QKAG: Issue # 51

PAST ISSUE # 51
Questions Kids Ask About God

Question: What does it mean to take up my cross daily and follow Jesus?

Answer: The passage which Jesus tells His followers to take up their cross daily is found in Luke 9:23. Jesus is speaking figuratively and not of a literal wooden cross. To take the cross daily is to live a holy and righteous life everyday. It is to walk closely with God, even to the point of dying for God.
Let us study the passage in Luke 9:23:
(Jesus is speaking) "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."
Before we take up the cross daily, we need to deny ourselves. This brings up another important question: what does it mean to deny ourselves? Basically, God want us to give up our sinful nature and put Him in the center of our life. God want us to have Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. If we don't deny ourselves, Jesus cannot be our personal Lord because we still harbor sins and worldly pleasures. Subsequently, God wants us to lead a Christ-centered, Spirit-filled life. He also wants us to remember how Jesus suffered much and died on the cross for sinners like us. To take the cross daily is also to remember Jesus' perfect sacrifice on the cross. When we take the moment to remember how and why Jesus died on the cross, do you think we will belittle the significance of the cross and sin?

Key Bible verses:
Matthew 10:38, 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 14:27; Romans 6:6-7; Galatians 2:20, 5:24; Hebrews 6:6

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, please forgive me for harboring any hidden sins in my life. Right now, I want to confess these sins to You. I want to ask for Your forgiveness and repent of these sin. (List the hidden sins you have hidden from God, e.g. coveting, lying, stealing, gossiping, idolatry, etc) Please help me to be strong and faithful when I am being tempted by the evil one. Father God, please help me lead a holy and righteous life which will be pleasing to You. Right now, I ask that You send Your Holy Spirit to teach, guide, protect, counsel, and empower me. I also ask that You will prompt and remind me of the great price Jesus has paid on the cross when I contemplate sinning against You. Father God, I thank You that You have sent Your Son to die for me. Thank You so much. Please accept my prayer for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Worship:
Click here to sing along to "Give Thanks"

Give thanks
With a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given
Jesus Christ, His Son (Repeat)

And now let the weak say, "I am strong!"
Let the poor say, "I am rich!"
Because of what the Lord has done for us
(Repeat)

Give thanks

Last words...
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2)
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