battle with when we're born again, because we're a soldier in the Lord's army. That's right.

SPEAKER_02 51:09

Yeah, and I think it's you know, fighting that good fight of faith. It is it is a fight. It is a fight. And it's, you know, this identity is knowing who we are is the foundation for unshakable faith. That's right. And um, because it is a fight, we are gonna go through things, but we're not we're not fighting to try to um, you know, gain uh uh approval or acceptance or this identity, no, but we fight from it, knowing it's a gift from God, knowing that he's with us, knowing that he's given us everything that we need for this life in Christ and by his grace and by his spirit. And so with that, we can face anything because God is greater. Scripture says, greater is he that's in us than he that's in the world. And uh he called us more than conquerors, he called us overcomers. And so um we've we if if so, there's you know, just like I said, count it all joy when you follow the various trials. Right. They're gonna come, but we fight from this place of faith, from this place of identity that I am a place of victory. I and a place of victory, yes. Fight from a place of victory. He always causes us to triumph. Amen.

SPEAKER_01 52:15

And in those moments, the world says this, but God says that.

SPEAKER_02 52:18

That's right. But God.

SPEAKER_01 52:19

But God.

SPEAKER_02 52:19

This is the reality. This is might be how I feel, but God. I'm holding on to the promises, I'm holding on to the truth.

SPEAKER_00 52:25

Because I know who I am. Yes, I'm a child of God. Right.

SPEAKER_02 52:28

And the world didn't give me identity, and the world can't take it away. From Genesis to Revelation, that's right. We are created in his image. That's right.

SPEAKER_01 52:38

What are some ways that um we in our Christian walk can uh apply this to our life in forms of our daily walk with him in finding our identity?

SPEAKER_02 52:52

Yeah, I think just you know what we've been talking about, you know, God defined you, God created you, he didn't change his mind. Um, we're not an accident, you know. Scripture says he knit us together in our mother's womb. We talked about how he knew us from the foundation of the world. That's right. How he created us in his image. We are his highest creation to know him, to receive his love. He doesn't force that, but he said, Whosoever, uh, whosoever, he's the one that qualified us, he's the one that's given us all that measure of faith to call upon his name, to become the children of God. We talked about that earlier. Um, he said in Psalm 139, 14, I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. And so we've got to start with that that we're not here by accident, that we don't have to prove anything. We don't have to define ourselves. God has already accepted us, he's already proven his love, and we live from that. Um, you know, Ephesians 2 10 says we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works. You were talking about good works. We are created for good works, we're created in his image. Um, but it's by grace through faith. It's a gift of God, and this identity, this belonging to the family of God is a gift. And so I think it's just reminding ourselves. You know, we we read uh Romans 12, 2, talked about renewing our mind. You talk about the weapons that we've been given. We got to take every thought captive because it truly is a battle of the mind. And this identity factor is it is holding on to this foundation of it's a gift to be received, not achieved, and it's who I am. And anything that comes against that truth of God's word, yeah, um, you know, we've got to bring that thought captive, and we've got to say, no, I'm a new creation in Christ Jesus. I am, it's in Christ, I have my life.

SPEAKER_00 54:36

And there's no one that's here that's a mistake. That's right. There's no one that's ever been born that was not created in God's mind before the world.

SPEAKER_04 54:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 54:47

So if the enemy's telling you today your birth was a mistake, there are no mistakes. God knew before the world was ever made you were going to exist, and he had an awesome plan and a family identity for you called the family of God.

SPEAKER_01 55:06

Yes. And uh we touched on the lies that the enemy tries to bring into our life. For every lie that the enemy has, there's a scripture that will replace it. There is.

SPEAKER_02 55:19

And I think that's what we have to do is is you know, renew our mind every day. We got to get in the word. We we've we've got to remind ourselves, you know, who we are every day. And he's continuing to conform us to his image so that we think more like him, we talk more like him, we live more like him, and uh live for his glory in every way. So we've got to have that word, that word of truth in us uh training.

SPEAKER_00 55:42

Yes, like a warrior. I'm a warrior. I'm grabbing I'm drafted into the army of the Lord, I've got to read the manuals. I'm a soldier. That's who I am, I'm a warrior.

SPEAKER_01 55:52

Yes. And I love what you had here in these notes. You limit comparison and unhealthy influences.

