Live Free with Josh Howerton - The Identity Trade | Ep. 108 | Wednesday July 5, 2023

Episode Date: July 5, 2023

Like a football player being traded to a new team, we have put on a new jersey in Christ. We played for the enemy, but now we have been put on a new team. Pastor Mike reminds us that even though it might be difficult not reverting to how we played previously, that doesn't change the team we belong to. Big idea: Don't allow old habits to confuse you about which team you are on. For more information, visit lakepointe.church/dailydrive

Thanks for tuning in to today's Daily Drive with Lake Point Church, a daily dose of God's word for your morning drive. When the word, not the world, becomes the majority of your week, your life will start to change. For that reason, our prayer is that God will speak to you through today's devotional. For more digital content to feed your faith, visit lakepoint.comit. And now let's dive in to today's devotional. Hey, welcome to the podcast. I'm Mike Bro and excited to be on this journey with you as we seek after the one who just longs to do life with you and me. We've been talking about how the enemy of our soul doesn't want us to do life with God, doesn't want us to hook up with our creator. So the original identity thief, the one that Jesus called the Father of Lies, uses some big-time lies to hack into our soul and really mess with our identity.

For the last couple of episodes, we've been talking about how the past can defy us. find us and keep us locked up in shame. If you missed any of it, you can go back and catch up. Now, I want to try to use an illustration today that I'm sure is flawed, but it just might help you see who you are because of what Jesus has done. I know there's a lot of different football fans that listen daily, and some of you could care less, but some are really into it. I lived for the past eight years of Ventura, California, about three miles from where the Dallas Cowboys training facility is in Oxnard. I'm telling you, cowboy fans are everywhere, and they are

crazy. And so are Packer fans. And I've been a Packers fan and a Bingles fan for a long time, and there has been a big shift in Packer Nation this offseason. Their MVP, Hall of Fame quarterback, Aaron

Rogers, was traded to the New York Jets. Now, I don't know anything about Aaron, but I'm guessing this transition might be a little tough for him, because he's been a Green Bay Packer's entire NFL career. He knew how to drive to Lambo field blindfolded. He knew the shortcuts to get there the backway, the traffic patterns of the city. He knew the best places to eat in the city. He knew the inner workings of the Packers organization.

He had lots of buddies there, did good in the community there. But an offer was extended, and a transaction was made. And in that moment, he was no longer a Green Bay Packer. He is now a New York jet. And I'm guessing he might have a difficult time in the beginning getting around New York City. It's just a little different than Green Bay, Wisconsin. He might not know the backwaves to the Jets training facility. He may not understand all the inside stuff of being a New York jet. He'll still wear green, but it's a different shade of green and it pairs with white instead of bright yellow. It'll take some time to learn the new playbook and adjust to new teammates.

But the fact is, once the transaction was made, he was no longer a Green Bay Packer. He is now a New York Jet. Now, when the Jets play the Packers, I guarantee you that the Jets coach will not put his arm around Aaron and say, listen, man, I know you feel more comfortable with those other guys since you spent so many years with them. Why don't you just play for us the first half? And then you can switch jerseys and you can play for them in the second half. Not going to happen because a transaction happened. And when that happened, his identity as a player completely and totally changed the instant he accepted the offer. Now, he's in the process right now of changing his mind and his mindset to match the reality of who he now is. and I'm just guessing, but there are probably days his car

will automatically want to go back to that old locker room in Green Bay. He just knows the way. And you and I know what that feels like too, don't we? Most of us know the way back to our past. We know the way back to our old sinful patterns blindfold. I mean, we've been there so many times we could get there in the dark. And when that happens, God is saying, hang on, that's not who you are anymore. I mean, God doesn't even start with, that's not what you're supposed to do.

He says, that's not who you are anymore. You see, a transaction happened between God, the Father, and you. An offer of grace was extended, and when you accept that in that instant, you were rescued by the Son of God, out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of light, and your identity changed. You are now a child of God. His life is your life. You got a new coach, a new playbook, a new set of time.

teammates a transaction was made and your old contract was bought out ripped up and nailed to a cross it's a new day it's a new you the past is simply not who you are anymore and i hear god constantly coaching me come on bro keep renewing your mind to that truth day after day after day you see the reality is that if you don't renew your mind to the truth of who you are now in god's eyes day by day by day you will start to believe that you're still that same old guy. You'll start to believe you're still that same old girl. And if you believe that you're still that same old guy, that same old girl, guess what? You'll start to live like you're that same old guy and that same old girl. So today, let's live in the truth that a transaction has happened and we have a new identity. We have been rescued from darkness to light and the past

has been replaced by a very, very bright future. Hope you have a great day. See you back next time. Thanks for tuning in today. For more biblical teaching and worship, join us for our church online live weekend services on Saturdays at 6 p.m. and Sundays at 9.30 and 11 a.m. Central Standard Time. Also, if this podcast was helpful to you,

would you be sure to rate, review, and share this podcast to help get the word out? For more information about all digital ministries of Lake Point, visit lakepoint. dot church slash daily drive.