The Truth About You

Opening questions: Who are you? On a scrap piece of paper write the words "I AM" at the top of the page and then take a few minutes to write 5 things that describe who you are. Things about your self. Things that you are proud of and that make you, who you are (examples; I am a basketball player, hard worker, funny...etc.)

• When you look at those 5 things, how does it make you feel?
• Does it give you a sense of value?
• Are you proud of those things?
• Do you take pride in who you are?

Point One: You have value because you were created by God. Not because of what you can do or who you are or who you will become.

Psalms 139:13-14

13 For you created my inmost being; 
   you knit me together in my mother's womb. 
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 
   your works are wonderful, 

• Why did God create you? Did God create you to simply graduate from High school, go to college and make a lot of money? Did God create you to just to become everything that you desire to be?
• Why did God create you?

Ephesians 2:10

10 For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

God has prepared in advance his will for us. He has a plan and purpose for each of you.

• What do you think Gods plan for you is?

Jeremiah 29:11-13

11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

• What does it say Gods plan is for you?
• What does God want from you?
• How does God want you to seek him?

Point two: True happiness and true value in life is not found in worldly things (school, careers, possessions, relationships or achievements...etc). True happiness is found in seeking after God and seeking his will for your life.

1 John 2:16-17

16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

Look back at your "I AM" papers for a moment. I'm going to call out a few things and if they're things that you wrote down or described, I want you to cross them out.

Cross out:

1. Possessions you own...money, ipods, guitars, clothes, etc.
2. Personality traits you have...funny, outgoing, crazy, etc.
3. Sports you play...soccer, volleyball, baseball, etc.
4. Things you like...music, television, movies etc.
5. Physical characteristics...color of hair, height, etc.
6. Where you go to school or live, your hangouts, family situations, etc.
7. Anything else that describes you still left on the page...grades, friends, etc.

• What do you have left? "I AM"

Once you realize that you are not defined by your name or your family, once you realize your definition is not from what you do at school or what sports you play, once you know that your personality is not what gives you purpose, the only thing left on your page is "I AM"

"I AM" is the name that God gave himself in Exodus 3 when Moses asked him who he is. God could have described himself in many ways, but he choose those two words "I AM". God is the reason we have our existence, value and purpose in our lives.

Everyone of you is about to start a chapter in your lives and it can be very tempting to allow who you want to become or the accomplishments you want to achieve to define you as a person. And it can be very tempting to look at those things as having absolute value. It can also be tempting to allow those things to consume your life. But I want to encourage each of you to define yourselves by your relationship with God. To seek after following him with all your heart and by living out his plan and purpose for your life.

The Life and Love of God

The Life and Love of God - Sunday morning reflections

From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in-we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands. The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we're telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us. (1 John 1:1, 2 MSG)

Regardless of our shortcomings - Jesus sacrificed himself and we can repent every day!

But the one who keeps God's word is the person in whom we see God's mature love. This is the only way to be sure we're in God. Anyone who claims to be intimate with God ought to live the same kind of life Jesus lived. (1 John 2:5, 6 MSG)

We needn't live in the shame of our mistakes. Accepting that we can NOT be whole without Him is truly the only way we will find peace. Living like Jesus - having a tenderly close and dear relationship can happen for each of us - every day!

I remind you, my dear children: Your sins are forgiven in Jesus' name. (1 John 2:12 MSG)

Living for and loving God is very different from how many of us were raised and is fundamentally to the same as how we care for our worldly possessions.

Don't love the world's ways. Don't love the world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world-wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important-has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. (1 John 2:15, 16 MSG)

Living for others is living for and loving God too!

This is how we've come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God's love? It disappears. And you made it disappear. (1 John 3:16, 17 MSG)

God sent Jesus with hopes that we might choose to, "...live through him."

My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love-so you can't know him if you don't love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about-not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God. (1 John 4:7-10 MSG)

Those living in and loving God needn't ever fear - a life without worry IS possible in Christ. Let us allow Jesus to remove all these fears and put all that energy into LOVE.

There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life-fear of death, fear of judgment-is one not yet fully formed in love. (1 John 4:18 MSG)

And, finally...

We, though, are going to love-love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first. The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You've got to love both. (1 John 4:19, 21 MSG)
My purpose in writing is simply this: that you who believe in God's Son will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life, the reality and not the illusion. And how bold and free we then become in his presence, freely asking according to his will, sure that he's listening. And if we're confident that he's listening, we know that what we've asked for is as good as ours. (1 John5:13-15 MSG)

Loving others IS loving God. Living for God is following Jesus - the sum of the law.

The Cross Is Our Bench Mark

How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. (Ephesians 1:3 MSG)

The Real Me (The Real Us)
We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels-everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe-people and things, animals and atoms-get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the Cross. (Colossians 1:15-20 MSG)

The concept of reconciliation - using the industry of financial management to convey BENCHMARKS - the importance of standards

As disciples, the BENCHMARK is the cross. It is the standard and doesn't lie - it's 'actual.'

The world asks us to compare ourselves - we do this very naturally / we size ourselves up with others (neighbors, friends, etc...)

The CROSS must be our one and only standard - size ourselves up to that moment, that sacrifice, that LOVE from and for God!

What happens in our lives when we Do Not follow the cross as our standard? How do we pull ourselves back into the fold when we do?

Talk to our brothers and sisters and BE RECONCILED. Don't stay AWAY from the cross. We don't have to wait or compete with God's grace and his loving peacefulness.

We were made in His image and his likeness - not just in a purely physical manner... In all ways. Cling to Him, His truth, and His sacrifice for each of us - the CROSS.