Who are you when all the labels are stripped away?
So many of us build our identity around performance, success, failure, relationships, or the opinions of other people. We spend years trying to prove ourselves, protect ourselves, or redefine ourselves. But what if identity was never meant to be something you achieve? What if it was always meant to be received?
In this week’s message from our Christ in You series, Eileen Cramer explores what it means to find your identity in the God who fully sees you, fully knows you, and still calls you His. Looking at the stories of Hagar, Gideon, and Jacob, this message reveals how God consistently speaks identity into people who felt overlooked, insecure, disqualified, or uncertain.
As the series continues to unpack the mystery of Christ in you, this message focuses on the stability that comes from receiving identity from God instead of chasing it through circumstances, approval, or accomplishment. Watch the full message and take some time to reflect on where your identity has been shaped most deeply.
If you missed the live service or want to reflect further, you can watch the full message above anytime after. We’ve also included discussion questions to dig deeper into the message and a handout with fill-ins to guide your reflection. You can find the handout by clicking the “Download” button above. Whether you watch this on your own or share it with your small group, we hope this message encourages you.
Discussion Questions
- When someone asks “Who are you?”, what are the first things you usually think about – your role, personality, accomplishments, struggles, or something else?
- Why do you think so many people build their identity around what they do instead of who they are?
- Hagar felt overlooked and abandoned, yet God saw her in the wilderness. Why is being seen by God such an important part of identity?
- Gideon saw himself as weak and unqualified, but God called him a mighty warrior before anything changed in his circumstances. Why do we struggle to believe what God says about us?
- Jacob spent much of his life striving, pretending, and wrestling with identity. Have you ever felt pressure to prove yourself or earn your worth?
- What’s the difference between an identity that is achieved versus one that is received?
- How does knowing that your identity is stable and unchanging in Christ affect the way you handle failure, criticism, or insecurity?
- What are some labels people tend to carry from their past, family, mistakes, or experiences? How can those labels shape the way they live?
- In what ways can union with Christ change the way we think about ourselves day-to-day?
- What would practically change in your life this week if you truly believed you were fully known, fully seen, and fully loved by God?
