Matthew A. Price - Who Am I?

Our purpose at Howard Publishing is to:

Increase faith In the hearts of growing Christians

Inspire holiness in the lives of believers

Instill hope in the hearts of struggling people everywhere

Because Hes coming again!

Who Am I? 2004 The Forest Hills Group, LLC. All Rights Reserved

Published by Howard Publishing Co., Inc.
3117 North 7th Street, West Monroe, Louisiana 71291-2227
howardpublishing.com

Printed in Mexico

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Book concept by Anderson Thomas Design, Inc.
www.SimonandSchuster.com

Cover design by Jay Smith

Interior design by Matt Lehman

Cover photo by Joe McBride, Stone Stock Photography

Edited by Susan Wilson

ISBN 1-58229-352-X
eISBN 978-1-451-60515-0

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations within critical articles and reviews.

Scripture quotations not otherwise marked are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from The New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 50189.

Italics in Scripture have been added by the author for emphasis.

THE LORD YOUR GOD IS WITH YOU,
HE IS MIGHTY TO SAVE.

HE WILL TAKE
GREAT DELIGHT
IN YOU,

HE WILL QUIET YOU WITH HIS LOVE,

HE WILL REJOICE
OVER YOU
WITH SINGING.

ZEPHANIAH 3:17

INTRODUCTION

OK, HERES THE TRUTH: IT DOESNT MATTER WHERE YOURE FROM or where youre going. It doesnt matter if youre tall or short; male or female; brown, black, or white. It doesnt matter if youre headed for the Ivies, the Big Ten, the Big 12, the SEC, the ACC, trade school, or bay one at Jiffy Lube. No matter who people think you are, no matter who you think you are, no matter who you really are, the truththe true truthis that deep down inside you is a desire (a longing, if you want to be honest about it) to connect to something that transcends everyone you know, everything you see, and (especially) everything you are.

Well guess what? Your quest for utter certainty and spiritual absolutes can have a happy ending. But you need to know that, despite what some people say, there is only one truth-only one path you can take that leads to total peace of mind and eternal salvation.

And how can anyone possibly know this? Its because only one faith has a Redeemer. Only one religion has a loving Creator, Jesus Christ, who gave His life so that everyone who calls on His name and believes in Him will be saved for all eternity. There are no final exams, no feats of strength, no special diets, no long hours chanting and staring at the ceiling. Just ask and believe. Thats it.

Of course, as with most things that are simple, there are layers of complexity in the Christian life that a thousand lifetimes cant uncover. In fact, discovering different facets of who God is and why He created us makes Christianity a daily, moment-by-moment joy. Thats why Poetry of the Soul isnt a typical guided journaling series. Sure, its designed to help you discover who you are in Gods eyes, but more importantly, it will help you grow to know Him and love Him more deeply.

Theres another important point that should be made. Poetry of the Soul doesnt treat young people like, well theyre young. Yes, the graphics are cool, and your bookstore probably displays their copies in the youth section. But, truthfully, the whole idea of treating anyone between the ages of thirteen and nineteen as anything less than a fully functioning human being has only been an accepted viewpoint (and a rather condescending one at that) for the last fifty years or so.

Look in the Bible. Nowhere do you find special consideration given for a young persons age when it comes to their understanding of what is true and perfect and good. Nowhere is someone told, Well, since youre only sixteen, you cant have clearly formed opinions on whats right and wrong, and so we wont hold you responsible for your actions.

Look at American history. In almost every era, with recent exceptions, there has been an age of accountability when children pass into adulthood. At that point they would be expected to help on the family farms, to bear arms to protect their communities, and to worship with their parents. While they probably enjoyed the company of other young people, they werent shuffled off into youth groups at church, and they didnt think they should wait until after theyd graduated from college or got a full-time job to start acting responsibly. They were vital members of society and were expected to conduct themselves as such.

There is no better example of this than the way God called young people to do and believe great things in both the Old and New Testaments. As a young boy, Samuel heard Gods voice and knew that he was meant for a lifetime of ministry. God chose Mary, most likely at the age of sixteen or seventeen, to be the mother of Jesus.

If God held young people in such high regard thousands of years ago, why doesnt He feel the same today? The short answer is that He does! Any person of any age who seeks God will find Him. Anyone who desires to know why they were created and what Gods purpose is for their life can find out by simply and earnestly asking, seeking, and believing.

And thats the purpose behind Poetry of the Soul. Its our desire to help young people in their search for answers that pop culture and false religions are unable to provide. Its our mission to equip young people to think for themselves, to take up positions of leadership, and to set examples of godliness for their lost and confused peers.

One of the journal pages in this book has the standard write down the names of your family and friends in case you get hit on the head and forget questions. The rest, however, require deep and personal reflection. Before you fill in these lines, read the accompanying text; then answer the questions with wisdom and maturity.

And remember: If youre past the age of thirteen, youre a young adult. Its time to think like one, act like one, serve like one, and lead like one. We pray that Poetry of the Soul will help you clarify and affirm your convictions as you begin the exciting journey that awaits you.

Ah, the age-old question: Who am I? And, of course, there are its first cousins: Does God really love me? and What effect is my life having on the lives of my friends? and What will happen to me when I die? and Why do I have to study chemistry when it has nothing to do with how bad my hair looks today? Yes, some things cant be answered with a simple nod, shrug, or wistful sigh. They require personal reflection. And time.