Resurrection Life Church

As Christians we are people who have found their identity in Christ. But what does "in Christ" really mean? Is He literally living inside of me? Does it mean that in a metaphoric kind of way? Being able to know who you are as a follower of Jesus you have to understand what being "in Christ" means.

This week Pastor Allen continues the message series Who am I? with a very tough question to answer, what does "in Christ" mean and how do we live that out everyday of our lives. Being in Christ is much more than doing christian things or speaking "christianese". It is more about Him changing who we are and forming us into His image through the power of the Holy Spirit than it is an American Southern thing. Many people think begin in Christ is all about going to Church.

But God want us to BE the church rather than going to it. We can't do that unless we are "in Christ".

We ARE the Light of the World! What? I thought Jesus was? Yes, He is! But when He left and ascended back to heaven with He sits at the right hand of the Father, He left us the Holy Spirit. In doing so He left us the Power of God. Power to be the light of the world just like Jesus was and is through us.

We are what we are, lights in a world of darkness because He is alive in us as His followers. We light us the darkness around us. He didn't leave that job up to just one person or an organization.

He left it us to all of us. The church. His body here on the earth. We, We, We are the light. We must give that light away. Person after person after person. As we do so the world of darkness has to yield to the power of his light in us.

We ARE the Light of the World! What? I thought Jesus was? Yes, He is! But when He left and ascended back to heaven with He sits at the right hand of the Father, He left us the Holy Spirit. In doing so He left us the Power of God. Power to be the light of the world just like Jesus was and is through us.

We are what we are, lights in a world of darkness because He is alive in us as His followers. We light us the darkness around us. He didn't leave that job up to just one person or an organization.

He left it us to all of us. The church. His body here on the earth. We, We, We are the light. We must give that light away. Person after person after person. As we do so the world of darkness has to yield to the power of his light in us.

Confidence is more than just being bold, intelligent, self assured, or any other adjective you could add. Confidence come from knowing who you are and whose you are. Our confidence isn't created because we chant mantra everyday. Nor is it created by going to self-help seminars or reading countless books about it. As believers and followers of Jesus Christ our confidence is found and form in and through our relationship with God through His son Jesus Christ.

It His Holy Spirit that empowered the "lowly" disciples and especially Peter on the day of Pentecost to "speak boldly" and see more than 3000 people come to profess Jesus Christ as Lord. These we unlearned and uneducated men. How could they stand before others who were more qualified than they and speak with such boldness and confidence? They knew who they belonged to and who actually held their destiny in His hand.

Confidence is a result of our intimate relationship with God. We don't have to work it up. We don't have to be good enough, smart enough, talent enough, because Jesus is more than enough. We simply have to yield our will to Him and allow His Holy Spirit the freedom to produce the same spirit in us that was in Jesus when He walked the earth.

We really can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us.

Confidence is more than just being bold, intelligent, self assured, or any other adjective you could add. Confidence come from knowing who you are and whose you are. Our confidence isn't created because we chant mantra everyday. Nor is it created by going to self-help seminars or reading countless books about it. As believers and followers of Jesus Christ our confidence is found and form in and through our relationship with God through His son Jesus Christ.

It His Holy Spirit that empowered the "lowly" disciples and especially Peter on the day of Pentecost to "speak boldly" and see more than 3000 people come to profess Jesus Christ as Lord. These we unlearned and uneducated men. How could they stand before others who were more qualified than they and speak with such boldness and confidence? They knew who they belonged to and who actually held their destiny in His hand.

Confidence is a result of our intimate relationship with God. We don't have to work it up. We don't have to be good enough, smart enough, talent enough, because Jesus is more than enough. We simply have to yield our will to Him and allow His Holy Spirit the freedom to produce the same spirit in us that was in Jesus when He walked the earth.

We really can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us.

"Young people these days." Older people have been saying that literally for centuries. Why? Because they are young and haven't lived life yet and don't know or experienced what adults have. Does that disqualify them? Absolutely not. Here at Resurrection Life we don't believe there is a "junior" Holy Spirit. The same Spirit that enables us as adults to move and live in the power of God is the same Spirit that lives in young people.

