What Will You Do with Jesus Today?

If you've ever wondered about God's grace , your purpose or what it truly means to live free , this message is for you . Let's grace your purpose or what it truly means to live free , this message is for you . Let's go , boys . Hey , welcome to Renewed Mindsets , where we study the basics of the faith through the lens of our middle-aged experiences . I'm Rick .

Welcome to the show where I help you , gen Xers and Millennials , navigate spiritually through a world that looks nothing like we expected back , when cars were square and mullets were totally awesome . I am so glad you're here . In Matthew 27 , verses 21 and 22 , we encounter an important moment .

The Roman governor , pontius Pilate , asked the crowd which of the two do you want me to release to you ? And they replied Barabbas , barabbas . Then Pilate follows up with a question that echoes through time . What , then , shall I do with Jesus , who is called the Christ ? And the crowd shouts Crucify him .

Now , this scene is intense , but it poses a question for us as well . What will we do with Jesus ? Pilate faced that choice , and so do we . Each day , we decide how we're going to respond to Jesus . Will we accept him or , like the crowd , will we reject him by choosing our own way over his .

Now , when we talk about accepting him or rejecting him , we talk about what's actually called crucifying the anointing . It means choosing our own way instead of following the leading of Jesus in our life . How many times have we done our own thing , putting aside what God asks of us to do ? Sometimes it's as simple as choosing convenience over conviction .

Maybe God is nudging you to make a tough decision or act in faith , but it's easier to stay in your comfort zone . It's like hearing God's voice but responding with eh , not today . Think about the small daily decisions where this plays out . Have you ever ignored a prompting to forgive someone because your pride got in the way ?

Or maybe you felt called to help someone in need , but busyness in your life became an excuse . It's in these moments that we have to answer Pilate's question what will you do with Jesus today ? Thomas Jefferson we all know who he is . He's one of the founding fathers of this country . He edited the Bible if you didn't know that .

And he did not like anything supernatural . So when he edited the Bible he cut out all the supernatural parts . He just left the moral teachings . His version of the Bible ends with Jesus being buried . He leaves out the resurrection entirely .

Can you imagine that it's tempting for us to follow a safe version of Jesus that doesn't require much from us , where the focus is on all the nice teachings , the Jesus is love , right , and avoid all the difficult calls to sacrifice and change . If you're following someone that says it's all okay , jesus is all about love , love is love . Guess what You're wrong ?

You're not going to spend eternity with Christ in heaven . Paul in 1 Corinthians , 15 , 17 , and 18 says if Christ has not been raised , then your faith is useless and you're still guilty of your sins . In other words , without the full power of the gospel the full gospel including the resurrection there's no real transformation .

Now look how Jesus prepared for his crucifixion . He didn't just rush into it without thought . He spent time in a place called Gethsemane , which means oil press . It's a fitting image , because olives have to be crushed to produce oil . And Jesus was crushed in spirit as he wrestled with his coming sacrifice .

Was crushed in spirit as he wrestled with his coming sacrifice . In Matthew 26 , verse 36-39 , we see Jesus go to Gethsemane to pray . His prayer was raw and real . It says my soul is exceedingly sorrowful , even to death . Stay here and watch with me . He asked God if there was any other way , but he also surrendered , not as I will , but as you will .

Sometimes we approach prayer wanting a quick fix or a feel good moment . But real prayer , like Jesus's prayer at Gethsemane , is about releasing our deepest emotions and our fears , and even our destiny , into God's hands . It's about full surrender . Jesus didn't get a way out , but he got the strength to carry out God's will .

Philippians , chapter 2 , verse 5 through 9 , encourages us to have the same mindset as Jesus . Though he was God , he humbled himself and he became a servant and was obedient to the point of death on a cross . And because of that God exalted him above all others . Think about that for a moment . Jesus didn't cling to his rights or his status .

He gave it all up for the sake of God's mission . And what does that mean for us ? It means that we too are called to lay aside our pride and our comfort and our will to follow Jesus , even when it's hard . Now , let's be honest . Sometimes obedience doesn't come easily and we can be a bit like a child who doesn't want to go to bed .

You know how it is the kid pulls out every trick in the book I need water , I have to go to the bathroom . Just one more story , please . The kid's just hoping to delay the inevitable .

