“Where does your identity come from?” Emily asked her classmates.
Emily, currently a fourth-year student in the 4.12 Leadership Training Program, accepted the opportunity to speak in front of her high school for a Thursday morning chapel. She had chosen to speak on identity in Christ and challenged her classmates to inwardly evaluate where they were currently placing their identity.
One of the key elements of the 4.12 Leadership Training Program is to help students develop a biblical worldview. This takes place through mentoring and training during the years students participate. Therefore, it was very exciting to find out Emily would soon be teaching about identity from a biblical worldview.
In response to her question, several of her classmates shared that often they were tempted to put their identity in grades, school, extra-curricular activities, friendships, relationships, etc. After asking this question, Emily shared the following three statements to her classmates “I am Accepted…I am Secure…I am Significant.” Each of these statements were then followed by supporting statements from Scripture. She read through a handful of them and explained how God and His Word should be the root of their identity.
Emily encouraged her classmates that the statements shared were true of each of them. She reminded them that they were accepted, secure, and significant because of Christ. She closed by reminding them of God’s unconditional love and that their worth is not found in the things of this world. I met with Emily a week later one-on-one and affirmed her teaching. She shared that the Lord had laid the topic on her heart and was thankful for how he spoke through her. I asked her if she would be willing to teach the same topic to her fellow students in the program later this summer which she agreed to do.
This summer at Joy El, a Christian Retreat Center in PA, the summer theme is “Called to Royalty” and the focus is on reminding children that they are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. We pray that they would see the worth and significance as God’s children and would place their identity in Him. As a student in the 4.12 Program, Emily will be serving several weeks this summer with both staff and campers. Pray that this would open more doors for her to share this message. I am grateful for how God is using and teaching this next generation to share His truth with so many!
