Identity Theft | What’s Your Sign | Pastor Scott Thomas

Welcome to Free Life Chapel, where we

help you discover and live the free life

in Christ. My name is Cotti, and I'm so

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about what's happening at your church.

There's an amazing message in store just

for you. I hope you're encouraged. Have

you ever had anybody ask you, "What's

your sign?"

You ever been asked that before? Yeah.

And and and anybody like me, you weren't

sure what to answer

them like, "Well, I don't know. I'm just

born on this date." And people who are

into like all of that, like, "Oh, you're

a Libra. I know what you a Cancer. You a

Capricorn. You a Pisces. Smack you in

the mouth. You come." No, no, that's

that's your that's that's like that's

like your on on on this zodiac. I mean,

there's a lot of folks that they they

are into and they know and they they got

that part down and that that's that's

all good. Uh I I I would just say this

in the in the context of astrology and

the zodiac sign uh you we we we those

things are laid out for us to look at.

It's it's very interesting. The the

stars, the universe, uh all that is

created there is definitely impressive.

It's majestic. There's something about

looking up. You ever been looking up at

night and you just saw all that and go,

"What a god. What a God. Yes, sir. I

mean, sincerely, when you look out there

and realize that there are universes

that we have not even touched, we don't

know anything about those those

constellations, those planets, all that.

I I told you a little while back, I got

this app on my phone that I can pull it

up and point it to the sky, and it

starts to show me the different

constellations. Oh, there's Leo. There's

Cap like, and it kind of shows all this.

And and and the way the zodiac works is

there's 12, it's actually called houses.

12 houses of stars that are around the

earth. And supposedly based on when you

were born, you are identified by that

constellation because it's a certain

time of the year. And based on that,

they now try to tell you that this is

what your mood is going to be today

because of

that and this is what's going to happen

tomorrow because of that and here's what

your future looks like because of that.

And they they a lot of those things, you

know, personality traits. Have you ever

heard some of, "Well, I'm I'm I'm sorry.

I I'm I I just I'm hot-headed. I'm

quick-tempered. I'm just mad because

that's my sign."

Like we we want to blame a lot. And we

actually lean into and lock a lot in on

that. But zodiac signs, fortune cookies,

horoscopes, all of those things, all

those things, we need to be careful with

them. I understand that this the the the

the the universe is majestic. In fact,

the Bible tells us in Psalm 19 and in

Romans chapter 1 that creation, the

Romans 1 · chapter mention

universe are proof of God's reality and

his power, but they are not God. They're

just the work of God, but they are not

God. So, don't worship creation. look

beyond the stars and realize there's a

creator who exists, who oversees it all.

And that's what we lean into. And so, in

other words, your sign is not based on

the stars, but on the one who created

them, who named them, and who stuck them

in their sockets and says, "Stay there

until I let you go." That's that's the

one we lean to. In fact, the book of

Deuteronomy chapter 18 actually tells

Deuteronomy 18 · chapter mention

us, "Do not get into stargazing. Don't

start worshiping what's out there.

Worship the only one and true

God. So what is it then? Where where do

we find this identity? This is where it

comes from. People searching for

something to link their life to. Who am

I? What's the meaning of my life? Where

am I going? What does all of this

sucking air and paying taxes matter?

Well, how how do I figure this out?

People have always been on a search

trying to find where that thing hits.

Why am I here? Romans chapter 6 verse 4

Romans 6:4

puts it this way. When we were

baptized, we died and were buried with

Christ. We were baptized so that we

would live a new life. Read this. As

Christ was raised to life by the glory

of God the Father. After the third

service today, we're going to celebrate

baptism as people who have given their

life to Christ and they're going public

with their faith and and there's going

to be people that are going to be

completely dry who are going to go under

the water and they're going to get up

wet. So So what's all of that about?

What they're declaring is their old life

is gone and their new identity is

alive. We have over a hundred registered

for baptism today. If you want to come

back and join us for the third service,

pack a lunch. It's going to be great.

It's going to be great. But but but

people who are getting baptized are

literally saying, "My old identity is

gone. My new identity in Christ is here.

