Manchester Church of Christ

Who Are You?

On this Baccalaureate Sunday, we celebrate our 2026 graduates while addressing a question that life eventually forces us all to ask: “Who are you?” This question often arises during seasons of transition, rejection, or trauma, where our identity and faith are tested. Drawing from Acts 19, [https://manchestercofc.org/sermon-speaker/randall-colson/] we see the city of Ephesus—a place of cultural diversity and deep superstition—where Paul performed extraordinary miracles through the power of God. A group of Jewish leaders attempted to mimic Paul by invoking the name of Jesus to exorcise a demon. The spirit’s response was chilling: “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?”. Because they lacked a personal relationship with Christ, they were overpowered and fled in defeat. The message for us today is threefold: 1.  Don’t Fake It: Christianity is a relationship, not a religion. You cannot rely on the faith of your parents or your minister. God does not bless who we pretend to be; He blesses who we actually are.2.  Faith It: Instead of “faking it until you make it,” we must “faith it.” In seasons of rejection—like the six-month period of unemployment I experienced after college—we must lean into the Word to remember whose we are.3.  Face It: We cannot take a passive approach to our trials. We must address difficult situations head-on, even when it is messy or painful. Ultimately, the Lord is magnified not just through our prosperity, but through our perseverance. Whether you are a graduate entering a new chapter or a seasoned believer facing a trial, do not face it alone. As a church family, we are here to help you grow your faith and magnify His name together. -Randall Colson [https://manchestercofc.org/sermon-speaker/randall-colson/] Sermon Title: Who Are You? Sermon Series: Baccalaureate Sermon Passage: Acts 19:11-15 [https://netbible.org/bible/Acts+19] Closing Scripture: Ephesians 2:10 [https://netbible.org/bible/Ephesians+2] The post Who Are You? [https://manchestercofc.org/sermons/who-are-you/] appeared first on Manchester Church of Christ [https://manchestercofc.org].

The Fruit

In Galatians 5:22-26 [https://netbible.org/bible/Galatians+5], Paul is writing to churches who are being pressured to earn their place in God’s family through external markers that can be summed up as walking by the flesh. Instead, Paul calls the Christians then and us today to a new life: that of walking with the Spirit. What exactly does that life look like? Paul describes it from the inside out in the fruit of the Spirit. From root to fruit, being grounded in Christ is the key to growth. This new life only comes from belonging to Christ and having our entire being anchored in Him. This serves as an important reminder for us today. The fruit are the visible result of an invisible root system. The fruit of the Spirit are not a list of rules to follow but instead are a cornucopia of what naturally grows when a life is rooted in Jesus Christ. Practically speaking, however, how can we tend to this root system, both as individual Christians and as a church? I believe there are four truths we need to remember: Growth is gradual. Growth is inevitable. Growth is internal. And growth is symmetrical.  The good news of the fruit of the Spirit is that it is available to all. The rich and poor. The included and excluded. The up and at ‘em or the down and out. All are called and invited to receive the gift of the Spirit, and to trust that He is at work in them, growing what cannot be self-manufactured. Dinner Table Conversations:  Adult & Teen Table Talk:  Examine yourself. How can you see the fruit of the Spirit growing in you life? What are the idols which need identifying and dismantling in your life? How can you replace them with Christ? Little Learners’ Table Talk:  Have you ever planted a garden or watched a seed grow? What do you think this teaches us about Jesus? -Caleb McCaughan [https://manchestercofc.org/sermon-speaker/caleb-mccaughan/] Sermon Title: The Fruit Sermon Series: Set Free [https://manchestercofc.org/sermon-series/set-free/] Sermon Passage: Galatians 5:22-26 [https://netbible.org/bible/Galatians+5] Closing Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:5-9 [https://netbible.org/bible/1+Corinthians+3] The post The Fruit [https://manchestercofc.org/sermons/the-fruit/] appeared first on Manchester Church of Christ [https://manchestercofc.org].

