Pastor Tom reminded us that we are God’s handiwork—His masterpiece. That means you were created on purpose and for a purpose. Through Jesus, we’ve been given good works to do, but following Him isn’t always easy. It doesn’t come naturally. That’s why Jesus said in Mark 8:34 that anyone who wants to follow Him must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow.

Every day, we face a choice: live for ourselves or die to ourselves and live with Jesus. Your “cross” may look different than someone else’s, but the calling is the same—to let go of sin, pride, fear, and control so that we can truly live in Christ.

Paul’s life is a powerful example. Once Saul, an enemy of Jesus, he had a radical transformation and spent the rest of his life preaching the gospel—no matter the cost. He was beaten, imprisoned, and nearly killed over and over again, but he never stopped. He died to himself daily so others could meet Jesus.

And sometimes, your life is the loudest sermon. Even if you don’t always speak about Jesus, you can live in a way that shows His love and truth.

Tom shared the story of Trudy Ederle, the first woman to swim the English Channel. After a failed first attempt where she was drugged by a jealous coach, she tried again. Before jumping into the water, she told her coach, “Don’t pull me out. I’m doing this or I’ll die trying.” She made it—and was celebrated as a hero.

That kind of passion and grit mirrors our faith journey. Jesus died trying—and He succeeded in saving the world. Paul died trying. Stephen, the first martyr, died trying. And we’re called to do the same—spiritually dying to ourselves so we can live fully with Him.

At some point, the cross you carry will be laid down. Because one day, we’ll be with Jesus forever. But until then, we live like we were born ready—to die trying to follow Him.

Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Mark 8:34
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”