Podcasts about take up your cross

I love the words of Jesus. I've discovered that most people do, even non-believers. You can even purchase Bibles that only have the words of Jesus printed. It's been said that no one speaks like Jesus and I would agree. His words have power and they have life. These truths are encouraging, uplifting, inspiring, and challenging. They changed people's lives in the first century, and they are still changing lives today.  But you would have to agree that as much as we love the words of Jesus, we also recognize that Jesus said some hard things, some very hard things.Main Points:1. Today, as Christians, we view the cross as a symbol of forgiveness, grace, and love. But in Jesus' day, the cross represented nothing but torturous death. The Romans forced convicted criminals to carry their own crosses to the place of crucifixion.2. For the followers of Jesus, taking up our cross means “dying to self.” It's a call to absolute surrender. It means choosing Jesus above all things. It means putting him first and dying to our desires, ambitions, and worldly pleasures. Jesus said if we “lose our life, we will find it.” The reward for choosing Christ over everything else is matchless.3. We carry our cross and die to ourselves because Jesus alone is worthy. Today's Scripture Verses:Luke 9:23 - “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”Quick Links:Donate to support this podcastLeave a review on Apple PodcastsGet a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship JournalConnect on SocialJoin The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group

Take Up Your Cross - Making Disciples | Ps Chris | Sunday 26 October

Pastor Jeff continued our journey through the New Testament in the week's Bible Reading from the Bible Recap, by preaching about the cost of discipleship to Jesus.Join us as we read through the Bible in a year together as a church!To learn more, visit thebridgebiblechurch.com.

Out of the Shadows (vv. 1 -3) Esther's Struggle (vv. 4-11; Matthew 16:21-23) Take Up Your Cross and Follow Me (vv. 12-17; Matthew 16:24-26)

Everything in you that isn't of Christ must die. In “Take Up Your Cross", Pastor Craig continues our series "The Forward Gospel", in our 2025 LEGACY season! The call to discipleship isn't easy, but it's the only path to true life and purpose, so are you living bound by the Spirit or bound by your own desires?If you want to contribute to support the ministry of CONVO Church, you can give securely online at http://convochurch.com/give​​​​​Scripture References | NLTActs 20, verses 22-24Luke 9, 23-26CONVO Church is led by Pastors Craig & Cara Dyson. We exist to lead people in becoming passionate Jesus followers bringing the love, grace, and truth of God into everyday convos, influencing every sphere of life. We are here to Inspire Purpose, Encourage Life, and Build Faith in you.

Jake preaches from Luke 9:23-27.

Pastor Jim walks through Jesus's teaching in Matthew 16 where the invitation shifts from “Come and see” to “Come and die.” After Peter boldly confesses Jesus as the Messiah, he quickly resists the idea of a suffering Savior. Jim unpacks how we often do the same, embracing belief in Jesus but resisting the cost of following Him. The message explores how the call to discipleship includes denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and daily choosing God's kingdom over our own comfort, safety, and self-worship. Jim challenges listeners to examine the version of Jesus they follow. One who aligns with personal ambition, or the true King who calls us into suffering that leads to life. Through stories, Scripture, and honest reflection, the message re-frames death to self as the path to healing, wholeness, and full life now and forever.

October 2, 2025

Theme: Christ calls you to follow Him because He is the Lord of glory! I. The Lord of the Disciples II. The Call to Discipleship III. The Paradox of Discipleship IV. The Future of Discipleship

Following Jesus isn't about comfort — it's about commitment. Jesus calls us to count the cost, leave the old life behind, and follow His voice. This lesson shows what it really means to go all in with Him.

Following Jesus isn't about comfort — it's about commitment. Jesus calls us to count the cost, leave the old life behind, and follow His voice. This lesson shows what it really means to go all in with Him.

Light shines into darkness. In this sermon, Pastor John Tucker walks us through a few passages as we ask, "What does it mean to be a disciple?" Join us as we explore the cost of discipleship, the blessing of being a peacemaker, and the significance of understanding our salvation in the Lord.

