Working FROM Our Identity
In this message, we explore how Jesus began His public ministry not with spectacle, but with baptism and the Father’s affirmation, grounding His identity as God’s beloved Son before any achievement or recognition. Drawing from Romans 8 and Isaiah 61, the sermon names the world’s brokenness but insists that our hope and identity come from being adopted daughters and sons of God, not from what we produce. We are reminded of John the Baptist’s humility in pointing others to Jesus, and how Jesus’ own temptations speak to pressures we face to be relevant, spectacular, and powerful. Ultimately, the call is to embrace ordinary, faithful obedience—being formed in private so we can join Jesus’ mission to bring good news, healing, and “beauty for ashes” to a hurting world.
Reflections
Where in your life do you feel the pressure to “prove” yourself or earn your value, and how might God be inviting you to rest in your identity as His beloved child instead?
Can you think of a time when your ordinary, behind-the-scenes faithfulness made a real difference—even if no one noticed but God? What does that teach you about how God shapes us?
In what area of your life—work, family, or friendships—could you point others to Jesus more intentionally, like John the Baptist did, instead of making it about yourself?
Looking For An Audio Podcast Version?
Changing what people think when they hear the words "church" or "Christian"
Sundays, 9am & 11am
COSCityHub | 4304 Austin Bluffs Pkwy.