The old is done. The new is here." As as

as a believer, please hear me. Jesus is

your new

identity. A a as a Christ follower. uh

you now have a different relevance to

your life than what you ever understood

as a Christ follower. There's meaning,

there's joy, there's a value, there's a

hope, there's an

anchor connected to your faith and your

walk with Christ. And ladies and

gentlemen, let me just tell you this. I

am firmly 100% I believe this after more

than three decades of full-time ministry

studying my Bible. The biggest issue,

the biggest challenge we have in our

lives as Christ followers is actually

buying into the identity of Jesus.

As long as you struggle with who he is,

then you'll never know who you are. And

you will struggle the rest of your life

thinking this Christianity thing doesn't

work for me because I don't understand

the identity, the buy in who he is and

now how I can live because of that.

Bible tells us that Jesus was before he

went into ministry, he was tempted 40

days and 40 nights. Like he ain't eating

anything. There's no food going on. And

in the middle of this temptation, the

enemy comes up and approaches him,

Satan. And he begins to tempt him. The

first thing he tempts him with is was

his was his hunger. He said, 'Yo, Jesus,

you see all these stones? Turn them to

bread. How many believe if he turned it

to bread, it probably would have been

like Kuraba's bread with some oil and

some seasoning beside it like like it

have been that kind of bread. Yeah.

Little dipping thing. Yeah, I know. It

turn turn this to to to to bread. And

and and the second the second

temptation, he comes back again and he

tempts Christ. And and in in both of the

first two temptations, Jesus looks back

at him and says, I I'm sorry. When when

when when Satan was tempting him, here's

how he opened the temptations. If you

are really the son of

God, watch. If you really know your

identity, he was questioning the

identity of Jesus. He was he was pushing

back and trying to cause question as to

Jesus. Do are you really who you say you

are? Are you sure you are who you are?

Creating that that conflict that that

bite. And then in the third temptation,

he tells Jesus, listen, bow down and

worship me and I will give you, in other

words, not just give you stuff, I will

give you

identity. I will give you purpose. I

will be the one who will fashion and

form and give you future. This is what

the enemy was doing with Jesus. And and

and in all of these in all of these

attacks that Jesus went through, the

only response he had in all three

attacks was he looked back at the enemy

and he said, "It is written." In other

words, he started quoting the Bible.

Don't miss this. Don't miss this. When

Jesus's identity was in question, he

went back to the Bible to defend his

identity. He started speaking the word.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the

greatest weapon, the greatest tool you

will ever have in your life. And you and

I need to commit oursel to a lifetime of

discovering what God's opinion is about

your life. You need to see it through

his eyes. Not through your eyes, not

through your mama's eyes. Not through

cultures eyes. through his eyes because

culture and people and you you will

condemn yourself. You will beat yourself

up. You will damn yourself to hell. But

Jesus keeps showing up with a grace and

a truth and a mercy that keeps elevating

and lifting us back up. We've got to buy

in to what he said. But listen to me.

Here's the key. If the enemy would

attack Jesus's identity, I bet you know

he's going to attack yours as well. That

part. That part. Yeah. You know why?

Because in like the third temptation,

then bow down and worship me. Why does

he want to alter your identity? He wants

your

worship. He wants you to focus on him.

He wants you to let his words become the

greatest in your life. Jesus fought back

with the word and we have to do as well.

See, here's the deal. If you and I are

not careful, pain will define you for

the rest of your life.

You'll be bitter. You'll be angry.

You'll be a victim and you will so

relate and identify with what happened

with you at 10 that you'll be 50 and

you're still living like you're 10.

You've only matured your excuses and

matured your weapons in order to keep

fighting because it's become your

identity. Pain will identify you.

Failure can identify you. You can so

relate and identify with failure that

you stop trying again in the future. I'm

so afraid and I so insulate. I'm so

protecting. I'm never taking a step

again. I'm not trying. You lost your

try. And ladies and gentlemen, the worst

thing you will ever lose in your life is

not a diamond, not a coin, not a house,

not a job. If you lose your try, you've

lost everything.

And the enemy is coming after this.

People and culture will try to define

you. Family will try to define you.

Yeah. Yeah. No, no, no. Let's let's go

here, man. culture. Culture is in a

battle for identity right now. Culture

is scrging for identity. In fact, Gen Z

right now, there's some amazing

statistics. In fact, if you're wondering

who Gen Z is, Gen Z is at the ages 13 to

28. That's who Gen Z is. Gen Z right

now, here's what the stats are coming

out telling us that there are they have

the highest levels of comparison,

depression, and anxiety because of

what's happening in social media right

now. They are trying to live up to a

standard that has been filtered. It's

had 17 pictures taken and they chose one

out of 17. They they altered, they they

fixed, they aied everything to make it

look and sound great. And now we've got

a culture trying to compete with

something that doesn't even exist.

