This message explores the profound truth of what it means to be born of God, using the beautiful imagery of animal imprinting to illustrate our spiritual identity. Just as a newborn calf recognizes its mother through imprinted scent and DNA, we who belong to Christ carry spiritual birthmarks that draw us unmistakably to Him. Through 1 John 5, we discover that God has supernaturally imprinted within us four incredible gifts: the desire and ability to love Him, joy in obedience to His commands, faith powerful enough to overcome the world, and the privilege to bring our requests directly to Him. The central challenge we face is maintaining our affections for God in a world designed to distract us. We’re reminded that we cannot love God without knowing Him, but we also cannot truly know God without loving Him. When our love for God grows cold or our hearts become captivated by worldly things, we’re invited to honestly pray for God to tune our hearts back to Him, to enlarge our capacity for love, and to help us see His commands not as burdens but as expressions of His love for us. This isn’t about inducing fear or doubt—it’s about living in the freedom and confidence that comes from knowing whose we are, allowing us to part the crowded waters of this world and find Jesus clearly.
