Sermons | FBC Boerne

Sunday Sermon | Made For More: Discover Identity

• FBC Boerne • Season 1 • Episode 1

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0:00 | 35:38

Ever feel like the wins keep coming but contentment never lands? We open our Made for More series with a direct look at identity: why the heart asks Who am I and Am I enough, why culture’s answers fall short, and how Philippians 3 reframes worth around the surpassing value of knowing Christ. Pastor Jason shares church-wide momentum—salvation, baptisms, and a growing passion for the nations—then anchors it in a simple framework: discover identity, develop gifts, deploy on kingdom adventure.

We walk through Paul’s spiritual résumé and his shocking conclusion that prestige, pedigree, and performance are loss compared to gaining Christ. That lens turns work into worship and failure into formation. You’ll hear a moving story of a widower who, grounded in Christ, stepped boldly into missions, and a candid testimony of trading sports, romance, and achievement as identity-markers for a secure life hidden in Jesus. Along the way, we name the counterfeits—consumer promises, comparison, and soulmate myths—and show why the gospel offers not just forgiveness but a durable identity you can’t lose.

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You Were Made For More

SPEAKER_00

You were made for more. More than your past. More than your doubts. More than your fears. You were made for hope. You were made for purpose. You were made for belonging. The life God created for you lies ahead.

