Reclaiming Our Identity as Children of God
Summary
### Summary
Today, we concluded our summer series by focusing on reclaiming our identity as children of God. We began by reflecting on the importance of understanding our spiritual identity, which is foundational to walking in the authority and power that God has given us. Our authority as believers is not our own; it is derived from our identity in Christ. This identity should influence every aspect of our lives, guiding our decisions and actions.
We discussed the necessity of allowing the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and reveal areas that need growth. Many people fail to improve because they are unwilling to admit their need for growth. We must be open to the Holy Spirit's guidance to truly grow in our walk with the Lord.
Our identity as children of God grants us spiritual authority, but this authority is only effective when we recognize that it comes from Jesus. We can live bold lives and walk in spiritual authority because of our spiritual identity. This identity should direct and affect every aspect of our lives, from our daily decisions to our long-term goals.
We also touched on the importance of not becoming self-centered or self-serving. The Bible is written for us, but it is about Jesus. We must always remember that our blessings and authority come from His grace and sacrifice.
Finally, we emphasized that as children of God, we should be living overcoming, Spirit-empowered lives. We should walk in authority and confidence, knowing that we are more than conquerors through Christ. This confidence allows us to face life's challenges with the assurance that God is with us and will guide us through.
### Key Takeaways
1. Understanding Spiritual Identity: Our authority as believers is rooted in our identity as children of God. This identity is not self-derived but given through Jesus' sacrifice. Recognizing this helps us walk in the authority and power that God intends for us. [58:57]
2. Allowing the Holy Spirit to Search Us: Growth in our spiritual walk requires us to allow the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and reveal areas that need change. Many people fail to grow because they are unwilling to admit their need for improvement. Openness to the Holy Spirit's guidance is crucial for spiritual growth. [56:35]
3. Living Bold Lives Through Spiritual Identity: We can live bold lives and walk in spiritual authority because of our spiritual identity. This identity should influence every aspect of our lives, guiding our decisions and actions. Our confidence comes from knowing that we are children of God. [01:12:04]
4. Avoiding Self-Centeredness: While the Bible is written for us, it is about Jesus. We must avoid becoming self-centered or self-serving, always remembering that our blessings and authority come from His grace and sacrifice. This perspective keeps us grounded and focused on God's purpose. [01:01:41]
5. Walking in Overcoming, Spirit-Empowered Lives: As children of God, we should be living overcoming, Spirit-empowered lives. We should walk in authority and confidence, knowing that we are more than conquerors through Christ. This confidence allows us to face life's challenges with the assurance that God is with us and will guide us through. [01:13:02]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[54:01] - Upcoming Events and Announcements
[55:11] - Recapturing Our Lives and Culture
[56:35] - Allowing the Holy Spirit to Search Us
[57:13] - Understanding Our Spiritual Identity
[58:57] - Authority Through Identity
[01:00:16] - The Source of Our Authority
[01:01:41] - Avoiding Self-Centeredness
[01:03:01] - Trusting God in Every Aspect
[01:06:32] - Facing Life's Challenges with Confidence
[01:12:04] - Living Bold, Spirit-Empowered Lives
[01:13:02] - Walking in Authority and Confidence
[01:19:26] - Sharing Your Testimony
[01:22:02] - Recognizing Our Spiritual Identity
[01:23:51] - Invitation to Accept Jesus
[01:27:05] - Closing Prayer and Worship
[01:30:50] - Final Encouragement and Dismissal
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1. Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
2. Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."
