Transforming Shame into Grace: Embracing Our True Identity

**Bible Study Discussion Guide: Breaking Free from Shame and Living in God's Grace**

**Bible Reading:**
1. John 4:1-42 (The Samaritan Woman at the Well)
2. Joshua 2 (The Story of Rahab)
3. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (New Creation in Christ)

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**Observation Questions:**

1. In John 4, how does Jesus' interaction with the Samaritan woman demonstrate His willingness to meet us in our shame? [40:17]

2. What was the significance of Jesus revealing Himself as the Messiah to the Samaritan woman, considering her social status and past? [43:26]

3. How does the story of Rahab in Joshua 2 illustrate that our past does not define our future? [54:13]

4. According to the sermon, what is the difference between conviction and spiritual shame, and how do they affect our relationship with God? [38:15]

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**Interpretation Questions:**

1. Why might Jesus have chosen to reveal Himself as the Messiah to someone like the Samaritan woman, and what does this tell us about His character? [43:26]

2. How does Rahab's inclusion in the lineage of Jesus and the hall of faith challenge societal labels and perceptions of worthiness? [54:13]

3. In what ways can personal experiences of anger towards God lead to feelings of shame, and how can these be overcome? [50:25]

4. How does the concept of being a "new creation" in 2 Corinthians 5:17 relate to the sermon's message about letting God define our identity? [58:47]

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**Application Questions:**

1. Reflect on a time when you felt unworthy or distant from God. How can you apply the lesson of the Samaritan woman to your own life to overcome these feelings? [43:26]

2. Consider the labels or past actions that have defined you. How can Rahab's story inspire you to see yourself through God's eyes rather than through societal labels? [54:13]

3. Have you ever experienced anger towards God due to unmet expectations or loss? What steps can you take to release this anger and find joy again? [50:25]

4. Identify a specific area in your life where you feel shame. How can you invite Jesus into that space to transform it into a testimony of His grace? [44:24]

5. How can you actively remind yourself of your identity as a child of God, especially when faced with negative words or actions from others? [58:47]

6. Think of someone in your life who might be struggling with shame. How can you share your testimony to encourage them and point them towards Christ? [44:24]

7. What practical steps can you take this week to let go of shame and embrace your identity as a new creation in Christ? [58:47]

I'm ready to provide the 5-day devotional based on the steps outlined. Here it is:

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Day 1: Recognizing the Deception of Spiritual Shame
Spiritual shame is a deceptive tool of the enemy, making us feel unworthy and distant from God. Unlike conviction, which draws us closer to God, shame drives us away. Recognizing this difference is crucial in breaking free from its grip. Spiritual shame whispers lies that make us feel unworthy and distant from God. It is a tool of the enemy, designed to drive us away from the heart of the Father. In contrast, conviction draws us closer to God, inviting us to embrace His love and forgiveness. Understanding this distinction is vital for our spiritual journey, as it helps us to reject the lies of shame and embrace the truth of God's love and grace. [37:18]

"For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death." (2 Corinthians 7:10, ESV)

Reflection: Identify a specific area in your life where you feel shame. How can you distinguish between the voice of shame and the voice of conviction in this area today?


Day 2: Jesus Meets Us in Our Shame
The story of the Samaritan woman at the well shows that Jesus meets us where we are, regardless of our past. His love transforms our shame into a testimony of His grace, turning outcasts into evangelists. Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well is a powerful illustration of how He meets us in our shame. Despite her past and societal rejection, Jesus chose to reveal Himself as the Messiah to her, demonstrating that no one is beyond His reach or love. Her encounter with Jesus turned her from an outcast into an evangelist, showing that God can change our reputation and future if we let go of our shame. [43:26]

"Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?" (John 4:29, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a moment when you felt unworthy or distant from God. How can you invite Jesus into that moment today to transform it into a testimony of His grace?


Day 3: Our Past Does Not Define Us
Rahab's story illustrates that God sees beyond our past and calls us to a future defined by His love. Our identity is not in our past actions but in being children of God, chosen and beloved. Despite her label as a prostitute, Rahab's faith and actions placed her in the lineage of Jesus and the hall of faith. God sees beyond our past and calls us to a future defined by His love and purpose. This truth reminds us that our identity is not in our past actions but in being children of God, chosen and beloved. [54:13]

"And Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse." (Matthew 1:5, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on a label or past action that you feel defines you. How can you embrace your identity as a child of God today, letting go of that label?


