A Message of Inspiration From the Author of Living Loved, July 6, 2025
Question: Who do people say you are?
Hey friends! This is a question I have asked our youth group a lot. A question that I have asked myself. You see, people have an idea of who they “think” we are. They may say I am a mother, maybe they say I am a prayer warrior; perhaps they say I am Ronnie’s wife. Or maybe they say I am a terrible friend. They may say I am a bar hopper or a gossip, depending on what time period in my life they know/knew me. You see friends, there is a lot people can say we are and a lot of what they say depends on what we do or what they’ve heard we do. We will be known for what people see us doing. What are we doing? Are we hitting the bars? Are we praying with people in Walmart? Are we yelling and acting a fool at ball games? Are we loving people and helping people? Maybe we are feeding the homeless. Are we running around town telling everyone’s business? Are we using our time to serve the Lord or ourselves? You see friends, we must ask this question. We ask not to condemn, but to re-identify or maybe un-identify ourselves with those things. You see, if you are a follower of Jesus, you are no longer a slave to sin, it is no longer you that lives, but Christ who lives in you. You see there were a lot of things being said about Jesus. Some said he was a prophet. Others thought at one point that he was drunk. They called him Teacher, master. He asked his disciple one day, “who do they say I am?” And One replied by saying that “some say John the Baptist, others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” People were calling him a blasphemer. But then Jesus asked Simon, “who do YOU say I am?” And Simon said, “You are the Messiah!” Jesus then renamed Simon to Peter that day. You see friends, when we encounter Jesus and we know him as the messiah, he changes who we are. It no longer matters who people say we are. Like the woman at the well, she went from being known as an immoral woman to being loved and seen by the Lord and she went and told everyone about Jesus. When Jesus called someone, they changed. He called Lazarus Alive after death had taken him. The people said they were unclean because of leprosy and Jesus called them healed. People called the disciples fisherman and kids, Jesus called them his disciples. People said Zaccheus was a corrupt tax collect, but when Jesus called him down from that tree and he experienced the Messiah, he became free and he returned money he had stolen, etc. Friends you see, people are always going to have an idea of who we are, they can call us by our sin, but Jesus calls is His. And when we are His, what we do begins to change and we begin to be known for the Jesus in us instead of the sin. Who do they say you are? Jesus says you are HIS; he calls you a masterpiece, fearfully and wonderfully made, loved, seen, strong, faithful, true, able and capable, child of God, gentle, kind, patient, cheerful, prayer warrior, etc. We no longer have to identify as the world sees us. That is so freeing to know that we ARE WHAT JESUS SAYS WE ARE!! And he will take all our failures, our bad reputations, our sin, our messes, our pasts, our junk and make it our MESSAGE, our TESTIMONY! People will say “is that the same Tracy that used to hang out at the bars all weekend?” Because Jesus never leaves us in our sinful state. So tell me, who does Jesus say you are? Live loved friends!! We are loved by a Mighty God who died to save you!!
People flocked to Jesus for healing, to hear his message. To be fed. He cast out demons. Healed the sick. Raised the dead, Mary and Martha’s brother as well as the little girl. He spoke with authority
What does the world around you say you are. What is being said about you? Jesus can change you. Will you be known as the good person? The bad influence? The one who will pray with people. The one who will stand up for what is right? We can be followers of Christ and make an impact. People can hear about us because of what we are doing for Christ and they can know we will pray with them etc, come to Jesus and be changed. See what others thought of Jesus didn’t change who Jesus was.
“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.””
Matthew 16:13-19 NLT
“Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
2 Corinthians 5:14-17 NLT
“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20 NLT
Father I ask right now that you help me to walk in and be all that you say I am. I pray that I would die to self daily, moment by moment, to satisfy only you Lord. To live a life worthy of the call. I pray that you would help us to be new creations in Christ; that others would see Jesus in us. That there would be more Jesus and less us. I thank you that you have called us loved and forgiven and most importantly that you have called us YOURS!! Thank you father!! We give you all praise, honor and Glory in Jesus name, amen!!
About the author
Tracy Kelley is a follower of Jesus, mother, grandmother, author and speaker, living in Sulphur Springs, TX. She is the author of the book Living Loved, Learning to Live in the Fullness of Gods Love, where she shares encouragement from her daily journey and how God has shown His love to her through various trials. You can buy her book, find events, book her for your event, and follow her by going to her Facebook page, where you will always be greeted as friend! You can purchase her book at Good News Book Store in Sulphur Springs, TX; online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and most other major retailers.
