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PRESS ON: Taking Hold of Our Identity in Christ
Culture would have us believe that our identity as women is directly tied to the ‘hats’ we wear: wife, mother, daughter, friend; the list goes on and on. On the cross, Jesus Christ established our true identity: a child of God. In Philippians 3:12, Paul writes, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Over the course of the weekend, you are invited to start a journey away from the identities the world would have us cling to toward the “...prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Ph. 3:14)
Session 1: “Mommy, where is my swimming crown?” Author Annie Jones once wrote, “A woman wears many hats in her lifetime - why shouldn’t one of them be a crown?” To begin our weekend, we are going to look at the ‘hats’ we wear, and why we buy the lie that culture’s hats are more important than our Savior’s crown.
Session 2: “Forgetting what is behind...” (Phil. 3:13a) In the classic movie, “Steel Magnolias,” Truvy Jones (played by the legendary Dolly Parton) muses, “If you can achieve puberty, you can achieve a past.” The enemy would have us define ourselves by our past, wearing our failures and mistakes as part of our identity. As followers of Jesus, we are forgiven, righteous, and redeemed. In this session, we will lean in to these warring identities.
Session 3: “...Straining toward what is ahead...” (Phil. 3:13b) Paul’s choice of words in this verse paint a vivid picture of life on this planet. Forgetting what lies behind us does not come naturally. Leaving behind all the identities we have held on to for so long can be scary. Who am I, if I’m not ____, or _____, or _____? Focusing our eyes on Jesus and who He says we are is often a struggle, but we do not struggle alone.
Session 4: “I press on to the goal to win the prize...” (Phil. 3:14a) What does it look like to ‘press on’? How can we develop rhythms in our daily lives that reinforce our true identity as children of God? What would it mean to head home with our crown firmly perched on our heads?