And they're feeling beat down and

they're feeling less and they're feeling

I don't add up and I'm not worth it and

I'm not worthy. No wonder depression and

anxiety is building because they feel

like they can't keep up with where

culture is going. They're already

failures at 10, 11, 12, 13. There's no

way to get my head above it all. I'm

behind the entire world right now. This

is what's going on in the fight for

identity. This is a real issue because

our kids want to be accepted. Our kids

want to have value. They want to belong.

They want to know that there's meaning

to life. But if that's what it is and I

can't compete, then why even try?

We're all searching for that authentic

self. That watch that image of who am I?

What do I bring to the world? And so

then we lock and load on things like

education. I'll put more initials after

my more letters after my name. We'll

lock in on a career. And that's who I

am. I am the career. And it all works

fine until the company goes belly up and

now you didn't just lose the career, you

lost you.

You see, we we we throw ourselves into

relationships. Maybe you never done this

before, but so there's some that have so

buried themselves in who they're with

that when that doesn't work out, all of

a sudden they are lost. They're gone.

They're a victim because that was their

identity. Uh seeking approval of others.

I I am who I am because of the charity

that I give. I am who I am because of

the money that I have. I am who I am

because of power, because of of sex,

because of possessions, because of my

ethnicity. I I'm so locked in the middle

of my culture. I'm so proud about that

that everything else is gone. No, we are

a we're in a mess. Social media

followers, we're trying to create

identity in all of these things. And

ladies and gentlemen, whatever it is

that you allow to label you will own you

and limit you for the rest of your life.

We've been duped. We drank the Kool-Aid.

And we're going after all kinds of

things, trying to make our mark, make

sure I'm remembered. Who am I? What do I

bring to the table? And ladies and

gentlemen, all of these things are

gutting us. They're not fulfilling us.

Because any identity outside of a

relationship with Jesus Christ will

always lead you to wrong places.

You were not made to identify with

anything or anybody else, only with him.

I'm not saying that we don't enjoy our

careers. I'm not saying that we don't

enjoy education. Of course we do. And we

pursue those things. Celebrate.

Celebrate your ethnicity and your

background and your last name and where

you came from and what people did. Yet

those things are celebration and

praiseworthy. They're just not I'm not

going to have a lid built on my life.

That that is the apex of who I am.

Absolutely not. Because here's the deal.

You don't have time to go in the wrong

direction.

How sad would it be to raise your head

and realize you've been 12 years running

in the wrong

direction because it's happening

everywhere. And whenever we buy into

that kind of mindset, it creates things

where we become mislabeled and we're

misled in life. And no one has time for

that. Ecclesiastes 2:1 says this, by the

Ecclesiastes 2:1

way, written by the wisest man who ever

lived. So just add that to the verse.

All right. I thought about all that I

had done and how hard I had worked doing

it. Read this. And I realized that it

didn't mean a thing. It was like chasing

the wind of no use at

all. The richest man, the wisest man

running in the wrong direction. It

realizes I have been wrong all this

time. You don't need to live a life that

way.

It's tragic to build a life on something

that is unable to actually provide what

you expected it to give. It came up

empty. There's no lasting success.

There's no satisfaction. This is why we

are looking, applauding, and throwing

awards at people that we think are at

the apex of life and their lives are

completely falling apart. I celebrate

none of that. But it just goes to show

when you get the awards and you hit the

apex of that world, if that's your

identity, it will never be strong enough

to hold you. It will drop you and care

less. That means there must be something

greater to build our life on than just a

career and pursuing an award or what my

last name becomes. There's got to be

something

greater. In the Hebrew language, there's

something really interesting. There is

no verb for the words to have. There's

no verb for it to say that you have

something. It it doesn't exist. Now, now

understand this. Maybe just kind of put

it this way. Uh it it there is there is

something that says basically there is

to me, but it never gives me the chance

to take full possession of something

that doesn't exist. The concept is

there. I have children. The concept is

there. But to me, there are children.

It's not the word of defining

definitively possessing and owning

something. And why do I bring this up?

