Sunday, June 2, 2024 | Gus Hacker

Matthew 16:24

There are times that a church goes through a season of spiritual dryness.

Characteristics of dryness: lack of joy, not hungering and thirsting for God’s Word or prayer time or fellowship with other believers, lack of forgiveness and love.

The cross is what revitalizes the church; it is the water for the dryness.

Signs of a crucified man: he is facing in one direction, he can never turn back because he is nailed to the cross, he has no plans of his own.

The cross should change the way we are living.

Three requirements to those who follow Him: give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow Jesus.

Luke 14:26-27–Jesus must be first.

Luke 9:23–Give up your own way.

John 12:25–The man who loves his life will lose it.

Luke 9:57-62–Don’t be half-hearted in your commitment.

Luke 18:29–We must give up certain things.

Denial: deny utterly, completely renounce and disown our own natural focus toward self.

Jesus is supposed to be at the core of our thinking and actions; this is the hardest thing for the believer.

When things happen, we worry about how it will affect US.