Authentically You

In this episode, Shelly Pope stops by to help us identify and throw off falsehood so that we can embrace and become our authentic selves before God and others. As women, we can feel so burdened by the pressure to be something we aren't and we can become overly focused on the areas where we fall short. There is so much freedom in letting go of who we are not and embracing exactly who God made us to be- Authentically You.

About the Speaker:
I am a native of Dayton, Ohio and migrated to Marietta, GA with my husband and daughters in 1996.  I’ve been married for 27 years this August and have two lovely daughters. In 1997 I was converted and came to Christ at the Atlanta Church of Christ.   I was called to serve in the full-time ministry with my husband in 2000.  Since then, my husband and I have served in Atlanta for 15 years, Savannah, GA for 3.5 yrs and are now currently serving as the Lead Evangelist and Women’s Ministry Leaders with the Temecula Valley Church of Christ since January of this year.  I became a Marriage and Family Therapist in  2015, to better serve the church and the community of families and individuals throughout Georgia and now Southern California.  I enjoy teaching and training others in Gods word and working to help families and marriages glorify God, spending quality time with my family and friends and dancing to good music. 

Episode Notes: 

• This lesson comes from a Christian series called Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, by Peter Scazzero; Know Thyself So that you May Know God.
• In order to mature and grow spiritually, one must recognize the unhealthy emotional habits that we’ve fallen into before we can really begin the journey of growing into our Authentic Self. Here are 10 signs that you may be struggling with Emotional Unhealthy Spirituality:

1. Using God to run from God 
2. Ignoring emotions of anger, sadness & fear 
3. Dying to the wrong things 
4.  Denying the pasts impact on the present 
5. Dividing life in to spiritual and secular compartments 
6. Doing for God instead of BEING with God 
7. Spiritualizing away conflict 
8. Covering over brokenness, weakness and failure 
9. Living without limits (The need for setting healthy boundaries)
10. Judging the spiritual journey of others (Taking the plank out of my own eye)

• Definition of Authentic: not false or copied; genuine; real: having an origin supported by unquestionable evidence; authenticated; verified: representing one’s true nature or beliefs; true to oneself 

Let’s look at Saul and David and compare how each of them understood authenticity. 

Saul's Inauthentic Self: 1 Sam 15: 2-3,7-24 

• Confidence came from his prestige, performance, possessions

David's Authentic Self: 1 Sam 17:24-45 

• Confidence came from God’s grace, power, wisdom and glory

So how then do we learn to live in authenticity like David?  
Four ways that have been beneficial:

1. Learning Silence and Solitude, so that I can truly hear God and what HE has asked, commanded me to do.  Psm 46:10   Isa 61:1-3

2. Find a trusted Friend that is wise and spiritually mature to help you to discern the directions that God is leading you to.  Prov 27:5-6, Prov 19:20

3. Move out of your Comfort Zone.  2 Tim 1:7

4. Pray for Courage to go on the journey.  Duet 31:7-8 

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