Because this Hebrew language was what

God initiated life and his word comes

straight out of this. And so the fact

that that nuance is missing actually

speaks to us and gives us a message

behind how you and I are created and why

we are here. Because when it say when we

understand that I never fully actually

possess anything. The message is this.

Everything you have is temporary and it

will leave you.

You possess nothing. Don't believe me?

Have you been to a funeral recently?

They don't rent U-Hauls.

You take nothing with you. When you're

gone, your kids get all that stuff or

the government gets all that stuff if

you didn't set it up right. I mean, like

everyone all that your that that

favorite that favorite hat you got, your

grandkids are going to get that hat.

That purse, that money, that house, that

that it's going to go away. But it's

amazing how people build and work for

decades to build a name and how it is

forgotten within a decade.

Those things, ladies and gentlemen, you

don't own them. You don't possess them.

They don't belong to you. Everything in

your life, we are gripping stuff that

doesn't exist. And we're fighting for

things that you will never control. It

is on the way out of your hand. The

Bible is laying out a principle here

that you and I have got to make sure

that that that we're not fighting for

something that we'll never own, that we

can never have in life. It it ownership,

in other words, is an illusion. So when

you and I are going after things to

create our identity, what you're putting

your hands on is fleeting. You're

grabbing shadows and trying to put them

in your pocket, there is only one thing

that you and I can own in life, and that

is Jesus. 1 Corinthians chapter 6 19

1 Corinthians 6 · chapter mention

says this. You don't belong to yourself.

Isn't that interesting? You don't even

own you.

Not only do you not own everything you

and I are grabbing for homes and money

and degrees and fame and recognition and

all well all that stuff it done. It's

not there. You can't control it. You

can't own it. But the Bible says you

don't even belong to yourself.

life. It's not your

own. That means this, the problems and

the burdens in your life don't belong to

you

either. So why is it that you're

stressed and losing your mind over

problems because you think you own

them and you're trying to own what can't

be owned. And when you're trying to grab

something that you can't put your hands

on, it creates a conflict here. and

worry and anxiety are running through us

trying to control what can't be

controlled. Are y'all hearing me today?

We are living in this illusion of

thinking that we can put it all together

for ourselves. And that is the plot, the

ploy, the the the disillusionment of the

enemy to keep you grabbing at stuff,

keep you occupied, trying to become

something when none of that has anything

to do with why you're here, why you were

created, what God's plan is for your

life. It's all temporary except for one

thing,

Jesus. The only thing you can possess is

actually Jesus. In fact, let me just put

it this way. You have to let go of

everything you can't possess to take

hold of everything he is. Because as

long as I'm trying to get my hands on

stuff, my hands are too full of nothing

to get a hold of him who is everything.

Right? And I've got to make sure that I

begin to look at myself and go, "Scott,

you're wasting your time. This is not

how life is to be lived." Solomon told

us, "It's a waste of time. It's going to

produce nothing in life. Culture is

trying to identify me. I'm trying to

identify myself. I'm in a scramble for

trying to find meaning. Maybe I should

look back to the one who made me, who

decided all of this from the beginning.

Come back to the originator and say,

"Would you please tell me why I'm here

and what is this all about?" Acts

Acts 17 · chapter mention

chapter 17 says this, "In him we live

and move and have our being. I'm fully

alive when I'm in his hands. I'm fully

alive when I'm focused on Jesus. I'm

fully alive and my abilities, my talents

are able to do exponential things." But

all of those things don't define me. He

defines me. And because I'm defined by

him, I can do this without any

reservation. And I live with a joint a

hope that's different because it's not

about who I am. It's about who he is. So

how do I possess my true identity? How

how do I find my true sign? What's my

sign? Matthew 10:39 tells us this. Read

Matthew 10:39

it with me. Those who try to gain their

own life will lose it. But those who

lose their life for my sake will gain

it. Well,

shoot. That means I got to lose it to

get it. And after I lose it all, I get

it all. Well, that doesn't really sound

appealing to me. Yeah. Because we're

still full of oursel. You're still

grabbing shadows. You're still grabbing

what culture has told you is going to

make you something, is going to give you

something. It's making big promises and

it's coming up empty, y'all. It's going

to come up, keep coming up empty. The

marriage is not going to be enough. The

money is not going to be enough. The

career is not going to be enough. That

third home that you just bought, it's

not going to be enough. The next

vacation, it's not going to be enough.

