What's an Identity?

Day 1 – IDENTITY: IT’S WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT

Look around you. Everything you see has an identity. What is an “identity”?Identity: (n) the qualities that make someone or something different than others. For fun, write down what you think of when you see the words below. Use words that describe their identity… the things that make them different than others of their kind.
Dogs, Cats, Mom, Dad, Truck, Car, Brother, Sister
Read Genesis 1:27
What makes humans different than all other creatures God created?

Day 2 – I.D.CARD

When you get old enough you will one day have an I.D card. I.D is short for identity card. Your I.D. card will have specific information about you so others can know it’s you. People will use your I.D. card to check that you are who you say you are. For fun, grab your mom or dad’s driver’s license and write down all it says about their identity. Then, use the space below to draw your own. What would your I.D. card say?
Read 1 Samuel 16:7
What part of your identity does God care about? What does the world care about?

 Day 3 – WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT?

Read Psalm 139. How does God describe you?
In this study, you are going to find out your true identity – who God created you to be. God says you are pretty cool. In fact, He uses the words “wonderfully made.”
At the end of these 9 months, you are going to know where your true identity comes from and where to look to find it.
Today, you are going to list the ways God created YOU that makes you different. Only list positive things. It will be fun to see what you add about your identity at the end of your 9 month devotional. Here are some words you can use: joyful, fearless, encouraging, adventurous, athletic. Or you can describe where you live such as American, British, Oklahoman or New Yorker. Maybe you want to list how you look freckled, brown hair, tall. Okay… it’s your turn.

Day 4 – WHERE DO YOU BELONG?

When it comes to identity, “Where do I belong” is the most asked question. Belonging somewhere allows you to feel safe. Belonging also helps determine who helps you and how you choose to live your life.
Write down your full name in the space below.
Circle your last name.
What does your last name tell others about where you belong?
How does being a part of a family help you feel secure?
How does being part of a family help you be known by someone?
You might have the same last name as your family, but the cool thing is that no matter what, God wants you to be a part of His family.
Read 1 John 3:1
What does God want to call you?
Here is an example of how “belonging” helps you make decisions on how you act.
Draw a picture below of a sports uniform for a team you are on, or were once on.
What does the name on the front of the jersey say?
What does wearing that jersey mean for how you act in the game? When you play your sport, who do you look to for help to win the game… people in your jersey or others?
Would you listen to the other team’s coach to help you win the game? Why not?
Read Philippians 2:2
If you are on God’s team, He wants you to have the same ___, and the same ___.
If by belonging to God’s team you try to think like God and love like Good, what will your actions be like?
Will you look to God or someone else to be your coach?

Day 5 – HOW DO I FIND WHERE I BELONG?

This is a simple answer. To belong somewhere you first have to believe in something. If you never decide what you believe, you will always be seeking a different place to belong.
Read John 1:12
What does God call you when you believe in Him?
If you believe in God, do you become a part of God’s family?
If you believe in God, does this verse say you have a place where you belong?
The cool thing is that God has many things planned for your life. These are specifically planned for you. You belong in God’s family. Get excited because this year, you are going to learn how God, through Jesus, has made you… you!

The 5 B's

Day 1 – BELIEVE

If you have seen the Disney movie The Lion King, remember how Simba left the pride land after his father died? His father, Mufasa, was the king of the Pride Land and he died saving Simba from the hyena stampede. Simba is supposed to be king but runs away because he is scared. The best part of the movie is when Rafiki tells Simba that his father, Mufasa, is alive. Simba looks at his reflection in the lake, but is disappointed that he only sees himself. When Rafiki says “look harder,” Simba looks and sees his father in his reflection. Rafiki explains to Simba that Mufasa is alive inside of him. To get back to the place were Simba belonged, He had to believe that His father loved him and was alive inside of Him.
Read Galatians 2:20
When you believe in Jesus, who is alive inside of you?
Do you think Jesus living inside of you is a part of your identity?
What did Jesus do for you according to this verse?
How should you live for Him?
Your true identity can be found when you decide what you believe. God made your identity to be in Christ. When you believe in Him you will start to see your true identity.

Day 2 – BELONG

In the Disney movie Toy Story, the main character Woody is a toy owned by Andy. In all three movies, Woody knows where he belongs because his owner’s name is written on the bottom of his boot.
Read 2 Corinthians 1:21-22
When you believe in Jesus, what does God give you to show that you belong to Him?
Andy wrote his name on the toy he loved so Woody and everybody else would know who Woody belonged to. God, through the Holy Spirit, has done the same for you. He loves you and wants you to see how He has created you a place to belong. When you believe in Him, he gives you the Holy Spirit. You will learn more this year about how the Holy Spirit is your “sidekick” in the journey to find your identity in Christ. The Holy Spirit is in your heart helping you and showing the world you belong to God, who loves you.

Day 3 – BE YOU

In the movie Frozen, Elsa was born to be Queen of Arendelle, but she was born with a gift that she didn’t know how to use. Instead of facing her fears to figure it out, she hid her gift… which didn’t turn out so well. After Elsa turned the summer to frost, her sister, Anna, goes after her. Anna accidentally gets struck by Elsa’s frost and learns only true love can save her heart from freezing. At the end of the movie, Prince Hans is about to kill Elsa when Anna sacrifices her life to save her. It took Anna’s sacrifice for Elsa to finally believe in her love for her sister… she now understood the she belonged as queen of Arendelle. Elsa was finally okay with being herself.
Read Romans 8:28
What does God do for those who love Him?
God made you “you” for a reason. This year you are going to learn how it is awesome to be you and only you get to do it. God made you a certain way, with unique gifts and circumstances to do great things with Him and for Him. The most important thing you will learn is that to be the best “you” can be, you must believe in Jesus, find where you belong and then all that God has for you to “be you”… will start to fall into place.

Day 4 – BEWARE

In the movie The Little Mermaid, the thing that made Ariel unique was not that she was a mermaid. It was that she had a beautiful voice. She had big dreams of growing up to be a human. Instead of telling her father about these dreams, she goes to the evil Ursala for help. Ursala wants power, so she tempts Ariel to trade her most precious part of her identity, her voice, to get what she wants. Because Ariel gave up her identity for something she wanted, she was facing a future that she was not meant to live. Her father saved her identity by sacrificing himself and taking her place. The good news was Ursala was defeated and when Ariel trusted her father… she didn’t have to give up her identity.
Read John 10:10
What does the enemy come to do? What does God come to do?
As you begin the search for identity, you need to beware of people trying to steal your identity for selfish gain. You are going to learn about all the things the world will do to keep you from recognizing your true identity in Christ. Ursala’s offer to Ariel seemed really great during the moment, but it had consequences that would keep Ariel from being who she was meant to be. The same is true with Satan. He will use your sinful self and the world’s temptations to steal your identity. God cares about who you are and has only the best for you in mind. If you trust Him, you can avoid the damage of identity theft!

Day 5 – BE STRONG

In the Disney movie The Incredibles. The Parr family had to protect their identity when the evil Syndrome tried to destroy them. The Parr family are secretly superheroes who have been born with gifts that could help make the world a better place. To fight Syndrome, they had to work together to use all the strength they had to win.
Read 1 Corinthians 16:13
What does this verse ask you to do?
Being “alert” means paying attention and being ready.
Why is this important to stay strong? What should you stand firm in?
The Incredibles had to be strong to fight Syndrome. There will be many things in life that will cause you to question who you are. If you believe in Jesus and understand where you belong, your faith will help you be strong in who God meant you to be!

Memorize It

Day 1 – BELIEVE

Read Romans 10:9. Write out the verse below and memorize it today.
You were created to have a relationship with God. In order to have a relationship with God, you must believe in Jesus. We are going to learn this year what it means to believe in Jesus and why it is the most important part of finding your identity.

Day 2 – BELONG

Read 1 John 4:4. Write out the verse below and memorize today.
You belong in God’s family. You are God’s child and you don’t have to worry about all the different places the world says you belong. You don’t have to fit in the way the world tells you to. He is greater than the world; but unlike the world, He will never change. You will always belong in God’s family and you are safe there.

Day 3 – BE YOU

Read Psalm 139:13-14
Write out the verses below and memorize it today.
God has great things planned for you. He has made you and will prepare you to do things you couldn’t have even imagined! You always need to know that God made you exactly the way you are.

Day 4 – BEWARE

Read John 10:10. Write out the verse below and memorize it today.
There are many things in life that you need to beware of. This year you will see how your enemy uses things, the world and sometimes even people to keep you from being you and living the life God wants you to live. You are not only going to be aware of what could steal your identity, but also how you can protect yourself before they try!

Day 5 – BE STRONG

Read Joshua 1:9. Write out the verse below and memorize it today.
God has given us clear instruction how to be strong. But you can be even stronger because He is with you! He gave you your identity, He will help you find it, He will help you become it, and He will help you fight for it.

Identity Check

This week you are going to re-read the verses you memorized last week. Before you dig into all the different parts of your identity, you are going to think through what you believe, and where you see yourself belonging…right now. You are going to think about what you think it means to be you…right now. Finally, you are going to think about all the ways you need to beware and be strong. You will do this again at the end of the 9 months and will get to see how much you have learned about your identity in Christ!

Day 1 – BELIEVE

Read or practice reciting Romans 10:9
List out anything you believe to be true… anything that comes to mind.
Ex: my mom and dad love me, God is real…

Day 2 – BELONG

Read or practice reciting 1 John 4:4
List out every place you belong… anything that comes to mind.
Ex: I belong in ___ grade. I belong in my family.

Day 3 – BE YOU

Read or practice reciting Psalm 139:13-14
List out anything you think makes you… you!
Ex: I have freckles, I am good at soccer, I am a Texan, I like to laugh, I love helping others.

Day 4 – BEWARE

Read or practice reciting John 10:10
List out anything you need to beware of.
Ex: Stranger danger, people who lie…

Day 5 – BE STRONG

Read or practice reciting Joshua 1:9
List out anything you think you need to be strong.
Ex: fruits and veggies, not be afraid when…

You Are God's Creation

Day 1 – GOD CREATED EVERY PLACE AROUND YOU

Read Genesis 1:1
What did God create? When did God create it?
Read Hebrews 1:10. What is the work of God’s hands?
You read in the first two verses that God created the heavens and earth.
Read Hebrews 11:3. What else did God create?
God is clear that He created the heavens, the earth and the universe. He created the stars and even knows how many are out there. He created the sun, the moon and all the planets. He created the sky, the sea and the place where He lives…heaven. Every person on earth will look for their identity in the world they live in…including you. To do this, you have to know and believe in who created the world. Think about it, there is a reason something is created. For example, an artist creates art so people will enjoy it. An inventor creates a solution to a problem. An engineer creates a roller coaster for fun. A builder creates a house so it can be someone’s home. A pharmacist creates medicine for healing. God created the earth for many reasons and one of them is for you. He wants you to find the identity He gave you in His creation. To do this, you have to believe He created it. Do you believe that God created everything?
If God created everything, do you believe He understands the earth, the sky, the sea, the universe and the heavens better than anyone else?

DIG DEEPER

Read all about when and how God created everything:
Read Genesis Ch. 1 and Ch. 2.

Day 2 – GOD CREATED ALL THINGS

Read John 1: 3
Through Christ what was made? Is there anything not made by God?
Everything you see is created by God. Yes, even the man made stuff is made by God. Humans are great creators, but we can only create with the tools available to us. We couldn’t create a computer until the technology was discovered or without the materials it takes to make it. The technology and materials were created by God. He also created the brain that invented the first computer. This is just one example, but the point is that man creates from the stuff that God gives him. God created something out of nothing. He is that awesome and we can’t compare!
If God created everything, did everything get its identity from its creator… God?Spend some time listing all the things God created and thank Him!

Day 3 – GOD CREATED HUMANS IN HIS IMAGE

Read Genesis 1:27. Whose image are you created like?
Finding your identity begins with knowing the truth that you, and every other human, are created in God’s image. No other animal, fish, insect, bird or created thing on earth was created in God’s image… just humans. You are special to God so He designed and built you to look like Him. Why create humans in His image? Because He loves you and wants to be in a relationship with you. Here’s the deal… you may look similar to God, but nothing about you looks like His character. God is perfect and humans are sinners. Because of sin, we cannot have a relationship with Him without Christ. Part of God’s solution to our sin is by creating humans with the opportunity to be with Him forever. Pay attention the next few words are part of the foundation to your true identity. He created you in His image so that you, the sinner, could one day have His character. How can you one day have his character? By believing in Jesus!
Read 2 Corinthians 5:21 for a sneak peak into how humans can have God’s character.
God’s character is holy. How can we be holy?
Do you believe you are created in God’s image?
Why do you think being created in His image is important to your identity?

