Joel M Bradshaw

34And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.–Mark 8

1. SELF-DENIAL. Our culture promotes worship of the self above all else. If you deny this you most likely are doing this. The follower of Jesus promotes self-denial over self-love. The denier of self is the servant of others. Your marriage, parenting, and friendships will change if you do this.
2. TAKE UP YOUR CROSS. This is the image of marching to your own Roman crucifixion. What a cruel thing they made the criminals do! Imagine if we made convicted felons on death row set up the lethal injection table or wire the electric chair that was going to kill them? Your cross is not some annoyance that you endure, but it is the image of you dying to your self and selfishness. You already are denying the selfish part of you, so prepare to crucify it.
3. FOLLOWERS NOT LEADERS. Jesus doesn’t need your input or advice. He requires you to follow him, not lead. Servants who deny themselves, die to themselves, and welcome submission to Jesus. You will see this in your life in how you receive the Bible passages that convict you and how you receive biblical counsel from a trusted mentor.–JMB