MESSAGE TITLE
mugged in the mirror
sermon guide
This week’s message focuses on the images we try to live up to and form our identity around. Instead of clinging to the image of God in us, how easy it is to fall into searching for the next best thing, leaving us unsatisfied and disappointed. Mike takes us through John, Ephesians, Colossians, even Genesis, showing us the perfect identity we already have in Christ. Key point: It starts on the inside.
Have someone read Colossians 3:12. How can we put on like a garment — dress ourselves — in love, every day?
From a young age, our perceptions of body image are formed. How does this impact the way we see our creator? How do we let this image take over the image of God in us?
Have someone read John 10:10. The original hacker (Satan) comes only to steal, kill, and destroy; that is his sole intention. How does knowing this affect our awareness of him and his tactics?
It is hard to see through the lies we believe when they are constantly being reinforced around us. Which lie about yourself do you believe most easily (e.g., “If I could just look like that… girls/guys will want me, employers will hire me, friends will want to be with me…”)?
Have someone read Genesis 3:1-5. Adam and Eve bought into the lie that God was holding out on them. Have you ever felt like that? Satan slyly questions God’s commands, and in doing so convinced Adam and Eve that God’s words weren’t true. Can you relate to them in this way? What kind of lies have you struggled with in your life?
So many of us spend a lifetime trying to become what we don’t realize we already are: accepted. Henri Nouwen said this, “Even though you may not be chosen by the world, you are chosen by God. Every time you listen to his voice, you will discover within yourself a desire to hear that voice longer and more deeply. It is like discovering a well in the desert.” Is it hard to grasp that you are already accepted? How can we let that truth consume us?
What if the words of an insensitive dad, and insecure mom, a teasing brother, or a screwed-up culture were replaced by the loving words from your heavenly father? What if the lies of the thief were replaced by the truth of God?
Mike shared a few “Victorious Secrets,” like “Know what God says,” “See how God sees,” and “Love who God loves.“ Which one of these is the hardest for you to grasp? Why?
Application
What is one thing you discussed today that you want to implement this week with your own self-image and identity?
Are you allowing yourself to be mugged by the mirror? What steps do you need to take to put on, dress yourself in love, and step into who God says you are?
warm up and prayer
Break into groups of two to three, and pray that God would guide you to realize, embrace, and embody the internal beauty and identity that he has already given you.