Give

Central Plains EFC

Welcome to Central Plains Evangelical Free Church

  • about us / contact us
  • current Sunday school and sermon series
  • Kids for Truth and Teens for Truth
  • Online Giving
  • our pastor
  • sermon audio
  • statement of faith
  • Weekly Bulletin
Welcome to Central Plains Evangelical Free Church

seasons of crud

April 24, 2021 by Leigh Warmbrand

I try to make sense of life. I think about what Jesus said in Mark 8, when He called the crowd to Him with his disciples, and He said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Seasons of crud in life come and go, when you hate what’s happening to you and around you. I miss the beach. My computer crashed. Those car accidents were a drag. A friend’s 16-year-old daughter has leukemia. What does it look like to come after Jesus in your life?

Deny yourself. You can’t always get what you want. Your cries, “I demand my rights!” fall on His deaf ears. Peter didn’t want Jesus to go to the cross and he got schooled, “Satan, get behind me!” God’s plan is the way to go and He won’t be put in a box by your wishes. We must learn to see life and the world through His eyes and perspective, not our desires. You don’t get to tell God what kind of God to be. He is who He is and you deny yourself concerning Him. To come after Jesus is to willingly surrender all your decisions and dreams for His glory and grand purpose.

Take up your cross. The cross was punishment, pain, shame, and death. It is not a fashion accessory or decorative wall art. His cross was suffering and your cross is as well. You have to carry your own beams to the place of your own execution. We experience more of the same thing He did. If you try to save your own life by your own efforts and achievements, you will lose it, but if you lose your life for His sake, you will be saved. Bear whatever troubles you have and conform to Him in His pain and death.

Follow Jesus. Where He commands, you go. Where He leads, you keep behind, with no expectations and no half-hearted effort. One man asked, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” But he was told, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord, but first permit me to say goodbye to those at home.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Following Jesus is devoted, forward-looking obedience to the Savior in front of you, wherever He goes, no matter the cost.

When I think about the crud of life, coming after Jesus and denying yourself and picking up your cross is to grow in the school of suffering. Some seasons are harder than others, but you are loved by Christ if you are in Christ. God has not forgotten you. He is not ashamed of you. You can sing, “It is well with my soul,” in your suffering, as you deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow Him. God hears you in your hard place. God said, “I will be with you always, to the end of the age.” He is the good shepherd taking care of you, His lamb. He makes you lie down in green pastures, He leads you by still waters. Even if you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you do not need to fear. The crud will be over soon.

Posted in: Uncategorized Tagged: suffering

Tags

Bible book review books Charlottesville China Christmas church Coronavirus creation death Easter eclipse evangelism faith forgiveness glory God gospel grace graduation Hindu homosexuality hope hurricane Jesus Jonah love Luke marriage mercy missions money Muslims praise prayer Proverbs Psalms racism salvation sermon audio Sudan suffering thanks weekly update worship

Archives

  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017

Copyright © 2023 Central Plains EFC.

Church WordPress Theme by themehall.com