Pastor Craig Carter

North Kent Community Church

1480 Indian Lakes Rd., Sparta, 

Church Phone #: 550-6398

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35-39 NIV).

The Apostle Paul wrote these amazing words to the church in Rome. It was a group of people, whom the apostle Paul had never even met. Yet, he loved them so much, he wanted to remind them of God’s love for them. We see from this verse that he asks them a very simple, yet profound question. “Who or what can separate you from the love of God?” So, precious people of North Kent County, who or what can separate you from the love of God? I, like the apostle, have never met the majority of you reading this article, yet I am compelled to remind you of God’s love for you.

An amazing truth! I have found that it is easier for people to believe that God exists, than it is for them to truly believe that He loves them—that He is crazy, head over heels in love with them and concerned about every detail of their lives. If our understanding of God does not go any deeper than His existence, we will continue to believe that the things of this life have somehow separated us from His love. God’s amazing love convinced the apostle Paul that there was nothing that could separate him from it. Do you believe this? Or are you like many of us who struggle to believe it? If you struggle with believing or accepting the love of God, then I encourage you to simply say, “Lord, convince me!” Then sit back and watch Him show you that His love for you is not tied to your behavior, good or bad, but in His nature alone. The nature of God is love. That is why I am continually convinced myself that God enjoys convincing us of His love. Are you convinced yet?

Why the hoopla over convincing us of His love? Because it makes us more than a conqueror! Notice what the apostle Paul said in verse 37, “No, in all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” We learn from this verse that his love reaches all things. There is not one area or circumstance of our lives that God’s love does not touch. Secondly, it makes us more than conquerors. The love of God not only gets us over circumstances but can keep us there. His love cannot only provide a job for the unemployed, but can pay every bill. His love cannot only save your marriage, but can make your love for one another thrive and flourish again. His love cannot only get you over depression but also can renew your hope and restore your joy for the future.  Now that’s being “more than a conqueror.” What made it possible? The love of God! Will you receive it today? Will you quit believing that God simply exists and start believing that he exists to reveal His love to you? If have never received God’s love, then open your heart and acknowledge this priceless truth, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him (John 3:16-17).” Enjoy the Love of God!

Pastor Kristi J. Rhodes  

Hillcrest Community Church

5994 18 Mile Rd. Cedar Springs, MI 49319

Recently there was a call-in radio show that had, as their guest, an atheist, who was sharing his views. While frantically trying to get a call through to the station, there were a dozen or more Christian callers talking to this man. It was appalling at the ease with which he was chewing them up and spitting them out! It seemed that every Christian who called was incapable of giving an intelligent reason for the faith that he or she held. “The Bible says such and such,” each would begin in trying to support what she or he was saying. The atheist would counter: “Well, why do you believe the Bible?” Every one of them was reduced to stammering out something like, “Well, I’ve got it down in my heart.” The atheist would answer, “Well, it’s not down in my heart, friend, and I don’t believe it.”

This is what prompted D. James Kennedy to write a book entitled, “Why I Believe.”

It’s especially important in these days for Christians to be able to give a reason for the hope that is in them. 1 Peter 3:13-17 (MSG) says: “If with heart and soul you’re doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you’re still better off. Don’t give the opposition a second thought. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are (defend what you believe), and always with the utmost courtesy. Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none will stick. They’ll end up realizing that they’re the ones who need a bath. It’s better to suffer for doing good, if that’s what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad” (emphasis mine).

Challenges from unbelievers and seekers confront us always. Television, books, magazines, and movies subject our faith to questioning in thousands of ways! As Christians we must be ready to speak to those who question our basic beliefs.  We sin against God when we remain silent because we’re incapable of defending what we believe.

Not only that—when we don’t stand ready with a reason for our hope and don’t know why we believe what we believe, we give others the impression that Christianity is a religion based merely on blind faith or emotional prejudice. Nothing could be further from the truth!

We often accuse those who reject Christianity without at least examining the evidence of being prejudiced. Then is it not also true that if a person accepts it without examining the evidence, then that too is nothing other than prejudice or gullibility?

The Bible tells us to examine all things and to hold fast to that which is good. Yet too often we’re not willing to do that just because it takes a little effort on our part to become workmen who need not be ashamed. When we don’t examine the grounds and foundation for our faith, we find that Satan will use our ignorance to attack our belief, and when we experience difficulties, he will sow doubts in our minds.

