E N C O U N T E R I N G

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1 RECLAIMING IDENTITY TO THE GIRL WHO'S FORGOTTEN HOW TO LIVE BOLDLY ROOTED AND CONFIDENT AS THE WOMAN GOD CREATER HER TO BE. S I E R R A S C O T T E N C O U N T E R I N G G R A C E

2 P R E F A C E : T h i s s t u d y i s i n t e n d e d t o h e l p s h e d l i g h t o n w h o y o u a r e i n C h r i s t. E a c h d a y t h e r e i s s c r i p t u r e r e a d i n g t h a t ' s g i v e n, a c h a l l e n g e a n d p o t e n t i a l l y s o m e r e f l e c t i o n q u e s t i o n s f o r y o u! I w a n t t o e n c o u r a g e y o u t h a t a s y o u g o a b o u t t h i s s t u d y ( o r a n y s t u d y f o r t h a t m a t t e r ), t o t a k e w h a t G o d i s t e a c h i n g y o u, a n d t h e t h i n g s y o u ' v e g r o w n o n d u r i n g i t ' s c o u r s e, a n d s h a r e i t w i t h o t h e r s! S o o f t e n I t h i n k w e j u s t t e n d t o j u s t s h a r e t h e d e s t i n a t i o n o f t h e b r e a k t h r o u g h o r p r o m i s e, a n d f a i l t o r e m e m b e r t h e p o w e r t h a t ' s f o u n d i n t h e j o u r n e y a n d p r o c e s s! S o i f t h e r e ' s a n u g g e t o f t r u t h y o u f i n d i n t h i s s t u d y, o r a s c r i p t u r e t h a t s p e a k s t o y o u, I w a n t y o u t o s p e a k u p! P o s t a b o u t i t, t e l l a f r i e n d a b o u t, w h a t e v e r w a y i n w h i c h y o u f e e l m o s t c a l l e d t o. A n d a s a l w a y s, I w a n t t o k n o w w h a t t h i n g s G o d t e a c h e s a n d c h a l l e n g e s y o u o n i n t h i s d e v o t i o n a l. S o s h o o t m e a m e s s a g e, t a g m e i n a p o s t, o r j u s t u s e t h e # E n c o u n t e r i n g G r a c e h a s h t a g. O k a y, a r e y o u r e a d y? G r a b y o u r j o u r n a l, y o u r b i b l e, a n d a c u p o f c o f f e e. L e t ' s g e t s t a r t e d! S i e r r a S c o t t E n c o u n t e r i n g G r a c e

3 D A Y O N E I D E N T I T Y : W H Y I T M A T T E R S " B E F O R E G O D E V E R S A I D, ' D O ', H E F I R S T S A I D, ' B E '. "

4 D A Y O N E : I D E N T I T Y : W H Y I T M A T T E R S Hey friend! I am so glad you and countless others have decided to come with me in the journey as we unpack what it looks like to live a life rooted in Christ centered identity. I believe that the topic of identity is one of the most important, crucial and needed conversations not only to be had in the world today, but to be walked out. Identity goes far beyond what you do. It s not about your political stance, your popularity, or what you look like. Identity is who you are. Everything else is just an expression unto that. So here s my question for you. W H A T O R W H O D E F I N E S W H O Y O U A R E? When times are rough, and insecurities are high, who or where do you run for approval and confirmation? Where do you go for your confidence, or your daily fill? Because here's a foundational truth I want you to know and experience during this study. Nothing can ever guide you, confirm you, equip you or love you like Jesus can. And when your identity is rooted in the truth that you are loved, you are called, and through the Holy Spirit you are equipped, then you can step out in bold humility and strength in the very things God has placed in front of you.

5 You see, So many Christians are tired, aimlessly trying to slay dragons in the name of Jesus, not realizing that the dragon within us, is actually the biggest one of them all. But, BEFORE GOD EVER SAID, "DO" HE FIRST SAID "BE". Think about that. Before God ever said to surrender, to bear fruit, to listen and obey His commands, He first called cultivated our being. Before he ever gave us instruction as to what to do, he first told us who we were. Why is this so vitally important? Because, IF YOU EVER WANT TO STEP CONFIDENTLY INTO WHAT GOD HAS CREATED YOU TO DO, YOU MUST FIRST STEP CONFIDENTLY WHO HE CREATED YOU TO BE. The lies and insecurities are going to come your way. But because of the Holy Spirit, any thought that you ve believed about yourself that the Father doesn t first say about you, is a lie that you ve been given authority through Jesus to take captive and make obedient to the truth of what He says.

