IDENTITY - Part 2

Opening Game

Play a game of Guess who? or Who am I?
If you have time listen to Ali’s talk on Identity: http://www.stpaulscrofton.org.uk/media/
Things happen in our lives that bring something new - that change the way we feel about ourselves or our circumstances.

What has happened in your life recently to bring something new to it?

We all want to know who we are.  We often hear of young people going off around the world to ‘find themselves’

Has anyone done these things? Did you discover yourself? What do you think about the idea of ‘finding yourself’?

Some of us have taken personality tests to find out who they are.

Have you ever done a personality test? How helpful was it? Can your personality really be assessed?

Quote from Headteacher about taking Sats tests.  There is no way to make a test to help you find out who you are.

Make a list of things about you that can’t be tested.

The way we see ourselves is fundamental to our core belief of who we are. Our parents say things about us which build our Identity as we grow up. - for better or sometimes worse. These things drive our core behaviours.

What are your core beliefs? Where do they come from? What (or who) has influenced what you believe? (About the world and about yourself). What did your parents say about you? How has this shaped your life? How do our identity and beliefs affect our behaviour?

When a man is asked to describe himself he will often choose to identify themselves by their occupation. Women often choose to identify themselves by their relationships. But things change. We might lose our job; we might lose a partner; children leave home. Identity theft is a common fear today - it can leave you feeling very lost and vulnerable.

How would you feel if you lost (or someone stole) your identity?

How have you felt if you have ever lost a job, your children have left home, you retired, your partner has died? How have these things affected our identity?

Who does God say we are? The bible has plenty to say about who we are. 

2 Cor 5 16-21.  We are a new creation. The old being is gone and so is the old identity.  We become a new being, a new creation in Christ. Our old identity is based on our successes and failures. Our new identity is based on His grace and acceptance of us. He sees us, not as we see ourselves.

What can things in life bind us from being who God wants us to be?

“A butterfly is not a caterpillar with wings!” Discuss!

The transformation is dramatic. Our new identity is entirely new, not just the old one with enhancements.

Rom 6:3-11 Through baptism we are buried and united with Him. No longer slaves to sin.

Our old self is crucified. We are no longer slaves to death or sin. Our new identity is eternal. It is no longer basses on what we do but in who we are. We are not defined by our feelings, successes, failures, wealth, age etc..
Our faith is made stronger as we focus on our identity in Christ!
Look up these passages and read about who we are in Christ:

• John 15 15 - We are friends
• John 1 12 -13 We are children of God
• Galatians 4:7 We are heirs
• 2 Corinthians 1:22

God is pleased with what he has created - we are not defined by worldly things, but by God and God alone. He identifies you as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts.

Watch the YouTube clip “Who am I?”

How can this understanding of who we are affecting the way we live our lives?

How I identify myself determines how I approach life!
Share the ‘Who am I?’ statements from Freedom in Christ. Take 5 mins to meditate on them.

Which one speaks to you for today?

Pray for each other prophetically for the statement you have picked.