Try to keep your life and you lose it. But give your life away for Jesus and others and you find it. The life you long for, the life you’re looking for, is found when you give your life away for others. It’s the way to joy.

November 25-26, 2017

Video: Wednesday’s Kids 

Introduction and offering:

You gotta love that! Our big deal this year has been to Think Three: think three generations ahead of you, and one on either side. The Morrows are doing that in a very cool and practical way—opening their home every Wednesday for dinner for kids before youth group. I love it! Way to go Morrows! I hope it stirs you to think about how God could use you to invest in the generation coming up behind you. It’s also an example of an outward focused life.

We’re continuing our series, “JOY: the Outward Focused Life.” One day this spring, I was praying about my selfishness, and I thought of the acrostic JOY: Jesus, Others, You.   The way to joy is to live for Jesus first, and then put others before yourself. So ever since then, I’ve been writing JOY across the top of my daily planner. It’s not to remind me to be happy—I may be the happiest person you’ve ever met. Check out these socks! I’m not reminding myself to be happy; I’m reminding myself not to be selfish, to live Jesus, others, you.

In today’s story, the disciples are at it again—being truly clueless when Jesus talks about His death. This time it’s Peter who steps in it! Here’s the story:

Matthew 16:21–26

21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

In the verses just before this, Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I