Day 4: Releasing Anger and Shame
Personal experiences of anger towards God can lead to shame, but God invites us to release these burdens. By doing so, we find freedom and joy, as God gently restores our hearts. Anger towards God or the hurtful words of others can be debilitating, leading to shame. Yet, God invites us to release these burdens and embrace our true identity in Him. We are not defined by our sins or achievements but by the blood of Jesus, which makes us children of God, chosen and beloved. [50:25]

"Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved." (Psalm 55:22, ESV)

Reflection: Consider a burden of anger or shame you are carrying. What step can you take today to release it to God and find joy again?


Day 5: Letting God Define Us
We must allow God to define our identity, not the words of others or our achievements. Embracing our identity as children of God, chosen and beloved, frees us from shame and empowers us to live in His grace. Our identity is not in our past actions but in being children of God, chosen and beloved. By allowing God to define us, we are freed from the chains of shame and empowered to live in His grace. This truth invites us to let go of the words of others or our achievements and embrace our true identity in Christ. [58:47]

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9, ESV)

Reflection: What words or achievements have you allowed to define you? How can you actively embrace your identity as a child of God today, living in His grace?

Spiritual shame is a little bit different. It's defined as feeling shame regarding anything to do with our spiritual life. It's that voice that likes to whisper lies to us. Spiritual shame makes us feel like we don't measure up. We're not good enough. That we're spiritually unworthy. [00:37:18] (17 seconds)


That's what it tells us in John 8. 44. And so if he's telling you something, you can already know that that's the exact opposite of the truth. All he knows is lies. So when he's telling you, God could never love you. He could never use you. You're not worthy. He's mad at you. It's not true. [00:37:40] (17 seconds)


Conviction will draw you to the heart of the father, but shame will drive you away. When you're ashamed, you hide yourself. The enemy. Come on now, you got to preach with me. The enemy, it's of Satan. We're not going to go there. We're going to be free from that today. [00:38:15] (34 seconds)


Let's think about that for a minute. This is a woman who's had five husbands living with somebody who's not her husband. Now, nobody will even talk to her in town. Not only that, she's not a Jew. She's a Samaritan and she's a woman. These are all like not great things for that time in history. [00:43:02] (15 seconds)

He declared to her, I am he. Then leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, come see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah? They came out of the town and made their way toward him. [00:44:07] (13 seconds)


Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony. He told me everything I ever did. So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two more days. [00:44:23] (11 seconds)


And then it says in verse 41, and because of his words, many more became believers. So this girl, this Samaritan woman of ill repute, went from somebody who was an outcast to being an evangelist in about 15 minutes. [00:44:36] (14 seconds)


Your sin doesn't define you. But the blood of Jesus, that defines you. You go from sinner to what? Child of God. Right here, daughter of God. That's me. Royalty? Oh, yeah, me too. I got a crown. You can't see it, but it's up there. That's what happens. [00:55:11] (17 seconds)

Sisters from another mother. Is that how that goes? I think.

Walked in. I'm like, oh, these are IU colors. I'm from Indiana. Go Hoosiers. Any Hoosiers in the house? Oh, we have some. How about our best or our football team this year? I mean, we never win in football. So it's been a big year. That shows you that the days and miracles are not dead.

I'm going to just start us in prayer. Is that all right?

Father God, we thank you for today. We thank you for this amazing house full of faith-filled people. Thank you, Lord, for the praise and worship. We thank you for the pastors and the leadership of this church. Lord, I pray that you would anoint my lips to say the things you'd have me to say today. And Lord, the hearts and ears to hear exactly what you have for them. We are so grateful to you. We love you. And we thank you for your word in Jesus' mighty name. Amen.

Well, it truly does feel like I was coming home, although I've never been here. So that's odd, right? But the minute I walked in, well, first off, you know Maggie. Maggie is to love Maggie, correct? And so she already has been, I mean, she's been emailing me since, I don't know, February, maybe? So we knew each other, but like, we really know each other now. We've been talking and emailing. And then I got to know Pastor Andrea. And I told her, she's Andrea Roberts. I grew up with Andrea Roberts. We were cheerleaders all through school together. Spelled differently, but I was like, I mean, that's just not, that's like a God coincidence thing, right? Like, we just had all these connections.

