In this episode of the Identity series, we explore one of the most personal and healing truths of who we are in Christ: we are chosen and known by God. After learning to receive identity and rest from striving, the next question many hearts carry is whether we truly belong. Scripture reveals that we were fully known and intentionally chosen before we ever tried to prove ourselves. Through biblical truth and the story of Hagar — the woman who encountered “the God who sees me” — this episode reminds us that we are not overlooked, forgotten, or barely tolerated in God’s family. We are wanted.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear:

• What it means that God knows you personally (Psalm 139)
• How being chosen in Christ is rooted in love, not performance (Ephesians 1:4–5)
• The story of Hagar and the God who sees (Genesis 16; Genesis 21)
• Why feeling unseen in life can make this truth difficult to believe
• How identity in Christ is secure before calling or usefulness (Jeremiah 1:5)
• What it feels like to live as someone known and wanted by God

Key Truth from This Episode:

God’s knowledge of you is compassionate and complete, and His choosing of you is intentional and secure. You are not an afterthought in His story. You belong in His heart.

Signature Line:

“You are not tolerated in God’s family — you are wanted.”

Scripture References:

Psalm 139

Ephesians 1:4–5

Genesis 16:7

Genesis 21:17–19

Jeremiah 1:5

What Being Known and Chosen Feels Like:

• Not having to perform to keep God’s attention
• Being seen in weakness without losing your place
• Coming to God honestly, not rehearsed
• Belonging without auditioning
• Resting in a love that is not reconsidering you

Today’s Step:

Ask God, “Where in my life do I still feel unseen or overlooked?”

Bring that place into His presence and invite Him to remind you that you are known and chosen.

Closing Prayer Summary:

A prayer asking God to help us believe we are chosen in love, to heal places that still feel unseen, and to rest in the security of being known and wanted by Him.

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In this third episode of the Identity series, we move from receiving identity to living from identity. Many believers say they trust grace, yet still live as though God is grading them. This episode addresses the hidden striving many of us carry in our spiritual lives — the quiet pressure to prove we are serious, consistent, or worthy.

Jesus’ words, “It is finished,” change everything. Through Scripture and personal reflection, Mo explores the difference between effort and striving, and what it truly means to rest in Christ’s completed work. This conversation invites listeners to lay down performance-based faith and step into the peace, security, and relational rest God offers.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear:

• How striving can disguise itself as devotion
• The difference between serving from rest and serving to reach rest
• What Jesus meant when He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30)
• Why salvation and identity are gifts, not achievements (Ephesians 2:8–9)
• The meaning of God’s rest in Hebrews 4
• The difference between effort (love responding) and striving (fear performing)
• What rest in Christ actually feels like in everyday life

Key Truth from This Episode:

Identity in Christ frees us from self-justification. We are not working toward acceptance with God — we live from acceptance already secured through Jesus.

Signature Line:

“We don’t build on striving. We build on grace.”

What Rest in Christ Feels Like:

• Shoulders dropping
• Praying without trying to impress God
• Serving without needing recognition
• Sitting quietly with the Lord without rehearsing failures
• Trusting that God’s love has not shifted

Today’s Step:

When you catch yourself thinking, “I should be doing more” or “I’m not doing enough,” pause. Take one breath and say:

“Jesus already finished what I could never complete.”

Then ask God, “Where am I still striving instead of resting in Your finished work?”

Closing Prayer:

Father God,

Thank You that the work of salvation is not resting on my shoulders. Thank You that Jesus finished what I could never complete. Forgive me for the ways I still try to prove myself. Teach me to live from acceptance instead of striving toward it. Help me rest in Your grace and trust that what You have done is truly enough.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Study God’s Word with Me:

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In this second episode of the Identity series, we move from why receiving is hard to how we actually learn to receive. Mo shares a personal story from her teenage years that revealed her struggle to accept even simple compliments — a struggle that mirrors how many of us approach God’s grace.

This episode explores what we truly receive in Christ — His rest, His glory, and intimate relationship — and why learning to receive is not just for our own healing, but essential to loving others well. As Jesus said, “Freely you have received; freely give.” If we have not learned to receive freely from God, we will struggle to give freely to others.

