Following Jesus is A Daily Decision

Devotional

Day 1: The Cross in the Kitchen: Choosing Christ in Mundane Moments

Following Jesus begins not with grand gestures but daily choices as ordinary as washing dishes or commuting to work. Just as Elijah brought a rusty nail to his father, we carry hidden moments where self must be crucified. Surrender happens when we trade personal agendas for obedience in small things—patience with a coworker, integrity in secret, or kindness when annoyed. Eternal rewards grow through these unseen yeses to God. True discipleship bleeds into Monday’s routines, not just Sunday’s emotions. [19:52]

“And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.’”
(Luke 9:23, ESV)

Reflection: What mundane task or relationship today becomes your altar of surrender? How might choosing integrity in one small moment align your heart with eternity?

Day 2: The Rusty Nail and Eternal Treasure: Letting Go of What Fades

Earthly pursuits corrode like Elijah’s discarded nail—temporary comforts, selfish ambitions, or pride in possessions. Jesus questions the value of gaining the world while losing one’s soul. Surrender requires releasing what rusts to grasp what lasts: souls saved, love expressed, obedience honored. Every dollar spent, hour invested, or word spoken either builds kingdoms or kindling. The cross demands we hold loosely to fading treasures to clutch eternal ones. [19:18]

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven... For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
(Matthew 6:19-21, ESV)

Reflection: What “rusty nail” have you clung to this week? How might releasing it free your hands to carry eternal weight?

Day 3: The Multitude’s Invitation: Answering Christ’s Call in the Crowd

Jesus turned from private teaching to address the clamoring crowd—fishermen, mothers, skeptics, and seekers. His call to carry crosses wasn’t for elites but all: the overwhelmed, the doubtful, the half-committed. Following isn’t conditioned on pedigree, passion, or perfection. It’s a daily choice to step out of the anonymity of the multitude and into the dust of His footsteps. The invitation still echoes over chaos: “Come. Today.” [44:56]

“And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’”
(Mark 8:34, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you hidden in the crowd’s safety? What step today would place you squarely in the path of His leading?

Day 4: Carrying Shame Like Paul: Embracing Reproach for Christ’s Sake

The cross wasn’t just death—it was disgrace. Paul embraced chains and mockery, considering shame a privilege to share Christ’s sufferings. Modern crosses might look like awkward conversations, canceled plans, or quiet obedience amid ridicule. Following Jesus means carrying His reputation, not curating ours. Every flinch at embarrassment, every compromise to avoid scorn, betrays who we truly follow. The altar of surrender smells like sweat and splinters, not perfume. [01:01:22]

“Then Paul answered, ‘What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’”
(Acts 21:13, ESV)

Reflection: When did you last feel the sting of standing with Christ? How might embracing shame deepen your fellowship with Him?

Day 5: Disciple-Making Dust: Leaving Footprints That Multiply

Following Jesus isn’t a solo hike but a trail marked for others. The disciples’ dusty sandals kicked up clouds that led thousands to Pentecost. Our surrendered choices—a patient correction, a vulnerable testimony, a steadfast “no” to sin—create paths for others to walk. Eternal impact multiplies when we stop building monuments to self and start scattering seeds of obedience. The call isn’t to be admired but to disappear, leaving only footprints pointing to Him. [01:09:38]

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
(Matthew 28:19-20, ESV)

Reflection: Whose footsteps are you following, and who is tracing yours? What intentional act today could scatter seeds for future harvest?

Sermon Summary

Luke 9:23 puts the call to discipleship in plain words: “If any man will come after me,” he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Christ. Jesus gives that invitation to all, not to some select few, but he does not force anybody to come. Following Christ begins with a real decision, yet it cannot remain a one-time decision made at an altar or during an emotional moment. Jesus calls for a choice that has to be made again tomorrow, and the next day, and throughout the day.

Self-denial means more than giving up an occasional pleasure. The old man wants self-satisfaction, self-gratification, and sin, while the new man, through the Spirit of God, pulls the believer toward God’s will. The greatest obstacle to following the Lord is often not the world around a person, but the self within. Denying self means admitting just how jacked up the flesh really is, then saying no to self so that there can be a yes to God.

The call to surrender reaches beyond physical possessions. Plans, preferences, ambitions, dreams, and personal desires all have to be placed under Christ’s control. Personal preferences about music, furniture, decorations, or methods can become distractions when they matter more than following Jesus. Christ does not get on board with human plans. Surrender means he is running the show.

The cross is an instrument of death, sacrifice, and reproach. Taking up the cross means crucifying the flesh, presenting the body as a living sacrifice, and being willing to suffer for Christ if that is what faithfulness brings. A living sacrifice has a tendency to get up off the altar, which is why yesterday’s surrender cannot replace today’s obedience. Christ must be allowed to lead, because a life controlled by the flesh cannot truly follow him.

Jesus also fixes the eyes on what truly matters. Earthly stuff rusts, fades, molds, breaks, and eventually gets thrown away. A person may gain the whole world and still lose everything that matters eternally. Christ calls his people to lay up treasure in heaven by surrendering all to him and serving him rather than self. Failure does not require a believer to stay on the wrong path. God’s mercies are new every morning, and repentance opens the way to start over again.