Day 4 – GOD CREATED YOUR IDENTITY

Read Psalm 139:13-16
Who created you in your mom’s belly? Did anyone see God making you?
If no one else saw God create you, did anyone help God make you?
Does God know how many days are in your life?
If God made you, do you believe God created your life?
The words in Psalm 139 are so unique. God says that He “wove” you together in your mom’s belly. When you read or hear the words “weave” or “wove,” it’s easy to think of a basket. If you have ever watched a basket being made, you will see it takes a lot of thought and a huge amount of time to create. The basket maker has to think through the pattern of the entire basket before starting and have the right materials for how it will be used. God took His time making you. Every part of who you are… the way you look, where you’re from, your personality, your circumstances, your strengths and your gifts…these are all the materials God used to make the one and only you. He knew, before He made you, the plan He has for your life and He created you with everything you need live. Finding your identity is first believing that He created you and then setting out on the adventure to find out why God made you, you!

Day 5 – GOD CREATED CHOICES

This week you have learned how God created you in His image and you learned how God created your identity. One thing you know is that God created you with the ability to make choices concerning your identity.
Read Joshua 24:15
Joshua gave the people of Israel the choice to do what?
Who did Joshua choose to serve?
As you start your journey to find your true identity, know you were created by God to choose your identity. He gave you the ability to choose whether you will become who you were meant to be… or not. Your God given identity will give you hope when life is tough. In Him, your identity will allow you to use all your God given strengths to do good things. God promises that He will help you every step of the way to find your true identity, but He also gives you the choice to do it on your own. There will be many opportunities in your life that will tempt you to choose your own identity instead of trusting in who God created you to be.

DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know that God does not give any other animals in His creation the ability to choose their identity?
For example, a dog will always act like a dog. A dog was created to have a few different purposes like hunting, protecting, or being a companion. When a dog is not doing those things, it is either eating, sleeping, playing, exercising or going to the bathroom. A dog doesn’t have a choice in it’s purpose or identity. A dog will never have the choice to not do things a dog does. Think about it… does your dog have the ability to wake up and choose to be a doctor, teacher, or lawyer like you do? Of course not! Your ability to choose the identity God has for you or your own is only something humans can do.

The Identity of God

Day 1 – GOD IS TRUE

God claims in the Bible that He is the one and only God that is true.
Read John 17:3
You have eternal life if you believe that God is what?
God not only says that He is true, He has spent all of history proving that He is true. He has proven that His words have come true in the Bible. There are thousands of things that He has said about history before things happened and guess what… they all came true. God promised a Savior at the beginning of mankind and even though Satan tried to stop it from happening for thousands of years… Jesus showed up on earth and died on the cross for our sins. God shows His truth because His Word lasts. When God says something, it’s true forever.

Day 2 – GOD IS GOOD

Read Psalm 100:5
How is the Lord described?
Read James 1:17
Everything that comes from God is described as what?
Read Romans 8:28
What can God do with all things?
The God who created you is good. Everything He does is good. God is the only one that knows how to bring good things from the hard things in life. You cannot say the same thing about the world. Therefore, you shouldn’t trust them to take care of your identity. Can you think of any bad things that God has ever done?

MEMORIZE IT

Write and memorize Romans 11:33-36. This may seem like a lot to memorize to memorize, but read or write it every day for a week and see if you can say it without looking.

Day 3 – GOD IS FAITHFUL

Read Deuteronomy 7:9
How is the Lord described? The Lord is faithful to keep what?
“Keeping His covenant” is the Bible’s fancy way of saying God is faithful to keep His promises. You can believe in God because He is faithful to do what He says.
Read 2 Timothy 2:13
Is God’s faithfulness dependent on our faithfulness?
Read 1 John 1:9
What is God faithful to do when we confess our sins?
God is faithful whether we are faithful or not. He will do what is right and good even if no one else jumps on board. This is good to know as you walk through life. You might make mistakes along the way, such as following someone else to find your identity. There might be some consequences along the way, but God is always faithful to get you back on track to become you were meant to be.

Day 4 – GOD IS IN CONTROL

Read Proverbs 19:21
What do people have many of in their heart?
Is it God’s plan that wins or man’s?
If God’s plan wins then who is in control?
Read Job 12:10
What is in God’s hand?
Read Isaiah 14:27
Is there anyone who can stop God?
God allows people to choose their own way but He is still in control. You don’t need to worry about the evil in the world if you have God on your side. Nothing is going to stop Him from doing good. Nothing will stop Him from being close to you. Nothing will stop Him from saving you. Your identity is secure with God. What He has planned for you will never change and cannot be taken away by evil. Do you trust that God is control?

Day 5 – GOD IS POWERFUL

Read Luke 1:37. Is there anything that God cannot do?
If you sue the world to form your identity, you face the chance of never feeling good enough. The truth is that God has the power to do anything He sets His mind to. If you trust Him with your identify, you will get to see it in action.

Your Identity With God

Day 1 – YOU ARE A SINNER

Read Romans 3:23
Is there any person that does not sin?
Read Psalm 51:5
Were you a sinner when you were born?
Sin is the word the Bible uses when you choose your way over God’s way. Adam and Eve chose their own way in the Garden of Eden which has caused every single person to ever walk on the earth (except one) to be born sinful. Just because you were born a sinner doesn’t mean you are evil, it just means you were born with a problem, and it keeps you from God. God has done all the work to break you out of your sinful identity. He is the way out. He makes you pure. He can give you His holiness. To become who you are meant to be, you must believe that you have a problem and that God has the solution.

DIG DEEPER

What are some ways you have chosen your own way over God’s way. Did it work out for you? Did it cause hurt to others? Were there consequences? Was it worth it?

Day 2 – THE FIRST SIN… PART 01

It’s easy to blame Adam and Eve for all of our sin problems. But the reality is that you would have done the same thing if you were them. Today, you are going to read about the first sin that man ever committed. The crazy thing is that thousands of years later all of mankind is doing the same thing Adam and Eve did.
Read Genesis 2:15-17
What did God tell Adam not to do?
There were probably hundred, if not thousands, of good trees for Adam and Eve to eat from. How many could they not eat from? Does that seem so hard?
Why does God tell Adam not to eat from the tree? Did Adam have any reason not to trust God? Had God given Adam everything He needed? How was God trying to protect Adam and Eve?

Day 3 – THE FIRST SIN… PART 02

Read Genesis 3:1-7
Fill in the blank. “When Eve saw the tree was good for ___, and that it was a delight to the ___ and it was desirable to make you ___, she took the fruit and ate of it, and also to her husband with her, he ate…”
Adam and Eve were tempted to eat from the tree because Satan, the serpent, made them question what was best for them. God knew what was best. He had given them good things—more than they could imagine. There were probably thousands of trees in the garden they could eat from, but only one they were supposed to avoid. The Bible says that the tree was desirable to the eyes. This means it looked good. They wanted the one thing they knew they shouldn’t have. What’s worse, they didn’t trust that God knew them best. They wanted to have God’s wisdom. They wanted to do things their own way instead of God’s way. Have you ever been tempted to do something because it looked good… even though you knew you shouldn’t? Have you ever questioned if God knows what is best for you? Have you ever wanted to do things your way instead of God’s way?

Day 4 – SIN SEPERATES YOU FROM GOD

Adam and Eve learned the hard way that choosing your own way instead of God separates you from God. If you read the rest of Genesis 3, you will see that God had to kick Adam and Eve out of the Garden. It seems harsh, but God is perfect. He has no imperfections. He has no sin. To protect his holiness, He cannot be around sin. The same is true today. Because you are a sinner, God cannot be in a relationship with you. Yuck… that sounds awful. The good news is it was awful to God too. The moment Adam and Even sinned was the moment God began His plan to save mankind from their sin. He had planned it before He created Adam and Eve because He understood they were not going to be perfect.
Read Romans 6:23
What do you earn when you sin, in other words… what is your wage?
What is the gift of God? Through who do you get this wonderful gift?

Day 5 – SIN CONFUSES YOUR IDENTITYThink about Adam and Eve’s actions with the serpent. They were created by God. God literally made them out of dust. They were given great responsibility by naming the animals and being in charge of them. They had everything they needed and more. What is even more awesome… they got to walk with God in the garden. Yes, they saw Him and walked with Him. The serpent did a good job of tempting them but the truth is that sin confused both Adam and Eve’s identity. They were God’s friend. They were God’s creation. They were God’s people. In one moment their sin made them forget who they were. Adam and Eve seriously thought they could be as wise as God… something they never were meant to be.
Read Genesis 2:7-22
How did God create Adam? What did God give Adam to eat?
Where did Adam live? How did God create Eve?
What big responsibility did God give Adam and Eve?
What you believe is the foundation of your identity. To find your identity in Christ you must understand and believe that God is true and good and has given you Jesus to overcome your sin.
Do you believe you are a sinner? Do you believe you need Jesus?

God Has a Plan

You have learned about God and how He’s awesome. You learned about how you are a sinner and how you need Jesus. This week you are going to learn how God has a plan. He has a plan for the world and He has a plan for you. Believing in God’s plan is crucial to protecting your identity. As you grow up, there will be many ways the world and the enemy will try to keep you from God’s plan. You will be tempted to think that God’s plan is not good. Your faith in God’s plan can be a shield of protection against those who try to make you someone you are not.

Day 1 – GOD LOVES YOU

Read John 3:16. How did God show that He loves the world?
Read Romans 5:8
How did God show that He loves you? When did Jesus die for you?
God didn’t think twice about giving up His Son for you. Jesus, God’s Son, didn’t think twice about sacrificing Himself for you. They didn’t do it because you deserved it. They did everything for you because you needed it. True love makes big sacrifices and God showed His love for you by sacrificing His Son so that you can live forever.
Do you believe God loves you?

Day 2 – GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOU

Read Jeremiah 29:11. What does God have for you?
What type of plan does God have for you?
God has a good plan for your future. He created you for this plan. Your identity prepares you for this awesome plan. You must have faith that His plan is better than anything you could ever imagine for yourself.
Read Ephesians 3:20. What is God able to do for you? Is the world able to do this for everyone? Is everyone famous, popular, cool and wealthy?
Do you believe that God’s plan is the best for you?

Day 3 – YOUR IDENTITY WAS PLANNED… IN THE BEGINNING

Read Isaiah 46:10
When God created the earth, did He know how it all would end?
If He knows the beginning and the end, do you believe He knows the middle?
God planned all of history before one day started. He knew how you would fit into His plan thousands of years before you were born. Did you know He had you in mind when He created the world? Before you were born, the world had no idea who you were or what you looked like. A year before you were born the world didn’t even know you would be alive. But God did! Do you think it’s cool that God had you in mind when He created the entire world? Write out why.

Day 4 – THE IDENTITY CALENDAR

Read Psalm 139:16
Does God know what is going to happen all the days of your life?
Do you know how many days you will live? Do you even know what tomorrow is going to be like? You may generally know what could happen tomorrow and in life… but we have no idea if it will actually happen. For example, you know you could go to school tomorrow and in a few years could be in high school and then college. You know you could grow up and have a job and family. You could do those things, but only God knows if you will. God might even have an entirely different plan for your life than what everyone else “normally” does. God knows the when, where, how, who and why. He wants to show you, but you must believe in Him to see it.
Who should you trust with your identity… the world, you, other people or God?

Day 5 – GOD HAS GOOD THINGS PLANNED

You have learned that God has a plan for you that was set from the beginning. You have also learned that God knows who you are right down to the number of days that make up your life. You must know that God’s plan is good and that if you follow it, you will do good things.
Read Ephesians 2:10
Fill in the blank, You are God’s ___, created in ___ ___ to do ___ works.
Are you excited for the adventure of doing the good things God has planned for you?

GIVE IT A TRY

Sit down and ask someone (like a parent, mentor, youth pastor, Kamp counselor) about how they have believed in God’s plan. Here are some questions you can ask them:
Do you believe God has a plan for your life? Why?
Do you think God’s plan is the best for your life?
How has God shown you His plan for you?
How has God prepared you for the plan He has for you?