Celebrating God’s Work In Our Church

Discover, Develop, Deploy Framework

Dirk’s Story Of Calling And Mission

Called To Discover Identity In Christ

Reading Philippians 3

Prayer For Clarity And Identity

The Longings Of Every Heart

Why Cultural Promises Fail

The Gospel Gives A New Identity

Paul’s Resume Counted As Loss

Knowing Christ Above All

Personal Testimony Of Identity Shift

Practicing Identity Statements

Closing Prayer And Invitation

SPEAKER_01

Well, good morning, church family. Welcome as we begin a new sermon series titled Made for More. If you're a guest with us this morning, let me welcome you and let me introduce myself. My name is Jason Smith, and I have the awesome privilege of being the pastor here of First Baptist Bernie. Now, church family, I say that uh almost every week, and truthfully, I mean that. Okay? What a privilege it is for me to be the pastor here. Now, as I am reminded by Danny Ball on a regular basis, I am just a guy who could not cut it in the engineering world. But now I get to be your pastor. And truthfully, he's right, okay? Who am I that I uh should be so fortunate and so blessed as to stand before you to be a pastor of a church that God is moving in? A church with an incredible legacy here of gospel faithfulness in our community for more than 125 years. A church that's greatly impacted this community and has far reaches to the edge of the globe for missions on the gospel of Jesus. Um that we would be entrusted at this very moment for such a time as this to be a part of this church when God is saving. Okay. Did you know over the course of the last three years we baptized a person a week, someone like Austin that was just baptized? Praise God for that. God is continuing to save and move. God is healing marriages and families as people get plugged into discipleship and within the congregation, right? There is a passion that is stirring up for the nations, knowing that we get to be the ones that go. Did you know that this year we will send more than 150 people on foreign mission trips, going to Iraq, India, Egypt, to the far edges of the earth? When I look around at the ministry staff that the Lord has assembled here, highly gifted men and women that care deeply about equipping you, congregation, okay, to be all that God's called you to be and to be the hands and feet of Jesus, to go on kingdom adventure, um, it amazes me that we have a congregation that's full of highly capable leaders that have incredible experience in life, businessmen and women, military men and women, on and on. A congregation that's very capable. Um, and a church that cares deeply for what God cares about. That is the lost, the broken, and the vulnerable. And that we as a church are able to press into difficult spaces like special needs ministry and foster care, and do so because God calls us to be there. So I mean it whenever I tell you that I am humbled to be your pastor. And all that I mention, I'm just bragging on God. I'm bragging on what God is doing in and through us. Now, over the course of the next three weeks, my aim is really to submit to us some language that will help us to see and recognize what God is already doing and to give us common vernacular for what we mean by discipleship around here. Okay? At First Baptist Bernie, we help people discover their identity in Jesus Christ, develop their unique gifts, and be deployed on kingdom adventure. We are committed to being a community that helps you grow spiritually, serve selflessly, and live out each of our God-given calls to make disciples of all nations. Now, whether you're a mature Christian or whether you just came to faith, every Christian is called to continue to discover their identity in Christ, develop your unique gifts, and be deployed on kingdom adventure. It is what we do, it is how we grow. We continue to walk these things out. Now, upon permission, I'd like to share with you, highlight one of one of our members. Okay. Many of you may know, Dirk Moses. Now, a little over a year ago, Dirk lost his wife of 39 years. And to Dirk's own testimony, right, he loved the fact that she was out front, that she was the beautiful shining star, and he just got to hide out in her shadow. Now, I shouldn't say much and I won't say much, but I want you to think about, all right? You've lost a spouse of 39 years. I want you to think about the two that become one flesh. Then I want you to think about how important it is in that moment to know that Jesus Christ is your identity above every other thing. I've seen Christ sustain and call Dirk forward as a Christian. Also, last January, I was I was very surprised to find Dirk in my perspectives class. I took the mission perspectives class, and it had only been uh a little over a month since Virginia's passing. But there was Dirk in the class, taking it with us. Okay? And he there he is praying about his own giftings and how God is gonna call him forward in the next season. There he is, developing his gifts. And over the course of this last year, Dirk is a crazy fellow. That guy has been deployed on kingdom adventure. He's gone on multiple trips last year. He's got multiple mission trips planned this year in hard-to-reach places. Okay? He put his yes on the table, and that guy is going into risky spots. He's using his business acumen. He's doing whatever God tells him to do for the kingdom of God. Discover, develop, deploy. Every one of us growing in Christ for Christ. And friend, I share all of that with you because this is your calling too. Every one of us, as members of First Baptist Bernie, are called to discover who we are deeper, deeper still in Christ Jesus. Develop the giftings that God has given to you. Understand that about yourself, and then be deployed on kingdom adventure. However, God wants to use you to be his hands and feet. You have that passion and that calling, and we are here to help them. Okay, as you can see, uh you can take this home. There are other values and how we're gonna accomplish this written on the back. And over the course of the next uh two weeks, we'll continue to walk through that. I'll say more. Uh, but for our purposes this morning, I want us to dive deep into uh this truth that God calls every one of us to discover our identity in Jesus Christ. So turn with me in your Bibles to Philippians chapter 3. Philippians chapter 3. If you do not have a Bible, there is a Bible in the Pureck in front of you. You can keep that Bible as a gift from us to you. We want you to have a copy of God's word. So hold your spot there. I'm gonna listen as I read in Philippians 3, beginning in verse 3. Paul writes and he says, For we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh. Although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more circumcise the eighth day of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, as to the law, a Pharisee, as to zeal, a persecutor of the church, as to the righteousness which is found in the law, found blameless. But whatever things were gained to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish, so that I may gain Christ and may be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Will you pray with me? Heavenly Father, as we've gathered this morning around your word, Father, we confess to you that it is a work of your spirit to enable us this morning to clearly hear the questions of our heart, the deep truths of our soul, the way that our heart and soul is constantly crying out to you. And Father, I pray that your spirit would do a work that only you can do. That whatever wrestlings we have had as individuals, the many ways that we have been distracted, the many ways that we press upon other people in inappropriate ways. God, that you would expose all of that and that you would expose our heart so that we would hear and understand with clarity and certainty that you, King Jesus, are our identity, and that we need to drink fuller still. