What does it really mean to be all in with Jesus?
In Spiritual Authority: Sons & Daughters | Take the Plunge: I’m All In, Pastor Chad Everett continues teaching from Galatians 3:26–27. Through faith in Christ, we become sons and daughters of God. Paul then says that those who have been baptized into Christ have also “put on Christ.”
The Greek word baptizō carries the idea of being plunged, immersed, or completely covered. Baptism into Christ means more than adding Jesus to one part of our lives. It means surrendering ourselves to Him and becoming united with Him.
“Baptizo is I take the plunge, I’m all in.”
Take the Plunge
Following Jesus was never meant to be a Sunday-only experience. We can attend church, hear sermons, sing worship songs, and still hold back areas of our lives from Him.
To be all in with Jesus means we stop settling for a small portion of Him while keeping control of everything else. Jesus wants every part of our lives. He wants our decisions, relationships, attitudes, plans, work, thoughts, and everyday choices.
The picture of a cloth completely soaked in water helps make that clear. A small corner dipped in water only gets partially wet. Complete immersion changes the whole cloth.
That is the invitation of this message: take the plunge.
Stay Connected to Jesus
A soaked cloth will eventually dry out if it stays away from the water. In the same way, we cannot expect to live full of Jesus while remaining disconnected from Him.
John 15:5 gives us another picture. Jesus says He is the vine and we are the branches. A branch does not produce fruit by trying harder. It produces fruit because it stays connected to the vine.
We often try to manufacture peace, wisdom, joy, or strength on our own. Jesus invites us to something better. Stay connected to Him.
Being all in with Jesus means wanting more than something from Him. It means wanting Him. As we remain connected to Jesus, what is in Him begins to flow into our lives.
Let Jesus Spill Out of You
God does not fill us only for ourselves.
When a cloth becomes completely soaked, it carries water wherever it goes. In the same way, when our lives are immersed in Christ, the people around us should experience something of Jesus.
His love should spill out. We should carry His goodness into the way we treat people, and His peace should shape the way we respond.
Whether we are at work, school, home, the store, or with friends, being all in with Jesus should change what others experience when they are around us.
Put On Christ
Galatians 3:27 says those who have been baptized into Christ have “put on Christ.”
The phrase gives us the picture of putting on a garment. In Christ, we receive a new identity. We do not earn that new life through better behavior. Jesus makes us new.
Colossians 3 tells believers to put off the old man and put on the new. Second Corinthians 5:17 says that anyone who is in Christ is a new creation.
The goal is not simply to become a better version of ourselves. Jesus becomes the image we are growing to reflect.
Take Off What No Longer Fits
Old attitudes, habits, words, temptations, and ways of thinking may still try to come back. But they no longer define who we are.
Colossians 3 tells us to put off anger, wrath, malice, filthy language, lying, and the behaviors connected to the old life. We do not put these things off so that God will make us new. We put them off because in Christ, He already has.
When the old identity tries to come back on, remember: it does not fit anymore.
If you are ready to stop holding part of your life back, this message invites you to take the plunge. Stay connected to Christ, live from your new identity, and take off what no longer fits. Discover what it looks like to be truly all in with Jesus.
Scripture References Galatians 3:26–27, John 15:5, Colossians 3:8–11, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Daniel 10:12–13
Who Are You Really?
Your identity shapes the way you think, the choices you make, and the way you respond when life gets difficult. If your identity rests on what you do, how well you perform, what others think, or how you feel, it can shift from one day to the next. But Scripture gives you something far more secure.
In Spiritual Authority: Sons & Daughters – Identity, Pastor Chad Everett teaches from Galatians 3:26 that your identity in Christ begins with this truth: through faith in Jesus, you become a son or daughter of God.
“Your identity is found in your relationship with Jesus. That you were created to be a son or daughter of God.”
That truth is more than a comforting thought. It changes the way you relate to God, yourself, and the world around you.
Stop Building Your Identity on What Can Change
Careers change. Titles change. Success fades. People’s opinions shift. Emotions rise and fall. None of those things can carry the weight of telling you who you are.
Your identity in Christ gives you a foundation that does not depend on your performance. You do not have to prove your value to God or earn a place in His family. Through faith in Jesus, you can know that you belong to the Father.
This message challenges you to examine what has been defining you. Is your confidence tied to what you accomplish? Do you feel more valuable when people approve of you? Does failure make you question how God sees you?
God offers something deeper than approval. He offers relationship.
Receive the Father’s Love
Jesus prayed in John 17 that His followers would understand the depth of the Father’s love for them. That love is not based on whether you had a good week spiritually or whether you feel close to God today.
Identity in Christ means learning to live from the security of being loved by the Father instead of constantly trying to earn His affection.
It also means reflecting Him. If you belong to God’s family, His character should become more visible in your life. The way you speak, respond, forgive, love, and obey should increasingly show others what your Father is like.
Put Your Faith in Jesus
Faith is not about trying to convince God that you believe strongly enough. Chad makes the point clearly: “It’s not about the intensity of my faith. It’s about the object of my faith.”
