Monday, June 6, 2011

Who Does God Say that I Am?


FIRST QUARTER ~ Who Am I

Lesson 3 – Who Does God Say That I Am?



Scripture: 1You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely… 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:1-4, 14

I KNOW YOU!

Denise could not shake the dream she had a few days ago. She wondered why it had upset her so much. Denise decided to talk to her mother about her dream. That’s what she did as soon as she arrived home from school. She told her mother the dream. Her mother sat quietly listening. When Denise finished telling her about the dream, her mother nodded her head and sat quietly for a few moments.

When she spoke she asked, “Denise, why do you think this dream bothers you so much?”

I don’t know mom, but it does,” Denise answered.

Denise’s mother smiled. “I think you do know, deep down. You have been hanging out with kids that have you acting in a way that is not who you are suppose to be. You have gotten so worried about being liked, that you’re starting not liking yourself.”

Her mother continued, “I think the dream was trying to tell you something. You are letting people put labels on you that God does not intend for you to be. You didn’t like the labels in the dream did you?

No,” Denise said as she shook her head.

Well, Denise. You are trying to be someone that God didn’t make. He knows you and He knows this isn’t the person he wants you to be. You have to decide if you are going to keep trying to please these friends who really don’t know who you were meant to be, or are you going to be the person God knows. What are you going to do?

Denise thought about what her mother said. Yes, she needed to make a decision. She needed the person that knew her, to help her make the right one.


~Examine the Word~

The psalmist, David is writing about how much God knows him. He says that God knows his heart and everything about him. God knows his thoughts, when he’s coming and going. God not only knows everything about David, but He is the one that created him. David says that he was made fearfully and wonderfully by God. In other words, God took time to make David unique and not like anyone else. No two people are completely the same, even Identical twins! David said he would praise God for making him. We should do the same.



~Discovering the Truth~

 Since God is the one that knows us, then we should go back to him to find out what we should be doing and who we should be. So when we ask the question of who does God say that we are, this is His answer:

Romans 5:8 - “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”.



Ø  God loves me regardless of how I feel about myself or how I perform.

Ø  My identity is changed from what I was to what I am and what I am becoming.

Ø  God’s love is unconditional.

The truth is that God loves us right now, even if we are not doing everything right! He desires, however, to help us be who he has called for us to be and that is a child of God, his child by redemption (being saved). We are His by creation, because he created us. However, if we want to be with him in heaven we must be saved.

We answered the three questions:

1.     Who do you say that you are?

2.    Who do people say that you are?

3.    Who does God say that you are?

What are some answers that could be given for these questions?
What did we say was the one response that we should always go by?

Yes, we always want to know ourselves through what God says. This will help us as we move to the second quarter and talk about salvation. What is it and why do we need it?

Please remember that when people want to talk about you because you don’t go along with their mean or wicked plans, or use the language they use, or do the things they do, make the following statement in your mind, your heart, and out loud if necessary.

~Additional Scripture~

 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. – Philippians 4:8

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. – Jeremiah 29:11

Prayer: Lord, you are the one that made me and you know everything about me, my thoughts, my emotions, everything. Help me to look to you for the answers in life. I want to know what you want me to do with my life Amen.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

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