We must be better at knowing what we believe and why we believe it so we will be ready always to give a reason for the hope that we have in us. Read and know the Bible, which is foundational for Christian belief!

Pastor Ryan Black
Cedar Springs Christian Church
340 West Pine Street, Cedar Springs

When reading the scriptures of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, we see the wonders of an almighty and powerful God. From the parting of the Red Sea, to David defeating Goliath, to Jesus healing and raising people from the dead, this power is displayed. While this power is supernatural and beyond our comprehension, these phenomenon all have one common link. What is that connection? That connection is faith!

Faith is the key to releasing the magnificent power of God. The Bible gives us many examples of this. In the gospels we read about a situation regarding a Roman centurion’s servant who was ill and dying (Matthew 8/Luke 7). It was the faith of the centurion that allowed the power of Christ to heal his servant. When a woman with a bleeding problem reached out and touched the hem of Jesus’ garments she was immediately healed (Matthew 9/Luke 8/Mark 5). Although it was the power of Christ, it was her faith that released that power to heal her. These are just a few examples of how faith has been displayed throughout the Word of God.

In today’s world we need to have that same kind of faith in God. We need to know and believe that He is there for us and can get us through any tragedy we may face. When things are going great in our lives, the easier it seems for us to keep our faith at a high level. This was true of the followers and disciples of Christ. They believed and expressed great faith when they witnessed and saw the greatness of God before their eyes. However, when they went out to sea and faced a terrifying storm, their faith disappeared. Catastrophe struck and fear set in and overcame all the amazing miracles they had previously witnessed.

We can all admit that it’s easier to keep our beliefs high when good things are happening. When blessings are being poured out and life seems to be going well, it’s much easier to focus on how great God is and how much we depend on Him.  But it’s when we face a tragedy or a storm in our lives that our faith is really being tested. We have to remember that just as Christ’s disciples lost their faith in the midst of the storm, Jesus was still right there with them. And when called upon the storm was calmed (Matthew 8/Mark 4/Luke 8). We need to rely on Christ to calm the storms and tragedies in our lives. And this can be accomplished through one thing. Faith!

Pastor Dick Nichols

Cedar Creek Community Church

2969 14 Mile Road, Sparta

You can be sure that at least once in everyone’s life, something so difficult and painful will happen that we will ask “God … why?” So many things in life seem unexplainable; why does a tornado destroy one house and leave another untouched? Why does one brother prosper while another struggles all of his life? Why did the tumor come back when the doctor said he thought he got it all? We all have these types of questions in this life; the list is endless.

Sometimes we encounter circumstances, events and situations that make it seem like the entire world is collapsing around us. Things make no sense at all. And, if there is a purpose behind it, we can’t see it. So, we will turn to the Bible for comfort and read scripture like “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, New International Version).

Before my wife and I accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, there were some painful and difficult events in our family, and we heard this verse quoted to us more than once from well-meaning friends, and we didn’t find any consolation in it. Now that Jesus is our Lord, we have an understanding that we couldn’t have before.

Do all things work together for good? My answer to this question is now an emphatic YES! But there still remains the inevitable question “are all things good?” that can only be answered emphatically NO! The difference is that we know now that the Lord can turn harrowing circumstances around and literally cause everything to work together for good. It’s tough for many of us to grab hold of the idea that God doesn’t let anything go to waste in our lives. He has a purpose and a reason for everything that happens in the lives of his followers and will even use the bad and difficult things to produce good on our behalf.

I do not have to tell you that Romans 8:28 is one of the most beloved verses in the Bible. But there are times when this verse is misused and is thrown at those suffering, as if it could answer every question in life. That is the opposite of what Paul the apostle intended. Some people think that after a tragedy, God will show up and make everything come out o.k. Then, when life’s wrinkles don’t get ironed out, they wonder “where was God when…?”

That is not the biblical view at all. In reality we know now that God is there at the beginning, and God is there at the end, and he is there at every point in between. Simply put, this scripture lets Christians know that God was there before it all happened and he is still there when it is over, and that his plan is to serve a higher purpose and bring about good results.