God has always chosen to use a younger generation to usher in a fresh move of His spirit. History bears this to be true. Why? Because a younger generation hasn't "been there and done that" yet and are more open and receptive to the moving of God's Holy Spirit because they simply believe that God will do what He says He will do. Not that adults don't believe, but unfortunately our experiences can either betray us or enable us. A younger generation has been blessed with a fresh outlook because life hasn't tainted or disrupted their child-like vision and faith.

You will see today how God is moving among young people in our area and how the Holy Spirit is growing and maturing them day by day. Just maybe, God will use them to reignite a fire in us as adults to "just believe that God will do what He said He would do!"

"Young people these days." Older people have been saying that literally for centuries. Why? Because they are young and haven't lived life yet and don't know or experienced what adults have. Does that disqualify them? Absolutely not. Here at Resurrection Life we don't believe there is a "junior" Holy Spirit. The same Spirit that enables us as adults to move and live in the power of God is the same Spirit that lives in young people.

God has always chosen to use a younger generation to usher in a fresh move of His spirit. History bears this to be true. Why? Because a younger generation hasn't "been there and done that" yet and are more open and receptive to the moving of God's Holy Spirit because they simply believe that God will do what He says He will do. Not that adults don't believe, but unfortunately our experiences can either betray us or enable us. A younger generation has been blessed with a fresh outlook because life hasn't tainted or disrupted their child-like vision and faith.

You will see today how God is moving among young people in our area and how the Holy Spirit is growing and maturing them day by day. Just maybe, God will use them to reignite a fire in us as adults to "just believe that God will do what He said He would do!"

Part of who we are is all because of one thing; Salvation. If it were not for the saving grace of a holy righteous God we would not be able to be call the sons and daughters of God. Though salvation is the foundation of who we are it is not the end of who we are. It is the rock upon which all the rest is built. Without the salvation of mankind through God's son Jesus we are a lost, wandering and groping in the darkness people. Those who have found salvation find there identity in not what they do for God but in who He is in us and who we are in Him.

The story of salvation is all about a people who were born into royalty and were deceived into forfeiting their rightful place as heirs by a bitter and resentful being. However, their father had a plan that could only be call divine. Those people lost their identity and for thousands of years were plummeted into a selfish and egocentric life that was passed down to generation to generation. Then Jesus Christ showed up and changed everything. It all seemed so different because He said and did things that were not only unconventional but were literal oxymorons. In order to live you had to die. If you want to keep something you had to give it away. He was and still is salvation of all mankind and is the central focus of the story.

This week Jacob Hickman share how the story of salvation affects our identity and who we are.

Part of who we are is all because of one thing; Salvation. If it were not for the saving grace of a holy righteous God we would not be able to be call the sons and daughters of God. Though salvation is the foundation of who we are it is not the end of who we are. It is the rock upon which all the rest is built. Without the salvation of mankind through God's son Jesus we are a lost, wandering and groping in the darkness people. Those who have found salvation find there identity in not what they do for God but in who He is in us and who we are in Him.

The story of salvation is all about a people who were born into royalty and were deceived into forfeiting their rightful place as heirs by a bitter and resentful being. However, their father had a plan that could only be call divine. Those people lost their identity and for thousands of years were plummeted into a selfish and egocentric life that was passed down to generation to generation. Then Jesus Christ showed up and changed everything. It all seemed so different because He said and did things that were not only unconventional but were literal oxymorons. In order to live you had to die. If you want to keep something you had to give it away. He was and still is salvation of all mankind and is the central focus of the story.

This week Jacob Hickman share how the story of salvation affects our identity and who we are.

Part of who we are and our identity comes from our family. Whether we like it or not our family has a lot to do with how we see ourselves. For some that does sit real well with you because you come from a very disfunctional family. However in the kingdom of God our father is good and only wants the best for and from His children. He has provided us with what we need through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit to be the sons and daughter of God and to be part of the family that impact the world in which it exist.

There are a few things we as family members need to realize in the physical and spiritual worlds. First He is our Father and wants us to call Him Father. Also there are somethings our Father expects. We may think they are beyond us to achieve but He has empowered us through His Holy Spirit to do it and to be His children. Being part of the family is not just what you give but also what you get as being a part. Being part of the family give us Purpose, Power and Passion. These and much more are who we are.