The funny part about it is that we , as parents , know exactly what's happening , but we just go along with it , being patient , knowing that we can guide the child towards what is best , which is going to bed . That's a lot like how God deals with us . We might resist , thinking that we can delay right .

We think we can delay his plans by making excuses or avoiding hard steps that he's asking us to take , but God knows what's best for us and he patiently waits and he uses love and grace to gently guide us in the right direction . He doesn't force us , but he keeps inviting us to trust him . So what are you going to do with Jesus ?

So what are you going to do with Jesus ? What will you do ? Will you keep resisting , holding back from the life that he's called you to , or are you going to take a step of faith , trusting that his way , even when it stretches you , leads to something greater than you can imagine .

It's your choice , but remember God's plan is always filled with love and purpose . The choice is yours , but remember Jesus is offering you the greatest reward . It's not just a crown in heaven or a seat at the banquet table . It's the joy of walking with him right now , even through the tough times . That's a reward worth running a race for .

Now let's just stop for a moment and think about what Jesus endured for us . His crucifixion wasn't a quick event . It was excruciatingly slow and painful , both spiritually and physically . When Jesus cried out from the cross "'My God , my God , why have you forsaken me' , it was a cry of deep abandonment .

In that moment he bore the weight of the world's sin and for the first time he experienced the separation from God that sin causes . Jesus , who had always been one with the Father , was now bearing the full wrath of God for our sins . And when he cried out it is finished in John 19 30 , that's a victory shout . Not I am finished , but it is finished .

God's will up to that point was completed . Jesus accomplished what he came to do . He bore our sins and he paid the price in full and with his final breath he surrendered his spirit into his father's hands . That's Luke 23 , 46 . Imagine the scene at that moment of Jesus' death .

Darkness covered the land , the earth trembled and the strong Roman soldiers were shaking in fear . It wasn't just an ordinary death . Nature itself reacted to the gravity of that event . This wasn't just a man dying , it was a son of God laying down his life . A medical description of the physical toll that crucifixion took on Jesus is sickening .

Crucifixion wasn't just about dying . It was about dying very slowly , in the most painful way possible . Imagine the agony of hanging by nails , with shooting pain traveling up through your arms and your back and your feet . He had to push himself up just to take a breath . It's chilling . It was overwhelming .

The suffering that he endured until he allowed his body to die . It's chilling , isn't it ? It's more than we can fully wrap our minds around . And we hear all of this in a few words in the Bible . Everything that I just said right now in the Bible is summed up in . And they crucified him .

But behind those words is an unimaginable sacrifice , a sacrifice that he made for you and for me . Now think of this . Jesus endured all of this so we wouldn't have to . He took the punishment for sin so that we could be forgiven . He was forsaken so that we could be accepted . He died so that we might live here .

Imagine you were a child , lost in the woods , feeling utterly abandoned by yourself . The night grows darker , the fear sinks deeper and just when you think there's no way out , you see a familiar face , your parent , who'd been searching for you the whole time , and they're there to take you safely home . Jesus is like that parent .

He walked into the darkest place , took the suffering that we deserved so that he could lead us back to the Father . And we treat sin so lightly , but if you just reflect on what Jesus went through , it'll move you . It should move you . It should remind you of the great love that he has for you and the great lengths that he went to to save you .

What will you do with this Jesus , the one who was crucified for you ? Will you live for him in the light of what he's done , or will you go on living your life as if nothing has changed ? The truth is , everything has changed , and that's the good news . We are free .

We're free from sin , free from condemnation , free to live in the grace and love of Jesus , in obedience to him . We don't have to earn our way to God . It's been finished . We simply need to accept what Jesus has done for us and walk in that freedom and share this amazing love with others .

It's not just knowing the story , but it's about living in the reality of what Christ has done . You've got to tell the world about the one who gave everything for you , jesus . Jesus wasn't just a man . He wasn't just one person among many who might have been able to die for our sins .

Christ by himself alone had sufficient worth to die in place of every single person in history . That's why he was the sacrifice . His blood was powerful enough to roll backward to cover the sins of the very first sinner , adam , and forward to cover the sins of the very last person who will ever sin . No other blood could do that .

