An authentic experience of Jesus requires that we enter into his often ignored and disregarded teaching to: deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and lay down our lives for his sake and others. The New Testament is filled with with references to 'die' to ourselves and submit our lives to the leadership of Jesus. But the story doesn't end in death, Jesus' story didn't end in death and neither does ours. We die to ourselves to be born into a new life in Christ.

"I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." Galatians 2:20