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Key Takeaways

1. Following Jesus requires daily surrender [47:17] Jesus does not describe discipleship as a memory from the past but as a present direction. A decision made at an altar may be real, but it must become obedience on Monday morning. Yesterday’s faithfulness cannot do today’s work of surrender. [47:17]
2. Self is the deepest obstacle [50:42] The flesh does not merely stumble into sin because of bad surroundings. The old man wants sin, wants control, and wants life arranged around self. Honest discipleship begins when a believer quits pretending otherwise and brings that depravity before the Lord. [50:42]
3. The cross keeps flesh on the altar [58:56] Taking up the cross means more than enduring inconvenience. The cross calls for death to self, sacrifice for Christ, and willingness to bear reproach when faithfulness costs something. A living sacrifice must be placed back on the altar again and again. [58:56]
4. Eternal treasure outlasts earthly stuff [01:17:32] Rusty nails, houses, cars, buildings, and every earthly possession eventually fade away. Christ does not forbid earthly responsibilities, but he exposes the foolishness of making temporary things the center of life. What is surrendered to him carries eternal weight. [77:32]
5. Repentance begins again today [01:20:48] Failure does not give permission to keep heading down the wrong path. God’s mercy meets the believer every morning with a real opportunity to confess, turn, and follow Christ again. Jesus is not far away from the child of God who comes back in repentance.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[39:18] - Following Jesus Is a Daily Choice
[42:15] - Luke 9 and Christ’s Journey to Jerusalem
[44:30] - An Invitation for Everyone
[47:49] - Deny Yourself Daily
[51:28] - Surrender Plans and Preferences
[55:53] - Take Up the Cross Daily
[59:52] - Suffering and Reproach for Christ
[62:23] - Follow Jesus in Every Area
[65:13] - Follow Christ’s Word, Example, and Mission
[69:38] - Salvation Once, Discipleship Daily
[72:33] - What Truly Matters Eternally
[79:52] - Yesterday’s Surrender Is Not Enough
[82:01] - The Call to Salvation and Repentance

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Luke 9:23
“And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” [40:26]

Matthew 6:19-20
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” [01:16:36]

Romans 12:1
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” [58:15]

Observation questions

In Luke 9:23, what three actions does Jesus name for anyone who wants to come after Him?
Who was Jesus speaking to when He gave this call to deny self, take up the cross, and follow Him: only the twelve disciples or the larger crowd as well? [44:09]
According to Romans 12:1, how does Paul describe the kind of sacrifice believers are to offer to God? [58:01]
In Matthew 6:19–20, what contrast is made between earthly treasure and heavenly treasure? [01:16:22]

Interpretation questions

Jesus says that anyone may come after Him, but they must come on His terms. What does that reveal about the difference between admiring Jesus and truly following Him? [45:28]
Why is denying self more than simply giving up a pleasure or making a temporary sacrifice? How does self-rule keep a person from following Christ? [48:04]
What does it mean to take up the cross daily? Why is it important that the cross points to death, sacrifice, and even reproach rather than mere inconvenience? [55:53]
Romans 12:1 calls believers living sacrifices. Why does a living sacrifice need to be placed back on the altar day after day? [59:11]

Application questions

What is one area where self has been trying to rule lately—such as attitude, comfort, schedule, spending, relationships, entertainment, or ambition? What would saying no to self and yes to God look like there this week? [49:23]
Are there plans, dreams, or expectations that have become so important that it is hard to imagine God redirecting them? How can a person honestly place those things under Christ’s control? [52:05]
Personal preferences can easily become bigger than they should be, especially in the church. What preferences are easiest for people to hold tightly, and how can the group help keep the focus on what truly matters? [52:43]
A living sacrifice tends to get up off the altar. At what times of day is it hardest to remain surrendered to Christ—morning, work, family stress, conflict, online activity, or something else? What practical habit could help bring that area back to the Lord each day? [59:17]
What temporary “stuff” is most likely to capture attention and energy right now? How could time, money, abilities, or possessions be used this week in a way that invests in eternal treasure? [01:19:24]
When someone fails and begins living for self again, what usually tempts them to keep going down the wrong path? How can repentance and God’s new mercies change what happens next? [01:20:48]

Sermon Clips

39s

#DailyDiscipleship

“Each and every day, we must decide whether we are going to continue or if we are gonna go back. And people often think about following Jesus as if it is this one time decision, but our text shows us differently. It shows us that this is a daily choice that we must make. Yes, it does start with an initial decision, but then we need to make the choice to continue to follow him each and every day, no matter what may come or what we may face.”

58s

#WalkInTheSpirit

“The old man is the flesh that we all have. We all were born with the Adamic sin nature, and even after we are saved, we still have that nature. Our flesh pulls us in the direction of self satisfaction and self gratification. writes to the Ephesian church, and he says to put off the old man and to put on the new. The new man is the spirit of God that dwells inside of you as a believer. The Holy Spirit is trying to pull you in the direction that God wants you to go. And if we are going to follow Jesus, then we must say no to the old man and say yes to the new. We must say no to self so that we can say yes to God.”

48s

#SurrenderToGod

“Denying yourself, it means giving up your ambitions and dreams if the Lord is leading in a different direction. We often try to force his hand and decide what we are going to do treat God as if he just better get on board with our plan. Yes. We fail to realize that surrender means that we are no longer running the show, that he is now in charge. Those are just some examples. But hopefully, you get the point here this morning is that denying self, it means that you are willing to surrender everything to the Lord and to allow him to have complete control.”

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