And then I came yesterday. It was immediate fall in love with this congregation. So I told the pastors, if we lived here, this would be our church. So this is an amazing body of Christ, so welcoming and warm, and that starts at the head. So praise God for your pastors. Excellence all the way through. That's right. We honor you guys.

So when I first communicated with the pastors, they told me they're doing this cool series based on Dickens. I mean, if you're a literary person, you love Charles Dickens, and it's one of my favorite movies, The Christmas Carol. I mean, I like every version that's ever been made, the one with Henry Winkler, like all of them. I just love those. And so you're doing the different ghosts, the ghosts of different whatever. So my Sunday, which is today, was the ghost of Christmas, but the ghost of shame. Okay, so that was like not your normal Christmas service I would normally speak on. I was like, all right then.

So I'm a researcher. I'm a journalist. That's what I do. I love, I told them, we were kind of warming up here today. I said, I was the kid that actually liked homework. Don't hate me. I did. I just love that kind of stuff. So I actually just began to research what shame is and what shame isn't. So we're going to talk about that today because I think what I was surprised about is how many of us struggle with it and don't call it shame, but it actually is.

So the first thing I do is define it. So let's go there. So breaking free from shame, living in God's grace is the actual title if you're a note-taker. I'm a note-taker too. I bet you can't imagine that being a writer. That's what I like to do.

So Webster defined shame as a painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety. But here's the difference. Spiritual shame is a little bit different. It's defined as feeling shame regarding anything to do with our spiritual life. It's that voice that likes to whisper lies to us. Spiritual shame makes us feel like we don't measure up, we're not good enough, that we're spiritually unworthy. And spiritual shame comes from the enemy, from the father of all lies, right? That's what it tells us in John 8:44. And so if he's telling you something, you can already know that that's the exact opposite of the truth. All he knows is lies.

So when he's telling you, God could never love you, he could never use you, you're not worthy, he's mad at you, it's not true. None of that is true. But that's what spiritual shame will do. Now there's a difference between conviction and shame. Conviction will draw you to the heart of the father, but shame will drive you away. When you're ashamed, you hide yourself.

The enemy. Come on now, you got to preach with me. The enemy, it's of Satan. We're not going to go there. We're going to be free from that today. Here's the thing. If you can let go of your shame, God can change your reputation and he can change your future. If you need to write that down. If you can let go of your shame, God can change your reputation and he can change your future. Just ask the woman at the well.

Do any of y'all watch The Chosen? Give me, raise your hands if you do. Okay. Do you not love that so much? I love it so much. It's just seeing the Bible. So many people come to the Lord by watching that. They think it's just a cool show. They don't even know it's the Bible. And God just gets right in there and goes, oh, you're coming to me today. I love it so much. That God will use stories that way, won't he?

So the woman at the well, that's probably my favorite episode of all the episodes I've ever seen because it's so tender to me that Jesus came. We'll read it here. But I mean, Jesus came to the well that day. They made this pit stop just so he could meet her. You know, he'll do the same for you. He will pursue you with great passion. Can't hide from him.

Let's read this. It's found in John chapter four.

Now, Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. Now, he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well, and it was about noon.

Now, noon is like one of the hottest points of the day, correct? I mean, usually if you're going to the well to get water, you're going to be an early bird. You're going to go early in the morning because it's too hot to go at noon. But Jesus knew that this particular woman would be there at noon. You know why? Because she was too ashamed to go in the morning with the other women because she was not having a good reputation. They probably would have given her the big Amish shun, you know what I'm talking about? Nobody would have been with her. So she had to go by herself in the heat of the day.

But Jesus, even though it was hot and he was tired and he was hungry, he went there in the heat of the day. That's how much he loves us. He went there just for her. I love that so much.

Okay, we'll keep reading. So when a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" His disciples had gone into town to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I'm a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink? For Jews do not associate with Samaritans."

Jesus answered, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself as did his sons and his livestock?"

And in The Chosen, Jesus goes, "I know Jacob." I thought that was just so, of course he does. I thought, oh yeah, he knows him. I love that.

Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water, welling up to eternal life."

The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to come here to draw water."

He told her, "Go call your husband and come back."

