The original English meaning of “identity” back in the 16th century was the quality of being the same. Same as what? Identical to who? Your identity is never formed in a vacuum or in isolated independence. Your identity will always resemble a source. When we ask, “Who am I?”, we’re really asking, “Whose image do I bear?”

Most of us spend much of our lives trying to figure out our identity. We all have an innate longing to know ourselves. Unfortunately, we are incapable of answering that question within ourselves. But we try. We declare that our identity is our job, our friends, our family, our hobbies, a sport, a musical instrument, the arts, the things in this life that we are excited about, or the things in this life that have most consumed us or damaged us… We take all kinds of personality profiles, hoping that they will help us understand who we truly are. Our identity can only be discovered by going back to the One who made us because we were made to be like Him.

On Sunday, we’re going to break into Lab Groups to discuss the message Identity: Who Are You. If you haven’t watched the message or you’d like to watch it again, click on the image above or HERE. Please make sure everyone in your household watches the message so that they can fully participate in groups. We’re going to have a powerful time together as we pull off our mislabels and embrace our true identity. If you’d like a copy of the the identity scriptures that I handed out during the message, please let me know and I’ll email it to you. As you’re meditating on the message and preparing for next Sunday, July 25th, here are our Lab Group questions:

• Briefly share a time that God removed a mislabel from your life.
• Share one scripture that has been important for you in developing your true identity.
• Come with a scripture and a true label that you can speak over someone in your group.

Today, my prayer is that Jesus will show you just one false label in your life, and that you’ll let Him take that label and cast it back into the void that was your life before you embraced Him. Throw your old labels in the tomb where you left your old life. And my prayer is that if you feel lost, that you’ll have a revelation today of a loving God that is longing to pull you to Himself, embrace you, set you on a new path (the right path), and begin to restore your true identity from a wonderful place of intimacy.

Let’s grow together!
Matt

Matt Neese
Wellspring.Live

DAILY WORD FOR JULY 21, 2021

Athaliah was the mother of King Ahaziah of Judah. Her son only ruled one year and then was killed while visiting the King of Israel. When she found out that Ahaziah had been killed, Athaliah saw an opportunity for a power-grab and she immediately ordered all of Ahaziah’s sons (her own grandsons) to be murdered. Only one infant (Joash) survived because a daughter of Athaliah snatched him up and hid him in the temple. Joash remained hidden in the house of God for six years, where the priests raised him and taught him as one of their own.

Queen Athaliah of Judah was the daughter of Queen Jezebel in Israel, and they operated in the same power-hungry wicked spirit. They were partners in murder and manipulation and masters of politics and coercion. Both managed to maintain control of their husbands, then their sons, and the kingdoms of Judah and Israel; and both were aggressive enemies of the Lord God, His prophets and His priests.

It appeared that God had abandoned Judah and that evil had risen to supreme power in the land. That is — it appeared that way to everyone except the priests who were caring for the one remaining heir. Joash’s name means “Yahweh is strong”. The strength of God had not disappeared but was hidden in the house of God for six years. It was growing and building and being cultivated in the house of God until the seventh year. Six is the number of man while seven is the number of completion and rest. God allowed His power to be hidden in His house until the time of man had come to completion, and then His power was revealed in a tremendous way, overcoming completely the wicked ruler. God is sovereign and He cannot and will not be outsmarted. When it seems like the wicked are rising, their days are limited. The seventh day will always rise over the sixth, and the strength of God will again be revealed.

• 7/21 Job 15, Psalm 52, II Chronicles 22, Acts 21:15-40
• 7/22 Job 16, Psalm 53, II Chronicles 23, Acts 22
• 7/23 Job 17, Psalm 54, II Chronicles 24, Acts 23:1-11
• 7/24 Job 18, Psalm 55, II Chronicles 25, Acts 23:12-35
• 7/25 Job 19, Psalm 56, II Chronicles 26, Acts 24
• 7/26 Job 20, Psalm 57, II Chronicles 27, Acts 25
• 7/27 Job 21, Psalm 58, II Chronicles 28, Acts 26
• 7/28 Job 22, Psalm 59, II Chronicles 29, Acts 27:1-25

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