The Bible never asks us to pretend that tragedy isn’t tragedy, or to pretend that our pain isn’t real. The point is, we must see the active involvement of God in our circumstances. Paul taught, in Romans 5:3-4, that a believer’s faith and character must be refined, purified and tempered in order to grow and reach greater levels of maturity for God so he can make us into what he wants us to be, to do what he has called us to do.

The Lord allows assorted troubles, trials, and temptations to test our faith and spiritual character so that we can grow closer to our Lord. You will never face any trial that you and Jesus cannot overcome. This does not mean that we will evade such trouble; it means that with him, we will be able to bear them.

Scripture does not say that whatever happens is good, or that suffering and evil and tragedy are good, or that we will be able to understand why God allows what he allows in our lives. Instead, God puts a sign over us that reads: “Patience, God is at work.” As in any construction project, don’t judge the end by the beginning.

Barry Briggs, Senior Pastor

The Springs Church

135 N. Grant, Cedar Springs

Everybody wants to know the answer to the question, “What happens after I die?” In a recent survey, from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, they found that only 59 percent of Americans believe in Hell, compared with 74 percent who believe in Heaven. Even a well-known pastor, at a large church in Grand Rapids, wrote a book recently suggesting that Hell—as it has been traditionally understood–d oesn’t exist.

Those who challenge the notion of a place of eternal torment wonder, “How could a loving and gracious God send someone to Hell?” And, when the question gets framed like that, it does seem at odds. But what if God doesn’t send people to Hell? What if people choose to go there? What do I mean?

Hell is total separation from God. 1 Corinthians 16:22 (NCV) says, “If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be separated from God—lost forever!” The choice is ours. If I don’t want God in my life now, why would I want to spend eternity with Him? Why would I say I want to live without God on earth, but I want to live with God in Heaven? That doesn’t make sense. God says, “You get to choose. If you don’t want Me in your life, I’ll stay out of your life—forever.” We can choose to accept Christ and live with Him forever, or we can choose to reject Christ and be separated from Him forever. So God doesn’t send people to Hell, they choose to go there.

What is Hell like? Think about this—if Hell is total separation from God, then it’s the exact opposite of everything God is. We know that “God is love.” That’s His nature. So what is it like to live completely separated from God? There’s no love there. God is light, so Hell is complete darkness. God is good, so there’s absolutely nothing good in Hell. God is life, so that means it is eternal death. God is gracious, that means there’s no grace there. You don’t want to choose Hell.

One of the big myths about Hell is that Hell is going to be a big party for all the people who like to party. Hell will be no party. For one thing, no one will see anybody else in Hell. It’s total separation from God and everybody else. There are no relationships in Hell. There are no friends in Hell. It’s total aloneness. It will be like being by yourself, in a pitch dark room, with no windows and doors, for all eternity. There’s no way in or out. In Hell you are alone and afraid, for all eternity, because there is no love.

Sometimes you hear these guys preaching about Hell on television—the hell, fire and brimstone preachers—and they’re yelling and they’re sweating. When you listen to them you think they want people to go there. What’s with that? I don’t want anybody to go to Hell. And God certainly doesn’t want anybody to go to Hell. Jesus doesn’t want anybody to go to Hell. That’s why He died on the cross.

So how do I avoid Hell? Colossians 1:21-22 (NCV) tells us. “At one time you were separated from God. You were His enemies in your minds, and the evil things you did were against God. But now God has made you His friends again. He did this through Christ’s death in the body so that He might bring you into God’s presence [that’s Heaven] as people who are holy, with no wrong, and with nothing of which God can judge you guilty.” The key that unlocks the door to heaven is friendship with God. If you become a friend of God in this life you will remain friends forever. If you are not a friend of God in this life, you will not be friends in the next.

Jesus says in Revelation 3:20 (NLT) “Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear Me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends.” Friendship with God is the key that unlocks the door of heaven.  Jesus is standing at the door of your heart right now. He is knocking. He is calling to you. If you open your life up to Him and let Him in, He promises to open the gates of Heaven and let you in. Why don’t you take a moment to do that right now?

Pastor Robert Eckert

Courtland-Oakfield United Methodist Church

10295 Myers Lake Ave., Rockford

“But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord’”(John 20:24-25).

If you’re a church-going person, this coming Sunday there’s a good chance you’ll hear the story from the gospel of John that describes an incident in the life of a man who has come to be known as “Doubting Thomas.”