Jesus' Childhood

Day 1 – JESUS’ BIRTH

Read Matthew 1:18-25. Who was Jesus’ biological dad? Why was Jesus coming to earth?
Read Luke 2:1-19
Where was Jesus born? Who did the angels appear to when Jesus was born? What did the Shepherds do when they saw the angels?
Jesus was so unimportant to the world that He was born in a place where the animals lived. God’s identity was there in a manger. In about 33 years, He would make it possible for every person to find their true identity, but in this moment He lived like a normal baby. Have you ever wondered why God sent the angels to the shepherds? What is so special about a shepherd that they would get to see angels? Here’s the deal… Jesus would identify with the shepherds. A shepherd’s job is to make sure the sheep get where they are supposed to go safely. This is what Jesus was coming to do… “shepherd His people.” Jesus was coming so that you could get where you are supposed to go and be who you are meant to be.

Day 2 – JESUS GREW IN WISDOM

Read Luke 2:52. What are the four areas that Jesus grew?
Jesus was a kid just like you. He had to grow stronger just like you. God’s plan for Jesus was not to save the world as a baby. His plan was to save the world when Jesus grew up. Jesus had to be patient and follow what God had planned for Him to do live a perfect life and die on the cross. You have learned that God has big plans for you too. Let’s start with the first area of Jesus’ growth.
Wisdom: Gaining knowledge through learning and then applying what you have learned. You grow in wisdom when you have knowledge and experience.
What are ways you can grow in wisdom?
How can you have more knowledge about God?
How can you apply what you learn about God?

Day 3 – JESUS GREW IN STATURE

Read Luke 2:52 again
What is the second way Jesus grew?
Stature: Growing in stature means your physical body grows by being healthy and treating your body right. You are growing in character. Your physical stature is what you look like on the outside. Your character is what you look like on the inside.
Do you believe serving others will help you grow your character? How?
Do you believe reading your Bible, obeying your parents and having good friends will help grow your character?

DIG DEEPER
Read 1 Samuel 16:7. Does God care about what you look like on the outside or inside? Which one do you spend more time focusing on?

JESUS GREW IN FAVOR WITH GOD

Read Luke 2:52
What is the third area Jesus grew in as a kid?
Jesus lived his life to please God. Everything about His life was for God to say “you did an awesome job.”
Read Colossians 3:23. Who can you work for?
It will challenge you to do everything you do to make yourself great. But to be great, according to the world, others have to see you as great. For example, the best basketball player to ever live couldn’t just say “I am the greatest basketball player ever.” Others had to see it and say it. Here is the truth… spending all your energy getting approval from other people is hard. It is so hard that you will not only be frustrated and exhausted, but you will also hurt others in the process. After all your work, the world doesn’t promise to think you’re great. The Lord, on the other hand is ready to call you great. Do things for Him and you, like Jesus, will get His praise. His “favor” is guaranteed.

DID YOU KNOW?

There is nothing you can do to get God’s love. His love and salvation have nothing to do with what you do. He just wants to tell you good job. He wants to you to matter. Do things for Him and you will grow and others will see Him in you!

Day 5 – JESUS GREW IN FAVOR WITH MAN

Read Luke 2:52. Try to say it by memory!
What is the fourth way Jesus grew?
This can be confusing because you just learned that God wants you to please Him instead of others. Here is how Jesus did it right. Pleasing God was His #1 priority and He let God do the rest.
Read Matthew 6:33. What should you seek first?
Will everything fall into place when your #1 priority is pleasing God?
If you truly follow God then you will see that God has clear instructions on how to treat others. Try these:
-Love neighbor as yourself
-Turn the other cheek
-Watch your words
-Help the needy
-Love your enemies
-Be Honest
-Serve, pray and give to others
-Share Jesus with others

Life, Death, and Resurrection

Day 1 – JESUS MAKES YOU CLEAN

Jesus spent His life teaching people about God. He also spent His life serving others. The story you are about to read is a great example of the character and identity of Jesus.
Read John 13:1-15
What does Jesus do for His disciples?
In John 13:8 what does Peter do when Jesus tries to wash his feet?
Fill in the blanks of Jesus’ response.
“If I do not _______ you, you will have ________ part with Me.”

Day 2 – JESUS SETS YOU FREE

Did Jesus do anything wrong?
Did Pilate, the governor, think He did anything wrong?
When given the choice between Jesus and Barabbas, who did the people pick?
Jesus did nothing wrong. He never sinned… not even once. When Jesus met with the Roman governor, even Pilate couldn’t find anything wrong He had done. There was a custom back then that allowed one prisoner to go free. Barabbas was guilty of many sins. He deserved the punishment of death. But Jesus took his place. Jesus died the death He didn’t deserve and the sinful man was set free.

Day 3 – JESUS FORGIVES YOU

Read Luke 23:33-46
What did Jesus ask God to do while He was on the cross? (hint: Look at verse 34)
What did Jesus do for the thief on the cross who defended Him?
The cross was the worst punishment for criminals. Jesus went through a lot of pain and was mocked and made fun of, but He asked God to forgive the people who put Him there. Jesus also forgave one of the criminals on the cross who believed in Him. That criminal deserved punishment, yet Jesus was willing to forgive Him. Why? God is a forgiving God. If you believe that Jesus is your Savior, you will receive God’s forgiveness. He has already forgiven you. He did that on the cross. Forgiveness is part of your identity in Christ, you just need to believe to receive it.

Day 4 – JESUS GIVES YOU ETERNAL LIFE

Read Matthew 27:57-66 and Matthew 28:1-15
When they buried Jesus, they rolled a huge stone in front of the tomb, and placed a seal with some guards to make sure Jesus did not get out of the tomb. But did Jesus get out of the tomb?
What happened three days after Jesus died? Did they see Jesus again?
If all Jesus did was die, would we ever know if what He said about dying for our sins is true? If Jesus stayed in the tomb, He would be no different than any other man or woman who dies. But Jesus defeated death! He rose out of that grave and is alive. He will never die again. He is alive forever. If you believe in Him, you get to live forever too. Your identity is eternal when you believe in Jesus. Yes, you will experience death on earth but you won’t really be dead. You will be in your forever home with Jesus. Your forever home is a million times more awesome than your home on earth.

Day 5 – JESUS MAKES YOU NEW

Before Jesus died, His disciples spent three years learning from Jesus. Jesus did all the work and they mostly watched and learned.
Read Matthew 28:16-20
What did Jesus tell His disciples to do after He was resurrected?
What were His disciples supposed to teach others?
After Jesus died and rose again, He had a new purpose for His disciples. It was their turn to tell people about Jesus. Jesus makes people new. He cleans up your sin, sets you free from sin’s hurt and pain, forgives you, gives you eternal life and makes you new. Once you believe in Jesus, your identity will change. There is no possible way to believe in Jesus and stay the same. God has made you new and He will show you all the new things He has for you to be and do.
What was one change that happened in you when you believed in Jesus?

Give it a try!

Fill in the blanks and find the words in the word search.
Hint: words to find are in week 4.
God makes you _________.
God sets you _________.
God _________ you.
God _________ you.
God gives you _________ _________.
God makes you __________.

Jesus the Human

Day 1 – JESUS WAS SELFLESS

Read Philippians 2:3-5. What does God ask us to do?
Fill in the blank. “In _______, value others _______ _______.”
Whose interests should we think about?
In verse 5, who is the example of someone who does all of these things?
Jesus is God. He has always been with God the Father since before the world was created. He didn’t have to come down to earth and save us. He didn’t have to give up the cool things about being God for a little while. If Jesus was selfish, like mankind, He would have stayed in heaven. Jesus is not selfish. He values you more than He values Himself… that says a lot since He is God. He became human so you could be free to be you without the damage of sin. Do you believe God values you more than Himself? Write out why.

Day 2 – JESUS GAVE UP… A LOT

Jesus made himself “nothing” for what reason?
Fill in the blank. “Jesus took the nature of a _________________ and being made in human ________________.”
By becoming human, God became “obedient” to what?
God is eternal which means He never had to experience death. He chose to experience death so that you and all of mankind could have eternal life. He loves you that much. Because of Jesus, you have the ability to overcome death. When you die on earth, you are not really dead. You have simply moved to heaven to live with Jesus forever. He couldn’t give you this gift from heaven. He had to leave heaven, become human, live a perfect life with no sin, and pay the penalty for your sin through His death on the cross.

Day 3 – JESUS UNDERSTANDS HUMANS

Read Hebrews 2:17
Why did Jesus have to become human in every way? What did Jesus do for you?
Jesus was fully human. This means that He experienced everything you experience. He knows how to “identify” with you. He understands the “identity of a human.” Think about this. Jesus had to go to the bathroom. He might have gotten the flu. He had a mom and a dad. He had siblings. He had a job for a little while as a carpenter with His dad. He was happy. The Bible said he was sad. He took naps and had to sleep at night. He became human so that He could be the sacrifice for sin.
Do you feel better knowing that God Himself knows what it’s like to be human?

Day 4 – JESUS UNDERSTANDS YOU

Read Hebrews 4:15
Does Jesus know how to relate to you?
How does Jesus understand you more by being human?
How was Jesus different than you as a human?
Jesus understands what it means to be you. He understands your happy times, your sad times, what it’s like to be embarrassed and even what it’s like to be hurt. He gets you. He lived life without sin so He could save you. But also shows you what it looks like to live the life God has for you.
Do you feel better knowing that Jesus understands you?

Day 5 – FOLLOW JESUS

Read Matthew 16:24
If you choose to believe in Jesus what must you do?
Your identity was created by God when He created you. The journey in finding your identity starts when you decide what you believe about Jesus and why you need Him. When you believe in Jesus as your Savior, you set out on the adventure of following Him and finding the real you. What are some ways you can follow Jesus?

God's Family

Week 1 – GOD’S FAMILY
This month you are going to learn all the places you belong because you believe in Jesus Christ.  Where you belong is important to understanding your identity.  Belonging somewhere gives you a safe place where people know and understand you.  Belonging gives you the chance to be encouraged to the be the best you can be as you live out your life for Jesus in the world. Instructions:  At the end of this month, there is a page titled “I Belong.”  Every day you will learn about how you belong in Christ.  Each day write down where you learn you belong.  Ex: “God’s child”

Day 1 – YOU ARE GOD’S CHILD

Read Galatians 3:26
Where do you belong when you have faith in Jesus? What are you called?
Read John 1:12. When you do become children of God?
When you believe in Jesus, you become a part of God’s family. That means that you are His child and other people who believe in Him are your brothers and sisters. Your earthly family helps define your looks, culture, where you are from, your circumstances and even your personality. When you are part of God’s family, that will define what you look like on the inside… your character.

Day 2 – YOU BELONG TO GOD’S PEOPLE

Read 1 Peter 2:10
Was there a time that you were not a part of God’s people?
Where do you belong now because of God’s mercy?
You are a part of God’s people when you believe in Him. When you belong somewhere, people understand you and can relate to you. As you grow in your walk with Jesus, you will find that God’s people will be super encouraging to you. Together you can help each other grow… just enjoy belonging with God.
Read Hebrews 10:24-25
Does God want you to belong with His people? What does He not want you to stop doing?
Fill in the blank: “Let us consider how we may ________ one another on to ________ and good deeds.” Have God’s people ever encouraged you to grow in your walk with God?
(if you can’t think of any examples… think of Kamp)

Day 3 – YOU ARE A PART OF THE BODY OF CHRIST

Read 1 Corinthians 12:27. What do you belong to in Christ?
Read Ephesians 4:15-16
Who is the head of the body of Christ? What happens when each part is working right?
Jesus is not physically on earth right now, but if you look closely you can see Him in His people. Think about a human body. You can’t move anything without the brain telling you to move. You wouldn’t know where to walk without your eyes. You couldn’t hear without your ears. The head guides and directs the human body. Since Jesus is the head of the body of Christ, He guides and directs His body of believers. Each member has a unique task which allows amazing things to happen when all the parts work together! You get to see Christ’s body in action… because you belong there!

Day 4 – YOU ARE GOD’S HOUSE

Read 1 Corinthians 6:19
What does God call your body? Who lives inside of you?
You not only belong in God’s family, God chooses to belong in you. When you believe in Jesus, He lives inside of you. The Holy Spirit is God too. He is a part of what is called the “Trinity.” The Trinity is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. He gives you the strength you need to follow God. He even gives you words and guides your thoughts.
If God chooses to live inside you, do you see how important you are to God?Does this help comfort you in any way?
Does God living inside you help you see that you belong in God’s family?

