Identity Theft (Paperback)

by Kevin Avram (Author), Wes Boldt (Author) "After nearly 20 years of intense church involvement, based on everything Becky and I knew, we should have been living full Christian lives..." (more)
Key Phrases: Holy Spirit, Need Met, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Despite what people are sometimes told, identity is not defined by personality quirks, giftedness, training, or what someone does for a living. Over and over throughout Scripture it is declared that identity is of the heart. But what does that mean?

The foundation of your life is not what you do, or what you know, but who you are. Kevin Avram and Wes Boldt walk the reader through to an understanding of heart identity, how it is shaped, expressed, changed, and even stolen.

About the Author
Kevin Avram and Wes Boldt serve with Foundations of Purpose International, a Christian ministry and service organization operating out of locations in Scottsdale, Arizona and Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada.

Product Details

• Paperback: 166 pages
• Publisher: Arrow Publications Inc (March 24, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1886296405
• ISBN-13: 978-1886296404
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,619,264 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learning to live in His identity, May 30, 2006

By	S. J. Thiessen Exp (Edmonton, AB Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Written in an engaging style combining life stories, analogies, and scripture, Identity Theft connects the concepts of personal identity, paradigms, and personal giftedness.

It opens with anecdotes from the author's personal life stories, as well as some reflections on `how they got here'. Both Kevin Avram and Wes Boldt experienced a variety of highs and lows as they looked to make sense of life.

A paradigm is the concept of how we understand the world around us. "We all live within paradigms, including the paradigm that shapes the way we understand God. If our paradigm changes, God doesn't change or alter His opinion about what is real - we do....The road map by which we understand our relationship with God is changed."

Our heart identity comes from our heart attitude (either pride or humility as a response to truth) plus the paradigm through which we see life. "When our heart attitude is humility, we are positioned to take on the heart identity of a Son or Daughter (of God)."

However, when our heart attitude is one of pride, through an unconscious process we will reach conclusions based on experience and end up taking on the heart identity of a Laborer, an Orphan or a Beggar.

The rest of the book expands on these concepts using scripture references as the basis for the conclusions drawn. For clarity, some charts are included that summarize the points being made.

A summary of each paradigm's `Heart's Cry', `Identity Source', and `Concept of God' is included to assist the reader in understanding what it is that can steal our identity as Sons or Daughters. Biblical examples of each paradigm are discussed.

How does one get the heart identity of a Son or a Daughter? To find that out, read the book! A clue - the process is explained in the beatitudes.

It is only after we understand our identity as Sons and Daughters that we can begin to understand the function of motivational gifts as found in Romans 12:6-8.

For each one of us, the results of our heart identities and motivational gifts are seen in all areas of our lives. As you read this book you will recognize yourself in one or more of the gifting descriptions and I realized that too often I do not have the heart identity that I want to have.

For church leaders this book can be a great help in understanding how our heart identities and our motivational gifts impact our leadership. The last two sections tell valuable stories of people worked through these issues in their lives.

I found the concepts in this book challenged me to clarify my thinking about what I believe, and to ask God to complete the work of giving me the heart identity of a Son.