It's all going to run. It's all going to

leak. It's all going to seep out of your

life. And you're going to keep grabbing

until you realize, "I'm done playing the

game. Jesus, I need you in my life. I'm

giving you all of me. Tell me who I

am. He's the only one. That makes sense.

See, God decided from the beginning and

then revealed to us through Jesus who we

are. He put his image on you according

to Genesis chapter 1. You fearfully and

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

wonderfully made. That means you are bad

to the bone. Would you turn to someone

tell them shock and all, that's who I

am. Shock and all. That's who he made

me. That yes. fearfully and wonderfully

made. You've got an inherent value and

worth. You don't need someone on social

media to qualify or approve your life.

Jesus already has. I'm good. I'm good.

I'm good in the neighborhood. Hey, like

it's all good. I'm in his image. Number

two, he's equipped you and me with

spiritual giftings. Oh, you got it going

on. Yes, you do. And it's it's not

anything you can take credit for. He

pre-wired you with this stuff. You've

got it there so you can live a rich

life. He gave you the power to get

wealth in life. He We live a rich life

and then we serve others with these

giftings. That's why we're here. There's

another one. There's a unique assignment

and purpose on your life. God wrote a

story and put you in it.

The story has your name mentioned.

You're one of the main characters. You

you you got to show up to play your

part.

because he's written into the story.

Your highs, your lows, he's moving you

forward, but he's advancing you in life.

We've got to do it his way. There's a

reason to live. There's a reason to wake

up on a Monday morning and suicide comes

to tell you it's not worth it because

identity is gone. Meaning is gone. I've

lost all hope. Everything is a lie. It

doesn't provide. Why am I here? And

ladies and gentlemen, we need Jesus to

step in and do a work on the inside of

us. Yes, there's emotional things and

there is some challenges we go through

and in and chemical imbalances and we go

to doctors and we get the counselor's

help. That's really important in life.

But we've also got to turn our eyes back

towards Jesus as well and realize he is

the meaning. He's the source. He's the

hope of everything that this life is to

give. There's a mark of ownership he put

on you by Holy Spirit. You've been

sealed Holy Spirit inside. Has anyone

ever felt bad for doing something wrong?

Anybody ever felt bad for doing

something wrong? Now, if the person

beside you did not raise their hand

right now, you got in a situation that

you need to talk to them over lunch. All

right, invite them to lunch. Say, "We

need to talk for a

minute. Do you know why you felt bad for

doing something wrong?" Holy Spirit,

the hound dog from

heaven, he's after

you. He's here to get your attention.

We don't do that. He yanks your chain.

He p Look, Holy Spirit, it's just not

bless me, bless me, bless me. No, it's

correct me, correct me, correct me. He

puts all that together. This is why the

enemy is into identity

theft. Cuz if he can steal your

identity, he will send you down a road

where the bridge is out. Oh, and it's

going to be paid with some fun stuff,

some good stuff. Oh, party.

My followers have gone up a thousand in

the past month. Hey, yeah, the bridge is

out. You keep running. You keep drinking

the Kool-Aid. It's not going to produce

what it's promising. You see, the enemy

is here to strip God's image off your

life. He's here to stop your giftings.

Here, he's here to kill your purpose,

and he's here to make you doubt God's

spirit is even alive in you. The very

things that God came to give us. 2 Peter

chapter 1:4 says this, "God made great

and marvelous promises so his nature."

Ah, his nature, his nature, not mine.

His nature would become part of us. Stop

right there. How many you glad that

Jesus came to change your nature? Like,

I can't use my nature. I was born this

way. It don't wash out in this verse.

