Following Jesus is not merely about improving ourselves or becoming a better version of who we already are. When Christ calls us to follow Him, He calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and surrender our desire for self-rule. His invitation is not simply to change parts of our lives, but to place our whole lives under His lordship. This should not surprise us, because we follow a Savior whose mission was the cross. Jesus went to the cross as the perfect Savior to die for sin, while we take up our cross as sinners saved by grace, learning to die to self and live to serve Him. In this sermon, we ask: What does it mean to be a cross-shaped people? We see that a people who embrace the cross surrender themselves to Christ’s call, Christ’s claims, and Christ’s challenge.

Watch this sermon by our Lead Pastor, Pastor Raffy Garcia, on Mark 8:34-38.