There is just one you!

In all the world over and in all of history, Jesus Christ made only one you. There is none other exactly like you. You have special physical attributes, personality, strengths, limitations, preferences, talents, abilities, and spiritual gifts. There is only one you. You are unique, designed and created especially by Jesus Christ for His good pleasure. Revelation 4:¹¹ Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Jesus Christ never makes junk.

Everyone can see your behavior the result of choices you make.

Your inner-self is completely hidden from others and to some degree from you as well.

In this study we will examine the components of your inner-self and how those components control your choices, decision making and behavior. Examining the components of the inner-self helps to identify the influence the inner-self has over choices, decisions and behavior. Understanding the influence of the inner-self on choices, decisions and behavior gives you the choice of whether or not to overrule that influence. Reflection helps you to understand your inner-self and what is going on beneath the surface.

The purpose of this study is:

1) to enable you to understand yourself;

2) to enable you to take control of your inner-self;

3) to enable you to make the choices that will lead to your success;

4) to enable you to make wise choices that exhibit the behavior Jesus Christ desires from you.

Because learning changes who we are and our aspirations, learning is an experience of identity. As you grow and develop, you learn about the identity others assign to you.

Society’s definition of you can be wrong

Society’s definition of you can be learned mistakenly

Some people do not learn well and adopt dysfunctional beliefs about themselves

Personal filters are formed by experiences. Together, experiences and personal filters derived from those experiences influence how you make sense of new experiences.

Beliefs

These habits of thought guide behavior. Inaccurate beliefs about self will cause you to act in a manner that makes sense to you but may not produce your desired outcome.

What are beliefs?

• habits of thinking
• developed in attempt to make sense of reality as you see it
• acquired through direct and indirect learning experiences;
• interpreted subjectively

Irrational beliefs can prevent making choices that satisfy. If you have not reflected on your beliefs, you may be unable to articulate your personal definition of who you believe you are.

What do you believe about who you are?

How did you come to believe that?

Is that belief correct?

Why is it important to you that you believe that?

What do you believe are your strengths?

How did you come to believe that?

Is that belief correct?

Why is it important to you that you believe that?

What do you believe are your limitations?

How did you come to believe that?

Is that belief correct?

Why is it important to you that you believe that?

Should Jesus ask “Do you believe?”.  How will you answer?

You and I live in a fallen creation. Sin and death have entered the world. No one can see God face-to-face as Adam and Eve did.  When you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, His enemy becomes your enemy. Your enemy wants to steal your inheritance, destroy your testimony and take many others down with you. Your enemy’s weapon of choice is lies, often lies about Who Jesus Christ is and often lies about who you are in Jesus.

But Jesus came to earth that you and I might have abundant life and He always gives you the victory.

John 10:¹⁰ The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

¹¹ I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

1 Corinthians 15:⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Why is it sometimes hard for you and me to believe Jesus Christ?

1-Your ways are not Jesus Christ’s ways-Isaiah 55:⁸ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

⁹ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

¹⁰ For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

¹¹ So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

2- Your sin nature struggles for control over your new nature – Romans 7:¹⁷ Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

¹⁸ For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

¹⁹ For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

²⁰ Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

²¹ I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

²² For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

²³ But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

²⁴ O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

²⁵ I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

So when your circumstances are hard and confusing, how will you answer Jesus’ question about your will to believe Him?

A father of a son with a problem provided an answer that pleased Jesus Christ. In this account, Jesus and 3 of His disciples have just experienced His transfiguration according to Mark 9:¹⁴And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.

¹⁵ And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.

¹⁶ And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?

¹⁷ And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;

¹⁸ And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.

¹⁹ He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.

²⁰ And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

²¹ And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.

²² And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

²³ Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

²⁴ And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

²⁵ When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.

²⁶ And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.

²⁷ But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.

Questions for Reflection

1) What emotions do you see in the father’s words and actions?

2) Do you have similar emotions about your situation?

3) What about the father’s answer pleased Jesus Christ do you think?

4) Do you see evidence of faith in the father?

5) Why do you think the father asked for help about his believing?

6) What do you suppose James means in James 1: ⁵ If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

⁶ But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

⁷ For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

⁸ A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Our focus – Hebrews 12:¹ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God

Our challenge – Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you with an everlasting, unconditional love; has uniquely designed and created only one you; has a good plan for your life; runs with you; and will        accomplish His purposes for you and through you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run being yoked to Emmanuel!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with your focus on His mission: to conform you to the image of Jesus Christ!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run to obtain an incorruptible crown!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when together you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti