Hello, My Name Is: Discover Your True Identity

by Matthew West

The world goes out of its way to make you believe you are not good enough. Maybe you aren't sure you like where you've been, or who you've become. Maybe someone has made you believe a lie about who you are by speaking damaging words to you. The discovery of our true identities does not begin by looking within ourselves, but by looking to the One who made us. Hello, My Name Is will inspire you to not wear the nametag that someone else gave you, but to wear the name of who God says you are.

Your name may be "Lonely" . . . He calls you Friend.
Your name may be "Failure" . . . He calls you Redeemed.
Your name may be "Broken" . . . He calls you Beloved.

It is time to tear off the false nametags that cover up your true identity. Understanding who you are begins with knowing Whose you are so you can embrace your destiny as a child of the one true King.

" Hello, My Name Is will silence the lies of the enemy so you can hear God whisper, 'You are mine. You are wanted. You are so incredibly loved.'" -- Lysa Terkeurst, New York Times best-selling author and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries

" Hello, My Name Is gets to the heart of an issue that haunts the homeless and the hero, the kid and the king, the disabled and the diva -- our identity." -- Randy Frazee, Senior Minister at Oak Hills Church, author of The Heart of the Story

"Matthew West brings the rare combination of songwriter an pastor to his ministry. He is a modern-day King David, creating Psalms that touch the heart of God and God's children. Now, as an added blessing to us all, he has compiled his thoughts into a book. A person can almost hear Matthew sing through the pages. I'm deeply grateful for this work, this singer, this friend." -- Max Lucado, New York Times best-selling author

"Matthew West has always written honestly in his songs and stories. In his latest book, Hello, My Name Is, Matthew may offer his greatest truth how to discover our God-given identity while building a closer relationship with our Lord. I gained a lot of insight while reading this book, and I know you will as well." -- Scotty McCreery, ACM, BMI, and CMT award-winning country music entertainer and author of Go Big or Go The Journey Toward the Dream

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Faith, Self Help, Religion

224 pages, Paperback

Published April 18, 2017

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Matthew West is a multiple-ASCAP Christian Music Songwriter/Artist of the Year winner, a four-time GRAMMY nominee, and was awarded his first American Music Award (2013) and a Billboard Music Award (2014). Matthew West's discography includes acclaimed releases: Happy (2003), History (2005), Something to Say (2008), The Story of Your Life (2010) and GRAMMY-nominated Into the Light (2012). West was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Original Music & Lyrics for The Heart of Christmas from the film of the same name. His songwriting credits include cuts by Rascal Flatts, Billy Ray Cyrus, Diamond Rio, and more. He spent much of late 2012 and early 2013 on a pre-headlining stint on WinterJam Tour Spectacular, the number one tour in the world. He wrapped up 2013 with his own headlining tour in the fall of 2013 and The Story Tour in December. During 2014, West toured with the Hits Deep Tour as well as his sell-out Hello My Name Is. . . acoustic tour.

Reviews

[Rissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello my name is⭐️
Matthew West is a runner. In the sense that he runs every 6 months. (Its more than me so hey hes doing something right!) and on that run he changed a life.
Reading about Matthews family and journey through music and faith was like getting a peak into his world and I throughly enjoyed it.
I also liked the simplicity of seeing the world through his daughters eyes.

His life is very connected with faith so him adding bible verses and stories, connecting them to his life flowed very nicely.

I feel like its always hard to judge nonfiction because you are judging their life. Their love and loss and struggles but for this one, it was fast and fun and not only did we meet alot of people, strangers at first to Matthew seeing how they too changed his life.

[Anni Welborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matthew West caught the attention of my lyric-loving ears way back when. Wow, who is this guy who tells such phenomenal stories and makes such spot-on points in his songs? And what’s with this guy who asks people for their stories for inspiration and then uses them in his songs? He wrote a book? Great!

