January 8th | Our Identity Is Hidden In Christ.... what?

We're charging full speed into our January theme: Identity in Christ! Grab your Bible and let's hit Colossians 3:3 (NIV) with everything we've got:

"For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."

BOOM! At salvation, your old sinful self? It DIED—crucified with Christ! Sin's grip? SHATTERED! You're forgiven, free, and no longer chained to chasing perfection to prove your worth. That's gone!

Now, your REAL life—the eternal, unstoppable one—is HIDDEN WITH CHRIST IN GOD! Picture this: Your true identity is locked away like priceless treasure in the ultimate fortress—safe, secure, untouchable! Nothing in this world can steal it, shake it, or destroy it. Backsliding moments? Yeah, we all have 'em, but God's grace covers us because we're SEALED in Jesus. The world might not see the full glory yet—there's mystery here until He returns—but man, it's ALIVE inside you!

This truth demands we set our minds on things above—live with eyes fixed on eternity! Don't get sucked into the temporary chaos down here.

And here's the illustration that ALWAYS resonates with me (it's silly, but SO good!): Imagine you're on an escalator rising UPWARD—that's your life in Christ, steadily ascending toward glory, no stopping it! But in your hand? You're spinning a yo-yo—up, down, up, down—like the wild ebbs and flows of everyday life. Your bills hit hard (down!), you receive an unexpected blessing (up!), tough day at work (down!), breakthrough in sales or in a game you played (up!)...

Don't fixate on the yo-yo frenzy! Keep your focus on the ESCALATOR—it's carrying you HIGHER no matter what the yo-yo does! Those ups and downs? They're real, but temporary. Your direction? Straight UP in Christ—secure, victorious, unstoppable!

Don't focus on the up's and down's of the yo-yo! Just stay on the escalator!

Come on—who's ready to ride that escalator today with joy?!

Tomorrow and Saturday, we're diving into the "wardrobe swap" for Christians—what old traits to RIP OFF and what new ones to POWER ON!