SPEAKER_02 55:59

Yeah, I think, you know, and especially in this age of social media, you know, social media is really just a highlight reel. And so you don't see that you don't see that everybody goes through things. Oh, as Pastor said earlier, you know, nobody's perfect. God's still working on us. We're still every day, you know, being transformed. Um, you know, he's gonna complete that work that he's begun in us, you know, by his grace and spirit, he's still sanctifying us uh by his truth, setting us apart. We we I we are sanctified at salvation when we become children of God, but he's constantly uh growing us in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus. But this in this age we live in, there's this constant temptation to compare ourselves to everybody else. And and with that comparison, it's like to try to be somebody else.

SPEAKER_00 56:44

Take their identity.

SPEAKER_02 56:45

Right. But the reality is God's created us to be us, not to be like anybody else. That's true. We're the only one, the human being that is us, that has ever been and ever will be. That's right. And and so that's the that's also the attack of the enemy is God created us for purpose. Yes, God didn't make a mistake, He didn't, he didn't miss miss anything. Um, but the enemy tries to distort that, that perfect creation of God, yeah. That that is you to try to make you want to become somebody else.

SPEAKER_01 57:14

Yeah, and um I love that you mentioned social media being a highlight reel because that causes people um that are suffering with this identity crisis and trying to find uh who they are and who they want to be. And they're striving to be these influencers, they're striving to have the lives of these people. And with it being a highlight reel, they're striving for a perfection that they're never going to achieve because they don't see behind the video. They don't see the struggles that these people have throughout the week.

SPEAKER_00 57:51

That if they don't have Christ, the emptiness that they're masking with their reels.

SPEAKER_01 57:55

And if these influencers aren't saved, they don't have Jesus in their life, we're not seeing behind closed doors all of the things that they're struggling with, the addictions that maybe they're bound by. All you're seeing is them able to contain their self within a short period of time.

SPEAKER_00 58:17

Long enough to make a video.

SPEAKER_01 58:18

Yes. And in the grand scheme of things, you're watching um their perfect moment of maybe five minutes or an hour of their life. But if it's even even an hour, they have 23 more hours to be struggling if they are. And so um in my generation and younger, everybody looks at these things and sees these videos and wants what other people have. And so they're trying to find identity in these highlight reels of their life, not even realizing the simple fact that that's unachievable.

SPEAKER_03 58:53

Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 58:56

Yeah. Um so good. And it and it's just, I think it's that I mean you look at the world and people who have everything this world could have, you know, has to offer in terms of possessions or money, and people's lives are a mess. And so if if you know, being a CEO of a company or, you know, living in a mansion or having, you know, all kinds of luxury cars and anything money could buy, if that led to satisfaction fulfillment, people's lives all across the world would not be a mess.

SPEAKER_00 59:26

That's exactly right.

SPEAKER_02 59:27

And um, and and you can't put a price on the peace of God of knowing who you are in Him. And the world says, well, you know, you're just that's a crutch. Um, but but God is everything, and and He is, you know, the world says, you know, it's all about you, me, myself, and I. Um, but Christ said, deny yourself and follow me. That's right, and that's what the happiness is. He who loses his life truly finds life. And you you can't explain it until you experience the love and the grace of God.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:04

If you have an experience, and that's what, Steve, I think is so wanting in so many people's lives, and my heart breaks for them because you know, there's head Christianity and there's a true encounter with the Lord. Yes. Once you've really had a true encounter with the Lord, no one can talk you out of that. But you were talking about all these people, they've got the cars, they've got the money, they've got the millions of dollars. And isn't it ironic that those are the people we read about going off the deep end, doing crazy things? Yeah. If if all of those things brought us what it says it would, then none of those people would freak out, none of those people would abandon their families, do crazy things because that should bring joy. But those are the very people at the top of that echelon that tend to go off the deep end, go over the edge, and just you know, damage their lives almost and sometimes beyond repair.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:06

Yeah, because um, you know, in a moment those things can vanish. Right. Yeah. Um, you know, at the end of our life, scripture said we're not taking anything, anything with us. That's right. And uh, but you know, uh jobs can go by the wayside. I mean, you know, homes can burn down. I mean, there's just so many things. We live in a broken world and God doesn't cause those things. But um, but the everything is it's so important that we have this identity that's unchangeable because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And the world changes and and everything that we see scripture says is temporary. And so those things can be can be gone in the snap of the fingers. What um and and if our identity is in anything in anyone other than Christ, it can be stripped away in a moment. In a moment.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:58