Now, you know, Jesus knew she didn't have a husband. He does that to me too. Does he do that to you? Like he'll say something like, oh, he already knows. I know.

So Jesus calls her and he's like, "That's true what you say. You actually had five husbands and the guy you're living with now, also not your husband."

So he calls her on it because he knows, but he does it in such a way when Jesus gives you a whip and you don't even know you've been in trouble. I love how he does that.

So that's what he says. "The fact is, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you've said is quite true."

So he kind of affirms her and you're speaking the truth.

"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."

"Woman," Jesus replied, "believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father, neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

The woman said, "I know that Messiah called Christ is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."

Still clueless, still not getting it. I know you can relate to that because we've all gone clueless into prayer before. Yeah. Nope. Don't know a thing.

So he goes, "Uh, actually I, the one speaking to you, I am he."

Let's think about that for a minute. This is a woman who's had five husbands living with somebody who's not her husband. Now, nobody will even talk to her in town. Not only that, she's not a Jew. She's a Samaritan and she's a woman. These are all like not great things for that time in history. And he takes time. And then he, but this, he, outside of his little circle, this is the first person he's revealed himself as the Messiah.

That really did something to my heart that he chose this woman of ill repute to reveal himself as Messiah. See, he did that on purpose. Nothing Jesus does is by accident. He wanted you to know that even if you're that person who's done a lot of bad things, he'll still reveal himself to you. He loves you that much. If you'd been the only one, he still would have gone to the cross for you. That's how much he loves you.

So that shame that you might be feeling today, that you're kind of like, you know, I think I might have some of that spiritual shame lurking underneath there somewhere, you can leave it at the altar today. He is pursuing you with great passion, just like he pursued the woman at the well.

He declared to her, "I am he." Then leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, "Come see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?" They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony. He told me everything I ever did. So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two more days.

And then it says in verse 41, "And because of his words, many more became believers."

So this girl, this Samaritan woman of ill repute, went from somebody who was an outcast to being an evangelist in about 15 minutes. That's what the love of God can do. You can go from being the one that nobody will talk to, getting the Amish done, you have to go to the well by yourself at noon in the heat of the day, to going and telling everybody, "I just met the Messiah."

You got to listen, whole town said, "Okay, all right, yeah, we hear you." And then they all, many came to be believers because of this woman's obedience. Because he said to her, "Go back," and she goes, "I'm going to tell everyone." And in The Chosen, he goes, "I was counting on it." I love that.

Because when God does a work in your heart and lifts that veil of shame from you, you want to tell everybody. For the first time, you feel like you can walk with your head up. You don't have to hide. Of course, you're going to tell people. I mean, I get excited about a new pair of shoes, which I got today, by the way. I got a new pair of shoes. Where's my friend? Thank you for my new shoes.

I mean, so if I'm going to tell you about my new shoes, I'm going to tell you about Jesus lifting this veil of shame. I mean, we're excited, right? That's joy.

So she went from being a pitiful outcast woman to an evangelist in about 15 minutes because of what the Lord Jesus did for her. And he'll do the same for you. He wants us all to tell of his great love and his great joy and what he's done for you.

I used to tell the girls this every time we would drive into school at Eagle Mountain Elementary out in Texas. We'd be driving to school and we'd have prayer. And, you know, as they got in the upper elementary, I was kind of annoying to them. That's what mom, that's our job, I think. And I would always say, "Abby, Allie, now just remember, let the love of Jesus shine big in you. You may be the only Jesus people see."

They may not go to church. They may not have a church. So you, and they're like, "We know, mom, we know."

So one day we were busy and I just didn't say the thing I normally say. And Abby goes, "You're not going to say the thing?" I was like, she's listening. I love it.

But it's true. I'm telling you the same thing. You may be the only Jesus people see. They may not have a church like this one. They may have been hurt by religion. So they've shunned Jesus. They've walked away in shame. They didn't feel good enough to come into church. But your testimony, this evangelism that this Samaritan woman had, when you go and share what Jesus did for you, oh, then they want to know more.

That shuts down all that religious stuff. Immediately they're like, they don't really care about the scriptures just yet. But when you tell them they know you and you tell them what Jesus did for you, you've got their interest.