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. In 2005, right after he had just won his third Super Bowl, Tom Brady famously went on 60 minutes and in that interview said, Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still feel like there's something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, hey man, this is what it's all about. I reached my goal, my dreams, my life, but me, I think God, there's got to be more than this. See, he was making millions. He was the face of the NFL. He was dating a supermodel. Every kid dreamed of being him, and all that success did not satisfy his soul. And friend, it wouldn't you either. Now I went to the doctor last week in order to get a steroid shot. Those things are good, all right? They knocked that cedar fever out. But when I was there, the doctor took a stethoscope so that he might listen to my heart and my lungs. Now I want you to imagine for a moment that we have a spiritual stethoscope, and through it we can listen to the longings of every man's heart. Friend, this is what you would hear. Who am I? Am I enough? Am I pretty enough? Am I smart enough? Am I strong enough? Am I athletic enough? When will I be happy? How do I find genuine contentment and peace? Is there someone, something that can fill this void inside of me that can make me complete? Does my life have any genuine, true meaning? These are the questions and longings of every man and woman's heart. Because you have been made in the image of God. But as the Bible describes, you have stepped outside of God's rule and into spiritual death. You have declared independence from him. Genesis pictures the scene. Adam and Eve hiding in shame because the evil is now within them. Adam blamed God and Eve. Eve blamed the serpent. Discord abounds where harmony and trust once flowed. And Adam is hiding from God too. He no longer walks with God in the cool of the garden because sin has separated, and man no longer knows who he is. A paradise lost, an identity lost. Naked and ashamed, needing to cover up and compensate. That is the perfect picture for man's new reality outside of God. And here's the deal every one of us is fully aware of how completely inadequate we are in and of ourselves. There's no use pretending. Every one of us knows we're inadequate inside. And with all of our progress and sophistication in the year 2026, the questions within man's heart only grow louder. Advertisers aim to make a profit off of your longings by telling you that contentment is on the other side of their product. If you have these items, a big enough house, the nicest clothes, comfort, dignity, then, friend, you will have peace. Western culture screams chase your heart, your true inner desires, okay? That will fulfill you. But the desires within side of you contradict. And that same culture skyrockets with anxiety and depression. Because you are not the source of your own truth. Hollywood sells us that what you need is a soulmate, another person who can complete you, in the naive, aimlessly jump from person to person, discontent with who they have, longing for the greener grass on the other side. Man's pride tells him, you know what would make me happy? When I have finally proven myself accomplished, when I prove that I am better than others, when others look at me with envy and they long to be me, then contentment will fill my soul. But sadly, satisfaction is always a few steps away. Once I achieve the next thing, then I'll be happy. But friend, Christianity offers a radically different solution. Different from the world, different from every other religion. Listen to Paul's words again. But whatever things were gained to me, those things I have counted as lost for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be lost in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Christianity offers the person of Jesus Christ. The good news of Christianity is that Jesus has come to be your substitute and to redeem all that was lost in Adam. That the second Adam came to restore the identity that the first Adam lost. Second Corinthians 5, 21. This is the gospel in one sentence. That God made Jesus. By the way, Jesus had no sin. That God made Jesus to be sin. Not that Jesus had his own sin, but God treated Jesus as if he were your sin. God treated your sin the way it must be treated by condemning Jesus on the cross, by placing his full wrath upon Jesus, so that in return you could be treated the way that the Father treats the Son. So that you could be clothed in the righteousness and the totality of the Son, and the Father could now treat you the same way that He treats Jesus. Covered in righteousness. The Father calls you his own, just as he does Jesus. He is now patient with you, calling you forward into your new identity. The Father sees who you are in Jesus. And he's working towards who he already knows you will be. Now, what's most amazing about this is that it's a gift. It's free. It's solely by the grace of God. That all you had to do was turn from Your sin and believe fully in the finished work of Jesus. It is received, not achieved. And you can't lose it because you didn't earn it. Therefore, it is the complete opposite of everything in the world. Now, I know when I first read it, it probably didn't sound like that big of a flex whenever I was reading the Bible, but in Philippians 3, whenever Paul was listing out all of the stuff, listen, he was saying, I was the man. Okay? I was somebody. Paul says, from the tribe of Benjamin. As to the law, I graduated from Pharisee University. That was elite. Everyone, including the highest in society, knew exactly who I was. I had rank, prestige, influence, recognition. By my culture standards, I was a successful somebody. And the heart cries out, now that I have achievement, I am somebody. And Paul says, I count all of that garbage in comparison to the free gift of what Jesus has done for me. Paul says the pride of comparison, the scratching and clawing of comparing our careers and influence and stuff and hobbies, just to prove your word, just to prove that you are better than others. That's trash. It leads to arrogance or self-hatred. And it doesn't lead to contentment. Instead, Paul says, I know Jesus. I know him. The one who's accomplished all on my behalf. Who accomplished what I could not. You see, the Christian acknowledges sin. He has to be humble. He knows I am insufficient in and of myself. I couldn't do it. But hallelujah, King Jesus has done it for me. He loved me enough to accomplish what I couldn't, and I get to rest in him. In him. That's what the Bible says. That God the Father picked you up and placed you in Christ. Friend, do you know and understand the all-encompassing nature of your salvation? Yes, Jesus died on the cross to save you from your sin. But do you also know that Jesus came to be