{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"First Baptist Arlington Sermons","title":"Identity Gift - December 14, 2025","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1781,"description":"Dennis R. Wiles  \nFirst Baptist Arlington \nDecember 14, 2025 \nFlourishing Together \nFirst Baptist Arlington \n2025 – 2030 \n2025: Flourishing Together: Rooted in Christ \n1 Corinthians 2:6-16 (Gospel Guide: Matthew) \n \nADVENT 2025: The King! \nNovember 30 – December 31, 2025 \n \nWhere is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. \nMatthew 2:2 \n \nIdentity Gift \nMatthew 16:21-28 \n \nTheme for 2025: Flourishing Together: Rooted in Christ \n \nTheme for Advent 2025: The King! \nK --- December 7: Born The King, Ne’er a Prince! \nI ---- December 14: Identity Gift \nN --- December 21: Now and Not Yet! \nG --- December 28: Go Now! \n \nJOY – One of the signs of human flourishing is the presence of true joy! At the heart of Advent is the declaration, “Joy to the world! The Lord has come! \n \nIDENTITY: Who is Jesus? What is His mission? \n \nMatthew 16 records 4 episodes from the life of Jesus where He reveals that the Kingdom of Heaven cannot be fully understood from an earthly perspective. The Kingdom of Heaven is a different kind of Kingdom and Jesus is a different kind of King! \n \nThe true identity of Jesus must be revealed by God and discerned through spiritual sensitivity to God’s revelation. \n \nIDENTITY: Mistaken, Forged, Stolen! \n \nIDENTITY: Who are we? What is our mission? \n \nAs followers of Jesus, we are called to be His disciples! He invites us to a lifetime of intentional discipleship! It is a personal journey! Our perspective on everything changes as we join Jesus in His purpose! \n \nA Disciple: A person being formed by Jesus as they follow Him in accomplishing His mission.  \n \nAs disciples, our identity is no longer rooted in our earthly perspective or earthly purposes. We have denied ourselves, taken up the cross, and we now follow Jesus! \n \nTherefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! \n-2 Corinthians 5:17 \n \nThen Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/UAbjbO_BQA3R5XEsQj1SCg2lWzYdffFGQbPeYIvJPQ8/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzM0Mjg4LzE2NjM1/OTk5NzAtYXJ0d29y/ay5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}