Take Up My Cross… When Losing is Winning

Salem BC

Take Up My Cross… When Losing is Winning

March 17, 2019 • Pastor Jeff Beckett • Matthew 16:24–26, Philippians 2

This week, we are looking at the central theme passage of the 40 Days effort… verse 24. But how we get to verse 24 is so telling. Peter is busy trying to rescue and reroute Jesus from his path of sacrifice and self-denial. Jesus sharply rebukes Peter and then teaches us all that to follow Jesus is to embrace a Kingdom bigger than ourselves!

Crowns of Thorn and Gold

April 21, 2019 • Pastor Jeff Beckett • Matthew 28, 1 Peter 5:4, Revelation 4:10, Matthew 27:29

In today’s sermon we conclude our seven-week journey called 40 Days to a Cross, 3 Days to a Crown. It has been a journey of denying self, taking up our cross and following Jesus. Culminating today, with resurrection Sunday, we are going to talk about the cynical crown of thorns from Jesus’ crucifixion, transitioning to the powerful crown of eternal glory that Christ earned with his blood and resurrection, a crown he shares with us through faith. Today we would like to fit each of you for a crown!

His Cross, My Crossroads

April 14, 2019 • Pastor Jeff Beckett • Philippians 2, Luke 23

(Matthew 16:24) We approach the end of our 40 Day Journey. For six weeks we have considered the value of denying self and taking up a cross. This is the way Jesus declares he must be followed. But He did more than talk about it. He literally showed us how that type of self-denial works. Today we will look to Jesus’ death, and in particular His 7 comments while on the cross, as we consider His life of self-denial … and ours.

Cheers and Jeers

April 7, 2019 • Pastor Jeff Beckett • Matthew 21, Matthew 27

This week in “40 Days to a Cross” we examine the cheers from Palm Sunday, and how quickly those cheers turned to jeers and cries for Barabbas by the end of the week… then, even shouts of “crucify him!” by week’s end. It seems impossible that people could be so fickle, but in truth the cheers were never for Jesus… they were for the idea of a political savior and a powerful healer. We often find ourselves following Jesus superficially and temporarily, looking only for what he can do for us. The message today is designed to challenge us to examine whether we follow Jesus because of what we want, or because of what He wants. Perhaps the ultimate proof of real “self-denial” is found in the ability to offer Jesus what he really wants…. all of us.