Well hey there, hello to ya today. Welcome to this special episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, the podcast that takes God at His word, encourages listeners as they walk with the Lord, and boldly proclaims that all God's promises prove true. This is something of a re-launch of the podcast, as I have not recorded a new episode in about five months.  A lot of varying reasons for the long break, but now the show is back. So, let's jump right in!   We're living in an era when believers need a whole lot of encouragement, and when those who are considering Christianity want an honest look at what it means to be a Christian, a follower of Jesus. This episode is aimed at both of those goals. Followers and curious seekers alike. Let me read from the New Testament book of Luke, chapter 13, about four verses. Starting in verse 23, through verse 28. I'm reading from the Amplified Bible, so you can compare it to your preferred translation or read along in your Bible or in case you want to make note of different translations and versions and do some Bible study on this passage later on. All of those are really good things, by the way. Don't just take someone's word for it when it comes to what the Bible says, and of course that includes me. Read it for yourself anytime you want to, fact check me like crazy. Let God be true and every man, every woman, every person be a liar, Romans 3 verse 4 says. When it comes to teaching the Bible, we should be very comfortable having our sources checked. If anyone teaching God's word is not comfortable with that, something is very, very wrong. And in those situations, you may want to … run. (Not really kidding around with that advice.)    Here's what this passage says, verbatim, in the Amplified Bible:   Luke 13:23-27 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition 23 And someone asked Him, Lord, will only a few be saved (rescued, delivered from the penalties of the last judgment, and made partakers of the salvation by Christ)? And He said to them, 24 Strive to enter by the narrow door [force yourselves through it], for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the Master of the house gets up and closes the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door [again and again], saying, Lord, open to us! He will answer you, I do not know where [[a]what household—certainly not Mine] you come from. 26 Then you will begin to say, We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets. 27 But He will say, I tell you, I do not know where [[b]what household—certainly not Mine] you come from; depart from Me, all you wrongdoers!   Okay, so if you're not familiar with the Amplified Bible, it is wordy. Because the Greek and the Hebrew of the New and Old Testaments often carry a depth of meaning in each word that is tricky to fully convey in the English language, different translations word things differently. The Amplified basically takes all the meanings of the text in the original language and adds them, usually in parentheses, which is why what I just read to you may have sounded choppy. Also, the Amplified capitalizes words like He, Him, Mine, etc. when it is talking about the Lord. And there are a few capitalized words in the text I just read.  Were I to leave out those extra words that are in parenthesis, it would read like this: And someone asked Him (that's a capital, so someone asked Jesus this question.) Lord, will only a few be saved. And He said to them, Strive to enter by the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. When once the Master (and that is capitalized, so it's talking about the Lord) of the house gets up and closes the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, open up to us! He will answer you, I do not know where you come from. Then you will begin to say, We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets. But He will say (again, He is capitalized, so the Lord will say), I tell you I do not know where you come from; depart from Me, all you wrongdoers!    This is weighty. This is no joke. Jesus' answer to the question He was asked is heavy. This is serious stuff! “Will only a few be saved?” was the question. The ESV says, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” Kind of a yes or no question. But Jesus was so good to expound upon this, to go beyond the short answer and give us all this important information as His answer. Now, back to studying the Amplified (and yes, it does require studying. Not sure when Bible “study”, in air quotes, began to not be studious. Study, the word tells us that it takes some effort, focus, and intention. If your Bible study group is not studying the Bible, you could be a person to kind of change that, to step off the merry-go-round of quick and easy answers, making a joke instead of really digging into the text, leading a group that goes through the Bible and studies it rather than maybe a small group that gets gossipy and talks about fashion and somewhat trashy shows on streaming. Y'all know what I'm talking about, and if you are new to Christianity and are shocked that I'm saying this, that's okay. A faith that can't hold up to some examination is, well, perhaps more cult-like than faith-in-Jesus like. Women's small groups are notorious for not doing enough actual Bible studying. New believers, keep searching for groups that do real Bible study and if you can't find a group, start a group.) So as we study this text in the Amplified, we find the Greek for the word saved in verse 23 has some depth to it. Lord, will only a few be saved? Rescued, delivered from the penalties of the last judgment, made partakers of the salvation by Christ. Yeah, a lot more depth there. This is about the very end of time, the last judgment. And that day, it's coming for all of us. If we say we love Jesus but we live like we're never going to stand before Him and have our lives examined, then we're probably not living for Him in our everyday lives. And