How many days a week is daily?

Live it Out by Abandon

So there was a survey of college students that asked them questions about their faith. For the question "What does it mean to be a Christian?" only a few even mentioned Jesus... Jesus Christ.

Christian 

You would think it'd be obvious... but we so often forget. Being a "good" person, isn't enough. Going to church isn't enough! And yet, that's the furthest we usually go... Being in church on a Sunday morning is enough of a commitment, right? We're busy and don't have time for more. 

Jesus said "Whoever wants to be my disciple, must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23/Matthew 16:24). 

Our crosses are decoration. We wear them around our necks, on our t-shirts, hung up on our walls, outside of our churches, tattooed on our arms... Yet, Jesus tells us to carry them. And carry them DAILY. Wait, is one day a week daily? How about two? Two out of seven... that's pretty close to daily right? 

#EPICfail.

Join me again next time as we continue to explore what it means to carry your cross.

May I never lose the wonder...

Everything by Lifehouse

The hardest part of being a disciple is truly accepting what God has done for you. For YOU.

Unlike many of you, I didn't grow up in church. In fact, I was 13 till I knew anything about what the Bible said. So I didn't grow up hearing how much Jesus loved me. So many of us hear it so often that we get used to it, we take it for granted. But when I heard that some guy had been brutally tortured, and crucified on a cross with nails driven through His body... for ME, giving up His life, sacrificing everything... because he loved me. I couldn't believe it, I couldn't understand. Why?

Why would anyone in their right mind give up their life for me?

Because of love. We are so deeply and truly loved that God gave the greatest sacrifice he could muster, himself. He become human just like us, experienced the same pain and hunger, the same disappointment and bitterness... sadness and heartbreak. All because of LOVE. We go to church on Sunday and then we go through the rest of our week. We walk around as if the most amazing, extraordinary thing wasn't done for us.  But it was. He died... so we could live.

How can I stand here with You and NOT be moved by you?

Do you get it?? Realizing what God has done for us should be the most transformational realization we EVER have. We CANNOT stand here, we cannot look at the cross & NOT be changed by it. If we TRULY recognize what He has done... we HAVE to be different.

This information is life-changing. 

The first step in being a disciple is allowing God to completely transform you. To let the realization of what He has done, permeate your entire being. You are loved more greatly and deeply than you can COMPREHEND. Go ahead and try to wrap your head around that one.

...the WONDER of the cross.