Guest Speaker Josh Woodward - Embracing the Cross

Podcast Description — Surrendering to the CrossGuest Speaker: Josh WoodwardWhat does it truly mean to follow Jesus? In this powerful message, guest speaker Josh Woodward challenges us to move beyond comfortable Christianity and embrace the life of complete surrender that Christ calls every believer to.Looking at the life of Peter, Josh highlights how Peter initially resisted the idea of the cross, unable to understand why suffering and sacrifice were necessary. Later, after Jesus' arrest, Peter followed "at a distance"—a sobering picture of what can happen when fear, self-preservation, or misplaced priorities keep us from wholehearted devotion.Jesus' invitation is not simply to admire the cross, but to take up our cross daily and follow Him. Through the cross, we are called to die to ourselves, be crucified with Christ, and experience the transforming power of being born again. This means allowing God to expose and crucify the idols, sinful desires, and areas of resistance that compete for our hearts and keep us from fully following Jesus.This message is a compelling call to surrender—to lay down everything at the foot of the cross so that Christ can live fully through us.Key Scriptures:Matthew 16:24–25 — "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me."Galatians 2:20 — "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me."Join us as we discover that the pathway to true life is found not in holding on to ourselves, but in surrendering completely to the cross of Christ.