Yeah, in a moment, and then you're left more broken than you were before.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:02

That's right. So amen.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:05

I want to ask you today, what label are you believing that God never gave you? Because the label that God has given you is that you're loved and that you're chosen, that you can be forgiven, that you can be freed. And I want to encourage you, if you're living a different label right now, if you are sh one of those that are striving to be somebody outside of what Jesus calls you to be, I want to encourage you that if you find Jesus and if he reveals himself to you, if you allow him to step into your life, you can be freed from this addiction that you're stuck in right now. You can find a love. Maybe you had a father step out, maybe you've had a mother leave, but you can find the love that you're searching for in Jesus today. And I love this line that is in the notes that you put in. It's you are not determined by what you do, it's defined by who God says that you are. And just as I said, God says that you are loved, you are chosen, and you can be forgiven and you can be freed from whatever you're going through in this moment. And out of that freedom, out of that release of bondage, you'll experience a joy that the world can't give. You'll experience a joy that when things happen in life, when things just begin to tear down the walls that you've built up in your life and you have no place to go, you feel like there's nothing for you, you can still experience an overwhelming joy that doesn't make sense. You can still have a peace that passes your understanding. Our natural minds can't comprehend why we're having peace in this moment when everything's falling apart. But that's what you can experience when you have your identity in the one who made you. And as we bring this podcast to a close, Pastor Steve, I would like for you to pray for our listeners. Pray, pray for them that they seek after the one who gives their identity.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:31

Yeah, I'd love to do that. I just want to just share a few uh a few more truths as we wrap up here today, talking about renewing our mind, talking about, you know, bringing those thoughts captive, removing those labels that try to attach themselves to us. Yes. Um, and and really going to the source uh of truth and going to the word of God. And we talked about it starting in in Genesis today, that we're created in the image of God, that God's accepted us, that God's love loves us, that God has chosen us before we ever did anything good, bad, uh, before any mistakes, before we took our first breath, God had his hand on us. And I just want to speak to you today. God still has his hand on you. Right, yes. No matter where life has taken you, no matter if, you know, the location or the season of your life, just back to that $20. Again, money, you know, it's a simple uh thing, but money travels all over. Money can be dirty, money can be torn. Um, you know, whether it's in a in a in a bank bag and in your pocket, um, you know, no matter where it is, there's still value because it is what it is. And and the truth is God's called you to be his child. Yes, God's called you to know him. And the scripture says, Whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. And so if you're hearing this um podcast, you are a whosoever. Yes. And so you have still been created by the Creator Himself to be his child, to know him, to receive his love. And so just want to remind you of some truths today about your identity. And I just wrote a few things down. But who you are to God, Justin just said it, you're loved, you're chosen, you're adopted in Him. He, before the foundation of the world, He knew you. He knit you together in your mother's womb. You're not an accident. You're not a mistake. You are not your past, but you can begin that new life today. You can become a new creation in Christ Jesus. Because God has not changed his mind about you, but he has still called you and chosen you. And the question is today, will you be faithful? Will you just take action on that measure of faith that's in your heart, whether you know it or not? In spite of all doubts and all fears, all you have to do is call upon his name, knowing that he died for you, that he paid the ransom for all of us, that that there are none without sin, but Jesus shed his blood, he paid the price for our sin so that we could be forgiven and redeemed and receive the love of God and be reconciled to him. And that's what he created you for, to know him, to receive his love, and to love him in return. And that's who you are. That's who you are to God. And uh what Christ has done for you. He's forgiven you, he's justified you, he's redeemed you by his own precious blood. And you don't earn that, I don't earn that. We never we don't deserve it, but it's a gift of God. For the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ. And he is the only way. He is the only way. And um, and and the Holy Spirit is transforming and empowering and calling as we lift up Jesus, is drawing you. And so I believe that you're even being drawn to the Lord right now, uh, that he's speaking to your heart because he loves you, because he loves you, and you you just however you may have stumbled upon this podcast today, it's it's divine intervention. It's div it's it's ordainly divine by God. And he's speaking to you, and he's reaching out to you because you're not forgotten. Though you may feel stepped on, though you may feel torn, um you're not. You're not. God loves you, and you still are valuable and lovable and redeemable. And so receive that today. Call upon his name wherever you are. Um, but that's what he's doing and what who you're called to become, holy and faithful, that child of God, uh, to be fruitful and so that your life, uh, all you do, you're created for good works, you are created to do things and to do all things for the glory of God. Uh, but it's who you are before what you do, before any other label. You are a child of God. You've been called to be a child of God and to live with that identity because identity is received. It's a gift from God. It's not to be achieved, but it comes from Him. And where do you belong? Maybe you're asking that question: where do I belong? You belong to God. You are his highest creation. He created you on purpose, and you belong to his family. And um you belong to the body of Christ and the kingdom of heaven, and he's given you that gift of eternal life through him. All you have to do is receive it and call upon his name. And so, and and when you do, when I do, we carry that authority. Um, we carry that life. We truly find life. There's life in Jesus Christ, and we experience his resurrection power, and he makes all things new, and we become a new creation. We find our identity, we find that confidence. We don't have confidence in ourselves or our abilities or our own intellect, but we have confidence for the God who has saved us, who has redeemed us, who lives in us, and that is available for you today. And um, and so I just love to pray today. We'll agree with you. And um, and just heavenly Father, Lord, we thank you for this day. Lord, we thank you for everyone listening to this podcast, Lord. Lord, thank you that you've just, Lord, shared these truths today. Lord, that we have received identity from you, God, that you've called us to be your children, Lord, that it's not achieved and it's not earned, but it's a gift from you. Yes. And Lord, I just pray right now, Lord, that that those who don't have that identity, God, and and those that do, but maybe it's weakened and it's not what it needs to be. Lord, that you would strengthen that identity today. Lord, that those that don't know you, that are listening, Lord, would call upon your name today and be saved. Lord, and experience this identity, this truth, these truths that we've spoken about today, Lord, that that passes all understanding. And Lord, that people would be drawn unto you today. Lord, those that that that know you, Lord, and those that don't, God, that you would draw all people into yourself by your spirit as we've lifted up Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life. Lord, that that those that that are listening today would find true life that's in you, would find that identity, Lord, and would live from that identity through all seasons of life until you come. We thank you, Lord, for your grace, for your love. We thank you, Lord, that you chose us before the foundation of the world. We thank you for all your promises, Lord. We thank you for your goodness that leads us to repentance. And we give you all the praise and all the glory. We thank you, Lord, for the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:19

