2026 Week 2 GraceMen Weekly Update

This Week:

1. Prayer

2. Meditation

3. Quote

4. Events

5. Book Recommendation

Grace and Peace to you brothers.

We begin this week confronting a hard truth: following Jesus isn’t about admiration, it’s about surrender. In Luke 9:23, Christ doesn’t invite us to applaud Him from the sidelines; He calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow. As we journey through 2026 focused on renewing our minds, understand that renewal doesn’t begin with new thoughts. It begins with a transformed will. The world offers us a comfortable admiration of Jesus: we can appreciate His teachings, celebrate His miracles, even attend church on Sunday. But true discipleship demands something far more costly. It demands we ask ourselves the hard question this week: Where is the cross heavy in my life right now? That weight you feel, that friction between what the world demands and what Christ requires, isn’t a burden to avoid. It’s the evidence that genuine transformation is underway. This week, as you pray “Father, teach me to deny myself, take up my cross daily, and follow You,” don’t pray for comfort. Pray for clarity. Pray for courage. And pray that God would show you where you’ve settled for admiration when discipleship is calling.

Prayer:

 Father, teach me to deny myself, take up my cross daily, and follow You. (Luke 9:23)

Luke 9:23:  And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

Meditation: 

Consider the difference between "admiration" of Jesus and actual "discipleship." Where is the cross heavy in your life right now?

Quote:

“It costs something to be a real Christian, according to the standard of the Bible. There are enemies to be overcome, battles to be fought, sacrifices to be made, an Egypt to be forsaken, a wilderness to be passed through, a cross to be carried, a race to be run. Conversion is not putting a person in an arm-chair and taking them easily to heaven. It is the beginning of a mighty conflict, in which it costs much to win the victory.” -- J.C. Ryle (1816-1900)

Events:

Thursday - January 8, 2026

Morning Bible Study - 6am thru 7:15am 

• At the Church in the Tower Room
• Beginning our new series "Everyday Wisdom: Walking with Christ & One Another through the Book of Proverbs"
• Ian McConnell will be facilitating

Saturday - January 10, 2026

Morning Bible Study - 7am

• At the Church in the Prayer Room
• We will bein Week 2 of our 10 Week study on John Calvins "On the Christian Life"
• Facilitator: Eugene Allen
• Let Eugene Allen know if. you are interesting in joining in.

Upcoming Events:

Saturday - January 17, 2026

• Every Man a Warrior Leadership Training 

Saturday - January 31, 2026

• Men's Breakfast
• More information to be posted later

Book Recommendation:

Spiritual Discipleship: Principles of Following Christ for Every Believer
by J. Oswald Sanders

Spiritual Discipleship: Principles of Following Christ for Every Believer is worth reading if you are serious about moving from casual Christianity to a life of deliberate, Christ-centered obedience. It does not flatter the reader or lower Jesus’ standards; instead, it shows why the hard words of Christ about denying oneself, taking up the cross, and following him are actually the pathway to freedom, fruitfulness, and joy. 

This book offers what many believers quietly know they need: a clear, biblical picture of what a true disciple looks like, and practical guidance on how to grow in that direction. Sanders writes with the clarity of a seasoned Bible teacher and the warmth of a pastor. The chapters are short, focused, and filled with Scripture, making the book accessible enough for a new believer but deep enough to challenge a mature Christian who has grown comfortable. 

You should read it if you sense a gap between what you profess and how you live. Sanders tackles concrete areas that often go unaddressed—ambition, rights, loneliness, failure, and spiritual disciplines like prayer and servanthood—showing how each can either hinder or deepen your walk with Christ. The book continually reminds you that discipleship is not a special calling for a few “elite” Christians, but the normal Christian life for every believer. 

Finally, Spiritual Discipleship is especially valuable if you lead others: parents, small-group leaders, disciplers, and pastors will find it a rich resource for shaping people who don’t just attend church, but follow Jesus with integrity. It is the kind of book you can read slowly, chapter by chapter, then return to later as a diagnostic tool for your own heart. Reading it will likely leave you both convicted and encouraged—aware of where you fall short, yet freshly hopeful about what Christ can do in and through a willing disciple.

In His Service,
GraceMen