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Lesson 1

Knowing Yourself

I. What does knowing yourself consist of?

Knowing yourself consists of:

A. Knowing what you value.

B. Knowing what you stand for.

C. Knowing your key attributes.

D. Knowing your key roles.

E. Knowing your goals.

F. Knowing your strengths.

G. Knowing your limitations

H. Knowing your stress triggers and button-pushers.

I. Knowing your convictions and preferences.

J. Knowing your individual style.

Activiyy 1.1.

Make a list of 5-8 key attributes you would like to identify yourself with:

I am…………………………

I am…………………………

I am…………………………

I am…………………………

I am…………………………

I am…………………………

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I am…………………………

I am…………………………

Activity 1.2. What is your behavioural profile?

1. Cool Blue; High Compliance; Analytic

Possible Characteristics – cautious, rigid, sober, pessimistic, reserved, unsociable, quiet, task and

thinking oriented.

2. Fiery Red; High Dominance; Driver

Possible Characteristics – touchy, restless, aggressive, excitable, changeable, impulsive, goal-

oriented, optimistic, active, task and thinking oriented.

3. Sunshine Yellow; High Influence; Expressive

Possible Characteristics - Sociable, outgoing, talkative, responsive, easygoing, carefree, lively,

people and feeling orientation.

4. Earth Green; High Steadiness; Amiable

Possible Characteristics – Passive, careful, thoughtful, peaceful, controlled, calm, even-

tempered, people and feeling orientation.

Most of us are a mixture of these but will tend to have one which is more dominant than the

others. The goal is to be able to recognize and then adapt and connect with various styles. Each

style has gifts it brings to team settings but also has over-extensions and liabilities. It is good for

us to be aware of these in ourselves and in others.

II. Why is it important to know yourself?

A. Knowing yourself helps you to focus.

B. Knowing yourself helps you to set boundaries.

C. Knowing yourself helps you to navigate in decision-making.

D. Knowing yourself helps you shape other’s expectations of you.

E. Knowing yourself helps you to hire complementary people.

F. Knowing yourself helps you in clarifying your goals.

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G. Knowing yourself helps you in managing stress.

H. Knowing yourself helps you in pacing yourself.

III. What are some things that shape our self-concept?

A. Our self-concept is shaped by our upbringing.

B. Our self-concept is shaped by our education.

C. Our self-concept is shaped by our culture and worldview.

D. Our self-concept is shaped by our (positive and negative) experiences.

E. Our self-concept is shaped by our interpretation of events.

F. Our self-concept is shaped by our revelation of God’s nature and character.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure,

whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think

about such things. Php 4:8

Meditating on the scriptures outlined in the section below will assist you in the process of having

a healthy biblical self-concept.

IV. What has changed because I am in God?

A. I have been transformed in Christ.

• I have been crucified with Christ (Gal 2:20)

• I am reconciled to God (Rom 5:11)

• I am justified (Rom 5:1)

• I am completely forgiven (Col 1:14)

• I have been transferred from Satan’s domain to the Kingdom of Christ (Col 1:13)

• I have received the Spirit of God (1 Cor 2:12)

• I am free from condemnation (Rom 8:1)

• I have been given the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16)

• I am a stranger to this world (1 Pet 2:11)

• I am an enemy of the devil (1 Pet 5:8)

B. I have an inheritance in Christ.

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• I have Christ’s righteousness (Rom 5:19; 2 Cor. 5:21)

• I am a joint heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him. (Rom 8:17; Gal 4:7)

• I have been given great and precious promises by God (2 Pet 1:4)

• I am blessed with every spiritual blessing (Eph 1:3)

• I have been given spiritual authority (Luke 10:19)

C. I have a unique relationship with God.

• I am a child of God - He is my father (John 1:12; 1 John 3:1,2)

• I may approach God with boldness and freedom (Eph 3:12)

• I have peace with God (Rom 5:1)

• The Holy Spirit lives in me (1 Cor 3:16)

• I am a temple in which God dwells (1 Cor 3:16)

• I am a branch on Christ’s vine (John 15:1, 5)

• I am Christ’s friend (John 15:5)

• I am united to the Lord, one spirit with Him (1 Cor 12:27)

• I am God’s workmanship (Eph 2:10)

D. I have a significant position in God.

• I am hidden with Christ in God (Col 3:3)

• I am Christ’s ambassador (2 Cor. 5:20)