notice it says made partakers of THE salvation by Christ. That little three letter word T-H-E…there is only one salvation and it is by Christ. That is almost certainly the most important thing I will ever say on the podcast, honestly. When it says strive to enter by the narrow door, the Amplified gives added depth by saying force yourself through it. Force yourself through the narrow door, the doorway to eternal salvation. Force yourself through it! Maybe, just maybe, this concept of raising your hand from your seat during a mega-conference altar call and then never opening your Bible, spending time in prayer, following Jesus as His disciple, just maybe that is nothing like forcing yourself through the narrow door. You know, we live in the very era when Jesus' return is at hand, and forcing ourselves through the narrow door that makes us partakers of THE salvation by Christ is the clarion call for this hour. Now is the time, my friend. This decision for Jesus should not be put off until another day. It shouldn't be put off for another hour! This is the time!  In this passage, when Jesus describes them knocking at the door again and again, like they are trying to beat that door down, the same narrow door that they did not force themselves through when they had the opportunity, trying to gain entry by incessant pounding on that door…and what will He say on that day? How will He respond to their knocking again and again? He'll say He does not know where they come from - from what household, because it's certainly not His. That's repeated twice, in verses 25 & 27. And in between, in verse 26, they implore Him by stating that they ate and drank in His presence…oh this is very convicting. How often are we “in His presence” and thinking that's good enough? They'll say, “You taught in our streets.” Is it going to get Him to open the door if you remind Him that He was taught about in your local church? Think about what this passage means for your own life. Are you ready for this day? Because it's coming, ready or not. I've said before that we need to get ready, be ready, and stay ready. Force yourself through that narrow door. Be on the inside when He shuts that door tight.    Just a few more thought I'd like to share on Luke chapter 13.  Verse 23 makes it super clear that this is about where a person will spend eternity. How many people in the year 2025 never even give a single thought to their eternal destination? We've been so desensitized, so conditioned to only think about this life, the here and now, focus on immediate gains, quick fixes, the current struggle and how to make that struggle end, and our own selves and “living in the moment” that thinking about forever does not really happen for so many people. Are you living for the moment, or are you living for forever? Does anyone stand on their platform, or ask their loved ones, if they know for certain they will be rescued, delivered from the penalties of the last judgment, made partakers of the salvation by Christ? Do I do that? Lord, what do You want to change in my heart, mind and life so that my focus turns from the temporal to the eternal, and so that I speak life - eternal life - over others?    Jesus' reply here,  and He minces no words, as was His norm, is: “Strive to enter by the narrow door”. I'm hitting on this again to share something that is important. The definition of strive is to “make great efforts to achieve or obtain something” - “struggle or fight vigorously”. It implies great exertion against great difficulty and specifically suggests persistent effort. Synonyms include “labor, toil, struggle, compete, exert oneself, and endeavor”.  Even a quick evaluation of those words reveals the heart behind Jesus' answer to the critically important question asked by an unidentified person in the thirteenth chapter of Luke. The Lord is telling us that getting on and remaining on the narrow road is anything but easy-street. And yet, is that what American Christianity so often teaches? Don't they make it seem as if a five-second prayer is all it takes in order to enter into eternal life with Jesus (think of those “Every head bowed and eye closed, and raise your hand and pray along with me if you want to be saved today” kinds of church moments…). But what if that's not exactly true? What if that is, say, step one of a long walk on the narrow road? And if the door itself is narrow, and we must force ourselves through it, as the Amplified says in verse 24, is that happening for most of us? Are we being discipled, are we discipling anybody else, are we students of the Word of God, are we spending time in prayer and listening for what the Holy Spirit might say to us? Have we forced ourselves through that narrow door? Have we encouraged anyone else to force themselves through the narrow door? Do we know the signs of the times well enough to recognize that there are just a few grains of sand left in the hourglass of all time?    Let me read this to you: Luke 14:25-35 New Living Translation The Cost of Being a Disciple 25 A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, 26 “If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. 27 And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.  28 “But don't begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? 29 Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. 30 They would say, ‘There's the person who started that building and couldn't afford to finish it!' 31 “Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? 32 And if he can't, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. 33 So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own. 34 “Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? 35 Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown away. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!”   