3. Romans 8:37: "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."
### Observation Questions
1. According to Galatians 2:20, what is the source of our new life as believers?
2. In Proverbs 3:5-6, what are we instructed to do with all our heart, and what is the promised result?
3. Romans 8:37 states that we are more than conquerors. Through whom do we achieve this victory?
4. The sermon emphasized the importance of understanding our spiritual identity. How does this identity influence our authority as believers? [58:57]
### Interpretation Questions
1. How does recognizing that our authority as believers is derived from our identity in Christ change the way we approach daily challenges? [58:57]
2. What does it mean to allow the Holy Spirit to search our hearts, and why is this crucial for spiritual growth? [56:35]
3. How can understanding that the Bible is about Jesus, and not us, help us avoid self-centeredness in our spiritual walk? [01:01:41]
4. What practical steps can we take to ensure that our identity as children of God directs and affects every aspect of our lives? [01:03:01]
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a recent decision you made. How did your understanding of your spiritual identity influence that decision? If it didn’t, how could it have? [58:57]
2. Are there areas in your life where you have resisted the Holy Spirit’s guidance? What steps can you take to be more open to His searching and leading? [56:35]
3. Think of a time when you felt self-centered in your spiritual journey. How can you shift your focus back to Jesus and His grace? [01:01:41]
4. Identify one aspect of your life where you struggle to trust God fully. How can you apply Proverbs 3:5-6 to this area?
5. How can you live a more bold and Spirit-empowered life this week? What specific actions will you take to walk in the authority and confidence that comes from being a child of God? [01:12:04]
6. Consider a challenge you are currently facing. How does knowing that you are more than a conqueror through Christ (Romans 8:37) change your perspective on this challenge?
7. Share a testimony of a time when you experienced God’s guidance in a difficult situation. How did this experience strengthen your faith and confidence in Him? [01:06:32]
Devotional
Day 1: Rooted in Our Spiritual Identity
Understanding our spiritual identity is crucial for living a life of authority and power as believers. This identity is not something we create on our own; it is given to us through Jesus' sacrifice. Recognizing that we are children of God helps us walk confidently in the authority that God intends for us. This identity should influence every aspect of our lives, guiding our decisions and actions. When we understand who we are in Christ, we can live boldly and with purpose, knowing that our authority comes from Him. [58:57]
Ephesians 1:4-5 (ESV): "Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will."
Reflection: How does knowing that your identity is rooted in Christ change the way you approach your daily decisions and actions?
Day 2: Openness to the Holy Spirit's Guidance
Growth in our spiritual walk requires us to allow the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and reveal areas that need change. Many people fail to grow because they are unwilling to admit their need for improvement. Openness to the Holy Spirit's guidance is crucial for spiritual growth. When we allow the Holy Spirit to search us, we become aware of the areas in our lives that need transformation. This process can be uncomfortable, but it is necessary for true growth in our walk with the Lord. [56:35]
Psalm 139:23-24 (ESV): "Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!"
Reflection: Are there areas in your life where you have resisted the Holy Spirit's guidance? How can you open your heart to His transformative work today?
Day 3: Living Bold Lives Through Spiritual Identity
We can live bold lives and walk in spiritual authority because of our spiritual identity. This identity should influence every aspect of our lives, guiding our decisions and actions. Our confidence comes from knowing that we are children of God. When we embrace our spiritual identity, we can face challenges with boldness and assurance, knowing that God is with us. This boldness is not about self-confidence but about confidence in who we are in Christ. [01:12:04]
2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV): "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to step out in boldness, trusting in your identity as a child of God?
Day 4: Avoiding Self-Centeredness
While the Bible is written for us, it is about Jesus. We must avoid becoming self-centered or self-serving, always remembering that our blessings and authority come from His grace and sacrifice. This perspective keeps us grounded and focused on God's purpose. It is easy to become self-focused, but we must remember that our lives are meant to glorify God and serve others. By keeping our focus on Jesus, we can avoid the trap of self-centeredness and live lives that reflect His love and grace. [01:01:41]
Philippians 2:3-4 (ESV): "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."
Reflection: How can you shift your focus from yourself to Jesus and others in your daily life?
