Stop letting culture's changing trends define your self-worth, and instead renew your mind daily by grounding your value in being created in the image of God.

Real value is not built through outward physical appearance measured by the world; it comes from being intentionally knit together by God in your mother's womb and redeemed by Jesus Christ.

In those quiet moments of self-doubt, stop listening to the critical self-talk and remind yourself of who you belong to. Because Jesus lives inside of you, you carry the very image of God and are cherished beyond measure. You do not have to prove your worth to anyone—you are already His beloved child.

Message Notes

“From Confusion to Clarity” Part 2
Mount of Olives | September 20, 2026 | Psalm 139:13-18
Pastor John Steward

Prayer of the Day
Heavenly Father, we gather here today to worship You as our Creator and Savior and to celebrate the power of Your Word. Help us to be ever diligent in doing what Your Word commands of us, and help us to share the transforming power of Your love with the rest of the world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Scripture Reading
Psalm 139:13-18
For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed. How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! I try to count them—they are more than the sand; I come to the end —I am still with you.

Message Notes
1 Peter 3:3-4
Do not adorn yourselves outwardly by braiding your hair, and by wearing gold ornaments or fine clothing; rather, let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God's sight.

Psalm 139:13-15
For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Romans 12:1-2
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Study Questions – Read Psalm 139:13-18
ICEBREAKER – Getting started:

1. What is something about yourself that you think makes you uniquely you?
2. Have you ever had someone know you so well that they seemed to understand you better than you understood yourself? What was that like?
3. When you think about the fact that God created you personally and knows everything about you, does that thought feel more comforting, humbling, challenging—or all three? Why?

Based on Psalm 139:13-18, answer the following questions:

OBSERVATION – What does the text say?

1. As you read Psalm 139:13-18, what comes to mind? What stands out? What is interesting to you and why?
2. In one sentence, how would you summarize this text?
3. What lesson or message do you think the author is trying to convey?

INTERPRETATION – What does the text mean?

1. In verse 13, David says, “You created my inmost being.” What do you think David means by “inmost being”?
2. What does verse 13 teach us about God's involvement in our lives before we were even born?
3. Verse 14 says, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” What does that phrase tell us about how God views His creation?
4. Why do you think David responds to God's creative work with praise rather than simply stating it as a fact?
5. In verses 15–16, David describes God knowing him even when he was being formed in secret. What does this reveal about God's knowledge of human life?
6. Verse 16 says that God saw David's “unformed body.” What significance might this have for the way Christians understand the value and dignity of human life?
7. What do verses 16–17 suggest about God's knowledge of our lives and His thoughts toward us?
8. Verse 17 says, “How precious to me are your thoughts, God!” What do you think makes God's thoughts toward David so precious?
9. In verse 18, David compares God's thoughts toward him to the number of grains of sand. What picture does that comparison create?
10. How does Psalm 139:13–18 change the way we might understand our identity—not simply as people who exist, but as people intentionally created and known by God?

APPLICATION – How can you apply the text?

1. How would your view of yourself change if you genuinely believed every day, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made by God”?
2. When you struggle with insecurity, comparison, or feeling that you don't measure up, how could Psalm 139:13–18 speak truth into those feelings?
3. What is one part of yourself—your appearance, personality, abilities, weaknesses, past, or circumstances—that you have difficulty accepting? How might seeing yourself as God's creation change your perspective?
4. How can knowing that God has been intimately involved in your life from the beginning give you confidence when you don't understand where your life is going?
5. How should the truth that every person is intentionally created and known by God affect the way we treat other people?
6. What would it look like this week to live as someone who knows, “God knows me completely, and He still loves me”?
7. If you truly believed that God's thoughts toward you are “precious” and more numerous than the sand, what is one specific fear, insecurity, or burden you could surrender to Him?