Amen.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:20

Amen. Well, I pray and I hope right now that you're feeling the presence of God overwhelm you wherever you are. If you're listening in your car, if you're at work and you have us on your airpods, if you're at home, I just pray that you're feeling the presence of God. And if you've been feeling this pull on your heart, I just feel the urge in my spirit to pray the sinner's prayer with you. That if you want to experience that new identity, and if this whole podcast, the Lord's been speaking to you and impressing upon your heart that you are realizing now where you need to be, I would like you to pray this with me. Say, Father God, Father God, come into my heart.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:13

Come into my heart.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:15

I am sorry.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:17

Sorry.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:17

I turn away from the past.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:19

Turn away from the past.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:20

I turn away from the mistakes.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:22

Turn away from mistakes.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:23

I'll no longer listen to the lies of the enemy. I'll no longer listen to the lies of the enemy. I make you Lord of my life. I believe that you came.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:33

I believe that you came.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:34

As man and God. And God. And then died on the cross for my sins. Died on the cross for my sins. And then rose again in victory.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:43

Rose again in victory.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:45

And that now I can have a new identity in you.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:48

And now I can have a new identity in you.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:51

I'm your child. I'm your child. I'm forgiven. I'm forgiven. Say that again. Say, I'm forgiven. I'm forgiven. I'm set free. I'm set free. My identity is in you. My identity is in you. I give you my heart. Give you my heart. And my life. And my life. And I will love you.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:08

I'll love you.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:09

For the rest of my life.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:10

The rest of my days.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:12

In Jesus' name. Jesus' name. Amen. I pray that you prayed that prayer with us. And if you did, the angels are rejoicing in heaven. And your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. You are a child of the King. And that you can live this point forward knowing that your identity is in him. And that whatever comes your way, whatever situation the enemy tries to put you in, you can come out victorious knowing that Jesus is your victor. I want to thank you once again for joining us on this podcast. Pastor Steve, I want to thank you for joining us and taking time to be a part and sharing your heart on this. And I look forward to having you back a couple more times. It'll be great. Many more times. Thank you, Dad. And I just I want to thank you for watching. And I hope and I pray that this has been a blessing to you that you turn off this video encouraged and blessed. And once again, I want to encourage you to live and walk in the love of Jesus.