✝️ Mark 8:35 | Gratitude & The Power of Imitation

📧 In today’s email…

• ✝️ Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice

• 💪 Being an example

• 📱 The power of imitation in shaping our faith

• 🔦 Community spotlight!

 🧠 Memorize

_{see if you know what words go in the blanks}

For _______ _____ ____ his ____ will ____ __,

but _______ _____ his ____ for __ ____ and ___ _______ will ____ __.

Mark 8:35

Jesus’s Ultimate Sacrifice ✝️

Jesus not only preached about losing one’s life for the sake of the gospel, but He lived it out in the ultimate way, leading to new life for those who put their hope in Him!

• Incarnation: Jesus, being in very nature God, left the glory of heaven and took on human form. He did not grasp onto it with a closed fist. Instead he opened his hand and surrendered to the Father.

  • This act of humility and self-emptying is a powerful example of “losing one’s life.”

• Obedient Servanthood: Jesus took on the nature of a servant, humbling Himself and living a life of selfless obedience.

  • Instead of showing up on the scene wielding his status as the Son of God to accumulate worldly power, he washed feet and ate with sinners.

    • He demonstrated that he is the greatest person to ever live through his servanthood.

• Sacrificial Death: Jesus humbled Himself completely by being obedient to death on a cross, fully surrendering to the Father’s will.

  • His sacrificial death is the pinnacle embodiment of losing one’s life for the gospel and the sake of others.

The Gospel ✝️ 

So how should this motivate us today to lay down our lives for Him?

We need to reflect on the gift of our faith…

No earthly possession or provision from God can change the fact that one day, when our short time on earth is complete, we who follow Christ will enter heaven.

From the moment you were saved, a new process began, preparing you for this day.

The good and bad that happens in this life is short-lived.

But understanding the purpose is what we have to remember to get us through these times and keep our gaze on Jesus’ sacrifice for us.

Imagine having the kind of humility Jesus did to die for those who put Him to death.

Talk about laying your life down for the sake of the gospel.

Jesus didn’t just tell us how important this is, He showed us the ultimate display of it.

TUVU: Social Media and the Power of Imitation 📱 

We’ve all heard the sayings:

• “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

• “You become the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.”

These both get at something true about humans: we learn by imitation.

That’s why the content we consume online plays such an important role in shaping the kinds of people we become.

Thanks to Tuvu, you can participate in social media while also ensuring that content you consume is safe for consumption.

If you missed it earlier in the week, Tuvu is a new social media app built for Christians that is ad-free and family friendly.

Most social media takes you further from God’s presence.

Tuvu nudges you towards it.

Click below to give Tuvu a free trial for 30 days 👇️ 

_{*Please consider supporting our partner! They help us keep Malachi Daily free!} 🙂

Gratitude For Those Who Set You an Example 🤔 

Funerals can be extremely difficult. Losing someone close to us is never easy.

But how do funerals tie in with Mark 8:35?

As believers, we view death differently.

When someone has faith in Christ, we can be happy for them, knowing they are in a better place in heaven.

Amidst the sadness and heartache, stories often emerge about how the individual lived sacrificially for others.

I hope that in heaven, we’ll be able to thank those who set us a Christlike example in this life.

But what if we didn’t wait until someone passes away to call out and express gratitude for their example in your life?

Reflect 🤔 

💡 Who in your life has set you a powerful example of laying down their life for others?

What’s one tangible way they reflect Christ that you want to imitate?

1. Thank God for their example and be inspired by how they live for Jesus.

2. Reach out and let this person know how much it means to you to have a Christ-like example.

Community spotlight 🔦 

Community Feedback ❤️ 

I could not think of a better way to understand and memorize scripture & God’s love for us! Thank you a ton with Love! Keep being great! 💙

Angy

This was a verse that I was very familiar with.

But the way that you break everything down and give background references makes the verses come to life and more understandable.

You do an excellent job - I look forward to the next one. When God allows I will definitely be a supporter.

God bless you. Keep up the good work!

S. P.

Shout-outs 📣

• HUGE thank you to Kelly, Paul and Cindy for choosing to pay-it-forward so we can help more people memorize and learn about God’s Word!

p.s. Many of you have requested the option for a one-time payment to support our work rather than a recurring subscription.

You now have that option here!

Thank you for your generosity! 🙏 

Answer key ✅ 

For whoever would save his life will lose it,

but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.

Mark 8:35