SERMON SERIES · BELIEFS & BEHAVIORS · WEEK 1

Raised With Christ: Identity Before Behavior

Most of us try to fix our behavior before we settle our identity. Paul does the opposite. Colossians 3 roots holy living in three earth-shaking realities about who you already are in Christ.

We forget whose we are, which leads us to forget who we are.

WHAT THIS SERMON IS ABOUT

Three Booms That Change How You Live

You have probably tried to white-knuckle your way into better behavior. New habits. New routines. New rules. Most of it dries up by February. Paul writes Colossians 3 to a young church drowning in mystic add-ons and legalistic checklists, and he refuses to start with behavior. He starts with belief. Valor Church is an expository, Bible-teaching church in northwest Arvada, Colorado, serving Westminster, Broomfield, Five Parks, and Candelas. Sundays at 10am at Excel Academy, 11500 W 84th Ave.

The text is Colossians 3:1-4. Paul writes from a Roman prison around 61-63 AD to believers who never met him. The opening word translated ‘if’ is not a hypothetical. It is a declarative. ‘Since you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above.’ Identity first. Action second. The Greek shifts in verses 1 and 2, moving from the heart (vertical intimacy with Christ) to the mind (horizontal practice in the world). One feeds the other.

Justin works through three booms in the text. First, you have been raised with Christ, so live like a son or daughter of the King, not a runaway pretending to be a nobody. Second, your life is hidden with Christ in God, which means you are secure, protected, and free to die to self without fear of losing yourself. Third, when Christ appears, you will appear with him in glory. That future anchors the present.

If you are tired of trying to manufacture holiness through effort and willpower, this message is for you. The gospel is not a contest you have to keep winning. It is a verdict already spoken over you in Christ. The Father loves you the way a perfect Father loves a child. Hear that, believe it, and let it rattle every other voice telling you who you are.

A new church plant in NW Arvada.

Sundays at 10a at Excel Academy. Expository preaching, real community, a clear next step.

PLAN YOUR VISIT

A 7-DAY DEVOTIONAL

Go deeper with this message all week.

Seven days of Scripture, reflection, and prayer drawn from this sermon. One a day. Read it in five minutes. Carry it the rest of the day.

DAY 1

You Have Been Raised

Colossians 3:1

Paul does not say ‘try to be raised.’ He says you have been. The word translated ‘if’ is a declarative, not a hypothetical. If you are in Christ, your new life is fixed. Stop trying to invent yourself and start living from what is already true.

Prayer
Father, let the truth that I am raised with Christ settle deeper in me than every voice that says otherwise.

DAY 2

Set Your Heart Above

Colossians 3:1

Verse 1 is personal. It is a call to intimacy with Christ. Before you fix anything in your behavior, orient your heart to the One who already loves you. Affection comes before performance.

Prayer
Jesus, draw my heart up to you before my hands try to do anything for you today.

DAY 3

Set Your Mind Above

Colossians 3:2

Verse 2 is practical. Where your mind settles is where your life will follow. Spiritual thinking is not escape from earth. It is the only way to do earthly things well.

Prayer
Lord, fix my thoughts on what is true so my hands can do what is good.

DAY 4

You Have Died

Colossians 3:3

The old you is gone. Buried with Christ in baptism, raised to walk in newness of life. You are not slowly becoming someone new. You already are someone new. Start acting like it.

Prayer
Father, kill the old patterns in me that I keep trying to resurrect.

DAY 5

Hidden With Christ

Colossians 3:3

Your life is locked away in God. No one is touching it. That security is the soil where real courage grows. You do not have to protect yourself when heaven is protecting you.

Prayer
God, thank you that my life is hidden in you. Let me live unafraid today.

DAY 6

The Father Loves You

1 John 3:1

Jesus called God Father more than any other name. If the Son calls him Father, you can too. He is not absent. He is not reckless. He is gentle, faithful, and proud of his children.

Prayer
Father, let me hear your voice today the way a beloved child hears a good dad.

DAY 7

He Will Appear

Colossians 3:4

The final boom is still future. Christ will appear, and you will appear with him in glory. We live in the tension of the already and the not yet, and that hope changes how we walk today.

Prayer
Lord Jesus, come quickly. Until you do, keep my eyes lifted.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

For your small group, family, or personal reflection.

Where in your life are you trying to fix behavior before settling identity?
What would change today if you believed Paul’s ‘if’ is a declarative, not a hypothetical?
How is verse 1 (heart) different from verse 2 (mind) in your own walk? Which one do you neglect?
What does it look like for your life to be ‘hidden with Christ’ when you feel exposed or vulnerable?
Who in your life dressed like nobody loved them until somebody did? How does the Father’s love change how you carry yourself?
Which voice in your life is louder right now: the world telling you who you are, or the Spirit reminding you whose you are?
How does the promise that Christ will appear shape the way you spend this week?

Want to work through these with others? Small groups at Valor meet throughout the week. Find a Group

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Questions people search for. Here are honest answers.

What are the characteristics of a biblically-based church?

A biblically-based church preaches the Bible expositionally, treats Scripture as the final authority, is led by a plurality of qualified elders, practices baptism and the Lord’s Supper as Christ taught, and does not soften hard truths to be palatable. Valor Church is an expository, Bible-teaching church in northwest Arvada, Colorado. Plan a visit and see for yourself.

How to know if a church is a good church?

Listen for whether the sermon lets the Bible set the agenda or whether a topic was chosen and Scripture proof-texted to fit. Watch how the leaders handle hard passages. Look for a clear gospel every week and a congregation that knows each other by name. Valor preaches through whole books of the Bible verse by verse.

How do I become a Christian step-by-step?

Confess that you are a sinner in need of Christ, profess your faith in Jesus as the crucified and risen Lord, and receive the Holy Spirit who makes you new. Then find a Bible-teaching church, get baptized as a public declaration, and start walking with other believers. Talk with a pastor if you want to take that step.

What is the typical process for getting baptized in a Christian tradition?

At Valor, baptism follows belief. After someone professes faith in Christ, they are baptized by immersion as a public picture of dying and rising with Jesus. We baptize believers, not infants, because the New Testament pattern is profession first, then the waters. If you are ready, we would love to baptize you.

How do I find a local church to help me become a Christian?

Find a church near you that preaches the Bible plainly, explains the gospel every Sunday, and where the people will sit with you in your questions. If you are in northwest Arvada, Westminster, Broomfield, Five Parks, or Candelas, we would love to walk this with you. Come this Sunday at 10am at Excel Academy.

GOT QUESTIONS?

Talk with a pastor.

Whether you are wrestling with what you just watched or with what life is throwing at you. A pastor will reach out within 48 hours.

TALK WITH A PASTOR

JOIN US SUNDAY

Sundays at 10a in NW Arvada.

Excel Academy, 11500 W 84th Ave. Come as you are. A friendly face will save you a seat.

PLAN YOUR VISIT