Latest / Voices Of Life / Who God Says You Are: Identity, Worth, and Calling

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Who God Says You Are: Identity, Worth, and Calling · Voices Of Life

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Welcome to the Voices of Life, the official podcast
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of the Church for Life. I'm Pastor David, and
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I'm honored to walk with you as we begin a brand
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new 12 -week journey called Living with Purpose,
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A God -Centered Life. Over the next three months,
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we'll explore identity, spirituality, rhythms
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of relationships, your calling, courage. and
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legacy all through the lens of god's heart for
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you today in week one we begin with the foundation
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of everything who god says you are before we
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talk about purpose before we talk about habits
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and before we talk about relationships or calling
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we must first understand identity because if
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you don't know who you are you won't know how
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to live. If you don't know your worth, you won't
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know what to receive. And if you don't know your
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calling, you won't know where to walk. So wherever
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you're listening from, your home, your car, your
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office, or in a quiet walk, I invite you to slow
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down, breathe deeply, and let God speak over
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you. I'm grateful to be your guide today as we
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begin this journey together. We live in a world
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where identity is constantly shifting. Every
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day, people are told who they should be, how
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they should look, what they should achieve, and
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what they should value. Social media amplifies
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comparison. Culture elevates performance. Past
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experiences whisper labels that cling to the
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soul. Many people walk through life wearing names
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that were never meant for them. Not enough, too
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much, unwanted, unseen, failure, broken, or maybe
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forgotten. Identity is often shaped long before
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we realize it. A comment from a parent. A moment
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of embarrassment in school. A relationship that
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left a scar. A failure that felt final. A success
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that became a burden to maintain. These moments
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accumulate. They formulate a story we begin to
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believe ourselves. Even if that story isn't true.
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we still sometimes feel that that's what we were
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meant to do or meant to be. But God defines you
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by truth, not by trends. Identity is not something
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you achieve. It's something you receive. It is
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not built on your performance, but on God's declaration.
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And yet, So many of us spend years, even decades,
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trying to earn what God has already freely given.
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Take a moment to consider how identity has been
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shaped in your own life. Think about the voices
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that influenced you in your beginnings. Your
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parents, your teachers, your friends, your enemies.
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Culture, trauma, your successes, and of course
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your failures. Think about the moments that marked
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you. The words that stuck to you. The expectations
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that weighed on you. Now breathe. Slow your pace.
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Let your heart settle. You are stepping into
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a space. where god wants you to speak truth over
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you truth that has the power to reshape your
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entire life soft ambience sometimes leaves us
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in a very good tranquil mood and if we think
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about it and think back to the bible Scripture
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reveals a powerful picture of you and who you
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truly are. These truths are not motivational
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and just statements to make you feel good or
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make you feel bad. They could be positive affirmations.
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They are declarations from the creator of the
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universe. You are God's beloved, not tolerated,
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not barely accepted, but deeply loved. God's
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love for you is not fragile. It does not fluctuate
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with your behavior. It is steady and unwavering.
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It's rooted in his character, not your performance.
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You were chosen intentionally, selected by God.
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Not an afterthought. Before you were born, God
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saw you, knew you, and desired you. You are not
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here by accident. You are not a mistake. You
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are wanted. You are forgiven. No longer defined
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by your past or your mistakes. Shame loses its
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power when forgiveness takes its place. God does
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not hold your failures over your head. He removes
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them as far as the east is from the west. You
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are made new, transformed from inside out. God
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is not interested in polishing your old life.
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He is committed to giving you a new one. You
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are God's workmanship, crafted with purpose and
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intention. You are not random. You are not ordinary.
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You are a masterpiece in progress, shaped by
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the hands of a loving creator. You are adopted
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into God's family, welcomed, embraced, and given
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a place to belong. You're not spiritually homeless.
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You have a Father who delights in you. And you
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are called, not randomly placed on this earth,
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but intentionally sent with a purpose. Your life
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has a meaning. Your presence does matter. Your
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stories carry weight. Let these truths settle
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into your spirit. Let them change the lies you've
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believed. Let them become the foundation of your
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identity. Worth is one of the most fiercely contested
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areas of the human heart. Every person, no matter
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their background, age, or story, wrestles with
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the question, am I enough? It's a question that
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hides beneath our achievements, our insecurities,
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our relationships, and even our failures. It
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is a question that shapes how we show up in the
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world or how we hide from it. Many people struggle
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with comparison, constantly measuring themselves
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against others. Comparison is a thief. It steals
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your joy, your peace, and your confidence. It
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whispers, you're behind. You're not as good.