So pray for opportunity. I said this yesterday, this Christmas season, God opens up more doors. People are more receptive to the love of Jesus. So pray for this opportunity for God to let you share your testimony and be an evangelist like the Samaritan woman. He can use her. Hey, he can use us, right?

Okay. Good, good, good.

So what can we learn from the woman at the well? A couple of things. Jesus will meet you wherever you are. There's no place you can hide from him. And there's no place that's too dark or too deep. You may think that. I'm telling you, he'll meet you wherever. Nothing's inconvenient for him. He doesn't sleep. Isn't that crazy? He doesn't sleep or slumber. So if it's 2 in the morning, he's right there with you. You can call on him. He'll meet you wherever you are, any time of day.

You have to take a risk and trust the Lord. The woman at the well didn't trust anyone because men had hurt her. But she learned to trust Jesus because when you encounter him, you can't help but trust him. It changes your heart.

And the third thing is you have to believe that he is who he says he is. He actually said, I mean, The Chosen, I take a little liberty. He goes, "It would be helpful if you'd believe what I say." He says this to her because she's like, not really sure. But it would be helpful if you believe what I say today. It's in the word. He loves you and he is not going to ever forsake you. It says he'll never leave you nor forsake you.

So shame can't separate you from the love of God. So don't let it. So believe who he says you are. We're going to talk a little bit more about that towards the end of this.

So I got to tell you, shame for me has been something that I didn't do like really bad things growing up. I mean, I was. I was this little mouthy, Michelle the mouthy a little bit sometimes. But I grew up in a Christian home, saved from a very young age at church camp. Always if the church door was open and we didn't have a fever, we were in church. That was the rule. And even if we had a fever, sometimes we just had to sit standing in the back so we wouldn't give it to anybody. But we were there. So I grew up under the pew. And I love that. I love that heritage.

So the devil couldn't tempt me on a lot of those things. But when my mama passed away in 2006, she was a believer, the matriarch of our family, my spiritual mama. And my earthly mama. It just about did me in. If you've lost somebody this year, I understand. And grief is so hard. And grief knows no time limit, right? So it was hard for me.

And this is what I was ashamed of. I was mad at God. See, I was a writer for Kenneth Copeland Ministries magazine, The Believer's Voice of Victory. And I wrote about healing testimonies all over the world. I interviewed people all the time where they would just write on their medical report, "miracle." Because there was no other explanation as to why they were healed. I saw, I mean, I didn't just hear, it wasn't hearsay, I met them. You know, they were supposed to die in 30 days, and it was six years later. I love those kinds of testimonies, don't you?

So I knew my God was able, and he is able. But you can't, it says that his ways are higher than our ways. We don't always understand everything until we get to heaven. And I just thought that mom went home too soon. I was just mad about it. And I was embarrassed to tell God I was mad at him, but I think he knew.

And so I just kind of was like, well, I'm not writing anymore for you. I'm not sure this is true. I mean, you didn't heal my mom, so not writing anymore for you. I'll just go back to sports. I'm a really good sports writer. And you know what? I liked it better. I mean, I was really, I got sassy with God. Now, don't act like I'm the only one. Y'all have done this. Getting all holy out there on me.

So I got a little sassy, and I got mad at God. And I just, I lost my joy. I lost, I didn't lose my faith, but I lost a lot. I just kind of was stagnant for a bit. And I didn't even realize that I was angry as I was. But God will reveal it to you. And little by little, I kept going to church. I didn't necessarily like it, but I kept going. And little by little, I let the wall down. I let him in. I talked to him a little bit.

And one day, I realized there was singing in our house. And I thought, did I leave the TV on? And it took me a minute. I was singing. My joy was back. I couldn't believe it. It just, God restored it in me. And I was no longer ashamed because I was no longer angry. The anger had lifted. It didn't happen all at once. I wish I could tell you there was like, you know, heaven's open and angels singing, nothing like that. It took several months for God to deal with me. But he did it in such a gentle way that all of a sudden, I had my song back.

So sometimes, shame can even come where we're just mad at God, and we know that's not right. And we can be ashamed about that. So if you've had some things happen in your life that maybe you didn't plan on, and they weren't even your fault, and you've kind of been ashamed, upset with God, that can even cause shame to injure. But I want you to release that today because the devil wants to keep you captive in that and God wants to free you of it.