Day 5 – YOU BELONG TO GOD

Read 2 Corinthians 1:21-22
Fill in the blank: “God sets His seal of ___________ on us and put His ________ in our hearts.”
If you have ever taken archery class at Kanakuk, you probably have learned the parts of the arrow. The parts of the arrow are the tip, the shaft, the crest, and the hen feathers.
Have you ever wondered why the crest is on the arrow? The crest is actually a marking so that you know who the arrow belongs to. Years ago families would have “seals” that marked their belongings.  Back when people hunted with arrows to provide food for their family, you would always know who the food belonged to because the arrow was sealed with the family crest. You are sealed with God’s family seal… the Holy Spirit. As the Holy Spirit works inside of you and you become who God wants you be… people will know you belong to God

You Belong in the Light

Day 1 – JESUS IS THE LIGHT

Read John 8:12
How does Jesus describe Himself? What will you have when you believe in Him?
Jesus is the light in darkness. When you did not believe in Jesus, you walked in darkness. The Bible always uses light and dark to explain the difference between living in the truth of Jesus or living in sin. Sin is dark and scary. Jesus is the true light and can take away the dark and scary. When you believe in Him, you have the light of life that He gives you. You don’t belong in dark and scary anymore.
Are you thankful Jesus gives you His light? Write down why.

Day 2 – THE LIGHT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER

Read 1 John 1:5-7
Can you walk in darkness (sin) and have fellowship with God?
“Fellowship” is a fancy word the Bible uses for the word “relationship.” You can’t fully have a relationship with Jesus if you still live your sinful life. As believers we still make mistakes, but this verse is talking about the people who never give up their sin. Think about a room with the light on. There is no way you can be in the dark when the light is on. The same is true with Jesus. If you truly believe in Him, there is no way you will want to live your sinful life. When you believe in Jesus, you belong in the light along with everyone else who believes in Him. Is there any sin that you have not given up yet?
Pray for God to help you get rid of any darkness you are living in today.

Day 3 – CHILD OF LIGHT

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:5
What are you? A child of the light or darkness? Are you a child of the night or day?
Make a list today with two columns. At the top, label one column “Darkness” and one column “Light.” Make a list of things that are sinful under the darkness column such as lies, gossip, or hate. Under the “light” column make a list of things that are examples of living in truth such as serve others, read my Bible.
Circle the things you spend more time doing. Are you living more in the light or darkness?
Remember that you belong in the light! If you are spending more time in the dark, then what you need to do to let the truth of Jesus shine on you?
Light
Darkness

Day 4 – LIGHT VS DARKNESS

Read John 12:35
What does the one who lives in the darkness not know?
Jesus, the true light, was on earth for a little while. He said these words to His disciples before He died, resurrected and left to live in heaven. He reminded His disciples that people in darkness have no clue where they are going. If it’s dark you cannot see. If you believe in Jesus, the lights are on. You might not see the entire path of where you are going, but you can see each step of the way. You might not see all the details, but you will see God clearly, trust that He has a plan for you, and know that He created you to go somewhere. Just for fun, try to walk in the dark and see how you do. Write down what your experience was like.

Day 5 – REMEMBER WHERE YOU BELONG

Read John 8:12 again and write it below
Throughout your entire life, you will be tempted to live in the darkness where you don’t belong. Memorize this verse today to remember that because you are a follower of Jesus and that you belong in His light!

You Belong in God's Care

YOU BELONG IN GOD’S PROTECTION

Read 2 Thessalonians 3: 3
God is the only one who can protect you from the attacks of Satan, your enemy. You don’t have to be scared of evil when you believe in Christ. You belong in God’s protection.
The enemy’s goal is to keep you from living with God forever. He will lie to you, distract you and try to damage you during your life on earth. This verse does not say bad things won’t happen to you while on earth, but it promises that you are always protected by God.
Evil might sting for a moment, but with Jesus it will NEVER win.
Read 1 John 5:4. If you have faith in God, what can you overcome?
Read 1 Corinthians 10:13
Will God let anything happen that you cannot handle? What will He do for you?
No matter what happens in life God will help you overcome and Satan will not win. You will get to be with God forever… without evil.

YOU BELONG IN GOD’S PROVISION

Read Philippians 4:9
What will God do for you? Does God have the ability to provide what you need?
God promises that He will provide what you need. He may not always provide all the things you want because He knows what is best for you. He for sure will always provide you with the things you need.
Read Matthew 6:25-26
What things should you not worry about? Does God provide the animals what they need? Are you more valuable to God than animals? God wants you to go to Him for what you need. It will be tempting to rely on the world and on your abilities, but God’s provision is where you belong. Trust Him with your needs and you will see Him do great things on earth to get what you need.

YOU BELONG IN GOD’S CARE

Read Psalm 55:22
What are you supposed to give to God? What will He do for you?
What does He promise to never let happen?
God cares about you. He wants you to give Him everything you care about. He will hold you steady when hard things happen. Imagine standing in the ocean and trying to stay standing when a huge wave, taller than you, hits you. There is no way you can do it on your own. You belong in God’s care. He loves you so much that if you stood in the ocean and God wrapped His arms around you, there is no size of wave that could knock you off your feet. Of course, this is an example of how strong God is so there is no need to stand in the ocean and face a wave! The ocean represents the world you live in and the wave represents a challenge or tough time that happens. Having God on your side might not mean you avoid the wave, but God does promise He has the power to not “move” or “shake” you. He can keep you standing.
Do you have something you want to give to God? Do you believe God cares for you?

YOU BELONG IN GOD’S WILL

Read James 4:15. If God wills something then what should you do?
What is a will?
Will: (n) the desires and wishes of someone
This Bible verse is saying that if you believe in Jesus, you belong in His will. In other words, if you believe in Jesus you should want what He wants. Do you believe Jesus to be real, true and good? If your answer is “yes,” then you will naturally want what He wants. Why? Because what He wants is good! God’s will is really simple. His desire is for you to be with Him, worship Him, and experience His good things forever.  Everything He does and everything He asks you to do will center around those desires. You belong in God’s will because what He desires means great things for you!

YOU BELONG IN GOD’S PLAN

Read Ephesians 2:10
Fill in the blank: “You are God’s ___________”
What are you created to do? When did God plan these things for you?
Your identity will come alive in God’s plan for you. You were created to do something great and if you trust Him, He will show you. Don’t get caught up in the plans of the world. The world is walking in darkness and has no idea where it’s going. Instead, jump on board with God who knows exactly where He is going and how you fit into His plan!
Ask God to help you trust in His plan for you today and every day.

You Belong in Heaven

Day 1 – YOU ARE A CITIZEN OF HEAVEN

Read Philippians 3:20
Where does the Bible day your “citizenship” is?
If you are a citizen of a country, that means you were born in OR have registered to belong in that country. You can choose to live anywhere but your citizenship is in your home country. God tells you that you are a citizen of heaven. Because you believe in Jesus, your name is written in God’s book of life. You may live on earth for 100 years, but your home is in heaven. Does knowing that you belong in heaven give you comfort when you do things differently than the world?

Give it a try!

Pretend this is God’s passport He gave you when you started to live on earth. Write down all the places in your passport that you have been or want to go.

Day 2 – YOU ARE A FOREIGNER

When you live in another country, you might stand out a little because of your accent or because you do things that way your home country does things. For example, if you are an American who lives in France, they might know you by your American accent or the fact that your main language is English. They also might know you are an American when you celebrate the 4th of July, which is not a holiday they celebrate in France.
Read 1 Peter 2:11
Peter wrote a letter to a group of believers a long time ago. In this letter, He called them two things. What does he call them? What does He ask them to do?

Day 3 – GOD HAS A PLACE FOR YOU!

Read John 14:1-3
What does God have prepared for you in His house?
What is Jesus doing right now? What will Jesus one day do?
God has a sweet room waiting for you! Forget all these cool room makeover shows – the room God is building you will be perfect. He died on the cross for you, resurrected and went back to heaven to prepare the place He has for you. Just imagine Jesus with a hammer building your room. Maybe He will just snap His fingers and it will be in place. However He chooses to do it, the truth is, He is doing it for you. You belong in heaven and you belong with Him. He is proving it by promising you a room in His house!

Day 4 – HEAVEN IS BETTER THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE

Read 1 Corinthians 2:9. How is what God has prepared for you described?
It is hard to understand heaven because you live on earth. Just ask yourself this one question… do you like living on earth? If your answer is “yes” then you must remember who created the earth… God. If He created earth but says heaven is so much better, isn’t that something to look forward to even if you can’t see it? Heaven is God’s big surprise present waiting for you. It’s okay to love life on earth, but just know that where you belong is going to be even better.

Day 5 – MEMORIZE IT

Read 1 Corinthians 2:9 again and write it below.
Finding your true identity doesn’t end when your life on earth ends—it just gets better. Your real home is in heaven forever and God has an adventure for you there. Memorize this verse today to remember that because you are a follower of Jesus, you belong in heaven and it will be awesome!

God Saved You

Day 1 – YOU ARE REDEEMED

Read Isaiah 43:1
God says this to His people Israel in the Old Testament. It applies to His people, including you, today. What does God say He did for you?
Fill in the blank: “I have called you by ________; you are _________.
Redeemed: (adj) – To gain possession of something through an exchange or payment.
If you are given a coupon for a free ice cream cone, you must take the coupon to the store to “redeem” your ice cream by exchanging the coupon for the tasty treat. You can make a new pair of shoes yours by paying the price that is owed. When you make the exchange or pay the price, you now have something in your possession. God has redeemed you. You belonged to the world of sin and death before you believed in Jesus. Jesus redeemed you as His own by paying the full price for your sin… death. He exchanged His life for yours so you could be free from the consequences of sin and death! Do you believe God redeemed you?Why is being redeemed by Jesus an important part of your identity?

Day 2 – YOU ARE DELIVERED

Read Colossians 1:13
What has God delivered you from? Where has God brought you to?
Delivered: (v) to bring to; to set free
Before Jesus, you lived in darkness with no true identity. In Christ, you are delivered. Jesus got you out of the darkness and delivered you over to God’s kingdom and His family. He set you free from the darkness and now you can see what is real and true.
Are you thankful God delivered you from the darkness?

Day 3 – YOU ARE ADOPTED

Read Ephesians 1:5. What did God do for you? Why did God do it?
When someone is adopted it means that their mom and dad are not the biological parents. Adoption happens when parents who are not related to a child, choose to bring them into their family and call him or her their own. The adoptive mom and dad love and care for the adopted child just as if he or she was their own. God created you. You were always part of His creation, but you were not a part of His family. Why not? … you don’t have God’s bloodline. You sin…He doesn’t. His plan from the beginning was for you to be adopted into His family. Because Jesus paid for your sin with His blood on the cross, you are adopted into the family of God. God loves you and takes care of you like you were His biological son or daughter.

Day 4 – YOU ARE LOVED

Read 1 John 3:1
How much does God love you? Does anyone love you more on earth than your parents?
Does anyone love you more in the universe than God?
God loves you with the deepest love you can get… the love of a parent. He calls you His own and will claim you as His child. You will get to see His love for you all your life.
Read 1 John 4:19
Where does love come from? How do people know how to love?
God will show His love to you in many ways on earth. People who truly love you, their love comes from God, If you ever feel unloved then you can be comforted that you are loved by God. It’s part of who you are in Christ.

Day 5 – YOU ARE FORGIVEN

What did Jesus do for you? Fill in the blank: My sins are _______________.
God forgave your sins when He died on the cross. He forgave every sin you will ever commit in your life. You are still human and will still sin, but no matter what you do, you will be forgiven in Christ. Imagine the day you will get to see God. The Bible says Satan will stand before God and will accuse you for every bad thing you did. He doesn’t want you to live with God forever, but there is nothing you can do that will separate you from God. There is no sin too bad that God cannot forgive. Why is forgiveness important to your identity?

God Made You

Day 1 – YOU ARE RIGHTEOUS

Read 2 Corinthians 5:21
How do you have God’s righteousness?
Righteous: (adj) upright, upstanding, excellent
You can’t be righteous without believing in Jesus. You need His sacrifice to cover your sins. Once you believe, God sees Jesus in you so you get to be called righteous. This is the best compliment you will ever receive… especially coming from God! In Christ, you have an identity of righteousness, no matter the mistakes you make. How can you start living righteous? Look at the definition to help you.

