The gospel of Matthew can be summarized this way: Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah of the Hebrew Scripture, the divine Savior and King. Matthew 3 is unique because it fulfills an Old Testament prophecy that describes a specific person that would come to Israel to prepare the way for the Messiah.

In the sun-scorched wilderness of first-century Judea, a solitary voice echoed across the Jordan Valley—John the Baptist—divinely appointed to prepare hearts for the footsteps of the coming King.

Centuries before Jesus walked the shores of Galilee, the ancient prophets foretold of such a herald—a divine messenger who would prepare Israel. The gospel of Matthews tells us who that herald is: John the Baptist

The wilderness voice still speaks through the pages of Scripture. John the Baptist—the prophesied forerunner of Jesus Christ. His message? Unmistakable. Repentance of sin, followed by baptism in water.

John the Baptist, the one who prepared the way for Christ, made it clear: true repentance is essential for salvation. But what does that look like in our daily lives? Today, Pastor Tom will help us recognize the signs of true versus false repentance.

Pastor Tom Pennington describes the dangers of false repentance—a repentance that’s only skin-deep, focused on appearances and self-reliance, instead of true faith in God and real transformation.

On today’s program, Pastor Tom will unpacks Matthew 3:11–12, urging each of us to examine our hearts, repent of our sins, and place our trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation.

Pastor Tom follows in the footsteps of John the Baptist, calling each of us to examine which path we’re on in this life. He urges us to turn to Jesus Christ, to trust Him fully, and to experience the life-changing power of true repentance and faith.