Gospel Identities

Scripture: Matthew 4:17b-25
Message: Our Gospel Identities: We Are Disciples
Speaker: Pastor Tyler Graftaas

Who are you? What is your identity? Paul, in writing to the church in Corinth says, "if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” Does that bother you? Does that excite you? For some, letting go of who we are to follow Jesus means releasing something which they hold dear and do not wish to let go. Throughout the scriptures, this is referred to as a hardening of the heart. But for others, the call to follow Jesus means letting go of something they hold dear to gain something even more. Jesus said to his disciples and the crowd that gathered, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” (Mark 8:34-35). As we begin our second gospel series, Our Gospel Identities, we are going to examine what it means to be disciples and in turn, ask ourselves the question, “am I a disciple of Jesus?”
In the midst of frigid temperatures outside and the multitude of challenges that we have been faced with the last while, may our hearts be warmed by the Spirit of God this week.
Pastor Tyler
Blessings,
Pastor Tyler