00:06:41:28 - 00:07:14:07
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Hello again in our increasingly anonymous digital world. Do you sometimes feel invisible? Forgotten. Just another face in the crowd. Another number in the system. Well, I want to start today with something that might change everything about how you see yourself. When the Salvation Army celebrated its 150th anniversary ten years ago, they launched something called the 150 reasons campaign.

00:07:14:09 - 00:07:45:06
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They collected personal stories of transformation from around the world. Stories from Australia to Bangladesh. From Brazil to the Caribbean. Each story reveals the same great truth. God knew their name, their struggle and their potential. The creator of the universe knows each of us personally and intimately.

00:07:45:08 - 00:08:07:18
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Our Scripture today comes from Isaiah chapter 45 and verse three. And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness, secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name.

00:08:07:20 - 00:08:39:03
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Being known by name represents the highest form of personal recognition as a Salvation Army church leader. When I arrived to lead a new church. Learning people's names becomes my absolute priority. I use them repeatedly. In fact, I probably overuse them to begin with because calling someone by their name is deeply personal. It says, I see you, I value you, and you matter to me.

00:08:39:06 - 00:09:16:25
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That's precisely what God does with each of us. But here's what makes this even more extraordinary. There's a fundamental difference between knowing someone's name and calling them by name with intention and affection. When God calls us by name, he's not just using a convenient label, he's expressing his personal investment in our lives. Your identity is anchored in this divine greeting, not in human approval.

00:09:16:27 - 00:09:58:06
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In a world that constantly evaluates our worth based on our performance, our achievements, or our social status, God's knowledge and use of our names provides an unshakable foundation for self-worth and identity. Our value doesn't fluctuate with circumstances because it's rooted in divine recognition that remains constant. Consider Cyrus again, a pagan king who didn't even worship Israel's God. And yet God called him by name for divine purposes.

00:09:58:09 - 00:10:34:12
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This demonstrates that God's personal knowledge extends beyond those who acknowledge him. So how much more intimately does he know those who belong to him? The 150 reasons campaign revealed countless testimonies of individuals who felt forgotten or invisible until they encountered the Salvation Army's ministry through his people. People discovered that the creator of the universe had not forgotten them.

00:10:34:15 - 00:11:08:13
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When you feel forgotten or invisible, remember that the God who sustains every star knows your name. He isn't distant or impersonal, but intimately involved in your daily experience. Your name represents your story, your potential, your purpose, and God knows it all. Here's what I want you to do right now. I want you to say your name out loud.

00:11:08:15 - 00:11:22:09
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Go ahead. Say it. Now. Say these words. I am known by God.

00:11:22:11 - 00:11:46:25
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This isn't just theological comfort. It's transformational truth. When you truly grasp that you are known by name, by the God of the universe, it changes how you walk through your day. How you respond to rejection. How you handle criticism and how you view your own worth.

00:11:46:27 - 00:12:25:10
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As we finish today, consider these questions. How does knowing God calls you by name change your perspective on personal worth? And what would be different about your day if you genuinely believed you were individually known by God? Let's pray. Father, thank you that in a world of billions of people, you know each of us by name. Thank you that our worth isn't determined by human approval, but by your divine recognition.

00:12:25:12 - 00:12:51:06
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Help us to live today, anchored in the truth that we are personally known and loved by you. Amen. I'll be back tomorrow as we explore how God draws near to us during our darkest moments.