Monday, April 6, 2026

Bible in a Year: Psalms 137-139 | James 3

I once had the opportunity to see Prince in concert. What an incredible talent! 

His song, “I Would Die 4 U” is so powerful. Of course, if you are younger than me, as most people are these days, you may never have heard it, let alone thought much about what it means. But if you consider just the title, it raises deeper questions: Who would actually die for you? And why? 

That’s what makes Jesus so different. His sacrifice wasn’t just a lyric – it was a choice. A real sacrifice, made out of love.

Jesus’ sacrifice finally became real to me during the Lenten season after I first invited Jesus to be the Lord of my life. My mom had given me a devotional book with a nail attached to it, much like those used in crucifixions. As I held that nail, I spent 40 days thinking about the sacrifice Jesus made. He chose to die for me, to shed his blood to cover my sins, so that my relationship with God could be restored. 

And Jesus died for you too - you just need to place your faith in him. Paul puts it this way in Colossians 2:13-14 (emphasis added):

You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 

He took our sin away, graciously bore it himself, and nailed it to his cross. Jesus shed his blood and sacrificed himself to satisfy God’s just anger with us. 

Galatians 2:20 
My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

The same power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead lives within us. 

Jesus is offering redemption, regardless of our past, because new life is possible through him.

2 Corinthians 5:17
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 

Questions:
Does Jesus have your heart? Do you believe he died for you?

Next Steps:
If you prayed to invite Jesus to lead your life this weekend, tell the person who invited you to church. If you just showed up, there are many ways for you to let us know: Fill out a connect card, or tell us by selecting Next Steps on the CedarCreek app. We will follow up with some steps to help guide you as you move forward with your new life in Christ. 

Prayer: 
Heavenly Father, I am still overwhelmed by your willingness to send your Son, Jesus, to redeem my life! It is out of this gratitude that I tell people what you have done for me, what you delivered me from, and about the life that I now live for you. As the song says, “Jesus paid it all. All to him, I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.” Thank you, Jesus! Amen.

Series Theme Verse:

Ephesians 1:5
God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

This post was written by Lauri White, an Oregon attendee, and a regular contributor to the Daily LivingItOut.