Personal Application:

1. How has this truth changed your perspective of yourself?

2. Have you ever struggled because you felt the need to impress/please people? If yes, how did this truth change your mindset?

3. What are the things you need to let go of or give up to really live out the identity you have in Christ?

Prayer:

Pray for thanksgiving to God for the unfailing love He has given all of you.

Pray for everyone to receive the identity we have in Christ not feeling the need to give in to the pressure of becoming someone they are not.

Warm-up:

1. Tell the group of three words that describe you as a person.

2. Who is your life’s greatest influence?

3. What are the things you do on a daily basis to look good and feel better?

Word

Genesis 1:27 (NIV) So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

The magazines have so influenced a lot of us, if not all of us, in many ways. Even now, the way we define beauty is mostly based on what the magazine covers would show. In the area of love, a lot of young people today think that as long as they’re sexy or hunk, it would be easy for them to be liked or loved by someone else. To some, it has even gone to a point where there identity is based on their physical appearance.

It is important to know our own identity because it affects our relationship with others. The way we see ourselves would also determine who or how we love. So that we can effectively love others, it is important to know who we are. And the Bible is very clear about our identity. Here are some truths about our identity.

1. Our identity is determined by our Maker.

So God created mankind in his own image…Genesis 1:27

When we realize that God is our Maker, we begin to understand that it is God himself who can really tell us who we are. The Bible says we were created in his own image. God sent his son Jesus to lead us by example. As our relationship with Jesus grows, we will also be able to follow him more. That’s living out our identity from God.

(Note for the leader: You can also share how reading God’s Word helps you to know who God has made you to be… i.e.: being made for his purposes and standards)

2. Our identity is received, not achieved.

“In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.” Ephesians 1:1

If you do not know that Jesus Christ gave you a better identity, then your identity is something that must be achieved by your beauty, success, grades, and approval among others. If you know and believe that you are a child of God, your identity is not achieved, it is received. You are loved, forgiven, and blessed. No need to impress anyone because as you receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, you don’t have to impress anyone. You have already found favor in the sight of God through the finished work of Christ on the cross.

When we understand our identity in Jesus, we begin to embrace his love for us. That’s also the time that we are able to effectively express that very same love to one another.