Tainted Love, Part 3 - Precious in His Sight

Precious in His Sight   "Knowing who we are shapes everything we do."   Belief determines action and action determines outcomes.   (Matthew 14:20-30) Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" (John 8:32) "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."   1.  I am His Child.   (I John 3:1)  "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!"   (Ephesians 1:5) "(In love) he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ"   Do you see yourself as that?           2.  I am His Friend.   (John 15:15) "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you."   (Psalm 33:11) "But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations."   3.  I am worth dying for.           (Genesis 1:26) "Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…"           (I Corinthians 6:19-20)  "You are not your own; you were bought at a price…"                    4.  I am an heir.   (Galatians 4:7)  "So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir."   (Romans 8:17) "Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."  5.  I am capable.            (2 Peter 1:3) (NLT)  "By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him…"           (Philippians 4:13) "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."   For more information on the vision of Freedom Church, please visit our website at www.freedom-church.org.