Who Do You Think You Are? - Sermon Blog
We live in a world constantly asking us to define ourselves.
Who are you? What do you do? What have you done? What do people say about you?
It's an exhausting cycle—and it's why this message hits so deep.
At Discover, we’re in the thick of our Hot Ones series, and it just keeps getting spicier. Last week we tackled pride. This week? We’re coming after something just as sneaky: false identity.
Because here's the truth—many of us are living in labels God never gave us.
Identity Crisis
In today’s culture, identity is everything. Social media bios, job titles, Enneagram numbers, Myers-Briggs labels, trauma tags, past mistakes, we cling to all of it.
"I'm a 7w8."
"I'm an overachiever."
"I'm just a failure."
"I'm broken. Anxious. Too much. Not enough."
These aren’t just passing thoughts. For many of us, they’ve become who we are.
But God’s Word cuts through the noise.
“You are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1)
That’s what God says about you. Not “you are what you do,” or “you are what happened to you.” You are His.
When Peter Forgot Who He Was
Let’s talk Bible. Galatians 2 gives us a real, raw picture of identity struggle, not from a new believer, but from Peter. Yeah, that Peter. Jesus’ ride-or-die disciple. The guy who walked on water.
Peter had a name change, Simon to Peter. He had a calling. Jesus literally said, “On this rock I will build my church.” But when the pressure was on, Peter acted like Simon again.
He started distancing himself from the Gentiles. Not because he changed his theology, but because he got scared. He slipped into people-pleasing. Religious performance. Cultural comfort.
Paul called him out, not behind his back, but to his face.
Why?
Because identity matters. Because when we compromise who we are in Christ, we preach a false gospel.
It's Not About What You Do
Galatians 2:20 says it best:
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”
That means:
I am not my past.
I am not my trauma.
I am not my personality test.
I am not what others said about me.
I am who Christ says I am.
It’s not about being a perfect mom, an amazing boss, or a super-Christian. Those things might describe you, but they don’t define you.
You are not your job.
You are not your sin.
You are not your struggle.
You are a new creation in Christ.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17
What Are You Still Wearing?
In the sermon, we used a powerful visual. Labels. Lots of them—taped to a board. Some were fun: Creative. Boss. Hard worker. Some were heavy: Anxious. Failure. Misfit. Abused.
Some of those labels you chose. Others were handed to you.
But if you're in Christ, those old names don’t belong on you anymore.
Let them die at the cross.
Yes, you may still struggle.
Yes, you may still wrestle with anxiety or perfectionism.
Yes, you may still wear many hats—pastor, parent, provider.
But your core identity? It’s in Jesus.
You Don’t Have to Earn What’s Already Yours
This is the beautiful, scandalous truth of the gospel:
You don’t have to work your way into God’s love.
He loved you before you did anything for Him. He loved you before you cleaned yourself up. He loved you the moment you said yes.
And He still does.
So stop chasing approval. Stop measuring your worth by your performance. Stop clinging to names He never gave you.
Let those old identities fall away and step into the one name that matters:
Child of God.
Watch Sermon Here:
Looking for a church where you can discover who you are in Christ?
Join us at Discover Church — Sundays at 9am & 10:30am. We’re all about helping those far from God Find Jesus and Discover Life.