It costs a lot to be a disciple of Jesus.  But guess what—it costs more not to be one!  Because Jesus said, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it.  But whoever loses their life for My sake, will save it.”

As we consider what it really means to be committed to Jesus, Pastor Ford asks us to consider this question—Are we paying the price that it takes to follow the Lord Jesus Christ?  Because there is a cost associated with following Him, and it includes self-sacrifice.  Have you begun to pick up your cross, die daily and follow Him?

The person described in Psalm 1 loves the word of God.  His delight is in the word of God.  And on His law, this person meditates day and night.  He has affection and he gives attention to it.  So, he walks in the word and is a great example for us all as believers to follow.

Perspective and perception are two key factors that affect our understanding of suffering. Our perspective governs our perception. In other words, the way you look at whatever you’re going through will determine how you perceive and comprehend it. And so it’s crucial for us to try to gain God’s perspective on our suffering, instead of looking at it from our own perspective.

Pastor Ford will explain that God used a giant to bring David to prominence.  If he’d had no encounter with the giant, he would have had no prominence.  God used the Devil to bring Job to prominence—no Devil, no prominence.  He used the cross to bring Christ to prominence.  So, do you see how God uses suffering?  He uses it for His purposes and for His glory.

Suffering always has a purpose.  As we study Revelation 13, we’ll realize that sometimes our suffering is actually related to our redemption.  When God allows us to suffer, He’s not trying to destroy us.  He’s trying to develop us.  But in order to understand the process, we have to see suffering from God’s perspective.

When we strive toward spiritual maturity, God rewards us.  Simply because we belong to Him, He gives us things that we don’t deserve.  And as a result of us even making the effort to do what He want us to do, He gives us what we need to become who He wants us to be and so He can give us what He wants us to have.

Do you want to go up to the next level in your spiritual maturity?  Then you have to grow up.  And you have to trust the Lord, fear the Lord, honor the Lord, and accept the Lord’s discipline.  And then what will happen?  You’ll have stability, tranquility, prosperity and you’ll understand your adversity.

What we’re tuned into, becomes what we are turned into.  And according to Pastor Ford, if we keep inundating our minds with the mess that the world provides as entertainment, that’s how we’re going to program our minds to think.  We’re going to disregard the mind of Christ and we’ll instead be utilizing the mind of the world.

If we desire for God to elevate us, or bring us to the next level in our spiritual maturity, then we need to understand that He doesn’t give us anything to us for any reason other than who we are to Him.  So, we must become to Him what He wants us to become so that He gives us what He wants to give us.