This is an invitation to stop striving, rest in Christ’s finished work, and practice opening the door of your heart to receive what God has already given.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear:

• Mo’s personal story about learning to take a compliment
• What it means to receive Christ’s finished work rather than strive
• Why receiving is relational, not transactional (John 1:12)
• What we receive in Christ: His rest, His glory, and intimate relationship
• Why receiving is difficult — and holy
• How “Freely you have received; freely give” (Matthew 10:8) shapes our ability to love others

Key Takeaway:

Learning to receive is not just about your own healing — it shapes how you love, serve, and give to others. We receive freely so that we can give freely.

Signature Truth from This Episode:

“My identity is not something I achieve — it’s something I receive in Christ.”

Today’s Step:

Practice opening the door to receive one small gift today — a compliment, help, kindness, or even a quiet moment of rest. Resist the urge to deflect or return it. Simply say, “Thank you.”

Later, ask God:

“Where am I still working instead of resting in Your finished work?”

Closing Prayer:

Father God,

We confess that receiving can be hard for us. Sometimes we are more comfortable striving than resting, and more willing to work than trust.

Thank You that Your love is safe. Thank You that Your gifts are freely given. Thank You that Your finished work is enough.

Teach us how to receive — not just with our minds, but with our hearts. Help us open the door when You knock. Help us rest in what You have already done and live from Your grace instead of our effort.

We surrender our striving to You today and choose to receive Your peace, Your presence, and Your love.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Study God’s Word with Me:

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As we begin a new year, many of us feel pressure to redefine ourselves—to be better, stronger, more confident, or more put together. But what if identity in Christ isn’t something we strive to achieve, but something we slowly learn to receive?

In this foundational episode of the Identity series, we talk about why receiving our identity in Christ can feel so difficult—especially for those who have experienced conditional love, withheld affection, or broken trust. This episode isn’t about fixing yourself or forcing belief. It’s about creating a safe starting place to let God gently show you who He is and who you are in Him.

If receiving God’s love has ever felt hard, you’re not alone. And you’re not broken.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear:

• Why identity in Christ is received, not achieved
• Why truth can feel unsafe to receive after relational wounds
• How God builds trust like a good Father—slowly and patiently
• An invitation to begin receiving without pressure or performance

Key Takeaway:

You don’t have to figure out who you are. God already knows.

And He’s not asking you to strive—He’s inviting you to receive.

Signature Truth from This Episode:

“My identity is not something I achieve—it’s something I receive in Christ.”

Today’s Step:

Take one quiet moment today and ask God this simple question:

“What part of my heart feels guarded when it comes to receiving Your love?”

Don’t fix it.

Don’t judge it.

Just notice—and invite God into that space.

Receiving doesn’t happen through effort.

It happens through trust.

And trust grows over time.

Closing Prayer:

Father God,

You see every place in us that feels guarded.

You know where love once felt unsafe, where words were withheld, or protection never came.

Thank You that You don’t rush us.

Thank You that You don’t demand what our hearts aren’t ready to give.

Teach us—slowly—to trust You as You truly are.

A good Father.

A patient Father.

A safe Father.

We invite You into the places we’ve kept protected,

and we trust You to build safety there—one step at a time.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Study God’s Word with Me:

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This brief Christmas reflection centers on the humble way Jesus entered the world—and the heart He calls us to reflect today. Born not in power or grandeur, but in humility and nearness, Jesus came close to the lowly, the overlooked, and the ordinary. As we remember His birth, we’re invited to imitate His heart through humility, gentleness, love, and unity.

Scripture References:

• John 17 (Jesus’ prayer for unity)
• Ephesians 4:2–3 (NLT)

Listener Encouragement:

As Christmas gatherings and conversations fill our days, may we choose to reflect the heart of Christ—walking in humility, extending grace, and pursuing unity in love.

A Note from Me:

After this episode, I’ll be taking a short two-week pause from the podcast for rest and recovery. Thank you for walking this journey with me. I’ll be back in the new year, expectant and grateful for what God has ahead.

