[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqLRMPCVS8o]

I’ve been singing this song all day.

On the Saturday before Resurrection Day, I like spend time thinking about this rhythm of death, burial, resurrection that marks the Christian life. Jesus taught us that the life of faith requires death: death of our comfort, death to our idols, death of our pride, death to whatever gives us life apart from him.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.
 Matthew 16:24-25

But he also a promises that in our dying, will find life- then he went on to model that for us.

And while I’m eager to move to #HeIsRisen, I need to sit with He suffered and He was buried for a bit longer.

 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. John 12:24

It reminds me of the cost of love and the cost of living a life that poured out for the wholeness of another. So today, I’ve been thinking about what needs to die in my life. What’s the cost of discipleship in my life? It’s a little hard because as a believer in America, I’m comfortable. But even so, there are things I need to die to to be wholeheartedly His.

I’ve counted up the cost and you are worth it

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I’m so buying this from the Meek Boutique tomorrow for my Easter gift.

I also like to stop and pray for the many other believers whose costs are far greater then mine, yet they courageously share their testimonies.

Will you join me tonight?

This site has some good information on specific needs.

And here are some beautiful suggestions from Sarah Bessey:

However you pray, simply pray. Light a candle, read Scripture, sit in silence. Pray for the martyrs by name, pray for their families, for their communities. Pray for the days ahead and for the leadership of the world. Let’s pray for the persecuted church.

I’m excited to celebrate the Resurrection tomorrow because it’ll remind me that everything I’ve laid down, all the things I had to crucify because I was getting life from, and the cost of discipleship that seems to painful at the times will be redeemed. No suffering goes to waste in God’s economy and while it may seem darklike hope is buried deep in the darkest, cave, we  take heart- Sunday is coming.

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33