Take Up Thy Cross and Follow Me

This powerful series explores what it truly means to take up the cross and follow Jesus. Far more than words, discipleship is shown as a complete surrender of life, where our choices, priorities, and service reflect the example of our Lord. Each class unfolds a deeper dimension of this calling, from the compassion we show to others, to the endurance of suffering, to the assurance and hope that only God can provide. These lessons invite every listener to embrace the cross not as a symbol of loss, but as the path to life in Christ.

Class 1 – Following Christ with Our Whole Life

The opening class examines the call of Matthew, who left everything to follow Jesus. This lesson highlights the uncompromising demand of discipleship—God does not ask for part of us but our all. It reminds us that life is not about sacrifice in ritual, but about offering ourselves in daily service, extending mercy, and living wholly for Christ.

Class 2 – Compassion for Sinners and Care for Saints

This class focuses on Jesus’ words from the cross and how they teach us to live. His prayer, “Father, forgive them,” is set as our example for how we respond to wrongs with mercy. His concern for his mother, entrusting her to John, underscores that discipleship also means responsibility—caring for family and fellow believers even while carrying our own burdens.

Class 3 – Assurance to the Seeker

Here the thief on the cross becomes the focus. In his final moments, Jesus offered assurance of hope and salvation. This lesson encourages us to remain faithful even amid scoffers and false teachers, knowing that our hope is sure and our God will not abandon us in trial. The message is one of total confidence in God’s promises.

Class 4 – Forsaken, Yet Faithful

In considering Jesus’ cry, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” the class explores the deep testing of faith when God seems silent. Just as Hezekiah and Job were tried, believers are reminded that seasons of feeling abandoned are part of God’s way of proving and strengthening us. Endurance in these times deepens trust and prepares us for the joy of ultimate union with God.

Class 5 – The Reality of Trial

This class reflects on the agony of Jesus and the reality of suffering for believers. It stresses that temptations and hardships are not beyond our strength, for God provides the way of escape. The lesson challenges us to see trials not as defeat but as opportunities to rely wholly on God’s strength and to reaffirm our commitment to the cross.

Class 6 – Endurance to the End

The final class draws together the series with a call to perseverance. Taking up the cross means continuing steadfastly in faith, not laying it down when life grows difficult. It is about trusting God’s mercy, walking in love and compassion, and holding fast until the end, knowing the crown of life awaits those who remain faithful.

This description has been generated by AI and lightly edited.