In Galatians 5:13-21 [https://netbible.org/bible/Galatians+5], Paul reveals that there are two paths that the community of Christians in Galatia can choose to go down: the way of the flesh, or the way of the Spirit. The question that hangs in the balance is, Which will they choose? Will they walk by the flesh, or will they walk by the Spirit? These questions are before us today. However, before we can answer Paul’s questions, we must first ask Paul a question: What exactly does he mean by “flesh” and by “Spirit”? This is not a false dichotomy between the physical and spiritual, but rather is a decision point between two orientations toward life. In other words, the “flesh” is our sinful heart; the inner tendencies within us that have not yet been redeemed. Further, the “Spirit” is the part of us that has been rescued, redeemed, and transformed by the Holy Spirit. Thus, what lies within us, both as individuals and as a community of believers, is a great struggle between the flesh and the Spirit; between relying on and pursuing the ways of God, or relying on ourselves and our own selfish ambition. Paul is pleading with the Galatians to recognize that their faith has ethical implications that impact the entire congregation. That unity of the church is a theological reality that cannot be divorced from the way church members behave towards one another. The big idea that Paul is driving home is this: Christian freedom is not self-indulgence but Spirit-formed love expressed in community. Church, who will we be? Will we be a community that walks by the flesh? Or one that walks by the Spirit? Dinner Table Conversations:  Adult & Teen Table Talk:  How do the “works of the flesh” damage relationships and church unity? What does Spirit-formed love practically look like in a church community? Little Learners’ Table Talk:  How can our church family help each other love Jesus better? -Caleb McCaughan [https://manchestercofc.org/sermon-speaker/caleb-mccaughan/] Sermon Title: The Struggle Sermon Series: Set Free [https://manchestercofc.org/sermon-series/set-free/] Sermon Passage: Galatians 5:13-21 [https://netbible.org/bible/Galatians+5] Closing Scripture: John 15:9-14 [https://netbible.org/bible/John+15] The post https://manchestercofc.org/sermons/the-struggle/ appeared first on Manchester Church of Christ [https://manchestercofc.org].

Finish the Race

In Galatians 5:7-15, [https://netbible.org/bible/Galatians+5] Paul uses the image of a race to describe the Christian life: “You were running a good race” (v. 7). The Galatians had started off well. They had received the gospel with joy and lived out their freedom found in Jesus Christ. Yet, somewhere along the way, they found themselves distracted, slowed down, and pulled off course. The reality is that the same danger exists for us today. The Christian life is not a spring of private spirituality, but a shared race of faith. We are called to follow Jesus together and to encourage one another toward faithfulness and love. Paul warns that when selfish ambition, division, or legalism enter the church, the race becomes harder for everyone. True freedom in Christ does not mean living for ourselves. Rather, it means we have been set free to love and serve. The gospel frees us from not only the penalty of sin, but also from the endless need to prove ourselves. Because of Christ, we are free to serve, to encourage, to forgive, and to bear one another’s burdens as we run together toward the kingdom of God. In this passage, Paul is making a striking claim: If we run the race of faith together, then we live out our freedom in Christ. Are we helping one another run faithfully, or are we becoming obstacles in the race? May we be a church that runs together in the freedom and love of Christ. –Caleb McCaughan [https://manchestercofc.org/sermon-speaker/caleb-mccaughan/] Dinner Table Conversations:  Adult & Teen Table Talk:  How can freedom in Christ be misunderstood or misused within the church? Paul warns against “biting and devouring” one another. Why are conflict, gossip, and division so spiritually destructive? Little Learners’ Table Talk:  What does it mean to follow Jesus together? Sermon Title: Finish the Race Sermon Series: Set Free [https://manchestercofc.org/sermon-series/set-free/] Sermon Passage: Galatians 5:7-15 [https://netbible.org/bible/Galatians+5] Closing Scripture: John 13:34-35 [https://netbible.org/bible/John+13] The post Finish the Race [https://manchestercofc.org/sermons/finish-the-race/] appeared first on Manchester Church of Christ [https://manchestercofc.org].

Set Free

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1 [https://netbible.org/bible/Galatians+5]).” Freedom is not an additional perk of salvation, but is one of the key purposes that Jesus came. Yet, Paul provides a warning too. The Galatian Christians were being tempted to return to a system of law-reliance; to believe that they needed Christ+. They had begun their new life in grace, but were now in danger of placing their confidence in religious performance, rule-keeping, and outward markers of righteousness. In other words, if they allow themselves to be circumcised to determine their righteousness, then they have wasted their freedom. The same danger exists for us today. Some waste the freedom Christ gives by returning to guilt, shame, and fear. Others waste it by turning freedom into selfishness and spiritual complacency. Either option is just another form of slavery or rebellion. But true Christian freedom is neither, but is instead the joyful life that comes from trusting completely in Jesus Christ. The gospel frees us from the impossible burden of trying to justify ourselves before God; to need Christ + something else. We no longer obey to earn God’s love, but because, in Christ, we have already received it. Faith works itself out through love, not anxious striving. So, the question remains: Christ has set you free! Are you going to waste this opportunity? -Caleb McCaug [https://manchestercofc.org/sermon-speaker/caleb-mccaughan/]han [https://manchestercofc.org/sermon-speaker/caleb-mccaughan/] Dinner Table Conversations:  Adult & Teen Table Talk:  How much of a difference does your certain future hope make to your life now? How can you make sure you meditate on your glorious future more often? What practical steps will you take? Little Learners’ Table Talk:  What does Jesus set us free from? Sermon Title: Set Free Sermon Series: Set Free [https://manchestercofc.org/sermon-series/set-free/] Sermon Passage: Galatians 5:1-6 [https://netbible.org/bible/Galatians+5] Closing Scripture: John 8:31-36 [https://netbible.org/bible/John+8] The post Set Free [https://manchestercofc.org/sermons/set-free/] appeared first on Manchester Church of Christ [https://manchestercofc.org].