Take this message with you through a journey of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.
Summary
Themes
Pastor's Points
Key Points
- 1.Promises: God keeps His promises throughout human history, preparing for the arrival of Jesus as the true Messiah and Son of God.
- 2.Repentance: Repentance is not just a verbal confession; it is an active change of heart, lifestyle, actions, and attitudes that resets our hearts daily.
- 3.Humility: True humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less and recognizing that we are all merely 'opening acts' pointing people to Jesus.
- 4.Trinity: At Jesus' baptism, God reveals Himself through the Spirit descending like a dove and the Father speaking approval, affirming Jesus' identity before He performed any public miracles.
- 5.Temptation: Being in the wilderness or facing temptation does not mean you are outside God's will; God uses private seasons of testing to strengthen and develop faith.
- 6.Unseen Seasons Matter: God does His deepest work in us during private, uncelebrated moments before He works through us in public.
- 7.Identity Over Performance: God's pleasure in His children is rooted in who they are in Christ, not merely in their accomplishments or public performance.
Sermon Moments
“The analogy of the kid alone in the gym shooting free throws with no scoreboard or applause.”
“Before God can do what He wants to do with you in public, He first has to deal with you in private.”
“Perhaps God does His deepest work in you before He does His greatest work through you.”
“True humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.”
“No matter what success or titles you achieve, you are still only an opening act for Jesus Christ.”
“God expressed pleasure in Jesus before He ever cast out a demon or performed a miracle because His pleasure was based on identity, not performance.”
“Being in the wilderness or experiencing temptation does not mean you are outside the will of God.”
“Captain Chesley Sullenberger's quote about making regular deposits in the bank of experience over 42 years so the balance was sufficient during a crisis.”
This Week
Remember This
God does His deepest work in you during private, unseen seasons before He does His greatest work through you in public.
A Challenge for You
Understand that God is using all of your private battles, struggles, and quiet prayers to prepare you for the public assignment ahead, so trust that He has already been equipping you behind the scenes.These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.
Read each passage, or hear where it was taught.
Continue this series
Who Is This Man?: The Teachings from the Gospel of Mark