Day 2 – YOU ARE VICTORIOUS

Read 1 Corinthians 15:57
Why should you be thankful to God?
Why do you have victory?
Victorious: (adj) having victory
Have you ever won something before? Winning something is an accomplishment. You are proud of yourself when you win because you have worked hard or done something great. You probably have a shelf of trophies and ribbons that you have won to remind you that you won. When Jesus died on the cross and resurrected, defeated Satan. Satan and evil cannot and will not win. Jesus did all the work to win, but since you are on His team, you are a victor! For now, God is giving people a chance on earth to know Him so He allows people to choose evil. This is why there is still junk that happens in the world. It may seem sometimes like evil is winning but its not true. Jesus has won and if you are with Him you have the identity of a winner. You are victorious! How does knowing you have the identity of a winner give you confidence as you live for Jesus?

DID YOU KNOW?

God says in the Bible that He will reward us when we get to heaven. We did nothing to get eternal life or a reward in Heaven. Write down on a piece of paper “My trophy is in heaven.” If you have a bulletin board of ribbons and awards, pin the piece of paper to it to remind you that God has given you a “win” in Jesus and the trophy is waiting for you in Heaven!

Day 3 – YOU ARE AN OVERCOMER

Read 1 John 5:4
When you believe in Jesus what do you overcome?
What is it that helps you overcome the world?
Overcome: (v) to successfully deal with, to win
The Bible says that faith in Jesus is what helps us overcome the world. Faith is when you believe in something you cannot see. The world around us is everything that we see. Jesus, right now, is something that we cannot see. The earth is a great place. The world is filled with all sorts of beliefs and lies that will try to influence the way you look and act. The world will tell you that your #1 priority is you, not God. God knows you can’t see Him, but He will prove to you over and over that He is real and true. If you have faith in Him, He will give you the strength to overcome anything the world throws at you. Someday you won’t have to deal with any hurt, pain or peer pressure because you will be with God in heaven! Have you ever had to overcome something that happened to you? How did God help you?

Day 4 – YOU ARE A CONQUEROR

Read Romans 8:37
What does God call you? How are you a conqueror?
Conquer: (v) rise above any situation
Jesus conquered death to give you the ability to conquer death through eternal life. God has put His Spirit inside of you which tells you truth, helps you through life, and gives you strength to do what God asks you to do. Nothing will happen to you in life that you cannot “rise above” with Christ. When life throws tough stuff at you, the Lord will help you look that challenge in the face and conquer it.

Day 5 – YOU ARE CHOSEN

Read 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14
Fill in the blank: God ________ you to be saved.
Have you ever played a game where they had to pick teams? It feels good to be chosen, right? It makes you feel “good enough” and “important.” Being chosen gives you an identity by being a part of a team. It also gives you a place to belong. In Christ, you are chosen. He chose you to be a part of His team. Even when you were a sinner, Christ wanted you. He didn’t worry about if you are good enough because Jesus makes you good enough. You might not feel important at times, but it is clear that you are important to God.
Are you thankful God chose to save you? How special do you feel that He chose you?

You are Different

Day 1 – YOU ARE TRANSFORMED

Read 1 Peter 1: 3-4
Fill in the blanks: God, through His great _________ has caused us to be __________ again to a living hope through Jesus’ death and resurrection.
How is our inheritance described in verse 4?
Transformed: (adj) changed in appearance and character (who you are on the inside)
When people believe in Christ, it sometimes doesn’t seem like anything has changed because the world around them stays the same. The truth is in Christ you are changed. You are different. You no longer have the identity of a sinner. When you were a sinner you had no hope. You, unlike the world, now have hope that one day evil will be gone, that life goes beyond earth, that you make a difference, that God will provide what you need, and hope that God can do good things through bad things. The world doesn’t have this, and before Christ… you did not have this. The cool thing is the world can start to see your transformation as you start to follow Jesus and live like Him.

Day 2 – YOU ARE UNIQUE

Read Psalm 139:13-14
What did God do to you in your mom’s belly? How are you made?
A factory is set up to produce thousands, sometimes millions of the same product over and over again. If there is an item that comes out different then the rest of it is often thrown out because it’s considered flawed.  The world is like a factory. Its goal is to produce the same product over and over again. If you don’t fit into one of the molds the world has created, you will be considered flawed. God, on the other hand, makes every single person on earth unique. He is not a factory. He took the time to put you together… by hand, in your mom’s belly. God doesn’t want you to be like everyone else. He wants you to Be You and show others how He has made you wonderful!

DIG DEEPER

Read Matthew 23:11. God says if you want to be great you must be a servant. How is this different than what the world thinks?

Day 3 – YOU ARE A LIGHT

Read Matthew 5:14-16
Fill in the blank: “You are the ________ of the world.”
Does someone turn on a light to hide it or do they turn on the light for brightness?
What does God ask you to do in verse 16?
You learned last month that you belong in the light because Jesus is light. This verse is telling you that you are a light in Christ. A solar light is a light that gets its power from the sun. You can’t turn a solar light on because it stores energy from the sun outside. When the sun goes down, the solar light uses the stored power to shine in the darkness. This is what Jesus does for you. Jesus is the light. When you believe in Him, you become a light. As you spend time following Jesus, you will soak up His light so you can be a light for Him on earth.

Day 4 – YOU ARE A SERVANT

Read 1 Corinthians 4:1
How does Paul and Apollos describe themselves?
Should a believer of Jesus be viewed the same way? Are you a servant too?
Servant: (n) a person who performs duties for others.
The world does not value the role of a servant like God does. In fact, servants are seen as poor and unimportant on earth. The truth is Jesus was a servant. He came to earth to do the duties of His Heavenly Father. He served mankind by doing the work to save them on the cross. Serving God is better than any job you could ever have on earth. It’s better than being the richest person, the best athlete ever, the most popular and talented musician, or the most good-looking model or actress/actor. It’s hard to understand this while living in a world that does not promote it, but it’s true. Being a servant to God means you will grow in character, help others, and see God at work. Be proud of it because being His servant will make you great in God’s eyes.

Day 5 – YOU ARE A STEWARD

Read 1 Corinthians 4:1 
Fill in the blank: I am _________ of the _________ of God.
Steward: (n) someone whose job is to look after the things of others.
A steward is someone who is trusted with the property of others. God says that He trusts you with His mysteries. What an adventure! You are trusted with such cool things. Why does God trust you with His mysteries? It’s simply because the mystery of God is not a mystery to you. You recognize God as real and true. He trusts you with the truth about Him so you can explain Him to the world.

You are Special

Day 1 – YOU ARE GIFTED

Read Romans 12:4-6
Are there many members of God’s body? Do all they have the same function?
Do you belong in Christ’s body? Does verse 6 say you have a gift?
Are your gifts the same or different than other people in the body?
God’s people are His body. You all work together to do His work. God has given each member of His body different gifts. Someone might have a similar gift, but they will do it differently than you because you are made differently. Your personality, background, experience, and skills help you use the gift God has given you uniquely. The truth is God has gifted you to do great things! No person’s gift is more special to God than anyone else’s. Every part of His body is important and He has given you the gifts to do your thing! To understand what your gift is, you must pay attention to God. As you grow up, He will help you find and use your gift when you are ready.
Are you excited that God has gifted you? What are some things that you are good at right now? How can you use what you are good at today for Him?

Day 2 – YOU ARE STRONG

Read Philippians 4:13
What does this verse say can do?
In Christ, you are strong because He is strong. There is no one more powerful than God and you have His strength on your side. When you feel weak, remember that you are strong in Christ… it’s part of your identity.
Memorize Philippians 4:13 today.
Have you ever experienced a time when God gave you strength? Write about it below.

DIG DEEPER

Label the parts of the human body and what that part of the body does.
Do arms and legs do the same thing?
Do eyes are ears do the same thing?
Do hands and feet?
Why is the head important?
How is the human body like the Body of Christ? (Remember from month 4, Jesus is the head of the body and believers are all the parts).

Day 3 – YOU ARE A DISCIPLE

Read 2 John 1:9
Fill in the blank: If you _______ in the teaching of ________ you have both the Father and the Son.
Disciple: (n) a student
Abide: (v) to spend time with; to stay with
OPPPKSGod is your teacher and you are His student. You will never know everything about Jesus. Even if you read your Bible all day, every day for your entire life, God will still be teaching you. Spending time with Jesus is crucial to your identity because you are His student.
He is excited to teach you everything you need to know. Are you ready to learn?
How has doing this devotional helped you learn about Jesus?
Are you going to continue to learn more after you are done?

Day 4 – YOU ARE AN APOSTLE

Read Mark 16:15
What does God want you to do? What does God want you to share?
Apostle: (n) one who is sent out.
God wants you to share with others about Him. In the Bible, His disciples learned from Him and were sent out into the world to share the gospel with others. God sends different people different places to share the gospel. Most of the time He will just ask you to share the truth right where you are. People at your school need to know Him. People on your sports teams and clubs need Him. Part of your identity is getting to share the good news of Jesus. He will help you do it!
Write out how you would share Jesus with a friend today. Pretend someone asked you what you believe about Jesus. What would you say? (If you need an illustration you can use the Bridge Illustration at the beginning of the book.)

Day 5 – YOU ARE AN AMBASSADOR

Read 2 Corinthians 5:20
What does God call you? What does God do though us?
Ambassador: (n) someone who represents another person, country or organization
The United States has an Ambassador in almost every country of the world. That person’s job is to represent the United States in that country. It’s how the world tries to work together. You are Christ’s ambassador. In Christ, you get to represent Him on earth. If someone wants to know about Jesus they could look to you because your life, words, thoughts, attitude and actions should be like His. As an ambassador, God can use you to appeal to others. This means that others can want to know God more because of your actions. What are the ways Jesus acted on earth? What did He do, what was he like?
What are some ways you can represent Him with your actions?

You Act Like Christ

Day 1 – BE AN EXAMPLE

Read Titus 2:7
What example does God want you to be?
You have Jesus! You have what everyone needs. Living for Jesus is the best way to live and God wants you to show it. God wants you to be an example to others of what it looks like to live for Him. Living for Jesus has transformed you…you are different.
Being “you” means letting others see how you are transformed!
What are some ways you can be an example of doing good and showing others you are serious about your faith in Jesus?

Day 2 – BE FORGIVING

Read Colossians 3:13
What does God ask you to do? Why should you forgive others?
In Christ, you are forgiven so God wants you to be forgiving. There will be people who hurt you during your life, but forgiving others is the best way to let the hurt start healing. Forgiving another can be what God uses to help heal the person who hurts!
Are you thankful God forgave your sins? Is it hard for you to forgive others? Why or why not? Is there someone you need to forgive today?

Day 3 – BE LOVING

Read 1 John 4:8
Fill in the blank: You don’t know God if you don’t ______________.
Who is the definition of love?
Next to the word “love” in the dictionary should be God’s name. He is the definition of love. You are loved. It is who you are in Christ. God loves you so much and He wants you to love others—even the ones who are hard to love. Love is an action. It means being patient with someone. It means serving another. Love means sacrificing what you want for the other person. Jesus did all these things for all people, even those who don’t love Him back. Because you are loved, you should love.
Who do you love? Who is someone you don’t like?
How can you “love” that person?
note: you don’t have to say “I love you”- you can be loving in your actions

Day 4 – YOU ARE SELFLESS

Read Philippians 2:3-4
What does God ask you to do? Who are you to consider better than yourselves?
Whose interests should be important to you?
God is selfless. He died on the cross for you and didn’t even think twice about doing it. The best way to share Christ with another person is to first be selfless. Because the world is not selfless, people will want to know why you truly care about others more than yourself. Then guess what…you have an opportunity to tell them about Jesus being selfless! How can you be selfless with your family members?

Day 5 – YOU ARE KIND

Read Ephesians 4:32
What does the Bible say you should be to others?
God doesn’t care about cars, clothes, fame, money or things. He cares about people. He created people in His image and He loves them. Since God cares about people more than anything you should care about people too. Kindness is a great way to care about people. It’s easy to be mean when someone is mean to you. It’s easy to be mean when you are jealous. Many people say mean things to bring others down to make themselves look better. God wants you to be kind. People are important to Him. Because you have Jesus, it’s time to be kind.
Think about a time you were not kind to someone. Why were you not kind?
How could you have chosen kindness? What are some ways you can be kind?