Think about the sacrifices under the law of Moses , the blood of the bulls and the goats that had to be shed repeatedly , year after year , because it could never truly take away sin . It only delayed God's judgment . It was like putting a band-aid on a deep wound that needed serious surgery . But when Jesus died .

His blood didn't just cover over a sin for a little while . His blood removed sin once and for all . The price for sin is high . Sin has to be punished , there's no way around it . But the good news is , jesus took the punishment for us . He was the final , ultimate sacrifice . Now let me tell you one more story to bring this home . Picture a courtroom .

You're sitting in the defendant's seat , guilty as charged . You've broken the law , and there's no way around it . You're waiting for the judge to hand down the sentence , which is a lifetime in prison .

But then , just as the gavel's about to drop , someone steps forward and says I'll take the punishment for you , and the judge looks at you and says you're free to go , your debt has been paid . That's what Jesus did for us . He stepped in and took the punishment that we deserved . He didn't just cover our sins temporarily , like the old sacrifices did .

He erased them . He paid the price in full . So what do you do with that ? How do you respond to a love so great that Jesus gave his life for you ? It's simple Really Trust him , follow him , which means do what he said and did . Trust him and you live in gratitude for what he's done . Remember this Jesus didn't just die to give you a better life .

He died to give you new life , abundant life , eternal life . He took the weight of sin , the punishment that we deserved , and he offers us freedom . The question is will you accept it ? Will you let Jesus be Lord of your life and live in the freedom that he's already paid for ? Because Jesus Christ paid it . All the debt is clear .

The punishment's been taken and the victory is won . Now we get to walk in that freedom . We get to live in the light of his sacrifice , knowing that we're loved and forgiven and set free . And that , my friends , is the greatest news you'll ever hear . So what will you do with this Jesus ? Will you trust him with your life ?

Will you accept the gift of grace and live in the freedom that he offers ? That's the question that he's asking you today . Let's not let this podcast end and that be it . Let's not just hear this good news . Let's let it transform us , let it transform you , because Jesus didn't just die for the world .

He died for you and he's calling you to live in the new life he's given . Let this day end with your heart filled with gratitude and your life , committed to the one who gave everything for you , who gave everything for you . And now , deep Thoughts with Rick Yuhas .

If you ever decide to get into a wrestling match with God , remember these two things One , he always wins , and two , we walk away with a limp .

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In just a few minutes each day , you can start your morning with insights and guidance that will uplift and inspire you . Imagine in just one year , you'll have learned the entire book of Proverbs , giving you a foundation of wisdom to carry with you for a lifetime . So why not start your day the right way ?

Subscribe to Wisdom for the Day now and begin your journey towards a life filled with godly wisdom , available at wisdomforthedayorg and wherever you get your podcasts . Wisdom for the Day , because a little wisdom goes a long way . I love it when y'all send me messages .

I love it when you ask questions , and I got a good one the other day from Derek in Chicago . He said how do the Holy Spirit and the Word of God work together in the new birth ? That is such an important topic . What a great question .

Let me break it down step by step in a way that makes sense and it shows how beautifully God's Spirit and His Word collaborate in transforming us . First , we have to remember why we even need to be born again in the first place . By nature , we're spiritually dead . The Bible makes it clear that all of us , before we come to faith , are separated from God .

Ephesians 2 , verse 5 says Even when we were dead in our trespasses , god made us alive together with Christ . Being spiritually dead means that we don't have the ability to truly love or follow God on our own . We can't see the glory and beauty of Christ for who he really is . We're stuck in a state of resistance to God .

We value the things of this world more than him . Without a new birth , we remain in that state . We're cut off from the life that God offers us . That's why Jesus says in John 3 , 3 , that unless someone is born again , they can't see the kingdom of God .

To be born again is to receive new spiritual life , to have a fresh start that transforms us from the inside out . But how does this happen ? This is where the Holy Spirit steps in . Jesus describes the work of the Holy Spirit in John , chapter 3 , verses 6 through 8 , saying that the new birth is the work of the Spirit .

It's like the wind , moving powerfully but mysteriously right . Just like we don't control the wind , we don't control the Holy Spirit . The Spirit is sovereign , meaning he works according to God's will , not ours . We don't cause our new birth . We don't raise ourselves from spiritual death .