your identity? Do you know that? He came to be your identity. He came to redeem and restore and give back all that was lost. Yes, I am incomplete and insufficient on my own. But hallelujah. Because King Jesus, he is the perfect peace that fits inside my weary soul. He is the only one. For I could have the approval of the entire world, but I still thirst for water in my soul. But with him, even though the whole world be against me, he is enough. He understands my limitations. And he has walked through every trial, and he knows your pain. Friend, do you suffer physically? Consider his pain on the cross. Have you been forsaken by those closest to you? So was he. Betrayed, mocked publicly, forsaken by his own for a murderer. He endured every trial and temptation so that he might identify with you. No one understands your suffering or your pain like Jesus. I want you to listen one more time to the freedom of what Paul says. And I want you to understand how he freely lays down all that this world offers. He freely lays it down so that he might have Christ. But whatever things were gained to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them but rubbish, so that I may gain Christ and may be found in him. Not having a righteousness of my own derived from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. I had a phone call a few months ago from a friend that I hadn't seen since high school. We hadn't talked or spoken since then. And in that phone call, we were playing catch-up. And he knew that I'd gotten saved as a sophomore in high school, but he had also heard that in college the Lord greatly grabbed a hold of me and just radically transformed the trajectory of my life. And we hadn't caught up in forever. And so he says, he says, Jason, what happened to you in college? And I proceeded to tell him my testimony. You see, growing up, I was all about sports. Everything about me was sports. I was athletic, that's how I got my identity. I was a halfway decent soccer player. We traveled the country, did all the club sports kind of things. And I had always dreamed of playing soccer at a top-tier college uh at a top-tier school playing soccer there. Well, as the time got closer and closer, uh my fear of failure began to creep in. I started to wonder, what if the time comes and I don't measure up? What if I'm not enough? And I chose to quit soccer and just completely walk away. Now I tell you this a lot older with uh maturity and clarity of the heart. The truth of the matter is, is whenever we walk through issues at the time, a lot of times we we just we just have feelings, we just have fears, and we don't even know what is actually going on. But at that time I decided fear of failure, and I completely walked away, never played club soccer again. Well, I quickly found a girl. Right? High school senior, I quickly found a girl, fell madly in love with her, okay, and if you had asked me, I said, I'm going to marry this girl. Now coming out of high school, she went to that school in Austin that Shao renamed Nameless, okay? While I went to Texas AM. Needless to say, as uh 18-year-olds, uh she wasn't ready for all that, all of the identity that I placed in her, and she broke it off. She needed her freedom, she needed space. But there I was at AM. None of my friends had gone to AM. I'm away from my parents for the first time. The girl doesn't want anything to do with me, and I don't know who I am because I'm not playing soccer, I'm not an athlete, I don't know what I want to do with my life. And beginning that first semester of school, these deep questions of my heart began to just expose me. I was completely exposed and the most vulnerable that I had ever been in my entire life. Now, praise God, in the midst of that storm, the Spirit of God began to work in my life. Um He began to speak to me in prayer and through His Word. Now, there was one particular moment when these questions are first and foremost about who am I as an individual. And I I I went I went home and I did what every pastor tells you not to do. That is, I said, God, I'm gonna open up your Bible and and I need you to speak to me. And this is the Bible. I don't ever preach from it, it sits in my office, but I pulled it out for this moment. Because I opened it up to this page. I've shared with you the questions of my heart. Right here in the top left corner, it reads this. Then the young man said, What do I still lack? Jesus answered, If you want to be perfect, go sell your possessions, give to the poor. You have treasure in heaven, then come follow me. It's Matthew 19, 21. It's the story of the rich young ruler. And for the first time in my life, in the depth of my soul, the Spirit of God began to reveal to me that Jesus had come to be my identity. Yes, he is my savior. But he is the only one that can hold all of my weight, all of my identity. He's the only one that can overcome all of my shortcomings. He's the only one that can call me forward into who he has created me to be. A girl can't do that, a boy can't do that. No other individual can. Jesus completes me. He is my everything. Now I've been trying to walk that out for 25 years. Truthfully, I say with the Apostle Paul, I haven't figured it out. I don't do that completely in the least bit. Okay? Not that I've achieved this. But when I am right, okay, when the Spirit of God, I mean, I mean, I'm constantly learning over and over again the same truths. But I wanted to share with you a few statements that I wrote down for when I am right. Jesus, I am accepted and fully known by you. I am enough in you. I trust that you are in control and you are the one that is writing my story. I am called forward to be who you made me to be. Jesus, you orient all my definitions. You are the judge. You divine success, you are my validation. All of my effort can be service for you. For you to multiply it and make much of it rather than defining my worth. My victories are worship, my failures are opportunities to learn. They do not change who I am. I am able to willingly sacrifice for your kingdom, knowing that eternal rewards await. Jesus, you are my reward. Friend, I share all of that with you because I pray this morning that you too know the freedom of understanding your identity, what Paul means whenever he says that I may be found in him. I pray that in the depth of your soul you know and understand these questions of your heart and the way that you cling to every other thing, but that he has come to fulfill you and satisfy you. Will you pray with me? Heavenly Father, I pray right now, all across this room, only by your spirit can we discern the deep questions and issues of our heart. But Father, I pray. I pray that even through my testimony and through Paul's words, you have shown us that Jesus has come to restore that which was lost, to be in right relationship with you, to understand who we are as men, as women, made in your image, to be called into everything that you're calling us to be. All of our deficiencies are covered in Jesus. Father, I pray that you would speak and that you would move in power and in might. Father, I pray if there's anyone here that does not know you, that they would turn from their sin, that they would hear the good news, and that they would place all of their faith, all of their trust, all of their hope in the finished work of Jesus Christ. In his name we pray. Amen.