You Have His Attitude

Day 1 – YOU ARE THE AROMA OF CHRIST

Read 2 Corinthians 2:15
What does the Bible call you in this verse?
Have you ever walked into your house and your mom was baking cookies? Do you remember the smell of coffee cake baking on Sunday mornings at Kamp? A great smell can hang around and linger in your head, making you think about wanting that cookie or piece of coffee cake. God says you are a pleasing aroma of Him to all people. He wants your actions and words to impact others so it can linger in their head and make them want more of Jesus! What are some of your favorite smells?
How can your actions make others think of Jesus?

Day 2 – BE A PEACEMAKER

Read Matthew 5:9
How is a son of God described in this verse?
The message of Jesus is true and yet says some really bold things. Sometimes the gospel can offend others just because they don’t like Jesus or what He has to say. Even though the gospel can offend some people, Jesus Himself was never offensive. He always cared about people and didn’t stir up trouble just because. Jesus wants you to be a peacemaker. He wants you to share His message, but He knows not everyone will like it. He also wants you to always be a peaceful person. God doesn’t want you to stir up trouble just to make trouble. He wants you to be kind and caring. Most importantly, He wants you promote peace. That means you don’t need to start fights. When someone starts a fight with you… walk away. That is what Jesus would do.

Day 3 – BE MERCIFUL

Read Luke 6:36
What does God want you to be?
Merciful: (adj) a person who does not give someone what they do deserve.
Because of your sin, you deserved death and separation from God forever. You did not get what you deserved because of Jesus death on the cross and resurrection. Instead, He gave you mercy. Jesus wants you to be merciful to others. The world you live in is not very merciful. If you do something wrong, they will make sure everyone knows about it. If you are merciful to others, you will be different and it will show others what Jesus is like.

Day 4 – YOU ARE GOOD

Read James 1:17
What comes from above?
Who lives in Heaven?
Did you come from God? If you come from God then, you are what?
Yes, you make mistakes. Yes, you are a sinner. But God says that everything that comes from above is good. Jesus came from above and He makes you good. Don’t let the world tell you that “you are too bad” to love. Don’t tell yourself you have done too many bad things for God to love you. It is not true. You are good because God makes you good!

DIG DEEPER

A lot of people fight because they want to show how strong they are. But, the strongest person in a fight will walk away. The person who can control their emotions and choose to do what is right is a million times stronger than a person who throws a punch or spits out some ugly words.

YOU ARE JOYFUL

Read James 1:2
When anything happens in life what should your attitude be?
Many people confuse joy with happiness. Being joyful is NOT the same thing as being happy. Happiness is a feeling. Joy is a decision to have a good attitude in any situation because you trust God and hope He is doing something good. A feeling of happiness can be taken away the moment something bad happens. You are redeemed! You are forgiven! You are new! You have eternal life! God has a plan for you! All these things are true no matter what happens to you on earth. Because of this, you can choose to have a good attitude. Being joyful doesn’t mean you can’t cry when things hurt. God loves to comfort you when you are sad. Many joyful people show their hurt but also show their joy when they say things like “God will make this better” or “I don’t like or understand what is happening, but I know God is good, has a reason, and will do great things.”

You Care About Others

Day 1 – YOU ARE FAITHFUL

Read 1 Samuel 12:24
What does God ask you to do? How should you serve God? Why should you serve God? God is faithful to you and He wants you to be faithful to Him. He has done great things for you and you are your best when you are faithful to Him!
Read Deuteronomy 6:5. How are you supposed to love the Lord?
Which one is loving God with all your heart? (Circle the answer you think is true)
-Obeying God just because God says so.
-Obeying God because you love Him, believe in Him and are thankful?
Which one is loving God with all your mind?
-Your thoughts are always consumed with what you want.
-Your thoughts are always filled with how you can do what God wants.
Which one is loving God with all your strength?
-Playing a sport to get lots of trophies.
-Playing a sport to be a light for Jesus as your first priority as you strive to win the game.

Day 2 – YOU ARE SELF- CONTROLLED

Read Titus 1:8
List all of the things God wants you to be.
Having self-control does not mean you don’t feel emotions. It means you feel a certain way but have the strength to do what is right. The world you live in is all about feelings and will challenge you to respond to your feelings a certain way. For example, the world says that if you hurt, then you should hurt someone else. God doesn’t want you to ignore your feelings. He instead wants you to trust Him with how you feel and respond based on what is right. This is true self control. The most self- controlled people understand they need God’s help to do this. You have God inside of you so you can be comforted that the Holy Spirit will help you.
Read 1 Corinthians 10:13
What will God do for you when you are tempted?
Will God help you have self-control?
Memorizing Bible verses is a way to store God’s words in your brain to help you.
When you are tempted, it can help you to choose what is right by letting God help you remember those words. Memorize 1 Corinthians 10:13 today.

Day 3 – BE GIVING

Read Deuteronomy 16:17
What does God ask you to? Why should you do it?
God has given you life on earth. He has given you eternal life. He has given you forgiveness. He has given you everything you have. Because you have been given much, you should give to others. Think through today how you can give to others.
Write out a list of how you want to give.

Day 4 – YOU ARE PRAYERFUL

Read 1 Timothy 2:8
What does God want you to do?
Prayer is the way you talk to God. He wants to listen to what you have to say. Prayer is important because it’s how you can take your mind off the things of the world and think about God. It is how you can give your cares, worries and desires to God.

Day 5 – YOU ARE A TEACHER

Read 2 Timothy 2:2
What are you supposed to do with what you have heard from God?
As you grow in your walk with Jesus, God will ask you to teach others what you have learned. This might happen when you are older, but even now you can always teach others what God is teaching you. God can use you to help others understand more about Him!

Beware

Day 1 – BEWARE OF SATAN

Read John 10:10
What does Satan, your enemy, come to do? What does God want for you?
Satan’s goal is to kill, steal and destroy. He wants to destroy you. His definition of destruction is keeping you from eternity. He doesn’t want you to have the identity of the child of God. He does not want you to be a citizen of heaven. But He cannot win because of Jesus. It’s the truth. If you believe in Jesus, he cannot steal your salvation and he cannot destroy your life for eternity.

Day 2 – SATAN DEVOURS

Read 1 Peter 5:8. What does the devil do every day?
Satan is recruiting people for his team. He is ready to “pounce” on your weakness and draw you to his side. If you believe in Jesus, you will never be on his side and he knows this. He knows he can’t keep you from eternity but he can keep you from impacting others while you live on earth. He will tempt you to focus on yourself and try to keep you from following Jesus. He knows how powerful people can be who have God’s power inside them. He also knows believers in Jesus can choose not to tap into that power. His goal for you, as a follower of Jesus will be to get you to ignore the power inside you. He might encourage you to use your own power because he knows you will grow weary if you do.
Read Romans 8:5. Can Satan keep you from impacting others if you listen to what God desires? Do you want to impact others through Jesus?
To impact others, do you think it’s good to be aware of your enemy?

DID YOU KNOW

Read Revelations 12:12. Satan’s time is limited. He does not get to spend forever with God. That was his choice and he will someday suffer the consequences of all the evil He has done. He knows that he will not win. Since he can’t win, he wants to bring everyone down with him. Now that you know how selfish and destructive he is… let God help you ignore him and avoid him.

Day 3 – SATAN LIES

Read John 8:44. How is Satan described? What was Satan from the beginning?
What is Satan the father of? Is there any truth in Satan?
Nothing that Satan says is true. He twists the truth and is a liar. He is a murderer because he strives to destroy all man’s chance at eternal life. He was not successful but that is still his character. There are lots of lies Satan uses to deceive you. He uses the world and all that it promotes to lie to you. He will lie to you about who you are. He really doesn’t care what lie you believe just as long you don’t believe the only truth, the truth of Jesus Christ. Why is it not good to trust a liar?
What are ways you know Satan has lied about your identity? Has God ever lied?Has God proven that He deserves to be trusted?

Day 4 – SATAN DECIEVES

The world paints a picture that Satan is this really ugly and scary dude. You have seen at Halloween what people think he looks like. He is red, evil, has horns and carries a pitch fork. Satan wants you to believe that He looks ugly and scary because it’s a lie. In fact, He looks very beautiful. What’s scary and ugly about Satan is his character.
Read 2 Corinthians 11:14. What does Satan disguise himself as?
Satan always looks good. For example, the serpent who tempted Eve, looked good so she and Adam ate. God is light so Satan puts on the disguise of light. He is craft, so he will look like truth. He will tempt you with fun things you want. He will tempt you to be someone you are not but will tell you that you can be that person… with no consequences. How do you tell the difference between his lie and God’s truth? You rely on God and know His truth. God will show you through His word what is the truth and what is a lie. Why is God’s Word so important to knowing truth?
How can God’s Word help you beware of the enemies attempt at identity theft?

Day 5 – IDENTITY THEFT

Read Ephesians 4:27. What should you not give to the devil?
Satan has got nothing on your salvation but he can keep you from wholeheartedly following Christ. Wholeheartedly following Christ is who you are—it’s your identity. Following Jesus is how you are the best “you” that you can be. Satan is a bad guy but the truth is that he has no power over you if he has no weapon. You have to beware of the weapon he uses to keep you from your identity. Are you ready to know his weapon? His weapon is you. Well, actually it’s not you—it’s your sin. Satan is the father of all bad guys and he does what they all do—prey upon your weakness. A robber is not going to rob a person who is stronger and more powerful. Satan can only keep you from being who you are meant to be if you let him. If you trust God and follow Him with every area of your life, Satan will run from you faster than you can say “get out.”
Read James 4:7 and memorize this verse.

Beware of Your Sin

Day 1 – SIN SEPERATES

Read Hebrews 3:12
What kind of damage is sin capable of doing?
The only thing that can separate you from God is your sin. If you believe in Jesus, there is no way you can lose salvation. Eternity is yours no matter what you do because Jesus’ death on the cross pays the penalty for the sins you have done in the past, present and future. Today you need to see how damaging sin can be. It can keep you from Jesus forever. As a believer in Jesus you are an example of Jesus to others so you don’t want to live like you did before you knew Jesus. You want people to see you are free from sin so they will want to believe in Jesus too.

Day 2 – SIN MAKES YOU IGNORE GOD

Read Galatians 5:16
What does this verse say you should walk by? How should you not walk?
Sometimes the Bible uses the word “flesh” to talk about sin. All humans have “flesh,” so if you live according to the human way you are living according to sin. When you believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit lives inside of you. If you live by the Spirit, you are listening to God who is inside you. This means you need to beware of your sin. Because we are human, we cannot be perfect. You may still sin in this life, but through Jesus Christ you are already forgiven. If you live a sinful life, you are ignoring God who is inside of you.
Are you living life that is guided by your sinful desires? How can you listen to what God wants you to do? How can you do what God wants you to do?

Day 3 – YOUR SIN TEMPTS YOU

Read James 1:14
Where does temptation come from? Why are you tempted?
Satan offers you the opportunity to sin, but you are tempted by your own sinful desires. Let’s pretend you go to the dentist and he tells you that you can’t eat sweets for one week or your teeth will fall out. During that week you might be tempted to eat sweets. Let’s also pretend you don’t like gummy bears, but you love chocolate. If someone, during that week, offered you a bag of gummy bears you would not be tempted at all. It’s not worth it because you don’t like them. On the other hand, if someone offered you chocolate you might be tempted because you have a strong desire for chocolate. Satan will offer you opportunities based on your sinful desires, you are the one who is tempts yourself. Satan will not offer you an opportunity that will not tempt you. He will offer the opportunity to do something you desire to do. You need to beware of your sin. It will keep you from becoming who you are in Christ. Get rid of it and watch out for those opportunities that will make you want to do it again. What is the sin that would tempt you to do wrong? What are some ways you make sure that sin doesn’t tempt you?

Day 4 – DRINK MILK

Read 1 Peter 2:1-3
What should you get rid of? What should you do instead?
Why should you drink spiritual milk?
God uses the simple analogy of a baby and milk to help you understand how to grow in your walk with the Lord. Just like a baby needs milk, you need God’s Word to grow in your walk with Jesus. If you are going to listen and apply God’s Word, you have to be aware of your sin. God wants you to get rid of all that junk that keeps you from Him. When you sin, get rid of it and beware of situations that will make you want to be your old self. Have you grown this year reading your Bible every day?
How has it taught you to avoid sin?