This book does not disappoint. Each chapter is an exploration into discovering who Matthew found himself to be or wanted to be. Each chapter begins with a story, either his own or someone else’s. Then he relates the story back to Scripture. Basic and real, it’s not meant to be a canyonous theological treatise. It’s meant to be an approachable, practical, and applicable book, encouraging the readers to" discover [their] true identities."

If you struggle with finding your identity, or if you know someone who struggles with their identity, I highly recommend this book. In it, you will find those problems that are common to all humankind and discover the only true Solution for those problems – Jesus Christ.

I gratefully received this book as an eARC from the author, publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

[Kendra Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Carolyn Vandine West · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this book is Amazing! How did I let this sit on my iPad unread for so long? I feel I let the author, publisher and NetGalley down. But now I am reviewing this wonderful thought provoking book. I have the e-version but will be getting one I can page through and wear it out.
This is a book I would recommend for daily reads of 10-15 pages at a bite. It needs to be mulled over and let soak in. I don’t normally share a ton of excerpts but wow I highlighted so many pages and passages that just made me really think about my life with God and my relationship with His only son Jesus Christ. Here goes the focus is on how we see ourselves the name tags we are given by others and maybe ourselves.
The Bible says we are called as friends in John 15, to give all our cares and worries to God because He cares for us. Peter 5:7. Yes the creator of our universe cares for each of us.
Joy comes through freedom 1 Peter 1:8
God’s thoughts and ways are greater than ours and things that catch us off guard are not a surprise to Him. Isaiah 55:9 Matthew also describes a time in his life when he attempted suicide, he was brought to his knees and realized that was a great place to be before His God.
Paralyzing fear can be reversed, look at the lives of Joshua and Jonah when they prayed and obeyed their lives were changed. God wants us to take our eyes off our fears and look to Him, he gives us a reason to trust Him alone. Philippians 4:6-7
I’ll stop with this, “it ain’t what they call you, it’s what you answer to.” Accredited to W.C. Fields
We are not a case of mistaken identity because the creator of the universe knows us and each hair on our heads.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher Worthy books for letting me read this amazing ebook.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matthew West is one of my favorite Christian singers, and I have attended one of his concerts. He is an amazing storyteller who uses his childhood as a minister's son and other life events of his friends and family to help readers find their true identity in Jesus. I highly recommend this book, and I also his new song, "Truth Be Told."

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe God put this book in my life just when I needed it. I am having a lot of stress right now and I needed to feel God’s love in a very special way. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for guidance and encouragement from God. If you are searching for God, if you need His love in a big dose, you need this book.

[TheConsultingWriter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm ashamed to say it, but I didn't expect to get so much out of a book written by a singer/songwriter. Never judge a book by its cover and all that! Forgive me, Matthew West! I can say with all honestly I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Matt was honest, down to Earth and non-judgmental. He covered a variety of fears and struggles that we all have experienced. From negative self thoughts to addition, it never read as if he were looking down on anyone. In fact, he was very positive. Matt truly shined with the love of Christ when writing this book.



The book starts with the big question "Who am I?" As he shared a variety of anecdotes, he made it clear that before we can truly "find" ourselves, we first need to acknowledge Whose we are. There's a reason Hello, My Name Is happens to be one of the songs Matt's remembered for. It's a declaration, that despite the labels the world pushes onto us, despite what lies the devil wants us to believe, we are so much more. We are children of the one true King. That's the greatest truth. With such an honest, heartfelt look on life, Matt points out so many areas that each of us struggle with. What we've done doesn't define us. God does. We just need to open our hearts and let Him remove the false labels placed on us by Satan.



God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. -Max Lucado.



One part that I laughed on was when he spoke about the movie Thief in the Night. Most kids that grew up in the church during the 70s-80s most likely saw this movie. Scenes showed what was left once the rapture hit. An unmanned lawn mower, cars crashed without their drivers. With Christians taken to Heaven, the Earth was left to go through years of the Tribulation. Trust me, you don't want to be around for that. So imagine the kids that had seen this movie, freaking out when they'd find themselves home alone. I laughed because it messed me up too! I thought I was the only one. Matt described his personal experience of when he'd arrived home to find the house empty and panicked that the rapture had come and he'd been left behind.



