Learning to Be You: How Our True Identity in Christ Sets Us Free

by David D. Swanson

Overview

We all want the confidence that comes from living out of our true identity, but how do we get there? We don't magically discover our true selves when we reach our twenties. And some of us spend our entire lives feeling like we are living a lie. We can be torn apart by our duplicity or we can become so comfortable with putting on various personas to suit our situation that we don't even realize we're doing it. But if we are followers and disciples of Christ, our identity is already decided. What we need to learn is how to understand and embrace it.

In this honest and penetrating book, David D. Swanson calls readers to take off their masks, discover the true source of their identities, and enjoy the peace and satisfaction that comes from being authentic and transparent to ourselves, our God, and the people who surround us. He gently leads readers from their hiding places to a life of conviction and courage.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781441238498
Publisher:	Baker Publishing Group
Publication date:	09/01/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
File size:	832 KB

About the Author

David D. Swanson is senior pastor of the 5,000-member First Presbyterian Church of Orlando. He speaks at retreats, conferences, and churches throughout the US and is engaged in a national media teaching ministry called The Well. He has been married to his wife, Leigh, for 22 years, with whom he has three teenage children. He lives in Florida.
David D. Swanson is senior pastor of the 4,000-member First Presbyterian Church of Orlando. He speaks at retreats, conferences, and churches throughout the US and is engaged in a national media teaching ministry called The Well. He has been married to his wife, Leigh, for 25 years. They live with their three teenage children in Florida.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 9

Introduction 11

Part 1 First Things First 15

1 An Honest Struggle: Do We Know Who We Really Are? 17

2 A God We Can Know: Getting Acquainted with a God Who Is Nearer Than We Ever Dreamed 31

3 Hide and Seek: Why We Run from Being Known 45

Part 2 Finding Our True Identity 59

4 Why Do I Feel So Empty? How God Aligns Us for the Fullness of Life 61

5 Does My Life Make a Difference? How God Empowers Us to Change His World 79

6 Why Am I Alone? How God's Presence Answers Our Yearning to Connect 93

7 "Why Can't I Make Sense of My Life? How the Knowledge of God Transforms Our View of the World 109

8 How Can I Get Rid of My Baggage? Finding the Freedom to Let Go 127

9 Why Do Others Always Let Me Down? How-: God's Faithfulness Restores Our Confidence 147

10 Why Do I Feel So Bad about Myself? How God's Love Transforms Our Self-Image 163

Part 3 Learning to Be You Is a Process 183

11 Why Is This Taking So Long? Understanding the Process of Growing in Christ 185

12 Unashamed: Why Living for Christ Is Counter to Our Culture 203

13 To Live Out of Your True Identity You Have to Die to the Old One: Why a Life Submitted to Christ Is Actually the Life You Want 219

Notes 235