Tag Archives: Matthew 10:37-39

Take Up His Cross

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Discipleship Study - Discipleship - Matthew 10:37-39 - Take Up His Cross - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Study – Discipleship – Matthew 10:37-39 – Take Up His Cross – Growing As Disciples

“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matthew 10:37-39 (NIV)

Worthy

How could I ever be worthy of you? That doesn’t seem possible. Wouldn’t it be presumptuous to say that I am worthy of you? The truth is that I am a sinner. I have sinned against you in the past. I’m sure that I have sinned against you in the present. There is no doubt that I will sin against you in the future. I have sinned against you in my thoughts, words and deeds. You have confessed your sins to me. You will continue to confess your sins to me. You have asked for and received my forgiveness. You have been cleansed of all your unrighteousness. You are pure and clean and holy in my sight, not because of anything you have done. I have washed you by my blood that was shed for you on the cross. Your past, present and future sins are forgiven. I have made you worthy.

You have made me worthy, that is very good news. Yes, it is. You gave yourself fully and completely for me. You poured out your life for me. You held nothing back. It cost you everything to make me holy in your sight. Yes, it did. You demonstrated your love for me even when I was completely unworthy of your love. You loved me when I was completely unlovable. You pulled me off the dark and sinful path that I was on. You pulled my life out of the muck and mire. You rescued me from a life without you. You set me on a firm foundation. You made it possible for me to love, follow and serve you. Yes, I did.

I am so grateful and thankful for all that you have done for me. I now love you because you first loved me. You have allowed me to taste of your kindness, mercy and love. Now, I want to live my life with and for you. I want to know and do your will. I want to live a life that is pleasing in your sight. The desire of my heart is to live and walk in an intimate relationship with you. I want to hear your voice. I will listen to your instructions. I want to follow your guidance. I will leave behind the world and all its desires. I will take up my cross and follow you. I will go where you guide me. I will do all that you ask of me. That is very good.

Lord, I love you with all my heart and mind and soul and strength. It is my desire and joy to take up my cross to follow and serve you. My life is in your hands. Use me for your purposes to accomplish your plans. I will go where you guide me and do what you ask of me.

Key Question… How has your love for the Lord motivated your desire to take up your cross to follow and serve Him?

Living It Out… Let your love for the Lord motivate your desire to take up your cross and follow and serve Him.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that you will find real life as you take up your cross to love, follow and serve the Lord.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how you are taking up your cross to follow and serve the Lord.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you take up your cross as you love, follow and serve the Lord.

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship study guide click here:

Discipleship – Matthew 10-37-39 – Take His Cross – 4 Page Discipleship Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship study guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Lose It – Find It

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Rhythms- Matthew 10:37-39 - Lose It - Find It - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Rhythms- Matthew 10:37-39 – Lose It – Find It – Growing As Disciples

“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matthew 10:37-39 (NIV)

Take Up The Cross

What does it mean to take up your cross? That is a question that I have on my mind. What do you think it means? The second half of your statement gives me a clue, I think. Following you is the first part of taking up my cross. In order to take up your cross I need to lose my old life. I need to let go of my old thoughts and ways. I need to stop living for myself. I need to give up on my own selfish goals, purpose and plans. I needed to set them aside. They were pointless anyhow. My life was nothing but misdirected when I was living solely for myself. I was going nowhere fast. I was accomplishing nothing of any value. I certainly felt empty and without hope and meaning in life. But, you turned my life around. You drew me to yourself. You showed me your kindness, mercy and love. You made laying down my life easy. You made giving myself fully to you the desire of my heart. I came to you love because you first loved me. Yes, you did.

Now, I’m following you. Now, I want what you want. Now, I’m going where you guide me to do what you ask me. As I follow and serve you I will always be faced with choices. I will always be asked questions. What choices? What questions? Will I go even here or there for you? Will I do even this or that for you? How will you answer these questions? I will answer these questions with your help. Your love will help me. My love for you will help me. Yes, it will. I will keep on saying yes to you because you love me and I love you. As I keep on saying yes to you I will be continuing to pick up your cross and follow you. Yes, you will. As I keep on picking up your cross I will find and live out the life that you have called me to live. I will be doing what you ask. I will be bearing fruit for your kingdom and bringing glory to your name with my new life in you. Yes, you will.

Lord, I had goals. I had plans. I had purpose or so I thought. In reality my life was pointless and misdirected because I did not have you at the center of it. But, you rescued me. You are my Savior and Lord. I have lost my old life to find a totally new life in you. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Rhythms – Matthew 10-37-39 – Lose It – Find It – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com