The Sacred Art of Giving Up

Can you imagine what it was like to be Jesus’ disciple, Judas? Talk about committing a sin that will define you forever. In fact, his name throughout the gospels is always listed as “Judas Iscariot,” which literally means “Judas the Betrayer.” And yet, the truth is, all of us—no matter how strong our faith—will betray Jesus at some point. The question is: What do we do with our regret when we fail to be faithful? This week, we’ll look at how the story of Judas teaches us the importance of giving up regret.

The Christian life can seem so simple until you get to Jesus’ words about what’s required: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” So how do we do that? This Sunday, we’ll look at some of Jesus’ most famous—and most difficult—words about giving up everything.

Do you ever feel like life is coming at you so fast that all you can do is react? We rush headlong from one day to the next, handling each new crisis as it comes up, and we begin to think that that’s just the way life is. We get really good at living a “spur of the moment” kind of life.

Being able to roll with life’s punches can be a valuable skill-set. The problem, though, is that, once we buy into the thinking that life is mainly just about reacting, it can affect our sense of purpose. It can cause us to forget that we were created to be more than crisis managers. God has bigger plans for us than that. But before we can live into those plans, we’ve got to know where we’re heading. We’ve got to learn to stop reacting to life’s distractions and to start focusing on our destination. Join us this week as we look at how Jesus “set his face” and kept his eyes focused on his mission.

It’s no wonder that the Bible tells to watch we say. How many times have you seen someone get hurt simply because of what someone else said to them? As Christians, our words matter because they have the power to build each other up or tear each other down. So what would the season of Lent look like if we fasted from hurtful words? This Sunday, we’ll look at why being intentional with what we say is one of the most important spiritual disciplines of all.

There’s no shortage of passages in the Bible that implore us not to worry. And yet, if we’re honest, many of us would admit that worry and anxiety are a constant problem in our lives. So how do we “give up” worry? Today, we’ll look at the Apostle Paul’s words of wisdom to the church in Philippi when the temptation to worry is overwhelming.

Have you ever noticed how much of life feels like a never-ending sprint from one day to the next? It’s not that we want life to be that way, but in our culture it’s practically impossible to not feel like you’re always on the run. And yet, it’s been said that “the greatest enemy of the spiritual life is our addiction to hurry.” So what’s the solution? In his letter to the Galatian church, the Apostle Paul says that one of the irrefutable signs of a fruitful spiritual life is when we embody “patience.”

What is the holy season of Lent? For much of church history, it’s been a time of spiritual discipline, introspection, and preparation as we journey with Jesus towards the cross. But maybe most of all, the Church has seen Lent as a 40-day season of fasting or giving certain things up. So what can we “give up” this Lenten season that has the power to transform our faith like never before? Join us on Ash Wednesday as we begin our exploration of “The Sacred Art of Giving Up.”