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You don't measure up. the more we shrink. Others
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carry the weight of criticism. Words spoken over
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them that wounded them deeply. Maybe it was a
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parent who said you'd never amount to anything.
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Maybe it was a teacher who dismissed your potential.
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Maybe it was a friend who betrayed you. Or a
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partner who made you feel small. Words can shape
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us. and sometimes the most painful ones echo
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for years. Still, others battle condemnation,
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feeling unworthy of love or acceptance. They
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replay their mistakes, their regrets, their failures,
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believing their worst moment defines their entire
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identity. Condemnation is a heavy chain, and
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many walk through life dragging it behind them.
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But God speaks a better word over your life.
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His voice cuts through comparison, criticisms,
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and condemnations. His voice says, you are mine.
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You are loved. You are valued. You are worth
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more than you know. And when God speaks worth
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over you, no human voice can override it. Take
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a moment to breathe. Let your shoulders relax.
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Let your heart soften. You are stepping into
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a space where God wants you to restore your sense
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of worth. Your worth is not determined by your
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performance, your productivity, your perfection,
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or lack thereof, or your popularity. It is not
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based on what you accomplish. or how you meet
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expectations it is not tied to your job title
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it is not tied to your income to your appearance
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or your social status it is not defined by your
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past your failures or your weaknesses your worth
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is determined by the one who created you and
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redeemed you think about that for a moment the
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god who formed galaxies who shaped mountains,
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who carved out the oceans, who breathed stars
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into existence. That same God formed you with
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intention and love. He crafted your personality,
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your gifts, your passions, your quirks, your
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strengths. He designed you with a purpose. And
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then, When sin separated you from him, he paid
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the highest price imaginable to bring you back.
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You are worth the blood of Christ, the highest
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value ever assigned to anything in history. Nothing
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you do can increase that worth. Nothing you do
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can decrease that worth. It is fixed. It is eternal.
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and it is unshakable. You don't earn it. You
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don't lose it. You simply receive it. Imagine
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if you lived from that truth. Imagine waking
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up each morning knowing you are deeply valued.
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Imagine walking into every room with the quiet
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confidence of someone who knows they are loved
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by god and imagine no longer apologizing for
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your existence but embracing the truth of your
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identity your worth is not fragile it is not
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negotiable it is not up for debate it is anchored
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in the heart of god Many of us carry wounds that
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distort our sense of worth. Childhood wounds,
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relational wounds, spiritual wounds, internal
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wounds. These wounds shape how we see ourselves,
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how we interact with others, and how we relate
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to God. Childhood wounds often come from moments
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when we felt unseen, unheard, and unprotected.
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Maybe you grew up in a home where love was conditional.
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Maybe you were compared to siblings. Maybe you
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were pressured to perform. Maybe you were told
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you weren't enough or made to feel like too much.
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Relational wounds come from betrayal, rejection,
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abandonment, and most often, heartbreak. These
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can make us question our value, our desirability,
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our significance. They can make us afraid to
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trust, to love, to be vulnerable. Spiritual wounds
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come from experiences where faith was used as
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a weapon instead of a refuge. Maybe you were
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shamed instead of shepherded. Maybe you were
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judged. instead of welcomed. Maybe you were taught
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that God's love had to be earned. Internal wounds
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come from the stories we tell ourselves. Stories
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shaped by fear, insecurity, or past pain. These
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stories can become prisons if we don't get or
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let God rewrite them. Today, bring those wounds
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before God. You don't have to hide them. You
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don't have to pretend they don't hurt. God is
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not intimidated by your pain. He is not disappointed
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by your struggle. He is a healer, and He wants
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to restore the parts of you that have been diminished
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by pain. Imagine placing your wounds in God's
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hands. Imagine Him holding them gently, compassionately.
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Imagine Him speaking truth into the places. where
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lies once lived. Take a slow breath. Let your
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heart open. Lord, I bring you places where I've
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believed I wasn't enough. I bring you the moments
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that wounded me. I bring you the lies that shaped
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me. And I ask you to speak truth over me. Imagine
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God's love washing over every place of insecurity,
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fear, or shame. Imagine his presence settling
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over you like a warm blanket. Let his love fill
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the places you felt empty. Let his peace quiet
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the places where you felt anxious. Let his truth
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replace the lies with that have shaped your story.
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You are loved. You are valued. You are held.
