Iconic: Being God's Image in Your World

by Mike McGarry

Mike McGarry helps readers discover that being created in the image of God means your identity, worth, and purpose aren’t dependent on a list of accomplishments—they are given by the One who made you.

At the core, what makes you “You”? Is it the way you look? Your family? Your accomplishments? The more you try to look within, the more confusing it can become. The good news is, your identity is a gift from God, not something you have to discover within yourself. For those who follow Christ, their identity is always secure in him.

God created us to be his image-bearers, as icons who remind the world of his majesty and nature. When we discover our purpose in his big story, it helps us make sense of our individual stories. In Iconic, you will see how being and bearing God’s image helps you discover your own identity as a loved child of God and shapes your relationship with him, others, and yourself.

Learn how to live as God’s image bearer at school, work, and in everyday relationships.See how your identity as an image-bearer gives deep meaning to everything you do.Part of the Real World Theology series, helping youth and young adults understand how the Bible speaks to the practical details of life.

121 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 25, 2025

Reviews

[Ethan Moehn]

This is excellent. Mike is one of the only authors I know who is specifically writing theologically rich material for teenagers. This will become a regular handout for students!

[Tim Franks]

This book is one of the best and accessible books you can find out there on the idea of all humans being image bearers and how we apply that to our daily lives. This book is targeted at older high school and college age readers. I think this would be an excellent study for one-one discipleship and small groups within this age range, though I think all Christians could benefit from reading this.


The focus and tone of the book throughout is one of joy and hope in being image bearers of God. The idea of us being living and breathing displays of God's glory and how we are to reign in His creation is so powerful and helpful for the culture and time we are living in now.

This book comes with a very pastoral tone that does not back down with the truth, but is very compassionate with the issues at hand, showing great nuance where it is needed. I was most impacted by the reminder that image bearing is the lens which we as followers of Jesus look through for all of life and discernment.

I love this line on page 48 in the section on community, "We are icons. It's not just what we do, it's who we are. Iconing together in community is such a needed word in today's world of self and individual expression. The idea of the fruits of the Spirit as the main way we live out being iconic was gold. We are new creations, created to do good works like it says in Ephesians 2:10.

The Gospel centeredness of this work is evident and the way that all books on the subject should be written. The flow was really readable and comes to a crescendo thinking about eternity as image bearers of God.

As with all of Mike's works he has been led by the Holy Spirit to write a work that will be a helpful resource for many, especially in the high school and young adults crowd. I would highly recommend this work and to be used to bring God the glory in helping understand how God has created us and views us as well.

[Kaitlyn Beuving]

High School summer camp 2026- very good, accessible book for our students. Great conversation starter.

[Savannah McCrary]

I won this book in a giveaway and enjoyed reading it as part of my morning quiet time. It’s a great book about how the truth that humans are created in the image of God impacts every area of life. It was an easy read, simply written, yet theologically rich. While geared toward teenagers and college students, the truths in it apply to people in all seasons of life.