Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me."  Luke 9:23

Those words, recorded in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, were as counter-cultural to the early disciples as they are to us in 2025. God freely pours out His love, mercy and grace on us, but that doesn't mean it comes without a cost. This year we invite you to journey with us as we investigate what Jesus meant when He called us to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him.

Below is a list of eight words essential to following Jesus, that go against the grain of the world we live in:

1. Sin
2. Shame / Repentance
3. Surrender
4. Submission
5. Self-Denial
6. Sacrificial Service
7. Suffering
8. Sanctification

Included are three scriptures for each word to spur you on as you wrestle with what being a disciple of Jesus Christ means. We are also including a bonus word and scripture of encouragement for a total of 25 scriptures for 2025.

Sin

• Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
• Roman's 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

• 2 Corinthians 5:21 - He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Shame / Repentance

• Isaiah 45:24 - It will be said about me, "Righteousness and strength are found only in the Lord."  All who are enraged against him will come to him and be put to shame.
• Jeremiah 3:25 - Let us lie down in our shame; let our disgrace cover us. We have sinned against the Lord our God, both we and our ancestors, from the time of our youth even to this day. We have not obeyed the Lord our God.
• 1 John 1:9-10 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Surrender

• Philippians 2:5-8 - Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
• 1 John 3:16 - This is how we have come to know love: He laid down his life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
• Hebrews 12:1-3 - …let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him,he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Submission

• Matthew 26:39 - And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will."
• 1 Cor 15:28 - When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.
• James 4:7-10 - Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Self-Denial

• Matt 16:24 - Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me."
• Luke 14:27 - Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
• Galatians 5:24 - Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Sacrificial Service

• Mark 10:45 - For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
• John 13:12-15 - When Jesus had washed their feet and put on his outer clothing, he reclined again and said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are speaking rightly, since that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done for you."
• John 15:13 - No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.

Suffering

• 2 Timothy 3:12 - In fact, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
• Philippians 1:29 - For it has been granted to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him.
• 1 Peter 2:21 - For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

Sanctification

• Romans 12:2 - Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
• 2 Peter 1:10 - Therefore, brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election, because if you do these things you will never stumble. 
• 1 Thessalonians 4:7 - For God has not called us to impurity but to live in holiness. Consequently, anyone who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

The bonus word is SECURE, because following Jesus is not just hardship and gritty perseverence. In Jesus we have, love, joy, peace, eternal hope and the promise of abundant and everlasting life. 

Secure

• Romans 8:31-39 - What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything? Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
  "Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered."
  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

May these twenty-five scripture selections encourage and challenge us in 2025 to answer Jesus' call to follow him with all of our heart, soul and mind.

 "If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me."   -  Matthew 16:24