Moses (Adapted Self vs. Authentic Self)

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ABOUT THIS MESSAGE

This message invites us into a profound exploration of authenticity versus adaptation in our spiritual lives. Drawing from the life of Moses, we discover how early wounds and survival mechanisms can shape us into versions of ourselves that operate from fear, control, and performance rather than from our God-given identity. The sermon challenges us to examine our 'adapted self'—the protective persona we've built in response to pain, rejection, or trauma—and contrast it with our 'authentic self'—who we truly are when living from our identity in Christ. Through Moses' journey from violence and withdrawal to intercession and meek strength, we see that God uses relationships as the primary tool to refine us and move us toward wholeness. The message confronts our need to control outcomes, our tendency toward false humility that sounds spiritual but remains self-focused, and our patterns of isolation when shame appears. Yet it offers tremendous hope: the presence of God sets the pace for our lives, and when we surrender our protective mechanisms to Him, we discover that He cares more about who we are than what we do for Him. This teaching reminds us that we cannot be deeply formed in Christ while chronically unhealthy in relationships, and that true spiritual maturity requires us to trust God's timing, share leadership, and absorb offense without becoming offended.

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