Day 5: Walking in Overcoming, Spirit-Empowered Lives
As children of God, we should be living overcoming, Spirit-empowered lives. We should walk in authority and confidence, knowing that we are more than conquerors through Christ. This confidence allows us to face life's challenges with the assurance that God is with us and will guide us through. Living a Spirit-empowered life means relying on the Holy Spirit for strength, guidance, and wisdom. It means facing challenges with the confidence that comes from knowing we are not alone and that God is working in and through us. [01:13:02]
Romans 8:37-39 (ESV): "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Reflection: What challenges are you currently facing, and how can you rely on the Holy Spirit to empower you to overcome them?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "We can live bold lives and walk in spiritual authority only because of our spiritual identity. You need to understand this. I am a child of God. And because I'm a child of God. I have authority from him. And I am only a child of God because of Jesus sacrifice and his love. Amen." [58:57] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "For all of you people. What I'm talking about may not apply yet. Because I'm talking to people who have surrendered their life to Christ. Who have accepted his salvation. And now are an heir and joint heir with Christ. They're children of God. Amen. If that's you say amen. Amen. And we rejoice in that. But every blessing that we have. Is because of Jesus. It's not because of us." [01:00:16] (21 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "You are a child of God. And greater is he who is within you than he who is in the world. You are a child of God. And you can ask anything in Jesus' name and he will do it. Glory to the Father. You are a child of God. And you don't have to fear financial calamity because you have a promise that your father will meet all of your needs according to his riches and glory. You just have to walk that confidence. Recognize him. Heal your past. Amen." [01:22:55] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "As a child of God, we should be living, overcoming, Spirit-empowered lives. We should walk in authority and confidence everywhere we go. Standing by it, that's how I read the Word. That's what I see in that Word. Why should we? Not because of anything we have done, but because of everything God has done. Amen? Not because we have power, but because He has given us His power to do that." [01:12:13] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "If you're here today. Look. The Bible is all written for you. But it's not about you. It's about Jesus. It's about Jesus. And we can forget that sometimes. Because of all the blessings that God's made available to us. We can get really wrapped up in the blessings. And praise God for the blessings. I'm glad for the blessings. I'm glad for the anointing. I'm glad for the authority that I have as a child of God. But we can never lose sight of the fact that we only have it because of the grace of Jesus Christ." [01:01:41] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "We define the culture of our lives by what we do and what we allow to be done. We do. Tell your neighbor, we do. Tell them again they weren't awake. Awesome. And then the take home question that we have to ask for ourselves is what is the culture of my world? Because we can't fix something if we don't know there's a problem, right?" [55:52] (21 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Our identity as children of God should direct and affect every aspect of our lives. Every aspect. Our identity as children of God should direct and affect every aspect of our life. And let me read you a couple. I could give you so many verses. But let me just give you a few. Proverbs 3, 5 and 6 says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart. How much of it? And lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him. And he shall direct. Your. And did you catch that?" [01:03:01] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Sometimes the problems that you see in your life. God has predestined for you. So that he can get some glory. So that maybe they can help somebody else. And see. Going back to my first point. If we read the Bible. Thinking it's all about us. How many people. Are we going to rob of blessings? Right. If we're not willing. As a child of God. I'm not going to have any problems. Bless God. I am. I don't want them. I'm not looking forward to them. But. And I'm not going to go there. But the Bible says. We can rejoice in our suffering. Why? Because God's going to use it." [01:06:32] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "We can walk in power only because Jesus gives us that power. We can live a bold life. And walk in spiritual authority only because of our spiritual identity. But here is what we have to remember about our identity as children of God. This is take home principle number two. I'm going fast. Some of you are excited. Woohoo! Y'all got to wake up. That's all I'm saying. Our identity as children of God should direct and affect us. And affect every aspect of our lives. Every aspect." [01:02:16] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "To walk out and live the overcoming life that God intends for us, our identity as children of God should direct and affect every aspect of our lives. You want to walk in that power? Let God direct you. It will happen. You don't have to manufacture it. I promise you. If you let God direct you, if you let him show you where to go and what to do, there will be opportunity after opportunity after opportunity for you to minister to somebody. Opportunity after opportunity for you to walk in the power that he's given you as his child. Amen?" [01:21:08] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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