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The Reading: title="Mark 8:27-38" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+8%3A27-38&version=NIV">Mark 8:27-38

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.

To think about

1. There’s a temptation to believe that as a Christian we have enlisted God on our cause, rather than seeing that God has embraced us on our mission.  If we think the world revolves around us with our needs, rights and privileges in the centre, we will always be disappointed.  If we recognise that God has embraced us for his mission, we will see that our lives have been bought by him and so we will want to know how we can serve his purposes.
2. What do you think it means for you to be an apprentice of Jesus?
3. The promise is that if you ‘lose’ your life, you will ‘save’ it.  What does ‘losing’ look like in your relationships, your work place, your own hopes and ambitions?

To pray

Lord, too often I am tempted to think it’s all about me, and I give in to that temptation.

Help me to see that I am able to be used by you, and that when I say YES to you, I bring you glory.

Guard me from my selfishness, lead me away from the temptation to be self-absorbed, and may you use me to see your will being done on earth as it is in heaven.

AmenThis week

There’s an old hymn that expresses this ‘surrender’. You could use it as a prayer this week:

Take my life, and let it be
/> Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
/> Take my moments and my days,
/> Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
/> Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands, and let them move
/> At the impulse of Thy love;
/> Take my feet and let them be
/> Swift and beautiful for Thee,
/> Swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing
/> Always, only, for my King;
/> Take my lips, and let them be
/> Filled with messages from Thee,
/> Filled with messages from Thee.

Take my silver and my gold;
/> Not a mite would I withhold;
/> Take my intellect, and use
/> Every power as Thou shalt choose,
/> Every power as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will, and make it Thine;
/> It shall be no longer mine.
/> Take my heart; it is Thine own;
/> It shall be Thy royal throne,
/> It shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love; my Lord, I pour
/> At Thy feet its treasure-store.
/> Take myself, and I will be
/> Ever, only, all for Thee,
/> Ever, only, all for Thee.
/>

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