Have you thought of discipleship like this? That being Jesus' disciple means you hate everyone else by comparison? This is serious stuff. Far more intense than is normally spoken about by pastors or preachers or speakers or the books down at the Better Book Room (Wichitans, you remember the BBR?) Do we hate our own life in contrast to being His disciple? Thinking about these words of Jesus' is a good reset for me. Why am I so continually concerned about my issues, my fears, my life, my stuff? It's just gross, and it is not fitting for a disciple of the Lord Jesus. Because if I don't hate my own life by comparison to being His disciple, then I cannot be His disciple. Point blank frankness right there. And if I do not carry my own cross and follow Him, I cannot be His disciple. So, how am I doing at hating my own life by comparison to His discipleship and am I carrying my own cross and following Him? It's a self test we all need to take every day.  Jesus says not to begin the path of being His disciple until we count the cost. Shouldn't that be mentioned during the altar call? I don't exactly know what this should look like, in every church or at every event, but I know enough to know that most of what takes place absolutely does not fit the model Jesus laid out for us here. We're getting it all wrong! And if we tell people it's all good, you raised your hand and never forced yourself through the narrow door, never counted the cost, never hated your life, never picked up your cross to follow Him…we are lying to them! He says we cannot become His disciple without giving up everything we own. I no longer have ownership rights over my life or my stuff or my health or my money or over people. Because I've giving all that up to become His disciple. Salt is good for seasoning, Jesus says. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? How salty are you? Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil or the manure pile. Am I salty or am I not? Lord, give us ears to hear, so that we can listen and understand! Am I a student, a learner of Jesus? Do I understand that it's more than a head nod, a hand raised decision to follow Him - it's more than saying yes to His invitation. It's picking up my cross and following Him after saying yes. It's moving onward with Him, it is not standing still while He moves onward.  Think about carrying your cross. I think, maybe here in western culture, we don't exactly get the implication. It's difficult. It costs us something, every day that we carry it. But where are we carrying it to? Where is this carrying of my cross leading me? To a crucifixion, that's the only logical end point. Am I crucifying my flesh? Am I dying to myself, daily, of my own willing choice and volition, of course depending on the Spirit of the Living God within me because no one can do that on their own, but am I willing, does it ever even cross my mind? Am I picking up my cross today, carrying the heavy and thing closer and closer to my own death to self? Or am I not? Anybody that ever said Jesus' teachings were easy, well, they need to read the words in red again. Taking up our cross is a one-way journey. It's forcing ourselves through that narrow door.  Jesus carried a cross, and so do His disciples, His followers.  What kind of follower am I? Am I following but ready to peel off and go my own way when it gets uncomfortable for me personally? Have I counted the cost and decided that yes, I really can afford to follow Jesus?  In the following, the Lord does the fixing and the cleaning up of our lives. This is not Jesus saying we need to get it together before we follow Him. He says what He says, and it's not that. He simply needs His followers to know it's not the easy way out, the life of Christians. But He'll do His work of making us new as we follow Him day by day. It's costly either way, right? Follow Jesus? There's a cost. Reject Jesus? Oh, there's also a cost. That choice, well, it costs a pretty penny. Let Him become the owner of all we have. Our children, our finances, our health, all of it. It's only safe with Him anyway, so it's the best available choice, but we still need to make the choice consciously, weighing it out, understanding it. Let's not be like slimy used car salesmen who get people to pick up what we're laying down based on implications that this is the easy way to live out your days and then, wham, the bottom falls out and they feel like they got sold a lemon.  And if you say you follow Jesus, you profess to follow Him, but you lose your flavor somewhere along the way…you are no longer distinct enough to be clearly known as one of His disciples, well, that's the time you're fit for nothing but to be thrown out. A Christian should look like, think like, speak like, behave like, have the nature of Christ. Salt ought to be salty. A Christian ought to be like Christ Jesus.    The promise in Luke 13 and 14 is so worth it, though, isn't it? It's eternal life for now and forever. It's being on the inside when the door is closed. It's knowing that life, it's going to be hard at times, especially as we get nearer to the return of Jesus, it's going to get more intense, and following Him with saltiness may come with some costs that are not common to us here in America, but are becoming common at an astounding rate. But the hard life that ends in death without Jesus, that's the wide road, the wide door. The road ends somewhere for all of us. It's His promise that by picking up our cross, carrying it daily as we follow Him, staying salty all the way until the end, we get to go through the narrow door. Carry your cross today. Force yourself through the narrow door. Because He'll keep all His promises, and what's coming is going to knock your socks off. “He who endures to the end shall be saved.” Those are Jesus' words to us in Matthew 24:13. Indeed, that's a promise He's going to keep.   Thanks for joining me for this re-launch episode. I'm so grateful to be back on the podcast, and if this encouraged you or challenged you, would you share it with someone today? Lord bless you, and I'll see ya back here next time. Bye bye.

