Way #17: SHOW WHO YOU REALLY ARE

 
SHOW WHO YOU REALLY ARE. Our church is for “real” people. Bring your true self, including your joys, your sorrows, your fears, your strengths and your weaknesses. God loves you as you are. Don’t hide your struggles, failures or problems.
 
a When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. (Romans 5:6)
 
b For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3: 16)
 
c Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. (Psalm 55:22)
 
Ideas for Action: This week, sit down with or talk to another member by phone and share one area of struggle, failure or a fear you have.

 

Daily Devotionals

 
MONDAY:
Romans 5:6
THINK: Christianity is not moralistic teaching to train yourself into who you should be. It is a place where a mighty God breaks into your life when you were utterly helpless. Show Who You Really Are; someone who has been rescued by the power and might of God.
PRAY: God would show you the places you are relying on your own effort and not His power.
TUESDAY:
Romans 7:15
THINK: Sometimes this feels like the quintessential statement of the Christian journey. “I do what I do not want to do.” Sometimes you even plan for what is good and right and find yourself back in the same place of sin anyway. When you Show Who You Really Are, you remind yourself and others that it truly is a journey. No, one goes from 0 to righteous overnight, but we try to move in the right direction.
PRAY: the Spirit would empower your movement towards God.
WEDNESDAY:
1 Sam. 2:12
THINK: Nothing breaks your expectations of control and perfection like kids. Eli, the chief priest of Israel, didn’t live up to the ideal of the perfect family. Yet well short of wickedness, we often become embarrassed of our family’s messiness as if that makes us bad Christians. Don’t “bring your Sunday best,” instead Show Who You Really Are.
PRAY: God would help us find a movement towards righteousness in authenticity.
THURSDAY:
Matthew 23:25
THINK: Jesus loved everyone, but sometimes in his interactions with the pharisees, it’s hard to see it. In aiming to look good, they neglect actually trying to be good. Why go through the hard, heart work of rooting out wickedness when you can just hide it away. When you Show Who You Really Are you might look worse, but you will be getting better.
PRAY: the Spirit would give us the grace to be a broken community together.
FRIDAY:
Genesis 3:12
THINK: This is advanced blame shifting. To Adam, it is both God’s and Eve’s fault. When the ultimate goal is looking blameless we work to shift blame to someone else. How blessed we are that our faith doesn’t require blamelessness but repentance. Own your mistakes and your failures and Show Who You Really Are.
PRAY: in repentance for the blame you would rather shift.
SATURDAY:
2 Sam. 13:12-14
THINK: Does that hurt to read? It should. Imagine her yelling the words, “No, my brother.” and he took her anyway. Those words or words like them have been yelled by members of our congregation, maybe even by you. Can you Show Who You Really Are at FPC? Because if you can’t, Tamar certainly can’t.
PRAY: that God would lead us to be an honest safe harbor for women like Tamar

Devotional Guides

SERIES ONE  Printable copy of Way #17 Devotionals (Small Group Guide)
 
SERIES TWO Printable copy of Way #17 Devotionals (Series Two)