ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE CHRISTIAN POST’S iPost BLOG

One of my favorite movies of all time is “Seven Days in Utopia” (2011). It is not just a movie about golf but chockfull of life applications. One of them was the simple acronym – SFT! Here the grizzled old golf pro played by Robert Duvall was mentoring his young protégé played by Lucas Black and teaching him about Focus.

From the Word of God, we know Focus is the hallmark of a good disciple of Christ. Lack of focus is when we take our eyes off Him and look both inward at ourselves and/or circumstances. This is destructive as we can become full of ourselves; if we get caught up in the world around us and not the Word IN us.

SFT stands for See, Feel and Touch. What does this have to do with this period in the church calendar, which many observe as Lent? What does this have to do with a tradition where we deny ourselves in a meaningful way?

Jesus said we must deny ourselves by dying daily (i.e. picking up our Crosses and going after Him). We must deny ourselves the passing pleasures of sin for a season. We must deny ourselves ……………

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Taking up the Cross means dying to self, to live in Christ!

2) Take up your Cross – Nobody goes directly from denying themselves to following Jesus. First we go through crucifying experiences. Paul says: ‘I die daily’ 1Corinthians 15:31. Certain things in your life can be handled only one way – dying to them. Listen: ‘Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God’ Romans 6:11. Jesus did not even talk about the cross to His disciples, until He knew they understood this principle. Why? Because until you do, you will never see the cross as a plus.

3) Follow Him – Too often we take God’s presence for granted because He said He would never leave us. But He also said: ‘You did not choose me…I chose you’ John 15:16. It is not God’s job to follow you, it is your job to follow Him! When you do, it will cost you, change you, and challenge you. Sometimes you will go through valleys, other times you will stand with Him on the mountaintop. You must be willing to follow Him anywhere, any time, under any conditions; that is the deal! Still want to be a disciple of Jesus?

KEY VERSES:

Matthew 10:38
…and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Matthew 16:24
…Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Mark 8:34
…Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

Luke 9:23
…Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Luke 14:27
…And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

(Posted by Admin- BL)