• I am one of God’s living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house (1 Pet 2:5)

• I am a prince in God’s kingdom (John 1:12; 1 Tim 6:15)

• I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph 2:18)

• I am the salt of the earth (Matt 5:13)

• I am the light of the world (Matt 5:14)

• I am chosen by Christ to bear fruit which remains (John 15:6)

• I am God’s co-worker (2 Cor 6:1; 1 Cor 3:9)

• I am a minister of the new covenant (2 Cor 3:6)

• I am a minister of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18,19)

• I am an expression of life in Christ (Col 3:4)

• I am a member of Christ’s body (1 Cor 12:27)

E. I can feel secure in God.

• I have access to the wisdom of God (James 1:5)

• I am helped by God (Heb 4:16)

• I am tenderly loved by God (Jer 31:3)

• I am the sweet fragrance of Christ to God (2 Cor 2:15)

• I am chosen by God, holy and dearly loved.

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• I am born of God, and the evil one cannot touch me (1 John 5:18)

• I have been made complete in Christ (Col 2:10)

• I cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom 8:35)

V. How do I change the way I see my business?

A. I change the way I see my business by identifying the current paradigms.

A paradigm is

1. A mental model

2. A way of seeing

3. A frame of reference

4. A filter through which one sees the world

B. I change the way I see my business by shifting from incorrect paradigms?

A paradigm shift occurs when the established way of thinking fails to provide effective solutions

enabling us to achieve our goals.

1. A paradigm shift requires true repentance from mindsets that are not God-honouring.

2. A paradigm shift involves embracing a learning culture.

3. A paradigm shift involves thinking outside the box from time to time.

4. A paradigm shift requires a culture that entertains the questioning of its current reality.

5. A paradigm shift requires a culture that allows for creativity and innovation.

6. A paradigm shift requires a culture that is flexible in its outlook.

7. A paradigm shift requires a maturity that is not emotionally tied to the current practices.

8. A paradigm shift involves asking the right questions in order to generate the right

solutions.

Albert Einstein once said that we cannot solve today’s problems by thinking in the same way we

thought when we created them. In other words, for lasting change to occur, we need to shift

paradigms.

Activity 1.3

Wayne Cordeiro has developed an interesting DESIGN to assist people in discovering their life

purpose. Reflect on the questions below to examine your preference.

DESIGN for life purpose

D – What do you DESIRE?

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E- What have been your positive and negative EXPERIENCES?

S- What are your SPIRITUAL GIFTS?

I-What is your INDIVIDUAL STYLE?

G- What is your GROWTH PHASE? – Do you need mentorship/training or ready to

launch out?

N- What are your NATURAL ABILITIES?

Activity 1.4

The Passion Test Answer the following questions to crystalise your work preferences.

1. What do you do that is almost effortless from your perspective but seems like a daunting task to others?

2. In what arena do people consider you to be the “go-to” person?

3. What do you enjoy about your current job?

4. What do you wish you could delegate?

5. What do you do that elicits the most praise and recognition from others?

6. What environments do you look forward to working in?

7. What kind of advice do people seek from you?

8. What environments do you avoid?

9. If you could focus more of your time and attention on one or two aspects of your job, what would they be?

What one subject can you enjoy talking about for many hours?

10. What specific concerns preoccupy your mind, breaking into whatever else you're thinking about?

11. What do you most enjoy doing for others?

12. Let's pretend you've reached the end of your life, and you're in heaven looking back on it. What's the one

thing you want to be most happy about having done or having been?

13. Who 'out there' in the world have you come to care about the most? Who do you most want to help, enable,

or reach?

14. In light of your strengths, weaknesses, gifts and passions, describe your optimal working environment.

• What kind of people would you enjoy working with?

• Would you want to work as part of a team or on your own?

• Would you want to travel? If so, how much?

• Would you enjoy a highly structured environment?

• Would you work better in a loosely structured environment?

15. In light of your strengths, weaknesses, gifts and passions, what kind of things would you want to be

responsible for?

• Do you see yourself in management, sales, marketing?

• Would you enjoy working with numbers, people or both?

• What kind of assignments would you enjoy tackling?

• Would you enjoy a job that requires a great deal of writing?

• Would you enjoy a job that requires verbal skills?

Acknowledgements:

1. DESIGN is adapted from Doing Church as a Team, Wayne Cordeiro(1998, Honolulu, New Hope).