Closing Encouragement:

Keep choosing today to be transformed—

one moment of peace, one step toward unity, one day at a time.

Our words carry weight. They build or they break. They plant hope or plant fear. And for many of us, the way we speak today is shaped by what we longed to hear years ago.

In this episode, Mo shares why speaking life matters so deeply to her — shaped by her own childhood longing to be seen, noticed, and encouraged. She reflects on how silence formed her, how coming to Christ taught her to receive encouragement, and why words flowing from the throne of grace can become a powerful gift to others.

Drawing from Proverbs 18:21 and Jesus’ reminder that our words overflow from the heart, Mo invites listeners to examine the atmosphere their words create. Life-giving speech isn’t about pretending everything is okay. It’s about choosing words aligned with God’s heart, peace, and truth.

If you’ve ever longed to be seen… or ever wondered whether your words make a difference… this episode will remind you that God can use your voice to breathe hope, healing, and courage into someone’s day.

Referenced Scriptures:

Proverbs 18:21

Luke 6:45

Colossians 3:15

Romans 12:2

Key Themes:

The creative power of words

Longing to be seen and encouraged

Speaking life vs. speaking from chaos

How renewed minds and peace shape our speech

Using ordinary moments to build others up

Today’s Step:

Speak one life-giving word to someone before the day ends. One encouragement. One affirmation. One sentence of hope.

And keep choosing today to be transformed — one word, one response, one day at a time.

YouVersion:

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When life feels loud, uncertain, or overwhelming, peace can feel like something you have to chase. But in Scripture, peace is not something you pursue — it’s something you allow to rule. In this episode, Mo shares how the peace of Christ becomes the governing voice in the middle of real-life pressures, noise, and internal battles.

Drawing from Colossians 3:15, Isaiah 26:3, and John 14:27, Mo explores how peace is not the absence of chaos but the presence of Jesus. She walks through the practical movements that help you shift from anxious thoughts to a surrendered mind anchored in God’s truth.

If you’ve been feeling stretched thin or pulled in twenty directions, this episode will remind you that peace is possible right where you are — not someday, not when life quiets down, but today.

Referenced Scriptures:

Colossians 3:15

Isaiah 26:3

John 14:27

Key Themes:

Peace as a ruling force

Transforming your thought life

Responding instead of reacting

Surrendering loud thoughts

Letting Christ’s peace make the call

Today’s Step:

Choose one loud thought and surrender it to Jesus. Pray, “Jesus, I give You this thought. Let Your peace rule here instead.”

And keep choosing today to be transformed — one moment of peace, one surrendered thought, one day at a time.

YouVersion:

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Have you ever felt like you were standing at the edge of something new — but completely overwhelmed by everything you’re carrying? In today’s episode, Mo shares a deeply personal reflection on what it means to trust God in the middle of life’s flood-stage moments. Using the powerful story of Joshua 3, we explore the truth that God often begins the miracle long before we see evidence of it… sometimes as far as sixteen miles upstream.

If life feels too heavy, too much, or too fast, this is an episode that will breathe hope into your heart. God isn’t late. He’s already moving in places you cannot see.

In this episode, Mo shares:

• A vulnerable story from her own ministry overwhelm

• A pivotal moment of wisdom from her mentor

• Why “flood stage is God’s stage”

• The stunning biblical detail that the Jordan stopped 16 miles upstream

• How to step forward in faith even when nothing looks possible

• Why God often moves before we ever see the evidence

• A simple, powerful prayer for the overwhelmed heart

Scripture Referenced:

Joshua 3:7–17

Isaiah 54:2

Today’s Step:

Name one thing you’re carrying that feels too heavy and pray:

“Lord, I release this into Your hands. I choose to trust You. I believe the miracle may already be upstream.”

Resources & Connect:

• Blog version available at ichoosetoday.org

• Join Mo on Instagram @i.choose.today

• Share this episode with a friend who needs encouragement today!

YouVersion Mention:

Hey! I love using YouVersion, and I think you will, too. You can study God’s Word, read and watch daily devotionals, pray with friends, and more! Get it here: https://www.bible.com/app