This Sunday, we were in Matthew 3:13–17 and Romans 1:1–7, kicking off our new series, Beloved: Our Life In Christ.

We looked at the baptism of Jesus and how, before He did anything in ministry, He received a simple but powerful affirmation from the Father: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” That same love and identity is extended to us in Christ.

As we launch into Romans over the next several weeks, we’re starting here—with identity. Who are we before we do anything? According to Paul, we are “called to belong to Jesus Christ… loved by God and called to be his holy people” (Romans 1:6–7).

We also reflected on Henri Nouwen’s idea that “You are my Beloved” is the truest thing that can be said about any human being. This week was all about learning to be—to live from the deep t ...