The Story That Saves: Living and Sharing the Gospel

Devotional

Day 1: Surrendering to Jesus Means Entrusting Your Whole Life

To surrender your life to Jesus is not simply to agree with information about Him, but to entrust yourself fully—like a wedding vow—transferring your trust from yourself to Him as Savior and Lord. This is the heart of biblical belief: a profound, personal faith that involves trust and commitment, not just mental assent. When you say yes to Jesus, you are stepping out of your own way and into His, believing into Him, and passing from death to life. This surrender is not a burdensome work, but the very essence of faith, a daily invitation to trust and follow Him. [13:56]

Mark 8:34-35 (ESV)
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. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.”

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you are still trying to maintain control instead of entrusting it fully to Jesus? What would it look like to surrender that area to Him today?

Day 2: The Gospel Transforms Our Status and Identity

Trusting Christ brings a radical change of status: you are transferred from death to life, from darkness to light, from being outside God’s family to being adopted as His child. This transformation is not always dramatic or instant; for many, it is a gradual sunrise rather than a sudden light switch. Regardless of how it happens, your new identity is now “in Christ,” and God sees you through that lens forever. The Christian life is living out this new status, learning to act as who you already are in Christ, and sharing the story of the life you have found in Him. [24:36]

Colossians 1:13-14 (ESV)
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Reflection: In what ways do you still define yourself by your past or your performance, rather than by your new identity in Christ? How can you remind yourself today that you are fully accepted and loved as God’s child?

Day 3: The Heart Is the Source of Brokenness—And Jesus Heals the Heart

Jesus teaches that the evil and brokenness in the world come from within the human heart, not merely from external circumstances. No amount of self-effort, education, or even religion can change the heart; only Jesus, by His Spirit, can transform us from the inside out. When you recognize your need for God and turn to Him, He brings true healing and freedom, liberating you from the things that defile and enslave. The journey begins with the humble realization: “I am not God; I need God.” [48:31]

Mark 7:21-23 (ESV)
“For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Reflection: What is one area of brokenness or struggle in your heart that you have tried to fix on your own? Will you invite Jesus into that place today and ask Him to begin His healing work?

Day 4: Representing Jesus Means Living and Sharing with Gentleness and Love

To be a witness for Jesus is not about winning arguments or proving a point, but about embodying His character—gentleness, respect, and love—in every interaction. The fruit of the Spirit is relational, and our apologetics and faith-sharing must reflect the kindness and humility of Christ. When you share the hope within you, do so with gentleness and respect, remembering that it is God’s kindness that leads people to repentance. If your words and actions don’t look and sound like Jesus, they are not truly representing Him. [41:42]

1 Peter 3:15-16 (ESV)
But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

Reflection: Think of a recent conversation where you had the opportunity to share your faith or values. How could you have reflected the gentleness and love of Jesus more clearly in that moment?

Day 5: You Are Blessed to Bless—Joining God’s Movement of Love

God’s love is always moving outward, sending His Son for us and sending us to others. The call to know God and to make Him known is not two separate things, but one movement: you are blessed to bless. As you join God in your everyday world—praying, listening, eating, serving, and sharing—you become a conduit of His love to those around you. The adventure of saying yes to God’s call brings joy and purpose, as you realize that the love you have received is meant to overflow to others. [57:32]

Genesis 12:2-3 (ESV)
And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

Reflection: Who is one person in your everyday world that you sense God is inviting you to bless this week? What is one practical step you can take to show them the love of Jesus?

Sermon Summary

Today, we explored what it truly means to follow Jesus—not just as a set of beliefs or religious practices, but as a deep, ongoing relationship that transforms every part of our lives. I shared some of my own story, coming from an unchurched background and only beginning to ask ultimate questions after the loss of a friend. For many of us, faith is not a dramatic “bad to good” story, but a gradual awakening, like the sun rising. Both are valid, and both are beautiful.

We looked at Jesus’ invitation in Mark 8:34-35: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” This isn’t a call to self-destruction, but to trust—a transfer of trust from ourselves to Jesus. The Greek word for “believe” (pistou) is more than intellectual agreement; it’s like a wedding vow, a surrender and entrusting of our lives to Christ. This surrender is not a work we do to earn God’s favor, but the very heart of faith.

We also discussed how the Christian life is not just about being saved by the gospel, but being saved for the gospel. We are called to join God in his mission of reconciliation, to be ambassadors who share the message of God’s love and restoration. This is not about winning arguments or checking religious boxes, but about living out the love and kindness of Jesus in our everyday relationships. The “bless” model—beginning with prayer, listening, eating together, serving, and sharing—reminds us that faith-sharing is relational, not transactional.

We acknowledged that the hardest part for many is accepting the “bad news”—that the problem is not just out there in the world, but in our own hearts. Jesus alone can heal and transform us from the inside out. He invites us to come to him for rest, to lay down our striving and find our identity in being loved and known by God.