Because we follow a Suffering Savior, we too must take up a cross like His and follow Him willingly into death if we wish to be His disciples. I. All Who Follow Christ Must Take Up the Cross v 24 II. Only Those Who Give All to Follow Christ Gain the Life He Gives! v 25 III. The Only Way to Keep Your Precious Soul is to Give it Away to Christ by Faith! v 26

The Gospel Story: Take Up Your Cross Luke 9:23-27 by Beersheba Church

Homily for 23rd Sunday Year C

Thursday

About the series: Jesus encountered people who were skeptical of him as well as those who were deeply scarred by the pains from life on a fallen world. This is still true today. We will take a closer look at these stories of skeptics and scars from the Gospel of Mark and how they apply us today. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Welcome to GracePoint Church! This place is filled with a bunch of regular people living in the real world. We're glad you are here! We believe that all of us are on a journey with God. We want to help you move forward on the path He has for you! We don't have it all together and we don't have all the answers, but we can point you to the ONE who does. ____________________________________________________________________________________ • Find us online at: https://www.gracepointkitsap.com Facebook: / gracepointkitsap Instagram: / gracepointkitsap • https://www.gracepointkitsap.com/give  

'Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ' Matthew 16:24

Take Up Your Cross — Even When It Hurts: Scripture Reflection for August 8, 2025 by Priests for Life

Preached at St Paul Lutheran Church, Rockford, Illinois on August 3rd, 2025.Support Rev Fisk at SubscribeStarOrder Rev Fisk's books at AmazonCatch Rev Fisk on A Brief History of Power podcastFor video, visit Rev Fisk's Rumble channel

Tom Logue - August 3rd 2025 Deny Yourself. Take Up Your Cross. Follow Him. Jesus makes clear: the path to true life comes through the cross—not just His, but ours too. In this message, we explore what it means to surrender our self-rule, embrace repentance, and follow the King who laid down His life for us. The invitation? Come and die… so that you may truly live. Learn more about our church: https://restoredtemecula.church Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/restoredtemecula and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/restoredtemecula #TheKingAndHisKingdom #TakeUpYourCross #FollowJesus #GospelLiving #DenyYourself #JesusIsKing #DiscipleshipJourney #SurrenderToJesus #TrueLifeInChrist #RestoredTemecula #KingdomCulture #RepentAndBelieve #SundaySermon #Matthew16 Share this message with someone who needs to hear it! Chapters (00:00:00) - Welcome Home: Restored Church(00:00:35) - He Interrupts My Plans!(00:05:42) - Jesus Says Not Even the Gates of Hell Will Be Able to Stop(00:09:53) - Why the Cross Was Necessary(00:15:15) - How Much Water Does Diamond Valley Reservoir Hold?(00:17:18) - Diamond Valley Dam(00:23:15) - The Weight of Our Sin(00:23:39) - Have You Received the Sacrifice of Jesus?(00:24:49) - The Life of Repentance(00:26:41) - Jesus on the Cross(00:29:56) - Peter: Being Near to Jesus While Saying No(00:35:20) - Jesus says to Satan, Get Away From Me(00:39:58) - Rebuilding the Life of Christ(00:40:21) - Jesus Calling the Disciples(00:42:33) - Your Cross is Not the Same as Jesus'(00:46:18) - Jesus' Cross(00:47:27) - Giving Birth Is Hard... But So Beautiful(00:51:26) - On the other side of suffering is glory(00:53:20) - "Say Yes to My Cross!"(00:59:00) - All God's Blessings(01:00:40) - Prayers for the Kingdom

In this message, Pastor Kelli Ferguson challenges us with the words of Jesus in Matthew 16. Discover what it truly means to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him. Watch now and let us know what part spoke to you the most.

Matthew 16:21-28

This week we'll study Luke 9:21-27 under the theme “Take Up Your Cross.” Jesus' call to discipleship is startlingly clear: following Him requires daily self-denial and cross-bearing. We'll explore what this means (and doesn't mean), why the cost of refusing Him is far greater than the cost of obedience, and how this difficult path paradoxically leads to true freedom and joy.SERIES SUMMARY: This series is based on the best-selling Christian book, Practicing the Way, by John Mark Comer. This work guides Christians toward spiritual formation by following the lifestyle of Jesus — through intentional practices like silence, sabbath, simplicity, and community. It emphasizes becoming like Jesus by doing what he did, integrating faith into everyday life through rhythm, discipline, and deep apprenticeship.How can we pray for you? tinyurl.com/stmarcusprayersFill out our online connection card: tinyurl.com/stmarcusconnectcardIf you'd like to leave an offering or monetary donation to our ministry please click here: https://tinyurl.com/stmarcusgive

This message was given by Rev. Mike Cofer at Mission Liberty Hill Lutheran Church in Liberty Hill, Texas.

