August 23, 2026

Drawing from John 1:19-23, this sermon explores the question of identity through the example of John the Baptist. When Jewish religious authorities came to question John in the wilderness, asking whether he was the Christ, Elijah, or the promised prophet, John refused to attach himself to any of these titles. Instead, he identified himself simply as "a voice" crying in the wilderness, pointing the way to the coming Messiah. The sermon argues that just as John the Baptist's identity was rooted not in personal ambition or cultural expectation but in his God-given calling, so too should the identity of every believer be rooted in Christ. Drawing additionally from Colossians 3, the pastor challenges the congregation to wrap their lives so completely in Jesus that He becomes their very identity, putting to death worldly patterns and putting on the character of Christ.