John 20:19 // On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”
- Identity: the truest thing about you.
- The early & often factor.
- Identity determines behavior.
Ephesians 2:1-3 // As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.
Ephesians 2:4-5 // But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
Ephesians 2:8-10 // For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
- Pressure to perform.
- Fear of failure.
- Constant comparison.
- Wrecked relationships.
- Fatigue and frustration.
In Christ, you are:
- Chosen.
- Adopted.
- Redeemed.
- Marked.
- Purchased.