Baby, you're going to have to find

another excuse. I don't care what, well,

I'm just I'm just angry. I'm just born

this way. No, you got to take that anger

somewhere else. You can't you can't lay

claim to that. And that's your excuse

for the rest of well my daddy was this

way and Jesus died to change your

nature. So let's work on that right

there. You can't you can't claim I was

born this. No. The Bible says here God

made great and marvelous promises so his

nature would become part of us. Read

this. Then we could escape our evil

desires and the corrupt influences of

this world. When our identity, when our

nature comes from Jesus, watch this. We

begin to live in a daily

victory even over our wrong desires and

the cultural

influences. When I when I begin to

realize who Jesus is in me and I begin

to see what his word says about me, when

I take on his thoughts, let these

thoughts be in you which were also in

Christ Jesus. When I begin to take on

his mind, let this mind be in you. When

I begin to think his thoughts and and

and live according to his ways, all of a

sudden things that used to be my issue

that would hold me down, I start

stepping on top of those issues. I'm

walking different because I'm not

subservient to the issues, I'm now

greater than the issues because my

identity is from one who has conquered

it all. And so I'm living higher. I'm

living stronger. Culture, I love

culture. I love people. I love what's

going on. But I'm not swayed by culture.

Culture doesn't decide my lifestyle.

Culture doesn't change my theology.

Culture doesn't change my family.

Culture I'm solid because one greater

than culture is the one who has defined

my life.

His nature is now my nature. That's the

power of Jesus. That's his work in our

life. And to say that he can't change

it. I begin to live to my nature. We are

now worshiping our nature. My nature is

my identity instead of Christ.

This is the slippery slope we're living

in today. And sad, we're telling people

you can just live any way you want to

and God's okay with it. And it's from

the pit of hell, folks. That's not

Bible. I just gave you a good verse

today. That would be a great tattoo. If

you're looking for another one, this is

why spiritual discipline is important.

Yes, sir. Watch. It's why it's important

you're in church. You know why? Why? Why

it's important today? Because you just

sang songs. What a God. What a God.

You are reminded of his majesty,

of his plan for your life. You're

hearing the word spoken. What are we

doing? We're bringing you back into the

identity, awakening the identity of

Christ inside of you. And until you and

I are showing up, if I'm not praying, if

I'm not spending some time in a

devotional in God's word, all of those

things, giving my my tithe and offering

baptism that's going to happen today,

all of those things are not to put stars

or or put pins on my lapel, but it's to

keep shaping my mind to keep my identity

focused on him. I need all of these

things. Small groups, connect for

serving in church because it keeps

shaping my identity and puts me back on

him. I get Scott off of Scott and I get

Jesus in my heart driving my life. And

that's the safest place, most successful

place, most powerful place, most

peaceful place I will ever live for the

rest of my life. It's been decided ahead

of time.

When Cindy and I came back from Israel,

we went over to, of course, see the

kids. We saw Caleb and Elizabeth also,

but we went over to see Malachi and

Talia. They Caleb, Elizabeth were there,

so we saw them, too. We ordered pizza

and we're over at the house Friday night

and and uh enjoying some time together.

And while Talia's eating, I'm on the

other side of the counter. She's on that

side. And and uh there was there was a

little bag between us. And I start going

Tia. And then I would duck down behind

the bag. And so she picked up really

quickly. Now she wants to play

hideand-seek. So she starts

going and so I would just duck down

behind the counter on the other side.

Tia, she would come climbing down with

pizza all over her face and her hands

and she comes running around the side

and she looked at me and then she would

come running and then she'd give me a

hug and she'd go again again and then

she would go back around. And so we

played again again. My knees are still

sore from the tile. I'm just telling you

right now. It was all that. I I loved it

when Tia found me. But I want you to

understand in the Bible uh that there

there's this there's this place where we

see King Saul is chasing David. It's 21

attempts Saul is making on David's life

trying to kill him. And David is

continually moving. Why was Saul trying

to kill David? Because David had already

been anointed to be the next king. He

had a future that was already God

decided and Saul was trying to kill him.

God. Saul and David were playing hide

and seek in the wilderness. And every

time Saul came this way, God would tell

David, "Keep moving. Go this way." And

so David was always one step ahead of

King Saul. Saul never found David. And

David actually arrived to his point of

destination. But this is why Saul, the

enemy of David, was after him because he

was trying to kill his future. If I can

control him, if I can catch him, if I

can get my hands on him, I will kill

where he's headed. And I want you to

understand the enemy is afraid of your

future. So he brings distractions and

discouragements and tries to derail your

destiny by getting your eyes off of the

mark, off the hope, off the purpose to

what this life is all about to begin

with. And if he can distract you, he

will catch you and kill where God is

trying to take you. But ladies and

gentlemen, as long as your eyes are on

Jesus and I'm listening to what his

spirit is speaking to me about and I'm

connected to his house, nothing is going

to stop where you're headed in life and

you will have everything and then some.