If you’re not familiar with the story, here’s a quick summary. Following his crucifixion, burial, and resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples, at a time when all were present, except one named Thomas. Later, after Jesus had gone and Thomas was again with them, the disciples told him of Jesus’ appearance, to which Thomas replied, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

In some churches this Sunday, Thomas might be presented in a negative light, as an unnecessarily skeptical man who should have been ready and willing to believe that Jesus, who had raised Lazarus back to life from death, could also be raised to life himself.

In other churches, Thomas might be presented as simply human, a questioner, a rational thinker, a thoughtful man who merely wanted to be certain that such a remarkable thing as Jesus’ resurrection could have happened. After all, he doesn’t say to his comrades, “that’s impossible,” he only says, “I want to see for myself.”

But let’s take a look at the other disciples. They probably won’t get as much attention this coming Sunday and they deserve credit for reporting candidly, frankly, and succinctly, “We have seen the Lord.”

They could have played games with Thomas. “You’ll never guess what happened when you were gone!”

They could have competed to claim storytelling rights. “I was standing at the table when Jesus appeared.” “But you had your back to him, I was standing where I could see his face.” “No, here’s what happened: I was just saying, ‘did you hear what Mary Magdalene says she saw at the tomb of Jesus?’ and then, surprise, he was right here with us.”

They could have editorialized, interpreted, or annotated, but they didn’t. They simply said, “We have seen the Lord.”

What about you? Have you seen the Lord? What about in this morning’s first smile from your two-year-old daughter? In the full moon that hung over the area a couple nights ago? In the face of the friend who accompanied you to that doctor’s appointment that had you so worried? In the tender, wizened face of the grandmother you visited last weekend? In the enthusiasm of children at an Easter egg hunt? In the faithfulness of your spouse who remembers to say “I love you” each night before falling asleep? Resurrection is about life and every sign of life is a sign of the resurrection of Jesus. Have you seen the Lord? Have you mentioned it to someone else?

Pastor Jim Alblas

Pioneer Christian Reformed Church
3110 17 Mile Rd, Cedar Springs

In the last few days before Jesus went to the cross, one of the things He did was stop by the home of Mary and Martha. That visit provided a wonderful lesson for His two friends, particularly for Martha, and it’s a lesson that’s still helpful to us today. You can find the account of Jesus’ visit in Luke 10:38-42, but what follows is a retelling of that story from Martha’s perspective. As you read, imagine Martha is talking to you.

“I’m a little overwhelmed today. Has something ever hit you right between the eyes? I just experienced that. You probably heard Jesus was in town today. I invited Him to stay at my house for a while. I figured he could use a break from his travels. I thought it was the least I could do, after what he did for our brother Lazarus. So I invited Him in and I thought it would be nice to serve him a meal, too. Jesus would appreciate that. But it didn’t go so well. It didn’t go well because Mary, my sister, didn’t help with any of the preparations! I was trying to get all of this stuff together, to do something that would please Jesus, but I needed some help with it. And guess what she was doing? She was just sitting there. I couldn’t believe it. This wasn’t just peanut butter and jelly sandwiches; I was trying to make a good meal for Jesus and I had to do it all by myself!

I guess she was trying to be nice to Jesus, too, by listening to Him, but in my mind, I was thinking, ‘Come on Mary, what’s most important here? Would Jesus rather have a conversation, or a nice meal?’ You’d think she’d understand. You’d think I wouldn’t have to say anything, and that she’d naturally come and help. Jesus was always serving people; Jesus was always giving. He gave to our family. We could repay Him; we could say thanks. And, maybe part of me was trying to impress Jesus, too. I wanted to do something nice for him. But maybe I was trying to earn His favor, too. Is that so bad? But I couldn’t do all that alone… and Mary just sat there.
Well, I let Jesus know about it! I voiced my displeasure with her and I asked Jesus to tell her to help. As I look back, I can’t believe I ordered Him around like that, but I thought I was right. Hospitality was important! And while I didn’t say anything about my desire to impress Jesus, maybe I thought that was important, too.