The devil is the one that keeps you captive. What is the father? He's the one that gives you freedom. So you need to give that to God today and he'll return your song too. You'll just be walking through the house and all of a sudden you're like, oh my goodness, that's me singing. Not that I have the best voice, but Jesus loves it.

So yeah, so that shame can kind of show up that way. I just want you to know that, that sometimes it can sneak up on you.

So the second thing that we need to do to not walk in shame is to not let others define us. Only let God define you. I think many times people, if you've grown up in a home where maybe the love of God wasn't prevalent and maybe you had parents who said horrible things, they called you stupid or they said that there's no way that you could ever amount to anything. I mean, I have friends who grew up in homes like that. I didn't experience it. I'm grateful for that, but I know that that's not everybody has a happy home.

Or maybe you have a boss that said ugly things to you or an ex-spouse who told you that you were worthless. See, if we meditate on that voice, on those voices and not on who the Lord says we are, we'll start to internalize it and eventually become that. Can't allow it. And that's where that shame can be birthed because we're ashamed of who somebody else says we are, even if it's not true and it's not true.

So I think one of my favorite stories to kind of illuminate that point is the story of Rahab, the prostitute. And here's the thing. Anytime, I'm not going to read that whole one, but you can find that. It's in Joshua chapter two. But Rahab, when we mentioned her, we call her Rahab the prostitute. Like that's her last name. It wasn't. It's like, that's, I think that's, I mean, even I did it. Rahab the prostitute. That was, that's, that's how she was defined. It was who she was. It was her occupation.

If you referred to her back then, that's who they, oh, Rahab the prostitute. Yep. She lives over there on top of that. Yeah. That's, that's who she was. It wasn't just, it was her title. It's who she was. It's who she became. But God didn't let that stop him. You know that she's even in Jesus's family tree. And if you look in that, the faith chapter, the hall of faith, she's one of only two women mentioned in there.

From prostitute to being in the faith chapter of one of only two women. If I were, you know, I'm a writer. If I were writing for the Israelite Tribune, I would have said from harlot to heroine. Because that's the Bible. That's it. That's her life in about four words, isn't it? Yeah, that would have been a good headline. I like to write headlines.

So she was, Jesus, God knew her heart. He knew who she was and that she would make right choices. Even though nobody, if you would have polled everybody in Jericho or in any part of the land and said, who do you think we should use to hide the spies? I don't think anybody would go, you know what, Rahab the prostitute. That's, that's the good one. I choose her. No one's going to, no one's going to nominate her.

Yet she's the one that God chose. And because she, God chose her, she chose God. And so her entire future was changed. The course of her legacy was changed. I just love that she's one of the only two women mentioned in the faith chapter. That just, that just, that tickled me all the way to my toes. I just thought that was so awesome.

God always puts an exclamation point on it when he's making a point. Not just did it change her future, not just that she got to be in the family line of Jesus, but I'm also going to mention her in the big faith chapter because that's what it took for her to hide those spies and stand for God.

See, God created Rahab. He knew, even though she lived in kind of a heathen city and she herself was a woman of ill repute, that harlot, the harlot, the prostitute, that's what they called her. He knew he could rely on her because he knew her heart.

And see, no matter what you've done or what people define you, what people called you, and some of it might be true. Maybe you've done some things. And so you're like, well, they're not lying. That's, that really is who I am. That's what I've done. That's not who you are. That may have been what you did, but that's not who you are.

Your sin doesn't define you. But the blood of Jesus, that defines you. You go from sinner to what? Child of God. Right here, daughter of God. That's me. Royalty? Oh, yeah, me too. I got a crown. You can't see it, but it's up there. That's what happens.

So the blood of Jesus defines you, not your sin. And once you give it to him, don't take it back. In fact, I think it's so funny that we are all the time reminding God of all of our bad things that we've done. And he's like, I don't even, he's there in the sea of forgiveness, it says. He doesn't remember them. So don't bring them back up. Just thank God that he delivered you and that you are no longer defined by what you've done.

It can also work the other way, that you're like, you've been really good, you know. I've actually done some really good things in my life. That doesn't define you either. In fact, when I started working for the ministry out in Texas, I was a writer. They hired me. We moved from Indiana to Texas. And they hired me to be a features writer, which I was really, that was kind of my forte. I won all my awards in feature writing.

