Have you ever felt really confident, pretty, funny, smart, strong, rich, or even spiritual? Have you ever done a really good job and felt good about yourself…UNTIL…you got in the presence of somebody, prettier, funnier, smarter, stronger, richer or more spiritual and all of a sudden you begin to feel like you’re not good enough?

Call it what you want, insecurity or shame.  The reality is this painful awareness that I am not good enough shows up in us all.

Regardless of how hard we try, there will always be someone prettier, funnier, smarter…just better. Each one of us at different times will have to deal with this because we were born with a core belief that naturally leads us to assess our value based on what we see.  We are all bent to assess our value based on what and how we see things, not what’s actually true.

We will look at what the author of Hebrews calls an elementary truth: if you’re not acquainted with it, can keep you from growing in your faith and leave you susceptible to running to someone or something else to make you feel better about yourself or leave you following Jesus UNTIL, you get too uncomfortable, lonely or discouraged.

We will discover that God’s work on the cross was intended to free us from our need to perform.  It is through the cross where we find the great exchange, Jesus took my sin, and I take his righteousness – meaning that right now, because of the work of Jesus alone, I can experience the permanent state of acceptance and approval from the Father.  Believing this is foundational and believing this changes everything!