6 T O D A Y ' S C H A L L E N G E : Write out a list of your insecurities. Once you've finished your list, and as you go about your day today, take each of those insecurities and talk to Jesus about them. Share your heart, your fears and doubts, and leave space for you to listen to what He has to say. Jesus, where are these insecurities rooted from? What things am I holding onto that are preventing me from living in the freedom of who you've called and made me to be? R E A D I N G : Romans 12:1-2 and Colossians 3:1-5, "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." Romans 12:1-2 "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." Colossians 3:1-5

7 D A Y T W O : I A M L O V E D " H O W D I F F E R E N T L Y W O U L D Y O U R L I F E L O O K I F Y O U K N E W, T H A T T H E L O V E Y O U D E S I R E S O M U C H F O R, Y O U A L R E A D Y H A D? A N D N O T O N L Y T H A T, B U T I F Y O U K N E W Y O U H A D I T A B U N D A N T L Y. "

8 D A Y T W O : I A M L O V E D We love to love love. Don't we? We crave it. We pursue it. We fight for it. But how different would your life look if you knew, that the love you desire so much for, you already had? And not only that, but if you knew you had it abundantly. In a world where we allow social media, movies and our own broken experiences define what this word means, let's take a look as to how the scriptures define it. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Now I used to read this verse only as the standard in which I was to strive to love other people. Until one day I realized that it's to this very standard in which God spoke His love over me. And this is what I saw. GOD IS PATIENT AND KIND TOWARD ME. HIS LOVE FOR ME IS NOT JEALOUS, BOASTFUL, PROUD OR RUDE. IT DOESN'T DEMAND IT'S OWN WAY. HIS LOVE FOR ME IS NOT IRRITABLE AND NO MATTER HOW MUCH I SHAME MYSELF FOR DOING WRONG, HE DOESN'T KEEP A RECORD OF MY SHORTCOMINGS.

9 HE DOESN'T REJOICE OVER INJUSTICE BUT RATHER CELEBRATES EACH TIME THE TRUTH BECOMES LOUDER THAN THE LIES. HIS LOVE NEVER GIVES UP ON ME, NEVER STOPS PURSUING, ALWAYS HOPEFUL AND FIGHTS THROUGH EVERY ONE OF MY CIRCUMSTANCES. Truth is God pursues you to a standard nobody and no thing ever can or will. You were created with a desire for a love so radical that it calls you to empty yourself, holding nothing for the sake of discovering everything. You desire to be loved simply because He is love. His desire for you can't be confined to human standards. He doesn't work within the confines of human logic. We give and take away love depending on what we receive and what we get. "BUT CHRIST PROVED GOD S PASSIONATE LOVE FOR US BY DYING IN OUR PLACE WHILE WE WERE STILL LOST AND UNGODLY!" ROMANS 5:8 In your moment of deepest shame, utter embarrassment and most broken state, God saw you. He spoke His love over you and held you, whether or not you were aware of it in that particular moment. Love doesn't look for an escape. It looks for a way to run in. And that's what God does. Don't reject it because of a lie the enemy feed to you, because that's giving the enemy far more attention and hold than he deserves. Receive it. Celebrate it. Because you my friend, are so very loved.

10 C H A L L E N G E : Today my challenge for you is that you would celebrate His love over you. Blast your favorite worship song and pour your heart out to Him. Each and every time a thought that reflects the lie that you are anything less than deeply and utterly loved, take that thought captive and remind yourself of the truths that are found in the reading today. R E F L E C T I V E Q U E S T I O N S : What things other than Christ have you allow to define the word, "love"? Why do you think that is? What prevents you from receiving and walking boldly in the love of God? R E A D I N G : His banner over me is love. Song of Songs 2:4 Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10 "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." Romans 8:37-39 "The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing." Zephaniah 3:17 For Further Reading: Isaiah 43:1-4