The question is not whether your faith feels impressive. The question is where you have placed it.
Jesus accomplished what you could never accomplish for yourself. Your identity in Christ rests on trusting Him and receiving what He has made possible through faith.
Let the Father Have the Final Say
Knowing you are a son or daughter of God leads to a more challenging question: Who has authority in your life?
When what God says conflicts with what you want, whose voice wins? When culture, emotions, relationships, or personal desires pull you in another direction, who gets the final say?
Sonship is not just a title. It is a surrendered relationship.
This sermon invites you to stop building your identity on unstable things, put your confidence in Jesus, receive the Father’s love, and live like you truly belong to Him.
Know who you are. Know whose you are. Let your identity in Christ shape the way you live.
Scripture References Galatians 3:26–29, John 17:20–23, Matthew 13:36–43, John 8:37–47, 1 John 3:1
What do you do when the battle grows stronger just as you begin walking in God’s purpose?
In Overcoming the Warfare Attached to Your Harvest, guest speaker Richie Seltzer teaches that spiritual warfare often surrounds the very places where God has spoken His promises and prepared a harvest. Through the accounts of Jesus’ baptism, His temptation in the wilderness, the storm on the Sea of Galilee, and the deliverance of the demon-possessed man, this message reveals that opposition does not always mean we are outside God’s will. Instead, the battle may be evidence that we are moving toward the assignment God has prepared for us.
Stand on What God Has Said
Before Jesus performed a miracle or preached a sermon, the Father declared, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Immediately afterward, the enemy questioned that identity in the wilderness. Jesus refused to prove Himself through performance. Instead, He answered every temptation with the truth of God’s Word, declaring, “It is written.”
Overcoming the Warfare Attached to Your Harvest begins with remembering what God has already spoken. When our identity comes under attack, we overcome by standing on Scripture instead of believing the enemy’s lies or allowing our circumstances to define us.
Rest Instead of Striving
The message then turns to Jesus calming the storm in Mark 4. Before the disciples ever encountered the storm, Jesus had already told them they were going to the other side. While the disciples panicked, Jesus rested because He trusted the Father’s promise.
Sometimes the greatest victory does not come from trying harder. Instead, believers are challenged to stop striving and begin resting in God’s presence. As we trust Him, His peace becomes stronger than our fear, allowing us to continue moving toward the purpose He has prepared for us.
Keep the Harvest in View
On the other side of the storm waited a man who desperately needed freedom. The storm was real, but it was never the destination. That powerful picture reminds us that spiritual resistance often surrounds the very people God wants to reach through our obedience.
Personal testimonies of temptation, discouragement, delayed promises, and spiritual warfare reinforce the same truth throughout Overcoming the Warfare Attached to Your Harvest: vision gives purpose to pain. God remains faithful to accomplish what He has spoken, even when the journey unfolds differently than we expected. Rather than forcing doors open, we can trust Him to fulfill His promises in His perfect timing.
Come Home to Your True Identity
The message closes with a compassionate invitation for anyone who feels they have drifted from the Lord or returned to old patterns. Through Jesus Christ, your past no longer defines who you are. You do not have to continue living according to your old identity because God has made you new.
If you’ve been fighting discouragement, questioning your calling, or feeling overwhelmed by the battle, remember what God has spoken. Stand firmly on His Word, rest in His strength instead of your own, and keep your eyes on the harvest He has prepared. No matter where you have been or how intense the warfare has become, God’s invitation remains the same:
“You don’t have to live like that anymore. It’s not who you are. You can come home.”
Key Scriptures Matthew 3:13–17, Matthew 4:1–11, Mark 4:35–41, Mark 5:1–20, 2 Corinthians 5:17
What Is Leading Your Life?
Every day, we make countless decisions that shape our thoughts, relationships, priorities, and future. The question is not whether we are being led. The question is who or what is leading us. In Walking By The Spirit, Blake Bradley takes us to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus models complete surrender to the Father’s will. Knowing the suffering that lay before Him, Jesus honestly expressed His anguish to the Father, yet willingly prayed, “Not as I will, but as You will.” His obedience became the pathway to our salvation and the perfect example of what it means to trust God completely.
Jesus Shows Us the Way
Walking By The Spirit begins with the example of Jesus. Before the cross, Jesus did not ask the Father to bless His own plans or change His mission. Instead, He trusted the Father’s wisdom above His own desires. His surrender reminds us that following God is not simply about doing what feels comfortable or convenient. It is about trusting Him even when obedience requires sacrifice.
Blake challenges believers to consider whether they are seeking God’s will or simply asking God to approve the plans they have already made. Jesus demonstrates that true discipleship begins when we willingly place our lives under the Father’s authority.
The Battle Between the Flesh and the Spirit
From Gethsemane, Blake leads us into Romans 8 and Galatians 5, where Scripture reveals the ongoing battle between the flesh and the Spirit. Every believer faces a daily choice. Will we follow our own desires, opinions, emotions, and comforts, or will we surrender to the leadership of the Holy Spirit?