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You are worth more than you know. When you understand
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your worth, you begin to live differently. You
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begin to protect your soul. You begin to rest
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without guilt. You begin to prioritize what truly
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matters. calling is one of the most misunderstood
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parts of christian life many people think calling
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is a job title a ministry role or specific assignment
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others think calling is something only pastors
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and missionaries do or spiritual people have
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but calling is not a position it is not an expression
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of identity it flows from you And when God calls
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you, he doesn't start with your skills. He doesn't
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look at your resume. He doesn't even look at
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your accomplishments. He starts with your identity.
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He starts with who he created you to be. Before
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God called Moses to lead, he called him by name.
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Before God called David to be king, he called
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him a man after his own heart. Before God called
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Mary to carry Jesus, he called her favored. Before
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Jesus, his disciples, to follow him, he called
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them chosen. Calling always begins with identity.
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When you know who you are, you begin to understand
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why you're here. When you know you are loved,
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you begin to love others. When you know you are
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forgiven, you begin to extend grace. When you
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know you are chosen, you begin to walk with confidence.
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You begin to see your gifts as tools for his
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glory. Calling is not something you chase. It
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is something you live from. Take a moment to
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breathe that in. You don't have to strive for
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calling. You don't have to force it. You don't
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have to fear missing it. Calling unfolds naturally.
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when identity is rooted in god calling unfolds
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in three beautiful layers each one building on
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the other first there's your universal calling
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and it's the same calling every believer shares
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to love god love people this is the foundation
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of calling everything else flow flows from this
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if you never knew your specific assignment this
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calling alone would give your life meaning loving
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god with your whole heart and loving people with
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compassion humility and grace this is the greatest
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calling you will ever walk in your seasonal calling
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is what god is asking you to do in this particular
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moment of your life seasons change and so do
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assignments there are seasons of learning there
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are seasons of serving seasons of healing seasons
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of rest seasons of stretching seasons of stepping
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out in faith. Sometimes your seasonal calling
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is loud and obvious. Other times it's quiet and
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subtle. But God always leading you to something
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even that something is simply to be still and
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trust him. Ask yourself, what season am I in
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right now? What is God emphasizing? What is he
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drawing my attention to? Your personal calling
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is the unique combination of gifts, passions,
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experiences, and burdens. God has placed within
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you. It is the thing that makes your heart come
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alive. It is the thing that breaks your heart
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in a way that reflects God's heart. It is the
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thing that energizes you. Even when it's hard,
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it is the thing that feels like this is what
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I was made for. Your personal calling is not
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limited to a career. It could show up in your
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family, your friendships, your church, your community,
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your creativity, leadership, your compassion,
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your influence. It is the unique way God expresses
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his heart. through your life. When these three
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layers, universal, seasonal, and personal come
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together, they form a beautiful picture of purpose.
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Even when your calling is clear, many things
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can hinder us from walking in it. Fear whispers
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you're not ready. Insecurity whispers you're
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not enough. Compassion whispers, you're not like
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them. Busyness whispers, you don't have time.
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Past failures whisper, you've already messed
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up. And lack of clarity whispers, you don't know
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what to do. These barriers are real, but they
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are not final. God equips you to overcome them
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as you walk with him. Calling is not about perfection.
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It is about obedience. It is about taking the
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next step. Even when you don't see the whole
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path, it is about trusting that God will meet
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you in the journey. Find a quiet posture. Let
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your breathing slow. Let your heart open and
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ask God, what have you placed in my hands? Let
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images, memories, or ideas rise gently. Ask,
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what breaks my heart in the way that reflects
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your heart? Pay attention to the burdens that
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feel holy. Ask, what brings me joy, the kind
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of joy that feels like purpose? And notice things
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that energize your spirit. Ask, where are you
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leading me this year? Let God speak direction,
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even if it's just one small step. Let the moment
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breathe. Let God speak. As we enter into our
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final part of this session, our journey today,
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I want to bring everything together. I want to
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take the identity, the worth, and the calling.
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These three truths. They're not meant to just
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be heard once and forgotten. So many times we
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read something, we say, oh yeah, this is important,
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and then a few moments later it's gone. These
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are meant to be lived and revisited and woven
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into the rhythm of your everyday life. Identity
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tells you who you are. Worth tells you how God
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sees you. And calling tells... you why you're
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here you have to integrate these into your everyday
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life right away these are three truths that form
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a foundation strong enough to carry you through
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every season of life the joyful ones the painful
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ones confusing ones and the transformative ones
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identity anchors you when the world tries to
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rename you Worth steadies you when insecurity
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tries to diminish you. Calling guides your uncertainty
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that tries to paralyze you. When these truths
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work together, something powerful happens. You
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begin to live with clarity. You begin to live
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with confidence. You begin to live with purpose.
