Deuteronomy 21.2-22.30; Luke 9.51-10.12; Psalm 74.1-23; Proverbs 12.11

When Jesus calls us to follow him, he calls us to give up everything for him. Our following of him does not include a little bit of Jesus mixed with a little bit of our past mixed with a little bit of those things we really want to do. To follow him means a 100% commitment to him. What sort of excuses do we have for not being totally committed to following Jesus? How do we eliminate these excuses from our lives?

Questions:

Now that you have read that anyone “hung on a tree is considered cursed by God,” do you understand the reaction people had to Jesus’ crucifixion? Why did an act considered cursed actually bring salvation?

Pray that the Lord will send workers into the fields for harvest.

What promises of God do you hold on to, especially when it seems like he has rejected you?

How have you found hard work to to pay off in “plenty of food,” yet chasing fantasies ending up with nothing?