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I AM Part 3

I AM Part 3
Watch I AM Part 3

Available on: Apr 10 2016

Don't limit your destiny to how you see yourself right now. God may be calling you to more.

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Apr 11 2016 Kevin Gerald

The right "I AM"

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Hosts

Make sure to start off with prayer. Then choose one or more icebreaker questions to open up with.

  • If you were stranded on a remote island, would you rather be alone or with the person the most annoys you?
  • What is the best financial decision you ever made? What is the worst?

Message Review

Main points and scriptures from this week's message.

The "I AM" series is about getting the right "I AM" in your heart, so you can experience God's plan for your life.

The wrong "I AM" will hold you back and cause you to miss out on the opportunities you have to become the person you are meant to be.

Judges 6:12 (NIV)
When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior."

Gideon is surprised by God's view of him, because at this time his people, the Israelites were severely oppressed by the Midianites and other enemies. They were being held down, held back and could not catch a break. The had not even attempted to fight back. Every time they started moving forward, their enemies would come and take everything they had gained. At this point Gideon is very discouraged, weary, and beaten down. So he responds with:

Judges 6:15 (NIV)
"Pardon me, my lord," Gideon replied, "but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I AM the least i my family."

Does this sound familiar? We all do this, not being negative, but really sharing what the reality was. For example, we might say:

I am stressed out...annoyed...overwhelmed
I am third in the birthing order...I am the youngest of 5
I am frugal...a tight wad...selfish
I am scared...paranoid...afraid...worried
I am unemployed...unskilled
I am ugly...skinny...fat
I am Catholic...Atheist...Christian

The point is you never know what Good Things are out there with your name on it, waiting for you to step into it.

Point 1: God sees you differently than you see you.

Examples:

  • You look at your weakness - God looks at your strength.
  • You look at what you cannot do - God sees what you can do.
  • You look at your sin: God looks at the cross that eclipses your sin.
  • You look at your past - God looks at your future.
  • You look at who is against you - God says, "If I am for you then who can be against you?"

Thankfully, Gideon embraced his new "I am" and he began to stir up the hopes of the people and they grew stronger, God's favor was on them, and they overtook the enemies that oppressed them. 


Point 2: God sees you with his favor factored into your life.

God knows about your sin, shortcomings, and weaknesses. BUT he sees you through the lens of His favor on your life.

When you factor in God's favor you start to see your troubles and problems as a temporary condition not a permanent position. 

Point 3: The wrong "I AM" will limit your potential. The right "I AM" will take the lid off your potential.

I do not think anyone wants limits on their own potential. 

Proverbs 6:2 (ESV)
We are snared by the words of our mouth.

Deuteronomy 28:11-14 (MSG)
God will lavish you with good things: children from your womb, offspring from your animals, and crops from your land, the land that God promised your ancestors that he would give you. God will throw open the doors of his sky vaults and pour rain on your land on schedule and bless the work you take in hand. You will lend to many nations, but you yourself won't have to take out a loan. God will make you the head, not the tail; you'll always be the top dog, never the bottom dog...

No matter what you go through, it doesn't have to get in you and leave a negative residue on your soul. Keep growing into the "I AM" of your destiny.

Just because you have experienced poor does not mean you have to think poor.
Just because you have experienced small does not mean you have to think small. 
Just because you have failed does not mean you have to think of yourself as a failure. 

You can choose to keep the right "I AM" in your heart and in your mouth. When you do, you give God the opportunity to use you just like he used Gideon.

Message Discussion Questions

Read the following guidelines before starting your group discussion.

  • Answer the question specifically. Avoid tangents and try to stay on target.
  • Limit your responses to 1–2 minutes per question.
  • Use I, me, or we statements. This is designed to be for personal reflection, not a time to fix others with your opinion.
  • Each person is free to share without interruptions when sharing within the suggested guidelines. 


The following questions will help guide your discussions and give your group some opportunities to open up and share.

  • Tell about a time when somebody else saw something in you that you did not see in yourself.
  • When someone else gives you a good compliment, does your mind sometimes go towards thinking about all the things you are not or your shortcomings in an attempt to "cancel out" their compliment?
  • What are some of your negative "I AMs" right now? (For example, I am stressed out, annoyed, overwhelmed, ugly, fat, introverted, selfish, etc)
  • We hear that God does not focus on our sin, but rather sees the cross when He looks at us. Is this hard for you to remember or accept?
  • What troubles are you currently having that is difficult to see as a temporary condition rather than a permanent position?
  • Tell us about your potential. Do you have some "untapped" potential? What is holding you back from unleashing it?
  • Do you think words are powerful? What are some of the things you commonly SAY about yourself or your condition that you need to change? 


Live It Out

Encourage your group to start doing. Commit to a step, and live it out this week.

  • This week when you are about to say something about your current reality like "I am stressed out," make a conscious effort to instead say, "I feel stressed out," and then say a positive "I AM" statement like, "but I am a child of God." Begin to make a habit of using, "I feel," for the negatives and "I am" for the positives. 
  • Tell someone this week about the potential you see in them. Elaborate on it and truly encourage them.  


Closing Thoughts

  • Finish group with prayer requests and praise reports.
  • More resources always available here: Small Group Resources


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