Baptism

This message confronts one of our most persistent struggles: the preoccupation with ourselves. Drawing from Titus 3:3-8, we're invited to examine how we build our identities around things other than God—money, status, results, comparison with others. The text reveals our natural condition: foolish, disobedient, enslaved to passions, living in malice and envy. But here's where the gospel transforms everything. When we understand that God's verdict on our lives comes through Jesus Christ—not through our performance or achievements—we're liberated from the exhausting courtrooms of others' opinions and our own standards. Baptism becomes not just a past event but a daily reminder of our new identity, like a wedding ring symbolizing our covenant with Christ. The beautiful paradox emerges: gospel humility isn't thinking more of ourselves or less of ourselves, but thinking of ourselves less. When we grasp that we're already righteous before God through Christ, we're freed to love others without keeping score, to serve without expecting reciprocation, and to give glory away. This isn't religion based on relational deposits or transactional relationships—it's the freedom to bless others simply because we've been blessed. 📍 St. John's Website: https://sjdenver.org/ 📸 Follow Us on Instagram @stjohnsdenver 0:00 – The Problem of Self-Preoccupation We explore how building our identity around anything other than God leads to envy, comparison, and relationships centered on self rather than love. 6:22 – The Gospel: God’s Loving Kindness and Verdict We discover that Jesus Christ saves us by His mercy, not our works, giving us the verdict of righteousness through grace. 18:13 – Baptism: The Washing of Regeneration Baptism is God's gracious work, washing us with new life and giving us a lasting identity as His beloved children. 23:48 – Living Out the Gospel: Loving Others More Because our identity is secure in Christ, we are free to stop living for ourselves and devote our lives to loving and serving others. #faith #jesuschrist #church #churchonline #viral #viralvideo #viralshort #viralshorts #motivation #community #resurrection #renewal #god #gospel #bible #GospelOfGrace #Baptism #IdentityInChrist #JesusChrist #faithinjesus #christianshorts #christianmotivation #christianliving #christian #christianity #churchservice #sermon