11 D A Y T H R E E : I A M F E A R F U L L Y A N D W O N D E R F U L L Y M A D E " Y O U R I N S E C U R I T I E S A R E N ' T A R O A D B L O C K. T H E Y ' R E A N O P P O R T U N I T Y. "

12 D A Y T H R E E : I A M F E A R F U L L Y A N D W O N D E R F U L L Y M A D E "I am fearfully and wonderfully made." That's not a statement you hear people say very often I'm sure. In fact, maybe you've never heard someone say that statement with confidence. But what about these statements? "I'm just a broken, messed up sinner who's saved by grace." Or, "The more I get to know God, the more I see how terrible I am and how great he is." Now don't get me wrong. I understand the intent and heart behind these statements. As Paul oh so perfectly states, "And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can t. I want to do what is good, but I don t. I don t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. Romans 17:18-20 In our humanity, we are broken and prone to wonder. We all have insecurities that we've yet to give to God, promises we have yet to take hold of, things in our hands we have yet to let go of. But here' the thing.

13 YOU DON'T HAVE TO DEVALUE YOURSELF TO ELEVATE THE VALUE OF JESUS. His worth, His value, His glory, isn't dependent upon you telling everyone and pondering how broken you are. Jesus came to give you a story that glorifies His ability and power to redeem. Don't change the plot He created just because you think it lifts His name higher. His heart is for you to know the fullness of His strength that's made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), the love that cannot be separated (Romans 8:35-37), and the hope that renews strength (Isaiah 40:31). When you realize this, you find that, YOUR INSECURITIES AREN'T A ROADBLOCK. THEY'RE AN OPPORTUNITY. Every insecure thought that runs through your mind is a chance to further discover the love in which you were created for. Struggling to feel beautiful? Meditate on the truth that, "You are all together beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you." (Song of Songs 4:7). Struggling to feel worthy? Remind yourself of the God who leaves the ninety-nine for the sake of the one (Luke 15:3-7). Practice laying every thought and feeling at the foot of Jesus, and taking it captive according to His truth. LEARNING TO LOVE WHO YOU ARE ISN'T ABOUT LOOKING INWARD. IT'S ABOUT LOOKING UP.

14 It's His nature that gives everything else it's beauty. STOP SAYING YOUR UNWORTHY AND DIRTY WHEN HE'S DONE EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO SHOW YOU YOUR CLEAN. Because of Him, you are fearfully and wonderfully made. Embrace it. C H A L L E N G E : Make a list of five qualities or things that God has instilled or given you in your created nature, that you love. Then list your biggest insecurity. Write down one way that you could turn that insecurity into an opportunity to deepen your relationship with Christ. R E A D I N G : "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you." Psalm 139: 13-18

15 D A Y F O U R : I A M A D A U G H T E R " N O L O N G E R D O Y O U H A V E T O W O R K Y O U R W A Y T O P E R F E C T L O V E B E C A U S E P E R F E C T L O V E H A S W O R K E D H I S W A Y T O Y O U. "

16 D A Y F O U R : I A M A D A U G H T E R Did you know that the Father isn't keeping track of your every shortcoming and failure? Do you know that there's not going to be poster board awaiting your arrival in heaven filled with tally's that mark every sin in which you found yourself enslaved to? Maybe today you've found yourself struggling. You're trying so hard to keep you're head above that one sin you just can't seem to ever truly walk away from, and you've found yourself stuck. Well let me fill you in on something. STRIVING DOESN'T FREE PEOPLE. JESUS DOES. LOVE DOES. YOUR TITLE AS A DAUGHTER, ISN'T DEPENDENT UPON HOW PERFECTLY YOU LIVE OUT HIS COMMANDS. Freeing, isn't? Think about this. When a mother has finally had her baby, she immediately falls in love. And from that very first time in which she holds her son or daughter for the first time, her heart has already been handed to the one who's now being held in her arms. Not because her now new-born child did anything to earn it, but purely on the basis that her child is now her own. And as the years go on, fights will happen, and things may tear at the relationship, but the title of daughter is something that can never be escaped from. Well you're title as a daughter is no different. You are God's daughter. You were created in His image and in your very nature you have been purposed to know Him. And even when you willingly walked away,

