TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Mark 9:35
TODAY’S MESSAGE
Criminals hang from Roman crosses. Not petty criminals but thieves, murderers and traitors. Yet, that’s the death Jesus chooses. He selflessly moves toward public humiliation. Jesus’ death and resurrection is the event upon which all history hinges. It’s a defining moment for what Jesus calls his followers to. The New Testament writings point back to it over and over.
The cross shows us how to live. The cross calls us to shape our lives around the person and character of Jesus. It’s a cruciform life. The Jesus who humbly and sacrificially died on the cross for our sake. It shapes our finances by humbly and sacrificially looking at our possessions as something we can use for others, and not just for ourselves. It shapes our work by humbly and sacrificially valuing relationships and not only career advancement or the bottom dollar. It shapes our marriage by humbly and sacrificially serving our spouse instead of making demands or focusing on what they aren’t doing. It shapes our friendships by humbly and sacrificially valuing friends not based on what they can do for us but on how much God loves them. The cross should shape every aspect of our life. It’s a cruciform life.
IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY
Open your journal to page 83. Review your markings in the text and answer the two questions. Below the questions, write Mark 9:35, and draw a cross. Next to the cross, write areas to focus on to allow the cross to shape your life to live a cruciform life.
Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.
