Living The Cross! Romans 6:6 Galatians 2:20, 5:24

The flame of the 2012 Olympiad has been extinguished, the closing festivities are a memory, the sporting venues have now drawn silent, the athletes have returned to their home countries, but they return having been changed!

But every athlete that participated will always be forever known as an Olympian

Marlen Esparza U.S. Olympian Bronze Medal Winner She tweeted, "All honor and glory goes to God. That simple. I'm just blessed to be on the ride." Marlen Esparza U.S. Olympian Bronze Medal Winner She tweeted, "All honor and glory goes to God. That simple. I'm just blessed to be on the ride."

Just as these Olympians will never be the same, Jesus taught us that an encounter with the living God should have a far reaching impact in our Personal, Spiritual, and Relational life.

Here is the Challenge… When the Cross is proclaimed it is usually in a Historical sense.

Rightly proclaimed as a Historical event two thousand years ago in the city of Jerusalem “Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.” Mark 15:25

But there is a second dimension to the Cross, a Present One

The second dimension occurs when individuals choose to make Christ their Savior and Lord!

“We know that our old life died with Christ on the cross so that our sinful selves would have no power over us and we would not be slaves to sin.” Romans 6:6

“I was put to death on the cross with Christ, and I do not live anymore—it is Christ who lives in me. I still live in my body, but I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself to save me.” Gal;atians 2:20 NCV

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their own sinful selves. They have given up their old selfish feelings and the evil things they wanted to do.” Galatians 5:24 NCV

The second dimension occurs when individuals choose to make Christ their Savior and Lord!

“When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Mark 8:34

Jesus Proclaimed Such! “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Mark 8:34b

The Disciples Embraced Such! Philippians 3:7-10 “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss…

…for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the…

…righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.”

The Disciples Embraced Such! ‘conformed’ A compound word prefix ‘sym’ with the verb ‘morphizomenos’

The Disciples Embraced Such! ‘conformed’ …the image of a Married Couple growing alike as the years go by!

The Disciples Embraced Such! “I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.” 1 Corinthians 15:31

We Are Called to Live Such! “We know that our old life died with Christ on the cross so that our sinful selves would have no power over us and we would not be slaves to sin.” 1 Corinthians 15:31NCV

We Are Called to Live Such! “I was put to death on the cross with Christ, and I do not live anymore—it is Christ who lives in me. I still live in my body, but I live by faith in the Son of God…

We Are Called to Live Such! “…who Loved me and gave himself to save me. Galatians 2:20 NCV

We Are Called to Live Such! “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their own sinful selves. They have given up their old selfish feelings and the evil things they wanted to do.” Galatians 2:24 NCV

Living The Cross! Romans 6:6 Galatians 2:20, 5:24