Losing to Win
Losing to Win
“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.”
Mark 8:35
Are you a competitive person? I am...I am more competitive than you are...wanna bet? I hate losing. I played basketball from 3rd grade till I graduated high school. We had some really bad seasons. I know exactly what losing feels like. You feel hollow or empty. You feel shame. You feel like no one wants to have you around them. You feel like you have wasted so much time in practice and preparation. You feel like quitting.
Losing is for losers, right? Guess what, that is right! You see I am a loser. I practice and prepare to be a good Christian yet I fail as I give into some stupid sin that I seem to struggle to defeat. When I am defeated by some sin that seems to have my number, I then feel hollow and empty, I feel shame...I feel like no one would ever want me around if they really knew how big a loser I really am. I know what losing feels like and I honestly am not a fan.
Jesus looked like He was losing one time. The religious crowd had falsely accused Him, had Him arrested, had Him beaten, and then put Him on a Roman cross of torture...Jesus looked as if He was going to lose. His opposition was certain of victory. Jesus then robbed them of their win by giving up His life. The nails didn’t kill Him, the spear in His side didn’t kill Him. Not even the massive weight or our sins killed Him. He lost His life on purpose for me...for you. He gave up the Ghost so you and I might receive it! And in His giving up or surrendering, what looked like a great loss, became the greatest victory of all time!
There is only one way for you and I to be winners! We have to be losers...we have to give up our way of life. We have to understand that we are defeated. Sin wins every time against us...but not against Jesus! When we realize we are lost we can turn to Him for victory! He gave us His Holy Ghost to reach in and give us real life...everlasting life...a life of victory over sin and death.
Know this! The harder you hold onto all that you are in hope to somehow eek out a win, the more you will face defeat, Jesus told us this in Mark 8, when He said, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.” You want to be a winner? Realize that you are a loser and get the victory that only comes in Jesus!
Pastor Larry Hof
Here is a song for today!
https://youtu.be/wxrhhRwPiFw
“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.”
Mark 8:35
Are you a competitive person? I am...I am more competitive than you are...wanna bet? I hate losing. I played basketball from 3rd grade till I graduated high school. We had some really bad seasons. I know exactly what losing feels like. You feel hollow or empty. You feel shame. You feel like no one wants to have you around them. You feel like you have wasted so much time in practice and preparation. You feel like quitting.
Losing is for losers, right? Guess what, that is right! You see I am a loser. I practice and prepare to be a good Christian yet I fail as I give into some stupid sin that I seem to struggle to defeat. When I am defeated by some sin that seems to have my number, I then feel hollow and empty, I feel shame...I feel like no one would ever want me around if they really knew how big a loser I really am. I know what losing feels like and I honestly am not a fan.
Jesus looked like He was losing one time. The religious crowd had falsely accused Him, had Him arrested, had Him beaten, and then put Him on a Roman cross of torture...Jesus looked as if He was going to lose. His opposition was certain of victory. Jesus then robbed them of their win by giving up His life. The nails didn’t kill Him, the spear in His side didn’t kill Him. Not even the massive weight or our sins killed Him. He lost His life on purpose for me...for you. He gave up the Ghost so you and I might receive it! And in His giving up or surrendering, what looked like a great loss, became the greatest victory of all time!
There is only one way for you and I to be winners! We have to be losers...we have to give up our way of life. We have to understand that we are defeated. Sin wins every time against us...but not against Jesus! When we realize we are lost we can turn to Him for victory! He gave us His Holy Ghost to reach in and give us real life...everlasting life...a life of victory over sin and death.
Know this! The harder you hold onto all that you are in hope to somehow eek out a win, the more you will face defeat, Jesus told us this in Mark 8, when He said, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.” You want to be a winner? Realize that you are a loser and get the victory that only comes in Jesus!
Pastor Larry Hof
Here is a song for today!
https://youtu.be/wxrhhRwPiFw
Posted in Blessed, God is More, Scripture is Illuminating, The God of the Impossible, Losing to Win
Posted in losing, losetowin, jesuswins, wewininJesus
Posted in losing, losetowin, jesuswins, wewininJesus
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