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Daily Devotions with Pastor John - What does it mean to deny yourself? · LifeAudio

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  Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your
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  Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening
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  Speaker 1: to Daily Devotions with Pastor John. I'm John Stonge, and
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  Speaker 1: today's devotion is inspired by Luke chapter 9, verse 23,
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  Speaker 1: which says, And he said to all, If anyone would
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  Speaker 1: come after me, let him deny himself and take up
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  Speaker 1: his cross daily and Many of the people who showed
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  Speaker 1: interest in Jesus during his earthly ministry were looking at
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  Speaker 1: him primarily through a political lens. Some wanted to follow
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  Speaker 1: him because they were certain he was going to raise
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  Speaker 1: the nation of Israel to a place of prominence like
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  Speaker 1: it enjoyed under King David. But Jesus wasn't speaking of
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  Speaker 1: following him in those kinds of terms in these verses.
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  Speaker 1: He tells those within his hearing that If anyone would
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  Speaker 1: come after me, let him deny himself and take up
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  Speaker 1: his cross daily and follow me. That's the reality of
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  Speaker 1: following Christ. Jesus teaches us to deny ourselves. This doesn't
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  Speaker 1: mean to punish, starve, or demean ourselves, but it does
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  Speaker 1: mean that we should let go of our selfish desires
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  Speaker 1: and the constant search for earthly security that competes with
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  Speaker 1: Christ's invitation to walk by faith in Him. Jesus teaches
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  Speaker 1: us to take up our cross. In saying this, He's
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  Speaker 1: inviting us to assess the depth of our commitment to Him.
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  Speaker 1: Would we be willing to suffer persecution for His name?
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  Speaker 1: Would we follow Jesus even to the point of death?
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  Speaker 1: Jesus is telling us that there's no turning back when
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  Speaker 1: we become His disciples. Jesus teaches us to follow him.
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  Speaker 1: Belief in Christ is where discipleship starts, but it continues
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  Speaker 1: and grows deeper as we follow Christ daily. Our life
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  Speaker 1: needs to be going in the same direction as his.
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  Speaker 1: He calls us to follow him and journey through life
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  Speaker 1: confident of his presence, power, wisdom and encouragement. Let's pray. Lord,
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  Speaker 1: we thank you for your word, and we thank you
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  Speaker 1: for the privilege that it is to be able to
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  Speaker 1: read this portion of Scripture together today from the Gospel
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  Speaker 1: of Luke. And Lord, as we look at this portion
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  Speaker 1: of your word, we see what it really means to
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  Speaker 1: be your disciple. You show us what it looks like
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  Speaker 1: to follow you, and you tell us here that if
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  Speaker 1: we would come after you, we need to deny ourself,
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  Speaker 1: we need to take up our cross daily, and we
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  Speaker 1: need to truly follow you without turning back. Lord, we
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  Speaker 1: realize that there are many people in this world who
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  Speaker 1: think of their relationship with you as an afterthought. But
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  Speaker 1: when we look at a portion of Scripture like this,
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  Speaker 1: we realize that a true relationship with you is not
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  Speaker 1: an afterthought. It's something that's always on our mind. It's
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  Speaker 1: something that defines our life. And if we truly know
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  Speaker 1: you and we truly love you, it will be our
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  Speaker 1: delight to put you first in all circumstances of life,
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  Speaker 1: even in the midst of persecutions. and even in the
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  Speaker 1: midst of seasons of trial or uncertainty. So Lord, we're
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  Speaker 1: grateful for this challenge that you've given to us from
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  Speaker 1: your word, as you teach us what it truly means
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  Speaker 1: to live as your disciple. And we ask you for
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  Speaker 1: the strength and the power that only you can supply
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  Speaker 1: to help us live this out in the most sincere
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  Speaker 1: way possible. We thank you for all of these things,
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  Speaker 1: and we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.