When I think of all the men and women who gave their lives for our country, I am humbled. Whether it was Iraq or Afghanistan or Vietnam or somewhere else, they went in harm’s way for the sake of others and paid the ultimate price, like Jesus did.

The Bible says, “This is how we know what love is, Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters” (1 John 3:16).

In other words, the measure of God’s love in my heart is my willingness to surrender my freedoms for the sake of others. Christians do not worship freedom, we worship the Jesus who surrendered His for us. May we never cease to do the same.

When He went to the cross, He displayed a submission that crushes the schemes of the Devil because it is driven by love instead of rage. When He surrendered, lots of people thought His ministry a weak and fruitless failure. They were wrong. His kingdom sprang from His sacrifice and has never stopped growing. So let us be thankful, and willing to make the sacrifices asked of us.

“I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (John 12:24) I’ll see you on Sunday. Be true!