"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21

Video presentation: A Man's Identity (Norm Wakefield)

Here is the outline for the video, as downloaded from Elijah Ministries.

A Man's Identity

• Identity Principles
  1. A son primarily gets his identity from his father.
  2. From whoever or whatever a man draws his identity, he acknowledges that him/her/it has the power to shape and control his life.
• First, a son primarily gets his identity from his father.
  1. This principle is illustrated in many ways in our world.
     • Many cultures have traditional rites of manhood
     • For most of history, sons have taken up the same vocations as their fathers.
     • In the Jewish tradition, the barmizvah
     • Last names also typically are derived from one's father
  2. Most importantly, this principle is illustrated in the Bible. In the Bible, men were known by who they were sons of.
     • Bartimeus.
     • Simon bar Jonas.
     • John and James, the sons of Zebedee
     • Long lists of geneologies
     • "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
     • "Sons of God."
• The second part of the identity principle is that from whoever or whatever a man draw his identity, he acknowledges that him/her/it has the power to shape and control his life.
  1. This is illustrated also in many ways in our world.
     A. When a youth wants to be identified with a gang or club, he gives the gang or club the power to shape his life.
     B. When a young man wants to be identified with a young woman, he gives her the power to shape his life.
  2. The Bible also bears the record of this principle.
     A. The bar-mizvah.
     B. Identification with Christ.
     C. Jesus' union and identity with His Father was the source of His power and ministry.
  3. What does all this mean to us as men?
• Let's get in touch with ourselves as sons of our fathers.
  1. Form groups of no more than four to a group
     A. Introduce yourself and your heritage as a son of your father who is a son of your grandfather, etc. For example, "My name is Norm Wakefield, the son of John Wakefield, the son of Lee Otis Wakefield, the son of James Franklin Wakefield, and so on as far back as you can remember.
     B. Share two outstanding characteristics about your father. If you had no father around, share about a man who had the most impact on you as a child.
     C. Share a pleasant memorable experience you had with your father.
  2. When you were a teen, what did the other young men in your jr. high or high school determine to be qualities of a "real man." You were a man when...
• Summary
  1. That a son primarily gets his identity from his father.
  2. The second part of the identity principle is that from whoever or whatever a man draw his identity, he acknowledges that him/her/it has the power to shape and control his life.
  3. To know and understand a man, get to know him as the son of his father.
  4. Most of us as sons acquired our ideas about manhood from watching our dads, the media, and from our peers--not from God's word.