Walking By The Spirit is not simply about avoiding sinful behavior. It is learning to submit every part of our lives to God. Our thoughts, attitudes, relationships, ambitions, and decisions all reveal who is leading us. The flesh naturally pulls us toward self-centered living, while the Holy Spirit leads us into truth, holiness, obedience, and the character of Christ.
Living Under the Leadership of the Holy Spirit
Walking By The Spirit requires more than good intentions. Jesus told His disciples to “watch and pray” because spiritual victory begins with dependence on God. Blake reminds us that believers stay spiritually alert by spending time in prayer, filling their minds with the truth of God’s Word, and allowing the Holy Spirit to shape their thinking instead of culture, emotions, or personal preferences.
As we surrender our thoughts, desires, relationships, and decisions to God, the Holy Spirit empowers us to resist the works of the flesh and produce the fruit that reflects Jesus in our everyday lives.
A Higher Way to Live
Walking By The Spirit is an invitation to live differently. Rather than allowing circumstances, feelings, or public opinion to determine our choices, we are called to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit each day. This message encourages believers to examine who is directing their lives and challenges them to embrace the freedom that comes through complete surrender to Christ.
As Blake Bradley reminds us, “There’s actually a higher way to live. It’s to live with the Spirit of God leading our lives.” When we choose God’s will over our own, we discover that the Holy Spirit faithfully guides, strengthens, and transforms us into people who reflect the life of Jesus.
Key Scriptures Matthew 26:36–41, Romans 8:3–8, Galatians 5:16–25, Matthew 26:63–66, Acts 21:10–14
In Let Go of the Fear, guest speaker Lee Grady teaches that overcoming fear involves more than managing anxious feelings. Fear can influence our thoughts, relationships, decisions, and willingness to obey God. Through Paul and Timothy’s discipleship relationship, this message reveals how the Holy Spirit gives believers the power, love, and sound mind they need to move forward with courage.
Timothy was young and apparently struggled with fear, insecurity, and timidity. Those struggles could have kept him from accepting God’s assignment. However, Paul reminded Timothy that God had not given him a spirit of fear. Instead, God had equipped him through the Holy Spirit to speak, serve, endure difficulty, and remain faithful to his calling.
Overcoming Fear Through the Holy Spirit
Overcoming fear does not mean that we will never feel nervous, uncertain, or intimidated. It means fear no longer controls our response to God. The Holy Spirit heals the wounded and hidden places in our hearts, restores confidence, and gives us the boldness to obey Jesus.
God often chooses weak, reluctant, shy, or unlikely people to accomplish His purposes. Our personality, age, past experiences, or insecurities do not disqualify us from serving Him. When we depend on the Holy Spirit, God’s strength becomes visible through our weakness.
Five Practical Ways to Confront Fear
Lee offers five practical ways to confront the fear that keeps us trapped: stop overthinking, don’t isolate, limit social media, share your heart, and find peace in prayer.
Overthinking can produce worry, perfectionism, second-guessing, and mental paralysis. Rather than waiting until we feel completely confident, we can trust God’s truth and take the next step He places before us.
Fear also tempts us to isolate ourselves. Yet God created us for relationships and places us within families and the church so we can receive encouragement, wisdom, prayer, and support. Overcoming fear requires us to resist the urge to withdraw and allow trustworthy people to walk with us.
Guard Your Mind and Share Your Heart
Social media can fuel comparison, anxiety, insecurity, and dependence on the approval of others. Lee challenges us to recognize when our online habits damage our peace or distort our identity. Setting healthy limits protects our hearts and helps us focus on what God says about us.
Hidden pain, shame, trauma, and negative emotions can also strengthen fear. Honest confession and healthy relationships create opportunities for healing. When we share our hearts with trustworthy believers and invite others to pray with us, struggles that once kept us trapped can begin to lose their power.
Find the Peace of Jesus in Prayer
Prayer gives us a place to bring every anxious thought, difficult decision, and uncertain situation. Philippians 4:6–7 teaches us to present our requests to God with thanksgiving. As we do, His peace guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
The peace of Jesus does not depend on perfect circumstances. It steadies us while we face uncertainty and helps us continue obeying God. Overcoming fear begins when we stop carrying every burden alone and surrender our concerns to Him.
Open Every Area of Your Life to God
In a personal vision, Lee saw oil flowing through a large pipeline. Closed valves represented fears that had caused him to say no to God. He realized that fear restricted the Holy Spirit’s flow through his life because it prevented him from doing what God asked.
Freedom from fear is not simply about feeling better. Overcoming fear enables us to make decisions, speak when God asks us to speak, accept difficult assignments, and follow Jesus without allowing insecurity to set the boundaries of our obedience.
God has not given you a spirit of fear. He has given you power, love, and a sound mind. Receive the peace of Jesus, trust the Holy Spirit, and freely say yes to God’s calling.
Key Scriptures 2 Timothy 1:7–8, John 14:27, Genesis 2:18, James 5:16, Philippians 4:6–7