Identity Advantage Podcast

You have a new identity in Christ. And just like you would correct someone if they called you by your wrong name, you need to do that spiritually too! A verse that will help us is found in Philemon 1:6, which says, "[And I pray] that the participation in and sharing of your faith may produce and promote full recognition and appreciation and understanding and precise knowledge of every good [thing] that is ours in [our identification with] Christ Jesus [and unto His glory]" (AMPC). There is so much goodness in this scripture! Let's break it down and own it.

Identity is a powerful word all by itself. But add the word ADVANTAGE, and it's explosive! We're taking it back to the beginning and looking again at why it's important for you and I to know our identity in Christ. Let's just say, it's a benefit, a step ahead. It's like a key-- but you have to know what the key opens and unlocks before you can "take FULL advantage" of it!

Jesus gave an illustration to the Pharisees one day, and called it an "eternal truth." He was talking about Himself as a good Shepherd and you and I as sheep. Even if you think you understand what Jesus was trying to communicate, this message will be eye-opening. You will want to see the video referenced in the message too. You can find it here.

The best way to learn anything is to follow the example of others. And this is especially true of prayer. In several New Testament examples, we have Paul's prayers for the church. In this message, Daphne walks through Paul's prayer for the Colossians as a template of how we should pray too.

Before salvation, we walked by sight, but as believers, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we walk by faith. And this walk of faith is very similar to flying an airplane. There are two types of piloting: One is only based on sense knowledge (what you can see, feel, even what you think you know). The other is based on avoiding sense knowledge altogether— instead it is based on trust, and then submitting your senses to that trust. Living by faith works the same way. This message will help us all!

The Lord wants to reveal things to us that sometimes will require us to look closer to fully grasp it. The Bible says the kingdom of God isn't eating and drinking (in other words, just living), but it is "righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Romans 14:17). The jest of this portion of scripture is alluding to judging others unrighteously, including withholding our opinion as an act of love. The kingdom of God is not a political party, this rule or that rule-- it is purely righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit! And as we mature, it's important to center ourselves on these things.

The danger with anyone's walk with God is that it can become familiar, even unintentionally. And this is sometimes why people feel like prayer is challenging. The Bible has two powerful stories of individuals that "pressed in" to find help in their time of need. We can learn from them, their posture, and their heart.

We're not exempt from trials, but that's okay. God has filled us with His Spirit and put us in the lineage of Abraham-- the father of faith! Whether you're facing a trial right now or not, it's good to be strengthened in faith. I pray this message is a help and an answer for you in whatever season you're in.

We should never underestimate how important LOVE is to God — even more important than spiritual gifts. But our instruction is to pursue love and spiritual gifts. In this last teaching in the series, go line by line through 1 Corinthians 14 for better understanding of this important life gift. Because God doesn't want you and I ignorant of what He has given us through Christ.

Paul said, "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant" (1 Corinthians 12:1). Let me say it this way: Ignorance isn't bliss; ignorance is actually dangerous. Too many people are ignorant. And the devil is having a hey-day! It's important to learn as much as we can, and operate in, the power of the Holy Spirit.

It’s time to acknowledge that in all the names and descriptions of the Holy Spirit (as our Helper, Comforter, etc.) the word dunamis (power) isn’t mentioned until the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  Paul began emphasizing this power because not only did he receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit but he expected everyone to accept, receive, and thrive in it too. He wasn't ashamed of the Spirit. Instead, he recognized the need to teach on these things. So let's learn and grow in this God-given power!

Every believer has the Holy Spirit on the inside of them but this is just the BEGINNING of a SPIRIT-FILLED life! The real question is, what happens when people accept or reject the things of the Spirit?  There's a reason why Jesus wanted believers to have this additional baptism, why Paul would be so excited if he found believers baptized in the Spirit, and why Satan has fought so hard to keep this a secret.  

The Bible has so much to say about the Holy Spirit and His activity in our lives. And the devil is flat scared of the Holy Spirit — which is why he fights so hard against believers in their understanding of the Holy Spirit. Dave Roberson once said, "The very measure of God's power in a believer's life is dependent on how much of his life is ordered by the Holy Ghost." This is more true than you realize!

There's a certain scripture in the Christmas story that has always intrigued me: "...and Mary pondered these things in her heart" (Luke 2:19). The word ponder means to cooperate. The opposite would mean to hinder. We can learn from Mary's example. Every one of us has dreams in our heart and the last thing we want to do is hinder the plan of God in our life. Tune in for a quick encouragement as we close out this year-- because how we exit one season is how we'll enter the next!

There is a freedom in Christ that is unlike anything else. Even a person who is physically incarcerated or held captive in the natural can know, experience, and live in freedom! But how? How does a person find this kind of freedom? And better yet, how do you hold on to this kind of freedom no matter what may be going on in your life? Let's find out together...

These are the keys to renewing your mind and learning to wear your new identity in Christ. It sounds simple (and it is) but it's also a step-by-step process. The Bible gives us these keys and on today's podcast, I'll share how I learned them and used them to grow in my walk with God.

The world is full of judgment, standards, and expectations-- and it can be exhausting. So how does that equate into our walk with God? How does that transfer into our desire to be pleasing to God? When I first became a believer, by all appearances, I looked like I had it all together but the truth was, I wore my mask well. I didn't understand the law of righteousness (being made right with God under the Old Covenant) versus the righteousness of faith (our salvation through faith in Jesus). So pleasing God was utterly impossible... until I learned the truth. "The art of pleasing is the art of deception." Luc de Clapiers

It's not unusual to ask yourself: Am I going the right way? This question isn't limited to travel. This is a LIFE question. The truth is, just as much as the Holy Spirit wants to guide us, the enemy wants to detour us. So it's important to have the right navigation system in our heart. "As he thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7).

Someone recently said, "I think a lot of people know about church but I'm not sure they really know Jesus." And I have to agree. Job said, "I had heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes" (Job 42:5). This is honest. It's also telling of our world and culture today. There's a BIG difference between having a knowledge of religion, religious gatherings, and actually knowing Jesus personally and intimately. The Bible calls it spiritual blindness-- and you don't want that. I pray this episode nudges you to know the difference, and make a difference.

In one of the most beloved psalms, the Bible says God "...leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul…" (Psalm 23:3). Our soul is our mind, will, and emotions. And the only reason it would need to be restored is because something hit it so hard it left a wound. Whether we knew this terminology or not, I know that every person has experienced a soul wound at some point in their life. Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to be healed of wounds against the soul. In this message, you'll learn how.