What a blessed morning! We had the honor and privilege of partaking in a child dedication, connect gatherings, and sitting underneath the teaching of Pastor Dale as he continued our series about the “First Things” of the Christian Life, things we do together as a church. Today our focus was on discipleship.

In Mark 8:34, Jesus makes a strong statement about what it means to follow him. "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." Jesus is first asking us: do you desire what I have placed in front of you? Do you desire me? 

Jesus then continues saying something brilliant, and also incredibly confusing. In Mark 8:35, he says "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it."

How is this possible? Aren't these in conflict? What Jesus is saying is that to follow Him, something in us must die. To follow Him, something in us must follow. When we are called to deny ourselves, we are called to deny the false self. Paul calls this false self "the flesh". A life of alignment, alignment with who Jesus created us to be, whose life looks like Jesus, is what Jesus is calling us to. 

C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity writes it this way, 

"Your real, new self will not come as long as you are looking for it. It will come when you are looking for Him. Does that sound strange? The principle runs through all life from top to bottom. give up yourself, and you will find your real self. Lose your life and you will save it. Submit to death, death of your ambitions and favorite wishes every day and death of your whole body in the end: submit with every fiber on your being, and you find eternal life." 

What is God asking you to die to? Instead of pressing it down, confess with God, with a brother or sister. It's in these ways we embrace Discipleship Together. Following Jesus together looks like this:

• Knowing Jesus: by learning to follow Him, taking in our life His life, His practices and His teachings

• Mediating on them by building a personal, intimate relationship with Him

• Obeying Jesus by bringing your life into conformity with all that He taught. This is keeping your moral lives in line with Jesus' teachings and by practicing justice, charity and faithfulness.

In its simplest form, being with Jesus, being like Jesus, and doing what Jesus did.