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Welcome to the Daily Blade. The word of God is described as the sword of the spirit, the primary spiritual weapon in the Christian's armor against the forces of evil. Your hosts are Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson, and they stand ready to equip men for the fight. Let's sharpen up.

Three Ways People Build Identity

God Defines You With Purpose

Scriptures That Anchor Identity

Stop Apologizing For Who You Are

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What's up, guys? David Pollock here. Excited to wrap up day five this week. Um, regularly scheduled with programming, coming back to you with Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson. But uh wanted to talk this last day about identity and the ways to define identity. A lot of people will define identity from the outside in. What do other people say about me? Am I pleasing them? Are they happy with me? This is not the way that you want to build your identity because this is gonna be extremely volatile, extremely up and down, like riding a roller coaster. Why? Because sometimes people like you, sometimes people don't. Some people don't like happy people, some people don't like sad people, some people don't like rich people, some people don't like poor people. And then there are some people that just don't like people. And you guys know who I'm talking about. They just don't. So it's really hard to try to get folks to like you and consistently agree with you. It's just not, it's just not gonna happen consistently. So it's a bad way to define identity. The second way is inside out. What do I say about me? Then I will argue that's just as volatile, right? Because we got those voices on the inside that are always telling us we're not good enough. Um, sometimes you walk by the mirror and you're like, man, I really like what I see. And then other times you walk by the mirror and you're like, man, I hate what I see. So that's extremely up and down. That's extremely, you know, very much like riding the roller coaster. So the last way and the only way to really define identity is what does God say about me? Who does God say I am? And I think, man, this can be so freeing and this can be so life-changing. If you start to realize that I'm a saint that sins, right? Like if you start to realize that I am literally an heir with Christ, that that God, I am his masterpiece and created with purpose, right? Like that God chose me. I'm holy in love, like that I'm a child of God. And so these are ways that we can change the script and and realize that like God has a plan for us, a purpose for us, and it can be so much greater than anything the world will tell us, and a lot of times anything that we will tell ourselves. So, a couple of scriptures, man, to really hammer this home. Romans 8:17. Now, if we are children, then we are heirs, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. You're an heir with Christ, your future is secure in him. That has to feel good. Understanding that. How about Ephesians 2.10? For we are God's handy work, created in Christ Jesus to do good with purpose. The good works are already lined up. We serve a God that is for us, not against us. And so that is huge to continue to remind ourselves. How about Colossians 3:12? Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, you are holy, you are dearly loved. That is so different than what other people can tell you. And lastly, 1 John 3:1. See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are. You are a child of God. That's not a feeling, that's a fact. God made you on purpose for your purpose, for the only mission you could fulfill. Your hair color is the hair color because you were designated with that hair color. Your attitude, your mindset, who you are. When you look at the mirror and you don't like what you see, are you really gonna tell God he made a mistake? He made you on purpose for his vision, for what he needed you to do, to bring glory to him. So never ever apologize for who you are. Never apologize for what God made you to be. If we were all the same, this place would be so lame. And if we were all like me, we'd be bouncing off the wall all over the place, and everybody would be annoyed like crazy. So I think next time you want to complain about something that um you don't like about yourself, just remind yourself like I'm a saint that sins. I'm chosen, I'm loved, I'm adopted. The creator of the universe has made me for a great, great purpose.

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