This is an excellent book by Matthew West. He has a great sense of humor and it reads well. He's honest, painful so sometimes, using his own life. Despite how different we may be, he still managed to strike a chord with me. How is it that a songwriter can reach even someone like me? We are practically from different worlds....at least different states. I guess we have one thing in common: Dairy Queen. ;) Matt is our cheerleader, encouraging and rooting for us to "fight Satan's past tense lies with God's present tense truths". He urges us to focus on the end goal, to not forget the final destination. "Life is the airport, not the final destination."

For anyone who feels lost, alone and unworthy, for those who've believed the lies about themselves, as I have, I highly recommend this book.

Who am I? I am a child of the One True King.



Disclosure: I chose to receive a copy of this book through Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

[Brian Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conclusion first: It's an a excellent book and I highly recommend it.

The why: From the first page I felt like I could've been in the room with Matthew listening to him tell me these stories himself. I could sense his feelings and emotion. I could imagine him laughing at his own jokes all through the book. Its a fairly elementary book as far as what you will take away from it but it's supposed to be. It's not meant to be incredibly deep and thought provoking. It does an excellent job of getting your attention by simply relating. I've read through it once and will soon read through it again and this time mark it up, highlight and take notes.

Excellent book for new believers and oldies alike.

[Monte Brogdon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. It was one of those books you have to read. Christian or not, religious or not, you would benefit from the stories included in this book, written by, in my opinion, one of the most relatable Christian singers out there. If you are struggling with an identity crisis in God or in life, depending on how you view religion and spirituality, this book is a good guidebook to understand who you are and what your purpose is. I really enjoyed it and recommend it.

[Everydayreader1 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Matthew West, Christian singer/song writer, shares stories, his own, and those of others, to show how, as believers, we receive our authentic identity in Christ. He does this by using examples from Scripture and what God says about us and who we are, as well as real life experiences from people he has encountered through his ministry.

I found the book uplifting and encouraging, the anecdotes funny, and the Scriptural examples on point.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matthew West writes about God's truth in an honest, compelling, and real way. His humor makes it even better.

[Brendyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was encouraging and motivating just as Matthew West’s music is.

[Julianne2girls · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great reminder that we are “the child of one true king “, and that whatever names we have picked up throughout life are not the names that God has picked for us .

[Jacob Dzik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good and encouraging book! Perfect for me as I struggle with identity. Christ made you unique and you should be yourself and know you are his child and we are redeemed. Definitely recommend.

[Alicia Lowry · Rating 4 out of 5]

1st of all on the audio performance:
I loved how it was Matthew West reading his own story. I absolutely loved when he sang!!! I did not however like that he read it like he was reading a book. This was your story. Read it as you would have told me the story. That is so trivial, but it bothered me a few times to hear him read personal lines of his own story as if he was reading a book. Sorry Matthew!!
Story:
I can say that I wouldn’t have all the same taste in movies as Matthew, and don’t know if I’d use all the references he did. However everything referenced made a good biblical point, and I understood where he was going with it. I loved the mix of personal stories, others testimonies, and Bible verses/stories he used. For a book it was much more Bible based then I expected. It something that can lead you into Bible study, but I don’t feel it in itself is a Bible study. I wouldn’t necessarily say I agree with everything, but overall feel I got the over all meaning of every chapter.
I was laughing, crying, and deep in thought often in the same chapter (and occasionally the same paragraph)! It is clear he wrote this from the heart. He does not try to be something he is not. He isn’t trying to impress you with who he is, what he’s done, or how great a Christian he is. In fact he puts such honesty out there as to risk some thinking less of him. I both deeply connected with this, and appreciate how it could connect to someone who isn’t a Christian. I appreciate and commend his ability to be vulnerable, open, and honest when he could have easily used this to make himself look better than reality.
It did it’s job and making me take a honest look at what false names I have put on myself and let others put on me. It reminded me who God says I am, and what his promises are to me! It helped push me to step out of the funk I’ve been in and take baby steps to living the fullness of this life that God has called me to live. I hope to keep searching deeper and moving forward with his will for me.
As a Christian who was saved at a young age, it’s easy to feel like I don’t have a story, it was easy when I was younger to pretend everything was fine, and it was easy to listen to whatever “Christians” said like it was truth. I now have realized that God’s word is the only pure source of truth. We must be in it and know it to decipher truth from lies. I’m glad to see someone in Matthew’s position using his life and position to teach the Truth and how to get to know it to those who need to hear it in any walk of life! I enjoyed this book and was, as always when reading a good one, sad to reach the end.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The French philosopher Descartes said (in Latin), ”Cogito, Ergo sum,” which roughly translated means, ‘I think, therefore I am.’ In this book Matthew West asserts that, as you think, so you are.

