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It is a badge of honor in American culture to be considered a self-made man or woman. Yet, being the god of our own world has a dark side. When we are at the center, the pressure is on us to find happiness, meaning, and security. A message promising freedom turns us into slaves—anxious, tired, and disconnected. Jesus offers something far better. He invites us to give up our lives, embrace him as the main character, and find a different kind of freedom within his design for us. In this series, we will explore the question—what does it mean to live as creatures in a self-created world?
Being self made is woven into the fabric of our culture and our human nature. Ironically, putting ourselves at the center leads to a life of pressure, anxiety, and bondage. We can only experience true freedom when we live as creatures under the authority of a Servant-King who gives life and peace.
Since the creation of man, we have believed lies about the nature of love. Our culture equates love with affirmation, and any disagreement is perceived as hate. Yet when we are led by the self-made song, we cannot experience God fully. Instead, we rejoice that through Christ, God has power to transform our desires.
Main character syndrome says our meaning comes from within, and our identity is found when we perform and express our inner desires for others to affirm. But the song of the creature is that true significance and freedom come from playing a meaningful, supportive role in God’s story, not our own.
The world has merged sex and happiness, telling us that living out our sexual desires will bring identity and fulfillment. However, true life and identity are found within God’s design, and we can trust that because the giver of sex is good, his boundaries are the path to flourishing.
In a culture where we have more connection and agency than ever before, we are overwhelmingly isolated and anxious. We feel responsible to make our lives good and create our own version of the truth, and the weight is crushing us. Jesus offers a better way, for when we surrender to him, we find rest and peace.
We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.
Ephesians 4:14b
These daily readings will help prepare you for the upcoming teaching you will hear this weekend at Grace Church. These passages will create some context for the sermon by showing you Scriptures the teacher might be quoting and some passages that contain related ideas. Our hope is that as you follow this reading plan, it will help you become more defined and directed by Scripture.
He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.
John 3:30