Game Day // Week 2

If you know anything about the sports world whether you've participated in the game or cheered from the sideline, you know there's a cost. There's a cost to participate and there's a cost to cheer them on. Nowadays, people have gone from being "fans" of the game to full on "fanatics" People spend hundreds upon hundreds of dollars to follow their favorite team. They pay for a ticket, the apparel, the tailgate spot, the food, etc. If you play you're paying for your uniform, private lessons, hotel stays, gas, and time.

What if we took all of our energy and converted it over to being a follower of Jesus? A lot of times we want to follow a certain church and just "do church" instead of being a devoted follower of Jesus. The Church should be more enthusiastic about the One they follow (Jesus) than they are about the team they follow!

Are we making sacrifices to follow Jesus? Because there are sacrifices to be made! Real disciples follow Jesus no matter the cost...even when it's inconvenient.

While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.

Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.

“Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” Mark 14:3-9

In Mark's account, the woman goes without a name. The story isn't about us. What if we went through life not worrying about OUR name but about HIS name? When people hear your name do they think about Jesus?

There's often a pain we go through when we follow Jesus. She broke a perfume bottle that costed her a year's wages. That had to be painful. Though there's pain in following Jesus, there's more pain when we don't!

If you want to see your life radically changed, hold nothing back when following Jesus! This woman held nothing back. She broke the bottle. There was no saving "some for later".

"Ministry that costs nothing accomplishes nothing." -John Henry Jovette

Anything you do for Jesus isn't a waste but of eternal value!

We will be criticized when we follow Christ. Jesus had the woman's back in this story and He always has ours! 

Live a life for Jesus that's a STORY WORTH TELLING.

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