But here’s the part that got to me. Jesus taught me what was really important. And I’ve been going over and over these words in my mind. Jesus said: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

He didn’t say anything further, but I knew what He meant. He meant the conversation was more important. The meal wasn’t wrong, but the fact it kept me away from Jesus was wrong. Jesus didn’t need me to do all that work for him; he came to serve, not to be served. And I realized that if I was trying to impress Jesus, I didn’t need to do that either. He loved me, whether or not I had a meal for Him.
Now I’m not going to give up making meals for people or serving in other ways. Jesus did teach those things are important. I’ve come to realize that I shouldn’t serve to earn His favor; I should serve because I already have it. I’m so thankful that Jesus taught me that lesson today. It will stay with me forever.”
The Cedar Springs Ministerial Association invites you to the annual Good Friday Service on April 6, held this year at The Springs Church starting at 7 p.m. A dramatization of this very story of Martha, as well as two other biblical characters, will be part of this service where we remember the work that has been done for us.

Pastor Darryl Miller  

Sand Lake UMC

65 W. Maple, Sand Lake

South Ensley UMC

 13600 Cypress, Ensley Township

It was a dark and stormy night. Really! We were in one of our most beloved places in creation, our family church camp on Lake Michigan. Usually it is the most relaxing and joyful place. Except this night. I had recently undergone surgery to reattach my bicep and my arm was infected. And so, we found ourselves in the emergency room in Grand Rapids. I was miserable and I’m sure I was lousy company. As we sat in the waiting room, my wife suddenly said that the police were bringing in a man that she recognized. She went to see what was up and was told that he had attempted suicide. When I was settled, she went to talk to the man. She found out that he felt hopeless and wanted to end it. She began to minister to him and before I left the ER, she had convinced him to seek counseling and had helped him to arrange it.

So what does this have to do with you? Good question!

I didn’t want to be where I was. I was miserable and would have rather been just about anywhere other than a hospital. But even there God made himself real. In Romans 8:28 we read: “28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (NKJV). It sounds good, but what does it mean to me? God used a bad situation and made it good. That night, a man’s life was saved! He made himself real to me, my wife, and the man who was struggling so.

The infection was a real thing, and God did not cause it. Could he have stopped it? Yes. So why didn’t he? Because God sees things that we cannot. Had he stopped it, I, and my wife, would not have been there when this man was looking for help. Could God have intervened without us? Absolutely, but he allowed us to be his hands, feet and voice to this man. In Acts 8:26-40, Phillip is told to go into the desert and to run after a man in a chariot. And after his encounter with the man, he is swept away to preach somewhere else. God knows when and where we are needed. And it’s not always where we want to be. Although I am the preacher in the family, it was my wife who provided the needed ministry there. God calls everyone to be ministers, not just people with titles. That seems scary to a lot of people, but God is in control and as long as you let him guide you, you’ll do just fine! Don’t worry about what to say, God will provide the words, and besides, silent presence can be just as important.

The third person in this little story was the man. In his way, he was calling out for help. And faithful to his word, God heard him and answered him. What an awesome God! He hears us wherever we are and whatever we have gotten ourselves into. And he answers!

Unfortunately, we don’t always get to see the good that may come from every situation we find ourselves in. But even if we don’t see these results, that’s a part of faith, knowing that God is there and in control, even when we may not notice Him.

So next time you find yourself somewhere you don’t want to be, keep your eye peeled for God in action, you may be surprised at what you discover!

Rev. Tom Holloway

Solon Center Wesleyan Church 

15671 Algoma Ave, Cedar Springs

As a sports fan, I love all kinds of sporting activities but most of all, “March Madness.” Though I don’t go in on any pools, my family all fills out their brackets and we battle each other for the title. I still can’t believe that my wife won last year after not knowing a single thing about college basketball, other than the fact that the best collegiate basketball team is the Michigan State Spartans!

The NCAA Tournament is the most exciting sporting event because of the opportunity for some unknown team to come up and make a huge run. We love to root for the Cinderella team. Why is that? We love to root for the underdog because we have it in our mind that the powerhouse is bad and the underdog is good. This goes back to the greatest underdog of all time, David vs. Goliath.

David, this young teenager with only a sling and a stone goes out against the 9-foot tall champion Goliath from Philistine. I’m taking some liberty here, but I would guess that down deep in their hearts, everyone was cheering for David (even the other Philistines). I believe it is just in us to root for the underdog because we all see ourselves as the underdog. So I think that everyone was rooting for David in this battle, except for one, and his name was Saul.