Ultimately, we are blessed to bless. Knowing God and making him known are not two separate things, but one movement of love. The call to come to Jesus is also the call to go and join him in loving others. This is the adventure and the joy of the Christian life: letting God use us to bring his love to the people around us, in both ordinary and extraordinary ways.

Key Takeaways

1. Surrender is the heart of faith True belief in Jesus is not just agreeing with facts, but a deep surrender—a transfer of trust from ourselves to Christ. Like a wedding vow, it’s a commitment of our whole selves. This surrender is not a work to earn God’s love, but the very essence of faith, opening us to transformation and new life. [14:32]
2. Faith-sharing is relational, not transactional Sharing our faith is not about arguments or sales pitches, but about joining God in loving people. The “bless” model—praying, listening, eating, serving, and sharing—reminds us that spiritual influence happens through genuine relationships. When we focus on loving and blessing others, faith-sharing becomes natural and joyful. [18:45]
3. The problem is in the heart, and only Jesus can heal Evil in the world is not just “out there”—it comes from within the human heart. No amount of self-improvement, success, or even religion can change us at the core. Only Jesus, by his Spirit, can transform our hearts, bringing true freedom and healing where we need it most. [49:28]
4. We are blessed to bless—knowing God means making him known The call to follow Jesus is inseparable from the call to join him in his mission. We are not just saved for ourselves, but to be ambassadors of reconciliation, sharing the love and message of Christ with others. This is not a burden, but a joy and privilege, as we participate in God’s movement of love in the world. [57:32]
5. If it doesn’t look like Jesus, it isn’t Jesus Our witness must reflect the character of Christ—gentleness, kindness, humility, and love. Arguments and harshness do not bring people closer to God. It is the kindness of God that leads to repentance, and our lives should embody that same kindness and grace. [42:31]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:31] - Weekend Stories and Humor
[05:06] - Food Preferences and Memories
[09:59] - Coming to Faith from an Unchurched Background
[12:08] - Jesus’ Invitation: Give Up Your Life
[13:23] - God’s Ways vs. Our Ways
[14:32] - What “Believe” Really Means
[17:48] - The BLESS Model for Sharing Faith
[20:49] - Faith Sharing: More Than Eternal Destiny
[23:18] - Testimonies: Not Just “Bad to Good”
[24:36] - Transferred from Death to Life
[28:35] - Beautiful Feet: Bringing Good News
[32:02] - Deny Yourself, Take Up Your Cross
[33:38] - Ambassadors and the Ministry of Reconciliation
[35:34] - Full-Time vs. Part-Time Christianity
[39:11] - Seeking First the Kingdom of God
[42:31] - If It Doesn’t Look Like Jesus…
[46:06] - The Challenge of the “Bad News”
[49:28] - Only Jesus Can Transform the Heart
[55:07] - Jesus’ Invitation to Rest
[57:32] - Blessed to Bless: Joining God’s Movement
[59:30] - Love Gives: Upcoming Opportunities
[60:58] - Advent Series: The Songs of Christmas

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Mark 8:34-35 (ESV) — > 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. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.”

2 Corinthians 5:17-20 (ESV) — > Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Mark 7:21-23 (ESV) — > For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.

Observation Questions

In Mark 8:34-35, what does Jesus say is required of anyone who wants to follow him? What does it mean to “deny yourself and take up your cross”?
According to 2 Corinthians 5:17-20, what changes when someone is “in Christ”? What new role or responsibility is given to believers?
In Mark 7:21-23, where does Jesus say evil comes from? List some of the things he mentions.
The sermon described two types of faith stories: dramatic “bad to good” changes and gradual awakenings, like the sun rising. What are some examples of each from the sermon or your own experience? [[25:49]]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus connects following him with denying yourself and taking up your cross? What does this say about the nature of Christian faith?
The sermon said that “surrender is the heart of faith”—not just agreeing with facts, but a transfer of trust, like a wedding vow. Why is this distinction important? [[14:32]]
2 Corinthians 5 says we are “ambassadors for Christ” and have a “ministry of reconciliation.” What does it mean to be an ambassador for Jesus in everyday life? [[34:45]]
The sermon pointed out that the real problem is not just “out there” in the world, but in our own hearts. Why is it hard for people to accept this “bad news”? [[49:28]]

Application Questions

The sermon described surrendering to Jesus as a transfer of trust, like making a wedding vow. Is there an area of your life where you are still holding onto control instead of trusting Jesus? What would it look like to surrender that area this week? [[14:32]]
The “bless” model for sharing faith includes beginning with prayer, listening, eating together, serving, and sharing. Which of these steps comes most naturally to you, and which is most challenging? Can you think of someone in your life you could intentionally “bless” this month? [[18:45]]
The sermon said that sharing faith is relational, not transactional. Have you ever felt pressure to “win an argument” or “close the deal” when talking about faith? How can you shift your approach to focus more on loving and blessing others? [[41:42]]
Jesus says the real problem is in our hearts, and only he can heal and transform us. Are there patterns or attitudes in your heart that you know need Jesus’ healing? What is one step you can take to invite him into that area? [[49:28]]
The sermon challenged us that “if it doesn’t look like Jesus, it isn’t Jesus.” Think about your recent interactions with others, especially those who don’t share your faith. Do your words and actions reflect the kindness, gentleness, and humility of Jesus? Where do you see room for growth? [[42:31]]
2 Corinthians 5 says we are “blessed to bless”—knowing God and making him known are one movement. What is one practical way you can join God’s movement of love in your everyday world this week? [[57:32]]
The sermon described the Christian life as an adventure and a joy, not a burden. When have you experienced joy in letting God use you to bless others? How can you look for opportunities to experience that joy again? [[58:31]]