It's a miracle that only the Spirit can bring about , giving us new life when we had none . So the first key part of this process is that the Holy Spirit is the one who awakens our heart to God . It's a work of grace , and when we're born again , the first sign of this new life is faith . Imagine a newborn baby's first cry .

When someone is born again , their first cry is faith in Jesus . Suddenly their eyes are opened and they see Jesus for who he really is beautiful , loving and worthy of their trust . His heart cries out . I believe I need him . He's my savior . But here's where it gets really interesting . This faith doesn't just appear out of thin air .

It comes through hearing the word of God . Romans 10 , 17 says faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of God . Romans 10 , 17 says faith comes from hearing and hearing through the Word of Christ . The Word of God is the message of the gospel , the good news of what Jesus has done for us .

So while the Holy Spirit is the one who brings us to life , he does it through the means of God's Word . In other words , the Spirit and the Word work together . The Holy Spirit doesn't just randomly make people alive who've never heard the gospel . Instead , he uses the gospel , the message of Jesus Christ , to open people's hearts .

When we hear the Word of God preached , the Spirit is at work in the background , opening our eyes and helping us to understand and to believe . Now let's look for an example of the story of Lydia in Acts 16.14 . Paul was preaching the gospel and it says the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was being said by Paul .

You see both parts here Paul was sharing the word and God was working in Lydia's heart to receive that word . The Spirit and the word were working in harmony to bring her faith . So when we talk about the new birth , we can't separate the work of the Spirit from the role of the Word .

The Spirit doesn't move without the Word and the Word doesn't have its full effect without the Spirit . It's like these two are partners in a process of bringing people from spiritual death to life .

It's why , when people are reading the Bible to prove you wrong because you hear about atheists that know the Word , they know what is written , but they don't have understanding . They know what is written but they don't have understanding . That's the difference .

You can read words on a piece of paper , but if you don't understand the language or the context , you have no idea what it means . I could get a book on Chinese and eventually learn to recite the words , but I don't know what they mean , right ? What does it mean for you ?

Practically , it means that you as believers , or we as believers , have an important role to play in the whole process . We can't cause anybody to be born again . That's the work of the Holy Spirit . We can faithfully share the Word of God , though right it . We can faithfully share the Word of God , though right .

We can speak the truth of the gospel , trusting that , as we do that , the Holy Spirit will work through our words to bring people to faith . Romans 10.14 says how are they to believe in him of whom they've never heard ? And how are they to hear without someone preaching ? God has chosen to work through the preaching of his word .

This means that we have the privilege and the responsibility to share that word with others , knowing that this is through us , sharing in that spirit , and that's what brings people to life . So , to sum the whole thing up , the Holy Spirit is the one who gives us new life in the new birth , and he does this by working through the Word of God .

The Word brings the message of Christ and the Spirit opens our hearts to receive that message and together they accomplish the miracle of new birth , giving us faith and a new life in Christ . And if you're feeling hesitant about sharing your faith or worried that you might not know enough , remember this it's not up to us to make people believe .

Our job is to share the word , and God's spirit will do the rest . And if you're wondering whether you're truly born again , ask yourself this Do you see Christ as beautiful ? Do you trust him as your savior ? If so , that's the work of the spirit in you .

Keep holding on to that faith and continue growing in the word , trusting that the spirit will guide you every step of the way . Well , that's all for this week's show . You know the name of this show speaks my hope for you . It's taken from the words of Romans , chapter 12 , verse 2 .

Do not be conformed to this world , but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that , by testing , you may discern what is the will of God , what is good and acceptable and perfect . If you enjoyed what you heard , do me a favor , please , and tell someone you know about it . Send them a link in a text you know .

You may even need to download it to their phone and show them what a podcast is . If it was valuable to you , it will be to them . Visit renewedmindsetscom to hear past episodes , read the blog and check out the new merch . And , as always , while you're there , send me a voicemail by clicking the button at the bottom right corner of the main page .

Tell me what you think about this show . I just might play it on a future episode . Until next week , I'm Rick . I love you . The intro and outro music for the Renewed Mindsets podcast is Are you Ready ? By Floodgate From the album Are you Ready ? Copyright 2002 , offbeat Ministries Incorporated .

Floodgate can be found on Apple Music and iTunes Music used with permission .