Who Am I?: A devotional journey for you to soar in your identity in Christ

By Sharon Simmonds and Steve Brown

“Who does God say you are?” and, “How do your personal identity statements impact your view of him, the way you think about yourself, and your choices about how to live your life?” Who Am I? is a resource, in devotional format, that will assist you as a leader to map out these key questions and expose any internal lies you believe on this topic about yourself, and then it will help you rediscover the powerful truth of who you are in Christ. This devotional explores 22 key identity-in-Christ statements through a process of 1] interaction with Scripture, 2] the use of application questions, and 3] space for your own personal reflections using a journal/sketch format. This resource can be used personally, collectively, or as a discipleship tool that prepares and positions the heart of any Christian to fully experience God, interact with His Spirit, and be more fully alive in Jesus.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Castle Quay Books
• Release date: Oct 15, 2016
• ISBN: 9781927355718

Sharon Simmonds

Dr. Sharon Simmonds (Author) Sharon is committed to activities that encourage, strengthen, and develop Christian leaders and leadership groups. She serves as a leadership partner with the Arrow Leadership Program, and resource project manager with the Arrow Leadership team. Sharon’s leadership experience includes 15 years as a founder and board chair of a charitable organization, and roles in ministry development and discipleship with a church staff team. Her education includes a bachelor of arts in social development studies and certificate in social work from the University of Waterloo, the Arrow Leadership Program, master of arts in evangelism and leadership from Wheaton College, and a doctor of ministry in leadership from Tyndale Seminary.

Book preview

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Who Am I? A Devotional Journey For You To Soar In Your Identity In Christ

Copyright ©2016 Arrow Leadership

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All rights reserved

Printed in Canada

International Standard Book Number 978-1-927355-70-1 soft cover

ISBN 978-1-927355-71-8 EPUB

Published by:

Castle Quay Books

Tel: [phone]

E-mail: [e-mail]

www.castlequaybooks.com

Dr. Sharon Simmonds, Foreword by Dr. Steve Brown

Cover design and inside layout by Burst Impressions

Printed at Essence Printing, Belleville, Ontario

All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form without prior written permission of the publishers.

Bible quotations marked ESV are taken from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV® Text Edition: 2011. Bible quotations marked NIV are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Bible quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Simmonds, Sharon Jean, author

Who am I? : a devotional journey for you to soar in your

identity in Christ / Sharon Jean Simmonds.

ISBN 978-1-927355-70-1 (paperback)

1. Self-consciousness (Awareness)--Religious aspects--

Christianity. 2. Christian leadership--Biblical teaching.

I. Title.

BV4011.3.S558 2016 253’.2 C2016-904876-4

CQBNEWESTblackandwhite.tif

Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Wonderfully Made

Created to Do Good Works

Loved

Chosen

Rescued

A Child of God

Forgiven

A New Creation

Free from Condemnation

A Saint

Righteous and Holy

Able to Approach God with Boldness, Freedom and Confidence

Complete in Christ

A Temple Where God Lives

A Member of Christ’s Body

A Joint Heir with Christ

A Citizen of Heaven

An Alien and Stranger to This World

An Enemy of the Devil

A Minister of Reconciliation

Salt and Light

No Longer Living for Myself, but Living by God’s Strength for Him

Closing Thoughts

About Arrow Leadership

About the Author

Foreword

Who are you?

During the Arrow Leadership program, we ask Christian leaders to answer this seemingly simple question in three uninterrupted minutes. Most start with their name and then quickly add their professional title. Then things get interesting. There’s still usually two minutes and fifty seconds left on the clock.

At this point some leaders get stuck. They stumble over what to share because their title and role has become all-consuming. What they do has become the core of who they are. Their business card has become their identity.

This is problematic and even dangerous on a number of levels. For starters, what happens to their identity when their role changes? What happens when they compare themselves to others who are more gifted, have superior profiles or achieve greater success? What happens when they are criticized or face opposition?

Who are you? is an incredibly important question—not only for leaders but for every person. We live, relate and serve out of our identity. Our answer to this question is central to how we see ourselves, how we view others and how we engage the world. It gives a window into the core of who we are, what we deeply value and where we invest our greatest energy.

So how do we answer such an important question? For Christ-followers, the truest thing about us is what God says about us. In God’s unchanging truth, we discover that our core identity isn’t rooted in fragile and temporary circumstances, comparisons with others, competing internal aspirations, overwhelming external voices, or preferences that won’t stand the test of time. Instead, our core identity is anchored in Christ.

The heart of Who Am I? seeks to help you live, relate and serve from the unshakeable foundation of God’s truth about your identity. With rich, challenging and biblically grounded devotionals that invite you to reflect, engage and pray, Dr. Sharon Simmonds has created a wonderfully practical resource to help you anchor your identity in Christ.

I heartily encourage you to embark on this incredibly important journey of discovering your core identity. Here you will discover that God firmly establishes your real worth, great value and true uniqueness. It’s only here, in God’s truth, that you can discover an unshakeable confidence, enduring peace, true freedom, clear purpose and prevailing hope.

So, take your time, invite a friend and soak in the amazing reality of your true identity.

—Dr. Steve A. Brown

President, Arrow Leadership

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Dr. Steve A. Brown serves with Arrow Leadership as president and oversees Arrow Leadership in North America. Steve is author of Great Questions for Leading Well