When we surrender to Christ, Holy Spirit

keeps us moving towards our future. And

that means the past can't define you and

it can't kill you. You weren't made to

run from your past for the rest of your

life. You were made to run into your

future. That's why you're here. So now

you can have daily victory over

addiction. Daily victory over fear.

Daily victory over that attitude. Low

self-esteem, guilt, and shame gone. Why?

Because Jesus has already been the one

that defines who I am. He says that

shame died on the cross. I'm not made to

live with shame on my life. But the past

and people always trying to remind me of

where I've been are defining me as

shameful. And if I live down to that

identity, that label controls me. But

when Jesus died, he ripped the label off

and says, "Scott, you're free. I paid

that price. Get the shame off of you

because shame is on me. Take my place

and run, son. This is what he's trying

to do for us. And if we miss it, we will

live feeling defeated as a Christ

follower every day of our life. You I've

got good news for you. You're doing

better than you think you are. You're

winning. Grace is for you. Heaven is on

your side. The promises are yes and amen

according to God's word. You got to

begin to see yourself through his eyes.

Colossians 3:es 2 through3. I'm I'm

finishing. Set your mind on things

above, not on earthly things. For you

died and your life is what?

Hidden in

Christ. It's hidden. It's hidden. That

means when I know who I am in Jesus, the

enemy and culture and life and the past

can reach for me, but it can't find me.

I'm hidden in Christ. That's why I'm

walking on top of things they used to

take me out. And my family is stronger

than the former generation. And I'm not

walking through what they went through.

And I'm I'm not living down to the

standards that they said. I'm living up

to. I'm I'm on the shoulders. I'm

grateful for the price that was paid

behind me, but I'm reaching for more. I

want to dial it up a notch. The best

days are still ahead of me. We begin to

live at this next level, folks. Here's

the

message. Only a surrendered life to

Jesus is going to satisfy your deepest

desires. So, what's your

sign? What's your sign? It's not found

in a zodiac

constellation. It's not found in the New

York Times

horoscope. And it's not in the cookie in

your favorite restaurant.

I'll tell you who you are. Your sign is

the cross of Jesus Christ. That's your

sign. Your identity. You've been

forgiven and you've got a new life. Your

sign now is hope, joy, peace, and a

heart full of laughter. Your sign is a

past that cannot catch you and a future

that cannot be stopped. This is who you

are. Your sign is life and eternity with

Jesus. Would you please stand to your

feet?

Some of you may hear me

now and end up believing me

later, but until you surrender to

Christ, you will never know what

identity actually looks

like. It's kind of like Caleb's analogy

today.

I'm on the bike. If I'm not careful,

I'll think I'm the one doing the

work. When really, he is the one who is

guiding my life, leading and directing.

And ladies and gentlemen, your identity,

who you are, is beyond your pay grade to

decide.

You're too important. You're too

valuable. And you better turn the keys

over to the one who made you and said,

"Let me put my thoughts inside of you so

you'll live up to my promises and not

down to your expectations."

Life gets better from here. Trust me.

So, we get into his word. We worship. We

serve. We do life together. And the more

we do this, the more I begin to take on

who he is. And the mind of Christ sets

me free. Father, we love you today. And

we're so grateful for the promises that

you have in our life. In ourselves,

we're not good. We're not good enough.

But we're taking on your nature. And

despite our failures and despite our our

our our our falling backwards and going

sideways and and getting an attitude

today and having to come back around,

the fact that we're still in

relationship with you and working

towards you is everything because this

this life, my identity is not built on

how good I am, but it's built on the

price you paid on the cross. Today, we

say thank you and we love you, God. All

my friends that are here today, those

watching online, I pray that you stir

their heart and bring a fresh peace and

a rest in us knowing that I don't have

to add up. I don't have to compete. I

don't have to impress. I don't have to

be approved. No, I know who I am. The

image on my life is

you. And since I will seek first your

kingdom and your righteousness,

everything else is going to be added to

me. God, today help us to keep our eyes

on you and experience all that you are

that we can live this abundant life. I

thank you for it today in Jesus name.

Everybody said amen. Amen. Can you put

those hands together? I told you the

message would encourage you. For more

encouraging messages, feel free to visit

our website

freelifechapel.org. Until then, I hope

you have an amazing day.

[Music]