What’s your identity?

So this is the message I spoke at Fort Worth, T.X. for the Momentum event for Spamarama.

Q: “If this was your very last time to ever speak to teenagers, what would you tell them?” – Dad

·         Wow, deep, so I prayed about it and prayed. My dad got me this carved out Letter B, and within it, it had writing which said “Be still and know that I am God” Psalms 46:10

That helped a lot. I let God open my heart my eyes to what he wants me to tell you guys.

What’s your identity?

Ask yourself this: What really is my identity?  Who are you?

Only two identities you can have

1.       Christ- like identity

2.      Yourself- meaning worldly identity ( I’ll get into detail in what that means)

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Let’s start with the first one: Christ-like identity.

Christ Identity shows: Love, humbleness, compassion, forgiveness, and obedience. Etc…

-You don’t just need it but you WANT it.

Please turn your bibles to 1 John 4: 9-10;11-12. God loved is so much, he sent his son Jesus, his one and only to the world to die for me and you so that we can have life through him…( he said so we can have life, so we can literally live spiritually! Not only just physically but have life through him.)

Check it out in 1 John 4:11-12. Love God, Love people.

The real test is if we really love God is how we treat the people right in front of us.-Our family members, our fellow believers. We cannot truly love God while neglecting to love those who are created in His image.

Now let’s compare to what it says in verse 20-21.

Verse 11-12 Talks about how we cannot see God, but if we love each other, God lives in us. His love is expressed and shows through us.

Verse 20-21 Talks about how we see our brothers and sister, and if we declare we love God, but hates our bro’s and sisters, that person is straight up lying to your-self, lying to other people, and most important God. “If we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we have not seen?”

In Romans it is our main chapter now we’ll be at. In chapter 8 verse 5-6

Those who are under the enemy control which our enemy is the world, sinful nature thinks about sinful things. It controls your mind, equals death. BUT those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the spirit. HS controls your mind it equals life and peace. (Remember those who don’t have the spirit of Christ living in them; they are not Christians at all.)

-The closer we walk with God the more like God we become!!!

Q: How in the world can we become more like Jesus?

1.      He was different à “However if you want to be true to who you are and what you believe, sometimes you have to lift up your head and speak out!” – Soul Sister

“Romans 1:16” that’s our mission goal while we are here in this world and not to be of the world.

Believers it’s said the Christian life is more hard, but it’s worth living every second of it. We have hope and a future to look forward to (the hope and future I’m talking about is eternity forever with Jesus and God for they are one.)

A.    Jesus wasn’t afraid to do this even when it made him unpopular. He wasn’t afraid to risk losing friends b/c of who he really was. Jesus kept is simple: “Follow the hard truth or walk away. Love me or hate me, this is who I am, I am God.”

B.     Sometimes we feel pressure to fit in and not say nothing, but if we are fully committed our lives to God, surely he is worth speaking up for. Being different isn’t bad it’s BOLD.

2.      He stood up for what He believed in.

A.    Jesus challenges us to stick up for the bullied, broken boys and girls at our school we see every day. Don’t ask what you can gain ask what you can give.

3.      Jesus was famous/popular why?!

A.    He was a servant. You would think if this is the man I will worship and praise and devote my life to him, shouldn’t he had came down with a crown and all the fame and glory people going insane throwing big celebration for him…. NO. In Matthew 20:28 He said, “I did not come to be served, but to serve.” So ask yourself how can I bless someone today, tomorrow, rest of our lives? How can I be a servant of God?

B.     He was an encourager. Jesusàbuilt his friends up. When they worried or sadness came upon them he spoke words of encouragement and comfort.

Friends àhelp them by being an encourager, share a bit of God’s word. His truth is just what they need to hear. Shot out even a scripture!

C.    He accepted others. Jesus friends were not perfect.

·         Peter disowned him.

·         Judas was thief who eventually betrayed him.

My point is if we are going to be good friends, it is important to memorize this verse in Ephesians 4:2 à”Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Because friendship requires patience.

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2.      Yourself- meaning worldly identity

This world is full of junk. The junk I’m talking about is the movies, TV shows you watch, some are good but most are informing are youth today to have sex before marriage and you get my point. Relationships- If Gods not in it, it won’t last. The world: they have their rights and wrongs different from Gods point of view. Music is a big part of our society that many teens consume there self with. Drugs, drinking, what in the world are you thinking?!

(Tell Chloe funny story)-(my aunt told my family, Chloe my four yr old cousin lives here in garland TX,&  likes zac efron.. She has his cd called “hairspray” the musical, and my aunt has this magazine and his picture was in there, Chloe asked her mom if she can cut it out for her so she could put it under her pillow.)

- Trying to find happiness and pleasure in all these things is not your answer or solution.

The behavior and customs of this world are usually selfish and often corrupting.

-Many Christians wisely decided that much worldly behaviors are off limits for them. When are you going to make it your off- limit?

Let’s read Romans 12:2

-It is possibly to avoid worldly customsà but you’ll still be proud, arrogant, selfish, etc…ONLY when our mind is renewed by the new attitude of Christ gives us, we are truly transformed.

So if our character is like Christ, we can be sure our behavior will honor God.

Give your life to God… NOT to yourself. & don’t live for yourself, live for God.

àLastly: It’s possibly to live the both identities. Saying I’m a Christian then next you know if you caught yourself acting and living in the behaviors of the world. It’s possible in the world way. But defiantly impossible in Gods way. Either you make him your everything or you’re totally lost. Yes we come and fall short and sin but us believers we are his children and we are saved by grace through faith. We seek him and ask forgiveness, and then we are forgiven. (Trust me some of y’all here know what I’m talking about. I’ve been there done that, I have a testimony based on that)

Closing………….

Q: So what are we gunna do about it?

Are we going to sit back and watch it all happen, (meaning: our family & friends, not really knowing him, meaning having a sincere relationship with Jesus Christ? OR are we going to GO & TELL the world & impact it by sharing the good news and pouring Gods love.

It’s never too late to change the way you’ve been living. Make right with God and your identity will change and become more Christ-like. Dedicate your life to him, Completely to Him! It’s all or nothing. Once you encounter Gods love you don’t wanna go back to your old ways.

-Experience Gods love, it’s an amazing testimony, amazing change.

-Were not perfect we will still sin..but we have life. That’s the difference we have, True Life. Christ equals life.

*Encourage students… seek him, want more & more of him, crave him, long for him, chase after him. Then you become a Contagious Christian. People will start wondering asking there’s something really different about you,… sooner or later they want what you have.

There’s your shot to witness and tell them Jesus is the solution of all. It’s him you need to consume yourself with. God loves you and takes you as you are. All you need to do is go to Him.

Actions will change.

·         The way we talk

·         Music we listen

·         Relationships were in

·         TV/ movies we watch

·         People we hang and associate with (they are your influencers)