So when I got there, the gal that hired me is reading through all of my awards. You know, one way or the other, and I thought, this is going so well. I'll probably get the corner office. Just thinking I am all that and more. And she looks up at me and she goes, "That don't mean squat here."

Yep, that'll put you in your place real good. I thought I better unpack that box yet because I'm not sure I'm staying. But she wouldn't let me know, look. That doesn't define you here. The heart of Jesus is what defines you here. Are you going to be a servant here? Yes, ma'am, I am. That's what defines you. And that's what defines you with God. And that's what puts you in good standing with him.

Your past doesn't define you. What else can we learn from Rahab? What people think about you or say about you doesn't define you. You got to define yourself based on how God defines you.

You know, when I was, I was, I'd been writing maybe 15 years or so. And I was at this thing called ICRS, which is, it's also been called the Christian Booksellers Association. It's had all these initials, CBA, ICRS. Anyway, it's this big convention that they have different places throughout the United States twice a year. And all the authors go and they sign books. And you get to meet with, like, lots of famous people. It's really cool. Like, I was in a book signing next to Kirk Cameron. Remember Kirk Cameron? And I was like, oh, my line's as big as Kirk Cameron's. I got a little pride thing. I know God's working on it.

But I was like, it's a really cool thing because there's all these amazing authors. You get to meet them. And so I was signing my book, Memories of the Manger. It's a little Christmas book. I think it's still in print. It was one of my earlier books.

And so what happens is people get in line and everybody wants a free children's book because you've got, you know, grandkids and nieces and nephews and kids of your own. And who doesn't want to bring them home something? Because when I would come home from a trip, the first thing Abby and Allie would ask me is, "What did you get me?" Right? Bad training. I would always train them that way.

So I'm thinking I'm helping these people with a free children's book. So they got in line. I'd sign it to whoever. The whole time I was doing this, I could see this woman kind of standing, like, over towards that direction. And she never got in line to get a book. And I thought, huh, that's very strange.

So I made a mental note when I finished and the line had died down. I would walk over and ask her if she wanted a book because I didn't want to send her home without a book. And she'd been there, like, probably 35, 40 minutes.

And so finally my line died down because we ran out of books. And I had saved one back for that lady because I just really thought that's what she was there for. Why else would she be hanging out in the booth? It was a Hashet's booth, a worthy kid's booth.

So I walked over to her and I was eyeballing her and she was eyeballing me, like, you know, like a laser thing. And I said, "Hey, I noticed you didn't get in line. I saved you back a book. I can sign this for you. Is there somebody in particular I should sign it to?"

She said, "I didn't come for a book."

I'm like, is there security here? Because I don't know. She's a little off. And I didn't have these wonderful armor bearers that you have here. I had nobody to escort me anywhere. There was nobody there to help me. So I was a little bit nervous.

And then she put her hands on my face. I was like, ew. Like, like, you know, that, ew, just no. And, and, but I, I mean, I kind of leaned back because I was like, okay, she was also a close talker. The whole thing was weird.

And then she's like, "You need to let God define you and stop defining yourself. Did God tell you you were just a writer?"

I said, "No, no, ma'am."

She said, "Then let God define you." And she walked off.

I mean, just, I don't know if it was an angel. It was an odd angel if it was one, but I'm just saying. And I just stood there with my mouth open going, what is happening right now?

But I got to tell you, that is what changed my life. That's why I'm here today, because I was defining myself as just a writer. I'm not just a writer. I'm also a speaker and a daughter of the Most High King.

So you have to let God define you. And I've got just a few scriptures for you to let God define you. This is what God says about you. He says, you're a child of the Most High God, John 1:12. He says, you're a friend of Jesus, John 15. He says, you're a fellow heir with Christ, Romans 8:17. He says, you are a new creature, 2 Corinthians 5:17. And he says, you are the righteousness of God, 2 Corinthians 5:21. He says, you're his workmanship, Ephesians 2:10. That's my favorite. And he says, you are chosen, royal, and his special possession, 1 Peter 2:9.

That's the message. Those are the definitions you need to be focusing on. Not what your dad said. Not what an ex-spouse said. Not what your boss said. What Jesus said. He has the final word in your life. Amen?

Let him define you. No more shame. Only Jesus. Trade in that shame for joy today. In Jesus' name.