Mark 8:34-37

They took a coffin, which they packed with their belongings, along with a one-way ticket. Bruce Logue reminds us that people still do pick up their cross and follow Jesus and the Lord uses them to make an eternal difference!

"[Jesus continued teaching the crowd,] "And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your..."

What in the world does Ray Romano have to do with soulwork? Ray Romano said he is off to do soul work remembering a note he received from his brother about something that Jesus said about losing ones soul.

"[Jesus said to the crowd,] "If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the..."

"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his very soul?"

"Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, [Jesus] said, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your..."

Inspirational illustration of Mark 8:36 -- What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his very soul?

How can we know if our lives make a difference and truly matter? Phil Ware helps us to better understand both Mark's message about where true life is found and also his outline and organization of his gospel around the hinges to the story provided by the stories of two blind men that Jesus heals.

"Dear Disciple, Following Me is hard. I want your heart. I want your focus. I want your future. I want to be your consuming passion. Yes, I know..."

As Jesus journeyed into Jerusalem that last time, he had reached the point where he was going to gamble everything on the cross. Phil Ware continues his series of insights on living the CRUCIFORMED life Jesus calls all disciples to live on his way to the cross.

Can't have faith without being faithful Hiroo Onoda followed orders for more than 30 years, remaining at his post long after the war had ended. Christians need to learn to be faithful to God with that same intensity.

"Dear Disciple, I AM deeply moved when people show their undivided loyalty to Me and are willing to invest everything they have in My cause. Remember...."

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, James Nored and Phil Ware share the significance of Jesus' Triumphal Entry as they begin a special Holy Week series.

For us to be 'cruciformed' means that we offer our hearts to be reshaped to be like Jesus' heart. It means we offer ourselves to be used by God to bless and serve others. Phil Ware begins a series on the central section of the Gospel of Mark that focuses on being "cruciformed" as the first step of being a disciple of Jesus.

When sports fail to bring us together as one, then what will we do? Rubel Shelly reminds us of MLK, Martin Luther King, Jr., and how he taught us we were all equal in God's eyes and that Jesus was the answer to uniting us into one people under God.

Will you draw near? Will we draw near to the cross and have our lives changed?