Followers of Jesus deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Him

Jesus states in Luke’s gospel “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23 NASB)

The first step in the Give Up Phase is to Surrender.

Jesus gives us three clear characteristics of a disciple as well as a definition of a surrendered life. First, one must deny himself.  Secondly, one must take up his cross daily, and thirdly, one must follow Jesus.  

Define the three imperatives in this text in your own words. Deny, Take Up, Follow.

Let’s look at an illustration from Christ 

• Read Matthew 13:44-46 

What is a personal story you can share to illustrate surrender?

Who can you share your story with today?

Surrendering to the Lord is something you do initially and then continue to do for the rest of your life. Making progress in the area of surrender actually gives you the capacity to move on and make progress in the next distinctive. 

Let’s reveal what you have discovered 

Hearing – What is God saying to you today?

Knowing – How is Christ transforming you today?

Following – Is surrender a reality in the life of your spouse, child, others…?