The Marks of the Cross is a sobering and stirring call to authentic, crucified Christianity. This message doesn’t sugarcoat the gospel—it sets fire to shallow religion and demands a return to the power, pain, and purpose of Calvary. The Marks of the Cross asks every believer to examine their life for evidence that they’ve truly been to the cross.

In this sermon, Pastor Mike Russell takes us deep into the meaning of Galatians 6:17—“I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” The Marks of the Cross confronts today’s church culture that often preaches blessing without brokenness and power without sacrifice. Yet Paul gloried not in popularity or programs—but in the marks of suffering, surrender, and servanthood.

This sermon is bold. It teaches that the marks—the stigmata—are not just scars of survival, but emblems of a life branded by God. The Marks of the Cross explains that every Christian leaves a trail. We’re all marked by something—either the Spirit or the flesh, prayer or pride, worship or worldliness. The real question is: What brand are you wearing?

This is the kind of message pastors will want to preach when the church is going through spiritual apathy, carnality, or when revival is being hindered by uncrucified flesh. It’s an altar-builder. It’s a wake-up call. The Marks of the Cross leads people to search their souls for the residue of the old man that should have died at the altar.

It’s not just doctrine—it’s demand. The Marks of the Cross shows that Jesus didn’t offer His followers a path of convenience, but a call to die daily. Paul didn’t say, “I carry a cross charm”—he said, “I carry a stigma.” The world could tell that he was branded by another Kingdom. He bore a divine limp. His goals were crucified. His ambitions were buried. That’s the message of The Marks of the Cross.

Throughout the sermon, vivid imagery helps bring the message home. From animals leaving tracks in the woods to the slave’s brand, from Joseph’s pit to David’s cave, this sermon connects the biblical with the practical. It shows how trials, wounds, and rejection leave spiritual fingerprints—evidence that God has marked us through adversity. This isn’t just theology; it’s a testimony.

You’ll also love the message’s poetic close: “Don’t take away my adversity. Just help me keep the wound clean.” That phrase alone will stick with your congregation long after the message ends. Why? Because it’s real. It’s raw. And it’s exactly what hurting, holy, and hungry people need to hear.

The Marks of the Cross is ideal for Holy Week, communion services, pastoral leadership retreats, or anytime the church needs to remember what this gospel costs—and what it produces when fully embraced. It is guaranteed to provoke deeper prayer, honest introspection, and an overwhelming hunger to “know Him… in the fellowship of His suffering.”