Our Shattered Identity—Interactions

Below are some additional interactions on the article: Our Shattered Identity. Read it first.

411:

“Daddy”—Remember, when we use this term we are not referring to this as an actual, physical person (father), but rather as an expression of who (or what) controls our sense of self; our identities.

Snake—Some translations use the term “serpent.” Either term actually refers to Satan himself. True to his character he appears to Adam and Eve in this disguise in order to lead them away from their first daddy.

“Her offspring will crush your head, and you will bite her offspring’s heel.”—This sentence, found in Genesis 3:15, is considered to be the Bible’s first reference to God’s intended plan to right the wrong of the fall. One of Eve’s offspring will crush the head of Satan (i.e. kill him), but not before Satan will injure this individual. Do you want to take a guess at who God is referring to here? Award yourself 10,000 bonus points if you answered Jesus Christ!

Resiliency—the ability to bounce back after tragedy or set back.

Quizical:

A personal survey

Take a piece of paper and write at the top “I AM…”

Next, number from 1 to 20 down the left-hand margin

Now begin to fill in the 20 blanks with things that fill in the blank (For example: …beautiful, …talented, …a daughter, …a Christ-follower, …a senior, etc.) I’m guessing you’ll find the first 10 fairly easy, but the last 10 will make you think harder to describe how you see yourself. Have fun!

Stories:

I admit. Figuring out your identity can be pretty tricky. In high school, I had no clue who I was. I tried to be everything to everybody. I acted and spoke in a way that I thought would please others. Popularity was what I wanted. I wanted other people to know who I was. But somehow I missed the irony in my logic. “I wanted other people to know who I was, but I didn’t even know myself!” Yeah, right!

And More:

Mention the name Lebron James. What do you think of? Basketball. Can you imagine Lebron James without basketball? Or, for that matter, can you imagine basketball without Lebron James? We wouldn’t know who this guy is if it weren’t for his skills on the court. Where do you think “The King” gets his identity? What might happen to Lebron if suddenly basketball were taken away from him?

I want to share a story with you about a man named Kirby Puckett. Puckett was one of baseball’s best all-time centerfielders. He played his entire eleven-year career with the Minnesota Twins where he helped lead them to two World Series Championships (1987, 1991). But on September 25, 1995, a wild pitch by Dennis Martinez struck Puckett in the jaw, shattering it to pieces and ending his Hall of Fame career. Six months later on the morning of March 28, 1996, Puckett woke up blind in his right eye. Despite several surgeries to correct the glaucoma, doctors were not able to reverse his condition. He never played ball again. After his forced retirement from the sport he loved, Puckett’s health and personality changed considerably. He gained weight, got in trouble with the law, and eventually died of a stroke on March 7, 2006. This sad story of a legendary athlete illustrates well the dangers of wrapping our identity around athletics. Kirby couldn’t live without baseball. He lost his identity the moment he lost his vision. He was not resilient. And you know the saddest part of the whole story? You probably didn’t even know who Kirby Puckett was until a few minutes ago. He gave his life and wrapped his identity around a sport that few even remember.

Scripture:

Psalm 39:5–6—a picture of a person’s identity

Ephesians 2:1-3—a summary of our way of life apart of knowing God through Jesus Christ; notice also who Paul references as our “daddy.”

Romans 6:23—a statement regarding the consequences of our sin

Romans 5:12—Paul’s summary of Genesis 3 in one verse

Romans 3:23—a statement made about all humankind

Small Group Guide:

Identity (SG) – 3 – Adam’s Second Daddy

Large Group Guide:

Identity (LG) – 3 – Adam’s Second Daddy

Life Questions:

Do you have a secret like Amber’s? Or have you been holding onto a memory you’ve never been able to let go of? If so, or if you just need to get something off your chest but don’t know who to turn to, then check out this website: https://www.confessionpost.com/confess. I urge you to make your own confession as Amber courageously did.
Invite your active duty parent to sit down with you. Have your mom or dad draw out his chain of command structure. Who is his “daddy,” the one to whom he must report.
Talk with your friends about where they get their identity. In other words, what gives them meaning and purpose and value. For two thousand extra bonus points, video their response and make a short music video.
For the quiet, reflective folks, look at your image in the mirror for 15 consecutive minutes. Ask yourself, “Who do I see staring back at me?” Challenge yourself to examine your character—the inner person of who you are. Then, write down your thoughts in a journal or blog. Hint: You may not want to use the bathroom mirror in case someone needs to…!

Reflect:

In the beginning, the world, and humanity in particular, reflected the image of its Creator. In what ways has the world retained that image? In what ways has the world lost that original glow? After giving some thought to those questions, now answer them concerning yourself! In what ways do you resemble, or reflect, your Creator. In what ways do you not image him?