Everyone in our society—friends, families, co-workers, from street people to politicians—everyone is trying to put a label on us. It’s as if we have one of those stickers on our chest that says “Hello my name is” with a big blank spot where our name goes. Others try and fill in that blank for us with labels—funny, beautiful, handicap, loner, winner, loser, addict, successful, smart, dropout, etc. We may even fill in the blank ourselves.

The problem with labels is that they’re not our names, not our true identities, so they always fall woefully short of reflecting who we are. For better or worse, they describe one facet of our personality, but they could never accurately describe who we are as a whole. The label may never be able to define us, but the weight we give the label can be very powerful so what we focus on is very important.

This is not a self help book that seeks to help us discover our potential. It’s a book that helps us to completely redefine who we are based on the truth that we are God’s creation and it’s the purpose that He had in mind when he created us (the name that He’s given us—child of the one true King, created to bring glory to His Name) that defines who we are and why we’re here at this particular moment in history. It rejects the shallowness of labels that deal only with “potential” and embraces the power of purpose. Potential is opinion, purpose is truth.

You and I have the potential to be many things, good or bad. Freedom is not in discovering your potential, it’s in discovering your purpose. Reject the shallowness of labels that seek to define your potential and focus on the name given you by the One who defines your purpose. Labels are shifting sands that are written by us and others in pencil, God prefers to use our name and He writes it in Sharpie.

[Jessie Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far one of the best non-fiction books I've read in a long time. The format of the book includes 3 sections: 1. The Greatest Truth: Understanding who you are starts with knowing whose you are. 2. The Biggest Lies: tearing off the false name tags that cover up your true identity. 3. The Future You: living your life as a child of the one true king. I found myself saying "yes! That's me! I've thought that before". Or "oh wow never thought of it like that!" West backs all his claims with scripture and personal stories which makes everything easier to understand in a practical sense. Application is not glossed over and the reader feels challenged to seek Christ for real life change. This is a book you should read and reread. There is so much packed into the pages of this book that it demands a 2nd 3rd or even 4th read through. The book is relatable and funny but serious at the same time. An excellent book. Loved seeing how God has worked in Matthew West's life. Gives hope to people going through what he writes about.
I received a digital copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. What a privilege it was to read this book! I will purchase it!

[LAMONT D · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would recommend Matthew West and his songs, media posts, podcasts and books to anyone and everyone. God is certainly using him in a powerful way to reach out to those that are hurting or struggling with issues in their life. This book, published back in 2017, contains many points of truth from the Bible and Matthew's observation of his life and others over the years. I especially liked chapter 1 right off the bat that emphasizes you can know who you are. As he states: "There is no greater authority on your life than the one who gave you life. The more you get to know him, the more you will discover who he created you to be. So true as we seek to know God better each day. He has helpful questions at the end of each chapter and humorous illustrations throughout. A really enjoyable read that will challenge you though to look at your life and what you believe about how God actually sees you so you can discover your name and true identity.

