Be What God Made You

Who Are You?

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How you feel about yourself matters.
– A negative self view sets you on a course of a loss
of identity and looking for approval from others as
you take on their persona.
– A positive self view sets you on a course of
recognizing your uniqueness and feeling God's
approval from being who He made you.

Eric Liddell: I believe God made me for a purpose, but he

also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.
Chariots of Fire - 1981
 A God of Uniqueness
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God is not stamping out a bunch of people who
all look the same.
– Creation of mankind (Genesis 5:1,2)
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Made in God's Image
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Male and Female, He created them
– Lively Stones (1Peter 2:5-9)
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As living stones, you are being built up into a spiritual
house.
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Why have you made me this way (Romans 9:19)
– Paul write, who are we to argue “God, why have you
made me this way? The potter has the right to form
the clay however it pleases him!
Making Ourselves in Our Image
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We want to re-create our self
– Confusion over your uniqueness (Isaiah 29:14-16)
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The wisdom of their wise will perish
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The discernment of their discerning will be hidden
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Doom to those who hide their plan deep, away from the
Lord, whose deeds are in the dark
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Who say, “Who sees us? Who knows us?” You have
everything backward!
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Should the potter be thought of as clay?
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Should what is made say of its maker, “He didn't make
me”?
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Should what is shaped say of the one who shaped it, “He
doesn't understand”?
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 Our Human Image Crisis
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Our society is suffering from a image crisis
– Whole industries are dedicated to changing our
image.
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Plastic surgery will make you look younger;
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“Weight Watchers” will make you look skinny;
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“Men's Hair Club” will restore your manly mane;
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Body tattoos will make you “cool”
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Boho clothing style will make you rad.
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All of these trends result in the opposite effect
as you try to reinvent yourself.
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Plastic surgery makes you look “older”; Weight loss
makes you look anemic; a hairpiece makes you scarey...
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 Become What God Made You
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Though made in the image of God, God made
man and woman different.
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Differences of hair color, hair texture, or even
no hair is all part of God's diverse creation.
– Aged and Youth, part of God's diverse creation.
– Blue eyes, brown eyes, green eyes, hazel... part of
God's creation.
– Tall, short, skinny, or hefty, all part of God's diverse
creation.
– Critical thinker/philosopher or practical
thinker/realist, all part of God's diverse creation.
 Biblical Trend Breakers
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Noah – Went against the worldly trend & honored God Ge 6
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Abraham – Went against the worldly trend & honored God He 11
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Moses – Went against the worldly trend & honored God He 11
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Gideon – Went against the worldly trend & honored God
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Elisha – Went against the worldly trend & honored God
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Elijah – Went against the worldly trend & honored God
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The Disciples – Went against the worldly trend & honored God
– Though trend breakers, we see their struggles. For example:
Simon Peter denying Christ and the disciples returning to fishing.
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Paul – Went against the worldly trend & honored God Ga 1:11-24
 Discovering Who You Are
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Accept Yourself – Acknowledge that God got the
plan right. Every genetic trait is right, even the
imperfect ones. Your hair, eye color, physical
capabilities, even mental capabilities... it is all
RIGHT! (Ps 130:13-17)
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Use What You Got – Whether an Olympian or
Handicapped, use what you got. (Ps 150)
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Stop Comparing Yourself- It is unwise to measure
yourself against others or compare yourself to
others. (2Co 10:12)
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See Your Value – You are God's child & a joint-heir
with Jesus. (Ro 8:15-17,19)
 Being A Trend Breaker
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Trend – a general direction in which something is
developing or changing. (a tendency)
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Trend Breaker – going against worldly ideas,
thoughts, values, and tendencies to embrace Godly
ideas.
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Consider God's Thoughts- Don't lean toward your
own understanding, in everything you do
acknowledge God, and he will direct your paths.
(Prov 3:6)
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Stand for Right – Social Justice is not riots in the
street, nor demands upon governments; but loving
your neighbor as you would yourself. (Mr 12:31)
 Biblical Examples
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The Bible is full of men and women who
rejected the pressure of doing what everyone
else was doing and caught a vision of who
God made them to be.
Gideon