GOD’S PERSEVERANCE IN DELIVERING US IS GREATER THAN OUR INCLINATION TO SIN. 

SCRIPTURE | Judges 3:1-11 

CENTRAL TRUTH 

We’re called to reflect God because we’re His sons and daughters, and being His children shapes our identity. 

KEY QUESTION 

HOW ARE WE SOMETIMES LIKE ISRAEL, MIRRORING AND “SETTLING AMONG” THE WORLD RATHER THAN LIVING AS GOD’S PEOPLE? 

KEEP IN MIND 

The world often tells students they’re supposed to fit a mold. They’re supposed to be popular, yet unique. They’re supposed to look a certain way. They’re supposed to have the latest trends and think their parents are crazy. They’re supposed to go through a “wild phase” and experiment with alcohol. They’re supposed to test sexual boundaries in their relationships. But God doesn’t say any of this. He calls us to look like His Son, Jesus. What’s at stake if we don’t? We miss out on walking in our real identity. We settle for a cheap version of ourselves and look like everyone else. But God calls us to more. As believers, we’re His sons and His daughters, and we have the incredible privilege of living like it. 

APPLICATION 

THIS WEEK, HOW CAN YOU LIVE OUT YOUR IDENTITY AS GOD’S SON OR DAUGHTER INSTEAD OF LIVING LIKE THE WORLD? 

THE WIN 

FOR THE STUDENT: Our students are not products of this world. Our culture doesn’t define who they are. Their friends, social media, and even their lineage don’t define them. As believers, they’re sons and daughters of God. Their identity is in Him, and they’re created to look like Him (Gen. 1:27). 

FOR THE LEADER: As leaders, a lot of us know how it feels to embrace the identity the world pushes on us. We know how unfulfilling it is. But we also know how faithful God is when we come to Him in repentance. We can share with our students about the times when we chose to mirror the world. And we can share how walking as a son or daughter of God is the only way to real joy.