To make sure your calendar, event reminders, and other features are always
correct, please tell us your time zone (and other details) using the
drop-down menus below:
Set Date/Time format:
In 12 Hour format the hours will be displayed as 1 through 12 with “a.m.” and “p.m.”
displayed after the time (ex. 1:00p.m.). In 24 hour format the hours will be displayed as 00 through 23 (ex. 13:00).
You can always change your time zone by going to your Account Settings.
Use the dropdown menu to view the events in another time zone. The primary time zone will be displayed in parentheses.
Use the dropdown menu to view the events in another time zone. The primary time zone will be displayed in parentheses.
Check the items that you want displayed. Uncheck all to hide the section.
Calendars
Files
Addresses
To Dos
Discussions
Photos
Bookmarks
The “Switch Navigator” button will no longer be available after February 14, 2017.
Please learn more about how to use the new Navigator by clicking this link.
Mark 8:34 - "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me." NLT
Questions are in red, Bible text is in greenand commentary quotations are in lavender.
ANYONE can become a Jesus follower! ("If any of you wants to be my follower,")
Regardless of what you've done in the past!
But Jesus has 3 requirements ("you must")
In Mark 8:34 what are Jesus' 3 absolute requirements for those who want to follow him?
Jesus's three absolute requirements are explained in the following text.
"give up your own way,"
#1 Give Up Living for Yourself (Jesus, and not my desires (money, TV, games, sports, things, status, etc.) must be #1)
Many translations say something like "deny themselves" instead of "give up your own way".
"It refers to a denial of self-centered interests" CSB Study Bible
1 Peter 4:2 "You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God." NLT
Matthew 26.39 "... Yet I (Jesus) want your will to be done, not mine." NLT
In the above 2 verses what must I be chasing after and be anxious to do?
Mark 8:34-36 "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. (35) If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. (36) And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?" NLT
In v35 how does Jesus summarize v34?
How does one give up their life "for the sake of the Good News"? ***Matt 12:30
Where do those who hang on to their life go when they die?
Does this passage teach "Knowing & Serving God AND advancing the gospel (Good News) MUST be our #1 priority"?
Luke 14:26-28, 33 "If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else-your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters-yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. [27] And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. [28] "But don't begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? ... [33] So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own." NLT
What are all of Jesus commands in Luke 14:26-28, 33?
ESV Study Bible Note for Luke 14:26-28, 33 - "Those who would be Christ’s disciples must (1) love their family less than they love Christ (Luke 14:26); (2) bear the cross and follow Christ (v. 27); and (3) relinquish everything (v. 33). These are complementary ways of describing complete commitment. The first condition for discipleship is to hate one’s father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, and life. “Hating” is a Semitic expression for loving less".
What type of commitment does Jesus want?
This is why the title of this verse is "Commit 100%" and not "Commit 90%". Jesus will accept nothing less.
"take up your cross"
#2 Accept Suffering for Jesus
2 Timothy 2:3-4 "Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. [4] No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer." NIV
Acts 14:22 "where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God." NLT
Hebrews 10:32-34 "Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. [33] Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. [34] You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever." NLT
What do we learn about suffering for Jesus from the above 3 verses?
Dying to self to live for God - "... the believer's cross represents total surrender to Christ's authority. Following Christ wholeheartedly requires deliberate surrender of personal plans and ambitions in complete obedience to Him, no matter the cost. Discipleship involves intentionally disowning 'self' as the primary motivation in life. However, denying self does not mean ignoring, neglecting, or disregarding self. ... When we live for Jesus and seek to be like Him, our focus dramatically widens beyond the narrow attention centered on our little worlds. Self-denial never comes easy. However, life presents no higher calling than giving up our agendas for the Lord's. In Christ's kingdom, to die is to live. Death to self represents spiritual victory." pg 230 of Bible Study Fellowship study "John's Gospel", 2023
What were you top two thoughts from the "Dying to self to live for God" quote?
Here's how two famous men are doing Mark 8:34 in this short video and article.
What impressed you the most?
Taking up the cross means making a total commitment to following & serving Jesus no matter what the cost.
"and follow me."
#3 And Fully Follow and Serve Jesus (live to learn and do what Jesus wants)
Matthew 7:21,23 "Not everyone who calls out to me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. ... But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God's laws.'" NLT
Why is it important to obey God?
John 8:31 "Jesus said to the people who believed in him, You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings." NLT
Who are Jesus' true disciples?
Matthew 28:19-20 (Jesus speaking) "make disciples … baptizing them ... (20) and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." NIV
How many of Jesus' commands does he expect us to obey?
Joshua 1:8 (God speaking) "Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." NIV
How many of God's commandments does God commands us to be "careful to do"?
Matthew 4:10 "You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him." NLT
Who is the only one we are to serve?
“If Christ is not all to you, He is nothing to you; He will never go into partnership as a part Savior of men. If He is something, He must be everything, and if He be not everything, he is nothing to you.”-Charles Spurgeon
Proof of salvation - three quotes from John MacArthur.
"The proof of conversion is not a past event, or a past prayer, or past experience. It’s a present righteousness. Ah, it’s not perfection, but it’s direction."
"It’s what you do with the Jesus’ words that gives evidence of your spiritual condition. ... What is the evidence of true conversion? What is the evidence of true repentance? It is a life of obedience, submission to the lordship of Christ. It’s not a profession. It’s not empty words. It’s obedience. ..."
"If you love the truth and you love to obey the truth, even though you fall short, those are the evidences of true conversion." From this John MacArthur’s sermon
Which John MacArthur quote spoke to you the most?
We will never consistently live 100% committed lives. We all sin. BUT is Mark 8:34 the desire of our hearts? Is it what we are 'working hard' to do more and more? Is it the focus of our lives?
So you'll never forget to do Mark 8:34 memorize it for life right now using the three memorizing keys in "How to "Memorize for Life".
This week daily review, meditate and pray over Mark 8:34. Ask Jesus to HELP YOU LIVE Mark 8:34.
Attach this document to an event, task, or address
You can attach a link to this document to an event in your Calendar, a task in your To Do list or an Address. Check the boxes below for the data you want to
bring into the event’s or task’s description, and then click “Select text to copy” to have the next event or task you create or edit have the document text and link.