Sermon Clips

So basically, when we say, you know, give your life to Jesus, we're just describing what believing does. Believing surrenders. Believing says yes. Believing says, I'm not God, you're God. I need you to be my God. I'm not my Savior, you're my Savior. Belief is literally a transfer of trust off of yourself and onto Jesus to save you. [00:15:48] (25 seconds) #SurrenderToSave

So trusting Jesus, surrendering. When you surrender, a lot of change happens. Most of it you don't see. You're transferred from one kingdom to another. You're transferred from death to life. You're transferred from outside of a family to adopted child status. All these things are unbeknownst to you. So the Christian life is now the gospeling over and over and over about my change of status. It's just like a husband, a man being declared at his wedding, I now pronounce you husband and wife. [00:24:36] (29 seconds) #FaithfulPointer

Romans 10, quoting Isaiah, I think 52, talking about those who bring the good news to those who don't have it. A specific context in the Old Testament, New Testament, applying it to the faith-sharing context. How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news. And basically, it says, whoever doesn't have the good news, they're living in a bad news reality. If you come bearing good news, man, those are beautiful feet. And so, this is nothing to be ashamed of. The gospel is a beautiful thing. [00:28:35] (32 seconds) #LiveForJesus

We just need to be a pointer. The only question is, I'm a good pointer or a bad pointer? Am I a faithful pointer or am I just a non-pointer? Like, am I... That's really it. Jesus is the change. We don't change anyone. We point to the change maker. So, biblically speaking, we bear witness. We are not lawyers who argue a case. We are people who share what they've seen. A witness tells what they've seen. They tell what they have experienced. [00:29:39] (23 seconds) #SeekKingdomFirst

So we talked about the Mark 8, 34, 35 invitation of Jesus, deny yourself, take up your cross, follow me. That's basic Christianity. So whatever your version is, it's still, you get to live for yourself. That's not Christianity. So I'm sorry to tell you, you're on the wrong story. You might want to go get the right one. So deny yourself is a decisive thing. Like I can't live for self anymore. Take up your cross. That's a dying thing. So I can't go back to that. That's, that's dead now to me. [00:31:48] (29 seconds) #KindnessLeadsRepentance

If it doesn't look like Jesus, if it doesn't sound like Jesus, it's not Jesus. So, if you're trying to represent him and you're being a jerk about it, it's not Jesus. It's just not. It's just not. It's just not. So, I'll ask you, when was Jesus rough on people? Religious elites who had it all, got all figured out. God was in the box and he will do what he's told. Those are the people that were on the sharp end of the stick with Jesus. [00:40:11] (29 seconds) #ObedientAdventure

So, basically, I'll say it again. If you want to be a witness to Jesus, awesome. When it looks like Jesus, sounds like Jesus. If it quacks like Jesus, it's probably Jesus. So, if you want to interact with people, just remember, it's the Romans 2-4 principle. It's the kindness of God that leads people to repentance. It's the love of Jesus that meets our unloving reality that is so transformational. [00:42:31] (26 seconds)

So, Jesus didn't come to change your religious affiliation. He came to transform your heart. He came to do it from the inside out. The very place where you've been wounded the deepest is where he wants to be. The very place where you draw from all the lies and stories about what life's supposed to be, that's the place he speaks truth to. So, the bad news is the hardest for the world to hear because we don't, you know, bad news gets at our pride. [00:51:18] (24 seconds)

So, the problem is in the heart. And success can't change it, status can't change it, and religion can't change it, even in Christian religion. Only Jesus as Lord of the heart can transform the heart. And those are all good things. And God bless you for being all those things. But I would say, it's the deepest core of your heart. It's the deepest center of who you are. Where is your identity coming from? Absolutely. Is it in doing those things? Or is it in belonging to the God that you know, knows you, loves you? [00:52:43] (89 seconds)

The evangelization of the world, the evangelization of the world waits not on the readiness of God but on the obedience of Christians. Will we join that call? That's why I kept putting up that call. It's like, will we hear the call to look at our everyday world and said, yes, Jesus, I will join you in what you're doing in my everyday world. Because that's the adventure. And once you start to say yes to that, I promise you, you'll find this thing that maybe you lost it and didn't know you lost it. It's called joy. [00:58:14] (25 seconds)

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