Sermon by Davy Lee on July 13, 2025. 

Our interpretation of circumstances are often very different than how God sees them.

For more information, click here: https://www.celebrate.churchSubscribe to the latest sermons: http://bit.ly/2T6ASbuTwo Words: Meet Jesus. This is the vision of Celebrate Church, led by Lead Pastor Noah Rollins and based in Sioux Falls, SD with multiple locations throughout the Midwest. ——Stay ConnectedWebsite: https://www.celebrate.church/Celebrate Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CelebrateSF/Celebrate Church Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/celebrate_churchCelebrate Church Twitter: https://twitter.com/celebrate_cc

Take Up Your Cross by Apostle Joseph Mintah in the Series the Ministry System of the Believer

Take Up Your Cross by First Baptist Church of Westminster, California

21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord![a] This shall never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance[b] to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life[c] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.—Matthew 16: 21-27

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Today's shout-out goes to Dean Eklund from Wichita, KS. Your partnership with us through Project 23 is helping people put the Cross before the Crown. This one's is for you. Our text today is Mark 8:31-33: And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." — Mark 8:31-33 Peter had just confessed Jesus as the Christ—the long-awaited King. But then Jesus starts talking about suffering, rejection, death, and resurrection. It was not exactly the victory speech they expected of a King. And we can tell Peter can't handle this part of the message. He pulls Jesus aside and rebukes him. Imagine that—rebuking the Lord. Peter's fabrication of Christ at the conclusion couldn't include a cross. He wanted a Lord but did not imagine lashings. He wanted a Savior but did not imagine suffering. He wanted the Crown without the Cross. And maybe that's not so different from us. We want the power, the joy, the glory of the Christian life. But not the pain. Not the loss. Not the surrender. But Jesus doesn't soften the message. He sharpens it. He rebukes Peter—"Get behind me, Satan!" Because in that moment, Peter unknowingly echoes the same temptation Satan offered in the wilderness: a Crown without the Cross. And Jesus won't have it. You can't follow a crucified Savior without carrying your own Cross. If your version of Jesus doesn't include suffering, surrender, and sacrifice, then you may not be following Jesus. You're following a version that's safer, easier, and ultimately self-serving. Faith isn't about avoiding suffering—it's about trusting the God who uses suffering for our good. Today, set your mind on God's ways, not on man's. Stop chasing comfort. Start embracing the calling—even when it's hard. Because on the other side of the suffering… is salvation. #TakeUpYourCross, #Mark8Devotional, #FollowJesus ASK THIS: Why do we resist a suffering Savior? What's one cross you're avoiding in your faith walk? How do you set your mind on the things of God? Where have you prioritized comfort over calling? DO THIS: Write down one area of resistance in your walk with Christ—and surrender it to him in prayer today. PRAY THIS: Jesus, help me embrace the cross—not run from it. I want to follow you fully, even when the path leads through suffering. Amen. PLAY THIS: “Lead Me to the Cross.”

Take Up Your Cross: The Second Sunday After Pentecost - Lectionary: 06/22/2025 by Shawn Ozbun

Following Jesus means laying down self-interest and picking up a cross—not just once, but every single day.

Jesus explicitly states that whoever follows him must deny themselves and take up their cross daily. But what does that mean? Before Calvary, the cross was merely an instrument of death, but it is now where Jesus offers newness of life. We too must daily die to our sin because the cross is not given; it is a choice to bear.  Speaker: Mike Slayden

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What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? Today, R.C. Sproul does not shrink back from describing what we must be willing to endure if we are to follow Christ faithfully in this world. Read the transcript: https://ligonier.org/podcasts/ultimately-with-rc-sproul/take-up-your-cross/ A donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Donate: https://donate.ligonier.org/ Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

Fr. Mike discusses our call to deny ourselves and take up our cross, specifically focusing on God's call to renounce all that is ours and trust in him. He also highlights the story of Mary and Martha and encourages us not to allow the cares of life to choke the life of God out of our lives as Martha allowed her troubles and anxieties to do. Today's readings are from Luke 9-10 and Proverbs 26:4-6. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.