Day 5 – FIGHT SIN WITH GOD’S WORD

Read Psalm 119:11
Why should you store up God’s Word in your heart?
God’s Word is your defense against it. Reading God’s Word helps you beware of sin and gives you courage to combat it. It teaches you God’s way, it helps you recognize lies and it guides you to find your identity in Christ. If you are reading God’s Word, you will know how to watch out for sin.
Read James 1:22
What does the Bible say you need to as much as you need to read the Word?
If you apply what you read to your life, you will not only know about sin you will see sin start to go away in your life. Applying God’s Word to your life is how you fight the battle against sin.

DIG DEEPER (#fcc811 BKG) (#ffffff Font)

Read Matthew 4:1-11 to see how Christ uses God’s Word to fight off the temptation of sin.

Beware of People Who Lie

Day 1 – BEWARE OF PEOPLE WHO LIE

Read 1 John 4:1. Who should you beware of?
Prophet: (n) a person who speaks for an authority
The Bible says you should be careful who you listen to. In fact, it says you should put everything you hear to the test. The Bible uses the word “spirit” but it’s not talking about ghosts. It’s talking about all things Satan uses to promote his lies. People are one way Satan spreads his lies. They might not even know what they are saying is a lie. False prophets often say they know God but what they teach about God is not true.  Their message might sound good but God knows if you put it to the test, it will fail. It can be confusing to know who God’s messenger really is, but if you are reading His Word, you will know what is not true! Have you ever heard anyone teach a message that was wrong? How did you know it was wrong?

Day 2 – BEWARE OF THINGS THAT ONLY SOUND GOOD

Read Matthew 7:15
How does the Bible describe false teaching and false prophets?
God uses the example of a sheep and wolf to help you recognize teaching about God that is not true. It is easy to recognize a lie when the person does not claim to say it’s coming from God. The truth is there are people who know who God is but don’t believe the right thing about Him. There are many reasons why. They might not like what God has to say in the Bible and twist what it says. A false prophet might come up with something completely random and use God’s name to try to make it believable. Most of the time false prophets preach things that benefit them or those around them. That sounds like a good deal but they are only thinking about what feels good, what makes them famous, liked by others or is cool right now. This is why God compares them to looking like a sheep. A sheep is a peaceful and innocent creature. What a false prophet says might look good, but it’s a disguise. They are really wolves who prey upon you and can destroy you. They are not thinking of your future, your identity, or what is best for you forever.

Day 3 – BEWARE OF SILLY ARGUMENTS

Read 2 Timothy 2:23
What should you avoid? Why should you avoid foolish arguments?
God wants you to spend your time fighting for the things that matter and beware of the things that don’t. He knows that if you get in arguments with others for silly things, it can hurt your relationship with them. Satan will be happy if you hurt your relationship with someone because you might lose the opportunity to encourage each other to grow in your walk with Jesus, or you might lose the opportunity to share Christ with that person. Think about how silly some arguments are. We argue over things like getting something first, who is right or wrong about sports trivia, who gets more time playing video games and so many other things that don’t matter. Does it really matter if you go first? Does it really matter if your brother was given ten extra minutes playing video game or if you’re right about how many assists the basketball player got in a game? What matters to God is everything about Him and His people. Before you argue remind yourself the person who you are arguing with is more important than the argument.
Have you argued about anything silly lately? Write about it.
The good news is that God has the power to restore any relationship. If you had a silly argument this week, go say you are sorry and ask for that person’s forgiveness.

DID YOU KNOW

You might lie sometimes and have people believe you. You may never be found out while you live on earth. But God knows the truth. It may seem that there is no punishment for these false teachers on earth. They seem to get everything they want. Trust that God knows their lie and He knows the right punishment in the right time….even if you don’t get to see it happen.

Day 4 – BEWARE OF TWISTED TRUTH

Read 2 Corinthians 11:13-15
What does Satan disguise himself as? What do his followers disguise himself as too?
You read about this yesterday but it’s good to hear this message again. Lies don’t always look or sound evil. They sound and look good. The scary thing is if you listen to a lie long enough you will believe it is really true. Not only will you believe it’s true, you will make everything around you support it. Let’s pretend you knocked over some grape juice and ruined your mom’s new white rug. When your mom asked, you said your baby sister did it. To prove yourself, you switched out your cup for your sister’s Sippy cup. You also told your mom you were outside when it happened and showed her the dirt on your shoes that was really there from yesterday. Do you see how you twisted what is really true to fit your story? That is what Satan and false teachers do. They tell a lie and twist the truth about everything around them to support what they said. You must beware of lies and to do this you have to rely on God and His Word! Think about a time that you told a lie and twisted things to support your lie. Did anyone believe you?

Day 5 – BEWARE OF BELIEVERS WHO ARE DISRUPTIVE

Read 2 Thessalonians 3:6
Who are you supposed to beware of? Why?
Idle: (adj) not active
Disruptive (adj) causing separation: causing fights or quarrels
God wants you to be caring and love all people. He wants you to beware of people that can pull you away from Him. God tells you to share Jesus with people who don’t know Him. He also asks you to encourage people and set an example for believers who are not strong in their faith. It is confusing when He says beware of believers who are idle and disruptive. Aren’t you supposed to encourage them? Yes, of course! But God doesn’t want you to spend most of your time with them. God knows you can start to become like the people you hang out with. A believer who is idle is a person who is not active in their faith. They have God in their heart but they ignore what He says. If someone is ignoring God, then they are choosing their own way… which is sin. You know sin is disruptive and God has asked you to beware of it. Encourage those people or invite them to church. If you have a strong group of friends, you can invite them to come hang out with you. Why is this different than hanging out with them alone? Your good friends can help you stand strong and that person will be influenced by you and your friends.
Do you know a friend who believes in Jesus but ignores what He says?
How can you encourage that friend? Are you spending too much time with that friend alone? Do you have a good group of friends that encourage you?

Beware Of Bad Influences

Day 1 – BEWARE OF BAD INFLUENCES

Read 1 Corinthians 15:33. What does bad company do?
As a kid, your parents choose a lot of things for you. They choose where you live. They choose where you go to school and what you are allowed to do. One of the choices you have is your friends. Of course your parents can help you and they can limit your time with certain people, but when you are at school your friends are your choice. The choice of your friends is a very important decision because friends influence you. Beware of people who can influence you to give into your sinful desires. You want friends who encourage your walk with Jesus.

Day 2 – BEWARE OF PLACES THAT CAN INFLUENCE YOU

Read Psalm 1:1. Why does this verse say a person is blessed?
Why do you think you are blessed to not spend all your time with people who love sin?
All people sin. Even your friends who follow Jesus will make mistakes. You want to beware of people who love to sin. These people enjoy living life their own way and don’t want to follow God. You do not want to treat these people bad. You don’t need to avoid these people at school. You might be on sports teams with them or the teacher might pair you up with someone like this in a class. That is completely fine! God is not talking about avoiding them. They can be friends, but just not the kind that you spend all your time with. You also need to beware of going to places where there are not good influences. Often times these places promote sin and bad choices. Right now at your age, your parents protect you from going to those places. As you grow up, you will have more freedom where you go and don’t go. It’s good to know now that you can put yourself in bad situations and be influenced by the people there.
What are some places you know you should not be at your age?
Why do your parents not want you to be there? Can you be influenced by anyone there?

Day 3 – OBEY YOUR PARENTS

Read Ephesians 6:1-3
What does this verse say for you to do?
God has asked your parents to teach you how to live life and protect you from things that can keep you from being you. Your parents have lived life a lot longer than you and understand what the world is like. They don’t know all the specific challenges you will face, but they know how to prepare you to live life. It might be hard to understand why they say “no” just like it’s hard to understand why God says “no.” But God has put your parents in charge to help you become you. What are some things your parents have taught you? Say thank you to your parents.

Day 4 – HAVE GOOD FRIENDS

Read Ecclesiastes 4:10. What can a good friend do for you?
God wants you to have friends. He knows that a good friend will help you become more like Him. He will use your friends to encourage you in your adventure to find your identity in Christ. God knows you will make mistakes and He will use your friends to help get you back on your feet. Beware of trying to live life on your own without any help from others. If you always have people encouraging you, it will be easier to get back on your feet when you fall. Do you have a friend who has helped you when you did wrong?
Do you have a friend who helped you when something bad happened?

Day 5 – GOOD FRIENDS CHALLENGE YOU

Read Proverbs 13:20. If you walk with good friends you will become what?
The president of the United States doesn’t run the country on his own. He has a group of people to help him do his job as president. When something happens, the president is in charge of the decision but rallies with all of his chosen advisors to help him be wise when he makes the decision. He relies on their knowledge and experience to help him. You are in charge of making decisions for your life, but if you have great friends they can help you make wise ones. God uses people in different ways and teaches people different things at different times. A good friend can help you in something he or she has already experienced or learned from God. If you live your life with great friends who follow Jesus, God will give you His wisdom through them to help you become who He wants you to be!

Strength Comes From God

Day 1 – GOD GIVES STRENGTH

Read Isaiah 40:31
Who will renew your strength? If you have God’s strength, will you wear out?
God has a lot of good things in store for you. The enemy wants to wear you out so you won’t have the strength to do them. God reminds you He will always give you new strength. His power will never run out. Rely on Him and you will be strong your entire life to do what He has planned for you to do!

Day 2 – RELY ON GOD

Read James 4:7
What does the devil do when you submit yourself to God?
Submit: (v) rely on the superior power of an authority
Submitting to something may sound like you are giving up. By submitting yourself to God, you are not surrendering. A strong follower of Christ begins by submitting to God and lets Him fight for them. The devil can defeat you because you are human. But he cannot defeat God. Wouldn’t you want to rely on the person that can make you a winner?
The devil tempts you, but He runs from God.
How can you rely on God’s power and authority?

DID YOU KNOW?

God literally collapsed the walls of the city that wanted to destroy His people. He asked His people to be ready for battle and do what He tells them to do. When they obeyed, they got to see God fight the battle for them!
Read it in Joshua 5:6-20

Day 3 – GOD’S BATTLE

In the Old Testament, King Jehoshaphat was the king of God’s people. God’s people were surrounded by an evil army and it seemed like there was no way they could win. God made a big promise to His people and He makes the same promise to you today.
Read 2 Chronicles 20:15
Why did the people of Judah and Jerusalem not have to be discouraged or afraid?
Whose battle was it they were going to fight?
God knows what it takes to be you and He knows the battles you will face. There will be times in life that everything surrounding you seems overwhelming. You will think things such as: “There is no way I am strong enough to be me” or “there is no way I am strong enough to fight the battle God has put in front of me.” Remember that if you follow God, the battle is His. He is there to do the fighting. You just need to trust Him and follow.
Have you ever been overwhelmed by something before? If so, write about it.
Did you rely on God to give you strength? If not, how could you have relied on God?
Are you encouraged that as you follow God, He will fight for you?

Day 4 – YOU ARE NOT ALONE

Read Joshua 1:9
Why can you be strong?
Who is with you?
When God is your Savior He is with you always. He promises there is never a moment that He is not with you. He is not the type of God that asks you to be you alone. He is your creator and He is the foundation of your identity. He will fight for you and hold you up when you feel you can’t fight anymore. He is even fighting battles you can’t see now and in your future.

Day 5 – BE PATIENT

Read Psalm 27:14
Fill in the blank: Be strong and __________ on the Lord.
Waiting is the hardest thing to do because it takes patience. It is hard to understand why God does what He does, but if you trust Him you must believe He knows what is best for you and everyone else.
Read 2 Peter 3:9
What does God want for all people?
Why is God patient with people who do bad things?

The Solider's Armor

Day 1 – PUT ON YOUR ARMOR

A warrior would never go into battle without his armor and protection. God gives you everything you need to protect yourself so you can be strong.
Read Ephesians 6:10-18
Label the warrior with all the things that God has given you to protect yourself.

Day 2 – DO NOT GIVE UP

Read Ephesians 6:10-18 and look at the illustration you labeled.
Look at all the things God gives you to be strong. Circle the ones that are used for protection. Put a box around the ones that a soldier would use to attack with.
How many does God give you to protect? How many does God give you to attack?
Do you think being strong in the Lord is all about hurting others?
(Think about what tools God gives you to fight)

Day 3 – THE REAL ENEMY

Read Ephesians 6:12
Is your fight against people? If not, who does God say your fight is against?
It is important to remember as God’s warrior that the true enemy is not people, it’s Satan and his team. Satan will use people and their sin to do evil. But your fight is not to be against them it’s to be FOR them. You are defending God and who you are in Christ. You do this to protect yourself but also to protect others—even those who don’t know they need protection. God can use your strength to bring people over to His side of the battle.
Read Ephesians 6:18
What should a warrior of God be doing? Why do you think prayer is important to be strong? Can praying for people help you remember to not attack a person, even if they are fighting against you?

