Identityનમૂનો

Main Idea: Live Like Jesus

Have you ever seen someone at school and then met their parents and thought, “Wow, they’re the same”? Maybe you look around the room here today, and you know that someone in here gets their loud laugh from their mom. Maybe they walk just like their dad. And maybe some of you have been accused of being just like one of your parents?

The truth is, we all take after our parents in many ways. If someone is tall, it’s almost certain that at least one of their parents was tall. Their eye color probably matches one of their parents, and oftentimes so does the shape of their nose.

It’s not just true of what people look like, it’s also true of how they act. Patrick Brontë, a 19th-century clergyman, was a creative storyteller and poet who raised his daughters, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne, in a remote Yorkshire parsonage. Despite their isolated life, he encouraged their education and creativity. The Brontë sisters became literary giants, writing classics like Jane Eyre (Charlotte) and Wuthering Heights (Emily). Meanwhile, did you know that children of pro athletes are at least 100 times more likely to become professional athletes themselves? Dell Curry, for instance, was a solid basketball player in the 1990s. His son Steph went on to become an all-time great.

It’s probably no surprise that studies show kids pick up 60–70% of their habits, like how they talk or handle stress, from their parents. We’re wired to copy the people around us, so parents shape us, for better or worse.

When you follow Jesus, something amazing happens: God becomes your Dad. He adopts you into His family and gives you a brand-new identity as His child. That means He also wants you to start living like Him.

Jesus makes this possible. He died on the cross for our sins, rose from the dead, and now offers everyone the choice to follow Him. Saying yes to Him means He forgives you, adopts you, gives you His Spirit, and gives you a new identity in His family.

Reflection Questions:

• In what ways do you see yourself “taking after” Jesus in your thoughts, words, or actions?
• How does knowing God has adopted you as His child change the way you think about your daily choices and habits?
• What is one area of your life where you want to grow to look more like Jesus this week?