17 He still came and pursued you. He bought you back although you were already His to begin with, and He's continually running towards you with open arms. You've been adopted out of the principles that the enemy wants to enslave you to, and instead have been adopted into a kingdom where you don't have to prove your significance. You don't have to prove your worthiness, or you're value because neither of those things are dependent upon you to begin with. No longer do you have to work your way to perfect love because perfect love has worked His way to you. BECAUSE WHAT GOD WANTS MORE THAN YOUR ACTIONS, IS YOUR HEART. So today, with whatever you may be going through, take heart. Know that God is looking at you as a daughter and not as prisoner. You are significant by nature of the one who made you. SO QUIT STRIVING TO EARN A TITLE THAT THE FATHER HAS ALREADY GIVEN TO YOU. Because you stepping confidently into identity as a daughter, may potentially present the open door that's needed for someone else to do the same. "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." 1 Peter 2:9

18 C H A L L E N G E : Today my challenge for you is to write a letter to your future daughter or son. What would you want them to know if you could say something to them right now? Afterwards, reflect on how that letter showcases the Father's inescapable love for you. R E A D I N G : "Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had. They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set. And that s the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world. But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, 'Abba, Father.' Now you are no longer a slave but God s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir."

19 D A Y F I V E : I A M S E T F R E E " S H A M E D I S T A N C E S Y O U F R O M Y O U R I D E N T I T Y, W H I L E C O N V I C T I O N R E A F F I R M S I T. "

20 I A M S E T F R E E A couple years ago, I found myself in a situation that I should ve left. I knew the situation wasn t honoring to God and it wasn t honoring my value and worth that I had newly discovered I had in Jesus. But for some reason, even in the midst of all the life changes God was bringing forth into my life, my feet stayed planted in the ground of my own desires and satisfactions. I still remember the days after. Guilt and regret overwhelmed my soul, and suddenly I began wondering if I was truly saved. I had just spent the last few months discovering the freedom that s found in Jesus and yet somehow in a moment I reverted back to someone who I barely knew or recognized. And maybe you ve found yourself in that situation before. Well let me tell you something. Guilt is from the enemy, but conviction is from God. And it s so vitally important you separate the two. Because a set free life isn t driven by a lack of conviction, it s driven by a lack of guilt. Wondering what s the difference? SHAME DISTANCES YOU FROM YOUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST WHILE CONVICTION REAFFIRMS IT. Did you know that God doesn t look at you through the lens of your own shortcomings and mess ups? That s because God looks at you through a lens that s been stained by the blood of the cross. And since God isn t confined to our understanding of time, for every moment in which you ve fallen short, there s an eternity in which God has declared you set free by His grace and power. Truth is you were never capable of saving yourself. That s why Jesus had to come.

21 So even when the lies feel as though they re speaking louder than truth, here s the bigger truth and the bigger reality that deserves your attention. Your insecurities don t define you. You re abilities or incapabilities don t define you. You re short comings don t define you. Your relationship status doesn t define you. Your Instagram doesn t define you. The cross defines you. And while your mind may call you inadequate, underserving and incapable, the cross calls you worthy, called and redeemed! A bigger reality than the one you ve often listened to is knocking on your door, and waiting for you to live in the fullness of it s freedom. SAYING YOU RE SET FREE DOESN T MEAN YOU RE LIVING SET FREE. You have to change your thinking. That s why Paul says, Don t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 So when the enemy tries to feed you guilt, shame, and lies, put your faith in the hands of Jesus. Because the truth is, the enemy already knows your everything God says you are. That s why he s after you. Don t allow the enemy to believe more about who you are than what you believe about who you are. BECAUSE IF GOD DOESN T LOOK AT YOU THROUGH THE LENS OF YOUR SHORTCOMINGS, WHY ARE YOU?

22 C H A L L E N G E : Today my challenge for you is openly confess something that God has set you free from on social media, or in person to someone. Telling people about the journey of being set free not only reminds us of God's redemptive power, but also weakens the grip that our past can often have on us. So be open and transparent! Who knows, maybe your story is going to be what impacts somebody else's. R E A D I N G : "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." 2 Corinthians 3:17 "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." John 8:36 "But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe." Galatians 3:22 "I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts." Psalm 119:45 Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses." Acts 13:38-39 For Further Reading: Romans 8