If Jesus said to deny ourselves and take up our cross, does that mean giving up carbs for Lent is officially divine intervention?

Headline: Embracing the Cross: A Call to True Discipleship
Sub-headline: Jesus’ Challenge to Take Up Your Cross and Follow Him

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Welcome

Welcome, beloved congregation, to this blessed gathering where we come together in fellowship and worship. Today, we are here to delve deeper into God’s Word and allow His truth to illuminate our hearts and minds. Let us open ourselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we embark on this journey of spiritual growth and discipleship.

Opening Prayer

Gracious and loving Father, We come before You with hearts full of gratitude for the opportunity to gather as Your children. We thank You for Your faithfulness and grace that sustains us each day. As we enter into this time of worship and study, we ask for Your presence to be palpable among us. Open our ears to hear Your voice, our hearts to receive Your truth, and our spirits to be transformed by Your love. May this time be a holy encounter with You, where we are renewed and empowered to live as faithful disciples of Christ. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Introduction to Scripture: Mark 8:31-38 God’s Divine Plan

In the passage of Mark 8:31-38, we find Jesus revealing to His disciples the difficult path that lies ahead. He foretells His own suffering, death, and resurrection, which were to come as part of God’s divine plan for redemption.

Jesus speaks plainly about the cost of discipleship, emphasizing the necessity of self-denial, taking up one’s cross, and following Him wholeheartedly.

He challenges His followers to prioritize eternal values over worldly gain, reminding them that true life is found in surrendering to God’s will.

Mark 8:31-38 (NIV) God’s Divine Plan

31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.
32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?
37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

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