Sometimes I wonder if church signs ever make a difference!

The other day a friend of mine drove by a church sign that said, "Deny thyself, take up your cross, and follow me!” She wondered, “How many people KNOW what that means?”

She knew the story from the Bible. Jesus had told His friends about the suffering He would endure on our behalf. One of them told Jesus to stop scaring everyone and He said something like, “God's plan will offer Eternal Life but it comes at an unbelievable cost to ME. And, it will cost you, too, if you follow Me!"

It made my friend wonder, who really denies themselves these days? And, why should we? Well, Jesus said if we’re selfish we'll lose everything, but when we serve others we follow God. And as we follow, He offers HOPE and joy because we’re sacrificing like He sacrificed for us, which made my friend want to start looking for ways to put others first!