[Erin Laramore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matthew West is not only a gifted singer and songwriter, but he is a gifted author as well. Using his own experiences and those who have told him their stories, he spells out how we can only know who we are when we know WHOSE we are, how to combat the lies that Satan throws our way, and how to live as a child of the One True King. He interlaces some humor in his stories and hits hard some serious points, exposes some vulnerabilities in his own life as well as victories. Each chapter ends with a scripture passage to look up, and a few thought-provoking questions to get you thinking deeper about the chapter. I would highly recommend this one to any Christian who wants to delve a little deeper.

[Mini Van Mama Bear · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very timely for me. I love Matthew West's songs and ministry and I've had this on my wishlist for awhile. I finally decided to read it and I'm glad I did. So many things that he said resonated with me from the many negative nametags that I still carry around to the grace I'm learning to accept from God (and myself) daily to the Left Behind movies made in the 70s (they terrified me, as well).

I'm so thankful for Jesus's sacrifice for me and His continued grace. I'm also thankful that Matthew decided to write this book and speak so plainly about these things that many of us struggle with each day.

[Cherish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very curious to read this. I love Matthew West as a Christian singer, so I was excited about his book. It was a wonderful little gem; packed with tons of humor and cute stories sprinkled here and there of his children and personal stories of him growing up. It had tons of wisdom from the Bible on how to be the best version of ourself. I was hoping it would have been more about him, but I absolutely loved that he directed it about finding our true identity in Jesus. His humor really makes the book very enjoyable.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

A somewhat light-hearted book with a serious message:

God loves you.
You are who God intended you to be.
Jesus saved you and is always with you.
and
You are promised eternal life if you accept Jesus as your savior.

West is my all-time favorite Christian performer: I have several of his CDs. His book is inspirational and spiritual as is his music and lyrics. I thoroughly enjoyed his writing and his message. This is a book that will stay with me to re-read passages at my will.

[Mallory · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great audiobook option, since Matthew reads it and provides humor and seriousness in equal measure. I didn't learn much in terms of the spiritual identity portion that I haven't already encountered in my life and other books, but I appreciated hearing more about West's biography and the ways life and influences shape and form identities. If you like his music, definitely give this a read or better yet, a listen.

[T.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for Christians and even a read for those that don't believe as well. Very honest. Very open. Very real without being preachy in any way. As a preacher's son, he understands. In this book, he admits to a truth many Christians are not willing to confess. Being Christian (a follower of Jesus) DOESN'T make us perfect. We make mistakes too.

[Heather Burroughs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked that this book gave some background on the singer but incorporated a lot of other stories from people he interacts with. The book has kind of a repetitive message but I think it works because it's so easy to define ourselves by circumstances and mistakes instead of God's love. I found it to be an encouraging read especially if you follow his music.

[Ricki Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written as if your just having a conversation with a friend, this is peppered with real life circumstances of both Matthew and others, that illustrate the character of God beautifully. Each truth of identities we hold on to and ones that God gives us helped me to grow in my character. A must read for anyone seeking their identity in Christ.

[Lexi | Type6Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was extremely good and inspiring. It makes me want to go out and change the world like we're called to do. I love learning the backstories to all of Matthew's songs and life. It's a great read and you'll feel encouraged after. Highly recommend.

[Andrew Sorrentino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Besides being a gifted songwriter West is also a talented storyteller. His writing talents are on display in this title illustrating Biblical truths from the lyrics of his hit songs. The chapters read as devotions, which I find a drawback, but some readers may enjoy.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

After i heard the song hello my name is i was a huge fan.i have seen him in concert and worked his shows.i loved this book first of his i read.alot of times are funny but only the way Matthew writes.his music and this book will bring you out of the darkness.hello i am a child of the one true king.

[Mildred Webber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very thought provoking book. I loved it. Matthew West can write songs and he can write books too! This book has had an impact on my life and how to live it more fully with eternity in mind.