Hello Advent Family,

Have you ever had to give up something you really cared about for something more important?  There are always circumstances in life where we have to deny things that we want for things that are even more important.  Jesus calls us to this type of a life and talks about it with His disciples in Matthew 16.  Let’s look at it together today. 

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.

I remember once being offered 3rd row sideline Miami Heat tickets to a playoff game (during the big 3 era) only to find out it was the day we left for a mission trip.  I remember briefly feeling a sense of loss but ultimately knowing what a blessing the trip was going to be.  In fact in my life I know that while we are all called to take up our cross for Jesus I have certainly received much more in blessings from my faith journey than loss in “things” I have given up.  I have a Pastor friend who always says that if your faith life doesn’t hurt occasionally you aren’t doing it right.  Jesus calls us to life of flipping our priorities around.  Possessions, power, prestige, job success, wealth… all of those things are fine and good but Jesus is calling us to pursue lives of purpose, love, serving, and telling others about Him.  God may bless us with all of the other things along the way but our goal is His goal – to share His love with the world.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave