Lesson by Mike Smith Do you want to live a life that excels? Jesus teaches how we must give up to go up!

2. • How can we really learn to follow
Jesus? John 6:44-45; 17:17
• As we seek to grow up in Christ we
need to learn and apply God’s
truth in our lives. Lk. 11:28; Mt.
28:20
• What will one need to do to go
onto spiritual maturity and
ultimately heaven? Luke 9:23-25

3. “If anyone desires to come after Me”
• One must truly desire to “come after” or
follow Christ. Luke 9:23
• If one does not truly desire this they will not
really come after Him.
– Some believed Jesus, but their desire was to
please men not God. John 12:42-43
– Some teach for selfishness and other reasons this
is not following Christ. Phil. 1:15-16
– Some followed Jesus for the food to eat not for
the spiritual food. John 6:26-27
• Be sure to follow Jesus for the right reasons.
Mark 12:30; 1 Jn. 4:19

4. “Let him deny himself”
• There are things we must deny/give up
concerning our own desires in order to follow
Jesus!
• Give up sinful things which destroy you!
1 Peter 2:11; Romans 13:14
• Give up selfishness and grow in love!
Phil. 2:3-4; Romans 13:8; James 3:13-16
• Give up evil thinking! Mt. 15:19-20; Rom. 12:9
• Stop following things which don’t satisfy!
Hebrews 11:25; Mt. 5:6

5. “And take up his cross daily
and follow Me”
• We take up our own cross and sacrifice to God
our daily devotion to Him by following Christ
in all that we do. Luke 9:23
• We must go up to Jesus! Mt. 11:28-30
• We go up to righteousness in our living!
1 Corinthians 15:34; Phil. 1:10-11
• Go up to God’s truth unashamed!
Romans 1:1-17; 1 John 2:24-28; 6:63
• Go up to a life changer to do something great
for God… 1 Cor. 9:22; 1 Thes. 5:15

6. Will You Give Up To Go Up?
• May we decide to say like Paul did in Philippians
3:7-11!
• We know that to gain the whole world would be to
lose our life/soul. Luke 9:24-25; Mt. 16:26
• Today you can come to Jesus and be saved!
Acts 4:12
• Hear & believe… Acts 18:8; 15:7
• Repent… Acts 2:38
• Confess… Acts 8:37
• Baptism… Acts 22:16