What does God say about who we are apart from Christ? In this sermon from Titus 1:15–16, we begin examining our identity in Adam, starting with the sobering reality of “abomination in Adam.” Scripture’s verdict is not that mankind is merely flawed or in need of minor improvement, but that apart from Christ we are dead to God, alive to sin, and enemies of God—defiled in mind and conscience, servants of sin, and unable to produce anything truly clean before Him.

Yet this grim diagnosis magnifies the glory of the gospel. Our condition in Adam is so total that only the whole salvation found in Jesus Christ can remedy it: justification, sanctification, and glorification. Like the leper whom Christ touched and cleansed, sinners cannot make themselves clean, but Christ comes to save, forgive, and give righteousness to all who believe in Him.

Who are you—really? Not according to your feelings, your failures, or what the culture around you offers as "identity," but according to what God says. In this opening lesson of a new 10-week series on Union in Christ, Pastor Josh Strelecki lays the foundation for one of the most vital yet neglected truths in Scripture: every person is either in Adam or in Christ. There is no spectrum, no in-between—only a fixed, definite position established by God Himself. This lesson distinguishes that settled identity from the ongoing, progressive work of spiritual growth, showing why so many believers live with a wavering, borrowed sense of who they are before God.

Walking through Galatians 3, Romans 5–8, Ephesians 1–2, and more, this teaching unpacks what it means to be a child of God, sealed, justified, and secure in Christ—not because of performance, but because of what God has already done. You'll see how this doctrine strengthens eternal security, anchors believers in suffering, guards against both legalism and license, and provides the true foundation for good works. Whether you're wrestling with guilt over repeated sin or searching for a stable sense of self, this lesson points to the unchanging truth: your identity in Christ is fixed, finished, and cannot be taken away.

Are the “ordinary” commands of Scripture shaping the daily life of your church and your walk with Christ? In this closing message from 1 Thessalonians 5:12–28, we trace how Paul brings his letter home with a series of compact, practical exhortations that define congregational life and personal devotion. The sermon unpacks our call to esteem faithful leaders, pursue peace, wisely care for the unruly, the faint-hearted, and the weak, and refuse to repay evil for evil—showing how the “labor of love” is meant to function in the real, everyday relationships of a local church.

From there, the message turns to three core habits that are “the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you”: rejoicing always, praying without ceasing, and giving thanks in everything. It then examines Spirit-led discernment—refusing to quench the Spirit, not despising the proclamation of God’s Word, testing all things, holding fast to what is good, and abstaining from every form of evil. The sermon concludes with Paul’s benediction (vv. 23–24), centering on the “very God of peace” who sanctifies us wholly—spirit, soul, and body—and the anchor of our hope: “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.”