Series: Who I Am in Christ
Preacher: Pastor Grace Achieng
Main Scripture: 1 John 3:1a
Supporting Scriptures: Jeremiah 1:5, Psalm 139:13-16, Ephesians 2:10
(Opening)
Good morning, City of Hope! Let me ask you a question that gets to the very core of our being: Who are you? If I were to ask you to define yourself, what would you say? Many of us answer with our job: “I’m a teacher, a businessman.” Others with our relationships: “I’m a mother, a husband.” Some with our past: “I’m a recovering addict,” or our struggles: “I’m anxious,” “I’m a failure.” We wear these labels like name tags, and they shape how we see ourselves and how we live our lives. But today, God wants to peel off those old, worn-out name tags and replace them with the truth of who He says you are. Your title today is “Loved, Known, and Called.”
(Scripture Reading)
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”
- 1 John 3:1a (NIV)
(Point 1: You Are Deeply LOVED)
The first and most fundamental truth about your identity is this: You are lavishly loved by God. Look at that word: lavished. It doesn’t say God has cautiously offered us love. It doesn’t say He has reluctantly extended us love. It says He has lavished it upon us. It’s extravagant, overflowing, and abundant. This love is not based on your performance. You didn’t earn it, and you can’t lose it. Before you did anything right or anything wrong, God’s love for you was already settled at the cross. When you feel unlovable, when you’ve failed, when you feel invisible—the enemy is lying to you. The cross is God’s definitive, eternal statement over your life: “You are worth it. You are my beloved child.”
(Point 2: You Are Perfectly KNOWN)
Maybe you believe God loves you, but you think, “If He only knew the real me…” Church, hear this: He does. And He still calls you His child. David writes in Psalm 139, “You knit me together in my mother’s womb… My frame was not hidden from you.” God saw you before anyone else ever did. He saw your first breath, your first step. He has seen every tear you’ve cried in secret and heard every prayer you’ve whispered in the dark. He knows your quirks, your fears, your hidden dreams, and your secret shames. And He does not recoil. He draws near. To be fully known and still deeply loved is the very definition of grace. You don’t have to hide. You don’t have to perform. You can come to Him, just as you are.
(Point 3: You Are Purposefully CALLED)
Being a child of God is not just a cozy identity for our comfort; it is a calling for our commission. In Jeremiah 1:5, God says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” You are not an accident. You are not a random collection of molecules. You are a deliberately designed, purposefully placed masterpiece. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Your life has divine purpose. Your personality, your experiences, your passions, and even your pains—God wants to weave them all together for a purpose that is bigger than you. You are called to be a light in Kisumu, a peacemaker in your family, a healing agent in your workplace.
(Conclusion and Altar Call)
So, who are you? You are not your job. You are not your past. You are not your failure. You are not your anxiety.
By the authority of God’s Word, I declare over you today: You are a lavishly loved child of God. You are fully known and completely accepted. You are called and equipped for a God-given purpose.
I want you to turn to someone next to you, look them in the eye, and say this: “You are a child of God.” Now, say it to yourself.
This week, every time a lie about your identity comes to mind—”You’re not good enough,” “You’re a failure”—I want you to replace it with the truth: “I am loved. I am known. I am called.”
If you want to embrace this identity today, to let go of the old labels and put on this new name, I invite you to come to the front. Let us pray together and seal this truth in your heart.
Let us pray:
“Heavenly Father, we receive your truth today. We renounce the lies we have believed about ourselves. We let go of the labels of our past, our failures, and our fears. Right now, by faith, we receive our new identity. We are your loved children. We are fully known by you. We embrace the purpose you have for our lives. Help us to walk in this reality every single day. In the powerful name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.”