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Not striving, not performing, not pretending,
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but living fully, freely, and faithfully as a
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person. The person God created you to be. Take
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a slow breath. Let these truths settle into your
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spirit. Let them become part of you. As we look
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ahead to the rest of the 12 -week journey, I
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want to speak to you, your heart, as your pastor,
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your guide, and your companion in this process.
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You're not behind. You're not late. You're not
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disqualified. You're not forgotten. You're not
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overlooked. And you're not too broken. And you
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haven't gone too far this time. You are exactly
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where God can meet you. God does not rush transformation.
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He cultivates it, nourishes it, helps it grow
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slowly, intentionally, but beautifully. Over
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the next 11 weeks, God is going to deepen things
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in you. He's going to strengthen things. He's
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going to awaken things. He's going to heal things.
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He's going to call things out for you. And he's
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going to help you find things that you didn't
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even know about yourself. But they were there
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all along. This journey is not about perfection.
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It's not about presence. God's presence is with
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you. and your presence with him. So as we prepare
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to close today, I want you to know this. You
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are stepping into a year of purpose, a year of
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clarity, a year of growth, a year of becoming,
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a year of walking with God in a deeper, more
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intentional way. And it all begins with knowing
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who you are. Let's take a moment to settle our
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hearts as we close in prayer. Heavenly Father,
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we come before you with gratitude for the sacred
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time we've shared today. Thank you for the way
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your presence has met us, so gently, yet powerfully
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and personal. Thank you for speaking truth into
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places where lies once lived. Thank you for reminding
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us who we are in you. Beloved, chosen, forgiven,
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made anew, called, and held. Lord, for every
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listener who has carried the weight of false
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identities, I ask that you lift those burdens
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now. Let every name that didn't come from you
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fall away. Let every label spoken in pain lose
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its power. Let every lie that has shaped their
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story be replaced with your truth. Speak identity
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into the deepest parts of their hearts, identity
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that cannot be shaken by circumstance, criticism,
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or compassion. For those who have struggled to
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believe they are worthy, wrap them in your love.
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Let your love settle into the places where insecurity
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once lived. Let your love heal the wounds that
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distorted their sense of value. Let your love
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restore what was broken, revive what was weary,
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and renew what was lost. For those longing for
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clarity in their calling, whisper direction.
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Illuminate the next step. Give them courage to
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trust you, even when the path is not fully visible.
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Remind them that calling is not a destination,
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but a journey. A journey you walk with them,
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step by step, moment by moment. God, anchor these
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truths deep within us. Let them shape how we
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think, how we speak, how we live, and how we
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love. Let identity become our foundation. Let
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worth become our confidence. Let calling become
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our expression of worship. And as we prepare
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for week two, stir a hunger within us for spiritual
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rhythms. rhythms that root us, steady us, and
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draw us closer to your heart. Teach us to pray
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with honesty, to rest with trust, to listen with
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stillness, and to open your word with expectation.
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We give you this year. We give you our hearts.
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We give you our lives. Do in us what only you
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can do. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for spending
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this time with us today on Voices of Life. I'm
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Pastor David, and it has been an honor to walk
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with you through this first step of our 12 -week
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journey. Today was deep. It was personal. It
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was foundational. And if something in your heart
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feels stirred, a question, a longing, A sense
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of awakening. I want you to know that's not accidental.
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That is God beginning a work with you that he
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fully intends to complete. As you move through
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your week, I encourage you to revisit the truths
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we explored today. Speak them over yourself.
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Write them somewhere. You'll see them each and
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every day. Pray them out. Let them become the
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foundation you stand on. Identity is not something
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you hear once. It is something you return to
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again and again until it becomes the lens through
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which you see your life. Next week we step into
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something incredibly important. Establishing
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spiritual rhythms for the year. We talk about
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prayer, scripture, the Sabbath, and silence.
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The practices that keep our soul steady when
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life gets loud. Before you go, consider sharing
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this episode with someone who needs a reminder
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of their worth. You never know how one invitation
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can change a life. Whether you're part of the
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Church for Life family or just joining us. from
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anywhere in the world, I want you to know this.
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You're not alone. You are part of a community
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learning to live with a purpose, hope, and courage.
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And I'm honored to walk this journey with you.
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Until next time, keep listening for God's voice,
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keep walking his truth, and keep living the life
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he created for you. I'll see you next Sunday.
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God bless.