Dustin Woodward - February 15, 2026
King Jesus
Welcome to our new sermon series, Jesus is King. In today’s message, Pastor Dustin takes us to Matthew 3 and the baptism of Jesus, where we see the foundation of Christ’s identity and mission. Before Jesus ever performed a miracle, preached a sermon, or began His public ministry, the Father declared over Him: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Jesus was affirmed before He ever achieved. This passage reminds us that approval comes before performance. We don’t strive to earn God’s love; we live from it. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we receive God’s approval freely, not because we are perfect, but because Christ paid the price to set us free. Pastor Dustin also highlights the humility of Jesus. Though John questioned why Jesus would step into baptism, Jesus chose humility over status. He didn’t save us from a distance. He entered fully into our world, stepping into the waters for us. Finally, we see that Jesus expressed His identity through visible obedience. What is settled privately must be lived publicly. The gospel transforms obedience from something we do to be loved into something we do because we are loved. Religion says: Obey and be loved. The gospel says: Be loved and obey. Scripture References: Matthew 3:14–17 Romans 3:22–24
From Series: "Jesus is King"
Jesus asked, “But what about you? Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15) Not what the crowd says. Not what you’ve always heard. Not what’s convenient. Just one question that changes everything: Who is Jesus to you?
