Jesus tells His disciples in Matthew 16:24-25, "If anyone wants to come with me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will find it." As followers of Christ, we must be obedient to Him, whatever the cost. We must be His heart, His hands and His voice in the midst of a world filled with unreached peoples. We are part of the task to fulfill the Great Commission. And although we Southern Baptists have been praying, giving and going for 160 years, the task is far from finished.

Taking up your cross

Denying yourself means dying to your self-will and choosing to do God's will instead. As our hearts align with Jesus', we will be led to care for people, even to the ends of the earth. There are definite risks involved, but God's call to be His heart, hands and voice by praying, going and giving is clear. Every follower of Jesus has a personal role in God's mission to make His name known among the nations.