Become Radical Like JesusSample

DAY 4: DIE

It was a late Saturday afternoon in March. I stood on the stage at Faith Bible Chapel in Arvada, Colorado, with tears streaming down my cheeks, mourning a death—the death of a dream.

Ever since I was a teenager, I had doodled stadiums full of people. My dream was to be like Billy Graham and preach the good news to thousands of people. As I grew older, that dream crystallized into arenas full of teenagers hearing the gospel and being activated to share it. And I had lived that dream for 25 years through conferences called Dare 2 Share.

A friend once asked me if there may be a better way to train teenagers to share the gospel. I glared at him and growled, “You can have the Dare 2 Share conferences when you pry them from my cold, dead fingers.”

But my friend was right. It was time for me to die—to myself.

But from that death sprung new life. As just one example, instead of city-by-city events, we now do a digital day of youth evangelism called Dare 2 Share LIVE that mobilizes teenagers around the globe to share the gospel.

Are You Ready to Die?

Jesus said, “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

Jesus willingly died on the cross, but because of his death, some two billion “seeds” around the world claim the name of Christ and are forgiven of all their sin. Once you have put your faith in Jesus and received his free gift of life, Jesus begins to help you die—to yourself, to your dreams, to your sin.

Reaching for Your Cross

In one sense, dying to yourself is a one-time death. In another sense, it’s a daily death.

Every morning when you wake up, you have to choose whether or not you will die—to sin, to your selfish tendencies, to your reluctance to speak about Jesus.

When you die to yourself, you can multiply your impact.

I saw it multiplied through the death of our Dare 2 Share conferences. Jesus saw it multiply through his death, resulting in billions of believers added to Heaven’s rolls.

What are you willing to die to in your life?

Radical Like Jesus Challenge

Go to a graveyard, and read the gravestones for at least 30 minutes. Then, in a quiet part of the graveyard, have your own funeral service for something you need to die to.