Saul was the King of Israel and had the most to gain from this victory, yet we see the first recorded “sarcasm” in the Bible. We find it in I Samuel 17:32–37. “32 David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” 33 Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you.”

“Go, and the LORD be with you.” In other words, “Good luck buddy!”

We know the rest of the story; David succeeds in defeating Goliath with his slingshot and a stone. But what gets sometimes lost is that David will go on to do great things and receive great honor for defeating Goliath, and this will make Saul extremely angry and jealous. In fact Saul will become increasingly miserable and bitter the rest of his life.

The ironic thing is that Saul had all of the things that people strive for. He was tall, dark, and handsome.  He had great power. He was the first King of Israel. He had God’s blessing. He had all of the tools to be successful. But he lacked one thing—humility.

When Jesus came to the earth, He was fully God and fully man. He was God’s Son, He had the knowledge, He could do all kinds of miracles, He had the right to demand and get anything He wanted. Yet we read in Philippians 2:5—11 that He chose to make himself nothing, He humbled himself.  When we humble ourselves, God will lift us up. In a few weeks we will celebrate the greatest story of all time—Jesus resurrection, where He defeated death. This is the ultimate comeback story. This is when “March Madness” turns to “April Gladness.”

Get out to your local church, or find one if you don’t have one, and celebrate the greatest spectacle, the power of Jesus’ resurrection. Join with me in praying for our community and our community leaders as we go through this great Easter season! And “Go State!” (Sorry, I had to do it!)

Pastor Mary Ivanov

Cedar Springs United Methodist Church

140 S. Main St., Cedar Springs

Read Mark 8: 27-38

Mark 8:34-38: 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. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

Have you ever received an invitation that you really wanted to accept, but to do so meant that you had to change your plans, sacrifice your time, or rearrange your schedule?

Jesus’ invitation is for anyone who wants to follow him and be a disciple. Three parts: deny yourselves, take up your cross, and follow me. The hardest words of Jesus. He calls for full commitment, a way of life that goes against worldly success, and taking risks in faith.

Mark Trotter tells the story of a woman who started running to keep in shape. She did well, going farther every day. She entered a 10K race and was nervous about her first race, so she got up early and arrived at the start of the race.

To her surprise there were a lot of people milling around, stretching, getting ready. All of a sudden a voice on the microphone said, “Move to the starting line.” A gun sounded and they were off, like a huge wave, hundreds of runners, sweeping her up. She was in the race.

After about four miles it occurred to her that they ought to be turning around and heading back to the finish line. She wondered why they didn’t turn around. She stopped and asked an official, “How come the course isn’t turning around?” He said, “Ma’am, you are running the Cleveland Marathon.” Twenty-six miles. Her event, the 10K, was supposed to start half an hour after the start of the marathon.

Some of us would have stopped right there and said, “That’s it, I’m going home.” But to her credit, she kept right on going, finished the race. She said, “This is not the race I trained for. This is not the race I entered. But for better or worse, this is the race that I am in.”

Jesus says, “If you are my disciple, then you will take up your cross and follow me, even to Jerusalem, even to the cross.”

In one conversation with a youth group about following Jesus, one of them said that to follow means not to lead.  That may sound simple, but that’s exactly what we have to remember. We’re not in the lead when we accept the invitation that Jesus offers. We follow him.

To follow Jesus, we must remove our “me-first” attitude. To follow Jesus means “It’s not about me.” To follow Jesus is to claim the power of the cross—the cross that bears our sins. We try to avoid the cross and downplay our sin. But picture even a small stone tossed into a pool of water. The ripple effect is real. And our sin effects others,whether we think so or not.

But the cross isn’t just about our personal life. The cross gathers us into a community of love and forgiveness. We’re accountable to each another when we follow Christ. To follow Jesus means that we matter to each other.

Even though Jesus’ invitation is demanding, Jesus offers his help to carry it through. That’s the only way any of us can follow Christ, with God’s grace to guide us and brothers and sisters in Christ to encourage us.

One prayer says it this way: “Lord, do in me what you need to do so you can do through me what you desire to do.” How can you let Jesus lead you this week? Where is God calling you to follow—fully committed and taking risks in faith?

If you don’t have a church home or have been away for a while, consider getting back to church or trying it out for the first time. I invite you to worship with us this Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. We share the love and hope of Jesus Christ!