Message Summary: Abraham Maslow wrote a book about the emotional needs of people and found that there are nine basic needs that every human needs to live a happy and healthy life, but since then, psychologists have determined there is one emotional need that overpowers the rest: to be seen, known, and noticed. In the story of Hagar (Abraham’s slave), she encounters the angel of the LORD (preincarnate Jesus) in the desert, and he asks her where she came from. In this culture, your identity came from what your occupation was or who your family was. He was essentially asking her to define herself, how did she see herself. Did she see herself differently than society or did she allow them to define her? God did not see her as she saw herself; he saw her as a daughter of the Most High king and worthy of his blessings. He sees each of us but not in the same way we see ourselves. We can meet others’ emotional needs around us by seeing them in the way that God sees them. We can’t help someone that we can’t see. Our co-workers, neighbors, friends, classmates are more than just those titles; they are a child of God and a friend of the Most High.

1. Who are some people in your life that you need God to help you see them as He does?
2. How will you get out of your comfort zone to truly see this person and build community with them?
3. What areas of your identity need to have God’s truth spoken into them so you can see yourself as he sees you?
4. What challenge(s) have you been delivered from by God has given and can now offer hope to others around you?