Identity Under Attack: Finding the Truth About Who You Arew/ Madi Prewett Troutt

Identity can feel like the most stable thing about a person, until it suddenly isn’t. A season changes. A relationship shifts. A role ends. An insecurity grows louder. Approval becomes addictive. And without even realizing it, identity starts drifting from truth to performance.

In Season 13 Episode 4 of The Candace Cameron Bure Podcast, Candace sits down with Madi Prewett Trout to talk about identity and the question so many people carry quietly: What is most true about who you are?

The “Only God” Story Behind UNITE
Madi shares the story of UNITE, a student movement that began when her mom’s heart broke over what college students were walking through: pain, secrecy, sin, and lies that didn’t match what life looked like from the outside. Instead of turning away, she prayed. She walked Auburn’s campus with a small group. She asked God for revival. And she planned an event without knowing if anyone would come.

Thousands came.

There were spontaneous baptisms that weren’t planned. Word spread. Other campuses asked for the same kind of gathering. And UNITE’s heart has remained consistent: not a one-night emotional moment, but ongoing transformation, with students connected to local churches for discipleship.

It’s a reminder that obedience isn’t limited by age or stage. As Candace points out in the conversation, Madi’s mom was in her 50s when that dream came to fruition—and it’s proof that God can call anyone, anytime.

When Your Social Battery Is Drained
The episode begins with a practical listener question from Jessie:
“Do you have any tips on how to stay polite with friends and family when your social battery is drained?”

Candace and Madi talk about boundaries as kindness - honesty, clarity, and love. The key message is simple: it’s okay to need a break, and it’s possible to communicate that in a way that honors relationships instead of resenting them.

The Wedding Night Story That Becomes a Spiritual Wake-Up Call
Then Madi shares a surprising story from her first night of marriage: a scammer posing as hotel staff stole credit card information and created chaos on a night meant to be joyful. It becomes a vivid picture of a spiritual reality- there is an enemy who wants to steal identity, kill intimacy with Jesus, destroy purpose, and replace truth with lies.

And it’s not always loud. Sometimes it’s subtle. Cultural lies. Old wounds.Comparisons. People-pleasing. Insecurity. The whisper that says, “If you were different, you’d be loved.”

What Does “Identity in Christ” Actually Mean?
Madi and Candace slow the conversation down and define “identity in Christ” in practical language—starting in Genesis, where scripture says people were created in the image of God. If humans are made in His image, then identity isn’t something to invent. It’s something to discover by looking at who God is.

Madi shares an analogy: the moon doesn’t generate its own light—it reflects the sun. In the same way, people aren’t meant to manufacture worth or goodness from nothing. They reflect the Source.

Candace’s Turning Point
Candace shares a moment from her early adulthood that revealed how much her worth was wrapped up in her career and recognition. When someone’s disappointment showed up on their face—because she wasn’t “working on something” anymore—she felt less valuable. That moment exposed something true:identity had drifted into performance and validation.

But identity rooted in God changes everything. It moves life from “Do you recognize me?” to “Do you know Him?”

The episode closes with a heavy listener question from Christina:
“I have intense insecurity and self-loathing of my face. When I look at myself,I just see a deformed and ugly face. I wanna get plastic surgery so I can look halfway decent, but I don't think that's an option. I was teased growing up and called ugly many times, and I wonder to God why I can't just look normal.”

Candace responds with compassion and scripture—Psalm 139 and Philippians4—reinforcing a message that is both gentle and firm: feel what you feel, but know what you know. Feelings matter, but they don’t get to be in the driver’s seat. Truth does.

Get the Free Resource
For more encouragement, download the free Dare To Be True guide at candace.com, where listeners can also find a link to Madi’s book, Dare To Be True.
To submit a question for a future episode, click the Got Questions button atcandace.com.