Day 4 – BE STRONG AND GET DRESSED

Read Ephesians 6:13 and write it down.
Why is the armor of God important? Does a soldier in the United States army go into battle without his armor and protection?
Do you think you can stand strong without your armor?
Memorize this verse today.

Day 5 – GOD’S THE SUPER HERO

Read Ephesians 6:10
Are you a strong warrior in God’s army because you are strong is God is strong?
Many people think nothing bad can happen to them. They live life like an invincible superhero thinking nothing can affect them. This is really dangerous because you are human and a sinner. You will get hurt. You can mess up. This is why your armor is crucial. You believe in a God who is invincible. Nothing can defeat Him. Nothing can hurt Him. He is on your side and will give you His strength. Get your armor on and be ready to be strong.

Pieces of God's Armour

Day 1 – THE CENTER OF YOUR ARMOR

Read Ephesians 6:14. What does the belt represent in the armor of God?
Your Bible may say to “gird your loins with truth.” This is a fancy way of saying put on a belt of truth. You wear a belt in the center of your body. Truth should be the center of who you are. A belt makes your clothes stay in place. It holds up your pants and keeps your top tucked in. The truth of God holds everything in your life in place. If you don’t have truth as the center of who you, are nothing else will hold up.
Wear a belt today and remember that the truth you believe is the center of who you are!

Day 2 – YOUR HEART IS PROTECTED

Read Ephesians 6:14
The breast plate protects what part of your body?
What does the breastplate represent in God’s armor?
Re- Read 2 Corinthians 5:21
How do you have righteousness?
God has given you righteousness to protect your heart. You can’t fight His battles without Jesus as your Savior. To fight the battle against Satan and the world, you have to be different than the world. Your heart has to be protected. If it’s not, then the world will get to you. Satan is trying to take away your identity along with the rest of the world. He will try to get you to his side, but if your heart is covered with the blood of Jesus there is no way He can get you. You might make mistakes, but you will never be on His side.

Is your heart an important part of your body? In a war, would it be important to protect your heart? Is it important to protect your heart in fighting for the Lord?Thank God that He has given you the ultimate protection against the enemy. Jesus’ righteousness fully protects your heart. There is nothing Satan can do to steal it.

Day 3 – LACE UP YOUR BOOTS

Read Ephesians 6:15. Why are shoes important to a soldiers?
Should a soldier in an army wear dress shoes to battle? What about flip flops?
What do the shoes represent in God’s armor?
Wearing the wrong shoes can be bad. For example, you shouldn’t wear flip flops to play in a soccer game. Flip flips would not give you the opportunity to play to your fullest potential. It seems crazy that God wants His soldiers to have shoes of peace. Wherever God’s soldier goes, His footprint should be or peace, not of war. Yes, you will have to defend and fight to stand strong as God’s soldier, but the goal is to bring people the peace of knowing Jesus and being with Him forever.
What are some ways you can show other’s God’s peace?

Day 4 – SHIELDS UP

Read Ephesians 6:16
Why is the shield important to armor? What does the shield in God’s armor protect you from? What does the shield in God’s armor represent?
The enemy will attack and there is no way to avoid it. So you must have your faith! God’s truth is the belt around your body and your faith in Him is your shield. It will go before you and guard you from the enemy’s attempt to steal your identity. You must not only know God but believe that He is true! Write all the ways you have faith in God.
How can these help you when Satan lies and tells you you’re someone you’re not?

Day 5 – HELMET AND WEAPON

Read Ephesians 6:17
Why is the helmet important in battle? What does your helmet in God’s armor represents?
Your helmet protects your head in battle. The enemy will try to get into your mind. It will look different for every person. He might lie and say you are not good enough. He might put junk in front of your eyes and ears to damage who you are. He might keep your focus on the things that you want. Your mind is important to who you are so the enemy will try to kidnap it. If you cover your head with salvation, it means your mind is always focused on what God wants to do in you.
Re-Read Ephesians 6:17. What weapon does God give you in His armor?
God only gives his soldiers one weapon. That weapon is so powerful it is all the soldier needs. A weapon is usually thought of as being used to take away life. God’s weapon is His Word. His word gives life. As God’s soldier, you will fight the enemy by giving the gift of life. Satan gives death and Jesus gives life.

Solider Boot Camp

Day 1 – DON’T GET CAUGHT UP

Read 2 Timothy 2:4
What does a good soldier not do? What does a good solcier do instead?
A soldier has to be able to give up certain comforts in life to do what is needed to protect himself and others. If you are in the army, you have to train for battle. You must prepare and practice being a soldier so you are ready. When you first enlist in the army you go to boot camp to get the mindset of a soldier. You wake up early, practice being obedient and taking orders from authority; you train physically and learn how to fight. Most importantly, you move to the base and leave all the conveniences of being a civilian. If a soldier cared about those things too much, He wouldn’t give them up to protect himself and others. The same is true for you…. you’ll have to give up things to be a good soldier in God’s army. Why? If you care about things of the world too much, it will keep you from fighting.

Day 2 – CLEAN OUT YOUR EARS

It is important as God’s soldier to protect your eyes and ears as they are the windows to your mind. Today you are going to protect your ears.
– Boot camp challenge for today:
Only listen to music that is uplifting and encouraging. (You can listen to secular music if its uplifting and positive.)
If you are listening to the radio turn the channel if there is inappropriate music.
If you don’t have any uplifting music or movies, ask your mom if you can buy some. Call or email your director from Kanakuk to help you with some ideas for great positive “cool” artists.

Day 3 – LOOK UP

Before today’s challenge, answer the following questions about yesterday’s challenge.
Was it hard to only listen to positive music and watch only positive shows on TV? Why or why not?
What did the challenge teach you?
What you put in front of your eyes is important.
-Boot camp challenge:
Only watch things that are positive and encourage your character.
Avoid any movies and TV shows that have bad language or negative attitudes.
Avoid any magazines or books that make you want more “things” instead of God.
Choose not to look at things on the internet that could put images in your head that are not good.

Day 4 – JESUS IS COMING SOON

Before you take today’s boot camp challenge answer the following questions about yesterday’s challenge. Was it hard to only look at things that are positive?
What did the challenge teach you? How did it train you to be God’s soldier?
Today’s boot camp challenge focuses on your words. Your parents cannot help you think and say the right things. They can encourage you to do what is right., but they aren’t in control of your mind.
– Boot camp challenge:
Only say positive and encouraging things. This means only things that uplift others.
Strive to not complain about anything but have a positive attitude.
Remember positive words come from positive thoughts.
It might be a fun exercise to put a marble (or even a quarter) in every time you say something negative.

Day 5 – ASK SOMEONE

Before today’s challenge, answer the following questions about yesterday’s challenge.
Was it hard to only say things that are positive? Why or why not?
What did the challenge teach you? How did it train you to be God’s soldier?
What helped remind you to say good things?
Today’s boot camp challenge is about being selfless. Good soldiers must learn to think of others instead of themselves. Yes, you do need to take care of yourself in life. God doesn’t want you to ignore the things you need but He does want you to trust Him to provide and put other’s needs in front of yours. Today, you are going to put the “I’m Third” attitude in action.
– Boot camp challenge:
For one day, you are challenged to put everyone else’s interests in front of yours.
If you want something, make sure someone else gets it first.
Serve people before you serve yourself today.
Sometime this weekend, answer these questions:
Was it hard to put other’s first? Why or why not? What did the challenge teach you?
How did it train you to be God’s soldier? Did you miss out on anything you needed?
How did God provide for you?

Identity Check

Day 1 – I AM A BELIEVER

Read/ practice reciting Romans 10:9
List out everything you believe to be true… anything you learned this year about God and Jesus. Take the time to look back through Months 2 and 3 to help you remember.
Are you encouraged how much you have learned?

Day 2 – WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED

Go back and see how you have grown this year. Look back at what you wrote down Month 1, Week 4 about what you believe. Think about how much you have learned and write down anything that stands out.

Day 3 – TELL SOMEONE WHAT YOU BELIEVE

Grab your parents or anyone who believes in Jesus. Sit down with them and show them what you have written in your book about what you believe. It is good to let others know what you believe so they can help keep you accountable to who you are!

Give it a try!

Spend some time thanking God for what He taught you this year.
Ask Him to continue to help your faith in Him grow.

Day 4 – MAKE SOME GOALS

Your beliefs make you clean, free, forgiven, eternal and new. If you need to remind yourself of who you became when you believed in Christ, look back at Month 3, Week 4 and re-read the verses. Based on what you believe, set some goals for yourself that go along with your identity in Christ.
How will you act differently this year because you are free from sin through Jesus? Will you act free or still struggle with the same ole’ stuff?
Now that you are forgiven by God, what are ways you can forgive others?
When life is tough on earth, how can you have comfort that you get to live forever with God? What are some ways your attitude should change?
What are some ways you can act like a new creation? How will live life differently because you believe in Jesus?

Day 5 – SHARE YOUR BELIEF

Is there someone you know who does not know about Jesus? Write their name down below and pray for God to give you the opportunity to share what you believe. You don’t have to share today unless you want to. If you are nervous, ask God for help. You can always use the tools God gives you in this book, such as the bridge illustration, to share what you believe with others.

I Belong

Day 1 – BELONG

Read or practice reciting 1 John 4:4
List out every place you belong… anything you learned this year. Look back at Month 4 to remember if you need to.

Day 2 – WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED

Go back and see how you have grown this year. Look back at what you wrote down Month 1, Week 4, Day 2 about where you belong. Think about how much you learned and write down anything that stands out.
Is there any place you know you belong now that you did not know then? Are you encouraged how much you have learned?

Day 3 – TELL SOMEONE WHERE YOU BELONG

Grab your parents or anyone that believes in Jesus. Show them what you have written in your book about where you belong. It is good to let others know what you believe so they can help keep you accountable to who you are and where you belong!

I PROMISE YOU…

God promises that once you believe in Him you will always belong with Him. Nothing you or anyone else does can keep you from Him. Read Romans 8:35-39.
Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Day 4 – MAKE SOME GOALS

Where you belong is a huge part of your identity. God promises that you belong in Christ. Today make some goals on how you can put yourself in places you belong. Look back to the list you made at the end of Month 4 of all the places that God says you belong?
Is there any place you are spending time that you don’t belong?
How can you leave where you don’t belong?
How can you spend time this year doing things with God’s body (other believers)?
Are you with the type of friends that God wants you to spend most your time with?
On earth, you belong in your earthly family. How can you spend more of time with them?
What are some ways you can keep your eyes on Jesus?

Day 5 – SHOW WHERE YOU BELONG

Last week you were challenged to share what you believe. This week your challenge is to show others where you belong by your actions. Look back at the list you made from Month 4 and write down some ideas about how your actions can show others you belong in the following ways:
GOD’S FAMILY:
GOD’S CARE:
GOD’S LIGHT:
IN HEAVEN:

Be You

Day 1 – BE YOURead or practice reciting Psalm 139:13-14
List out everything you think makes you… you. List anything that you learned this year.
Look back at the Months 5 and 6 to help you remember.

Day 2 – WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED

Look back at your list from Month 1, Week 4, Day 3. Is there anything different that you did not know about your true identity in Christ?
Are you encouraged how much you have learned?

Day 3 – TELL SOMEONE YOUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST

Grab your parents or anyone who believes in Jesus. Sit down with them and show them what you have written in your book about your identity in Christ. It is good to let others know your identity so they can help keep you accountable to who you are!

Day 4 – MAKE SOME GOALS

Looking back at your list from month 5 and 6, is there anything that is keeping you from being you? If so, how can you get rid of that obstacle?
Circle 5 or 6 parts of your identity from your list. These are the things you want to focus on this year. Next year you can pick more so don’t try to do too much. Write the ones you picked below (ex: I am forgiven) and write out why you picked these.

Day 5 – APPLY IT

Look at the list you made yesterday. Write some goals of how you can put those parts of your identity to action.
How can you grow in these areas of your identity this year?
Ex: “I am forgiven” so I am going to work on being forgiving. Or “I am unique” so I am not going to worry about what I look like.