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bigmike

Luke 9:23 (LSB) 23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
As we left off yesterday, we were discussing the fact that God asks that we let our lives be walked out as living sacrifices to Him (Romans 12:1), which He deems as a reasonable act of spiritual worship.
Today, let’s go deeper, so we can develop an understanding of what that means for us in our daily lives.
People don’t often think of Jesus speaking or teaching about growing or maturing as a believer. But He did speak on this topic, albeit in less obvious ways.
In the verse above (Luke 9:23), Jesus directly addressed what is required if someone wishes to follow Him.
It’s important to note that following Him implies making Him your highest priority, being willing to sacrifice or surrender your own will to walk out His purpose.
Jesus didn’t dance around what was required; deny yourself, and be willing to take up your cross daily.
That's bigger than most people realize. It requires a complete surrender on our part. And it involves learning about what God desires and requires of us.
That part right there can sometimes be a bit tougher than we may care to admit.
You see, when we accept the offer to become His child, we are making a choice that has lifelong consequences.
We are telling God that if He redeems us, we will attach ourselves to Him unconditionally.
Wow! What a commitment that is. And most of us have no idea at all what that really means at the onset.
But as we learn of Him, we begin to understand who He really is, and we begin to love Him more, our heart goes through a process of surrendering that is a result of the transformation He is walking us through.
And in that surrender, we will find peace and a kind of rest that we never knew existed or thought possible to walk in.
Matthew 11:29 (LSB) 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Please join us tomorrow for more 🙏
Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

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