All in with Your Life(Luke 9:23-25; Romans 12:1-2; Galatians 2:20)

Text: Luke 9:23–25; Romans 12:1–2; Galatians 2:20

ME

Church, I want to start with a question: What does it really mean to give your life to Jesus?

I don’t mean just praying a prayer or raising your hand in church. I mean your life — every single part — every decision, every hour, every dream. We can live like My mornings are His, but my evenings are mine. My Sunday mornings are His, but the rest of the week we are doing own thing.

And God doesn’t want just part of us. He wants all of us. Are you willing to go all in?

I remember when God called me to be a Pastor. At that time I really didn’t know what I was getting into.

God didn’t really tell me that I would get more complaints than compliments.

That I would have those that would betray me,

that I would have those who would actually pray that I wouldn’t last my first two years at a church.

That people would have there own agenda.

God didn’t tell me that I would have to pick up and move away from everything I knew. Leave my job, leave my family and leave my friends and sacrifice time, money, luxaries and everything else so I can really follow Him where He leads me.

I realized that following Jesus isn’t about convenience; it’s about total commitment.

It’s about saying, “I belong to You, Lord. All of me. No reservations. No holding back.”

God may not call you to be a pastor or a missionary but we are all called by God to follow Him where he leads.

that could be, to be a witness for him at school or our place of work. Or wherever we are at.

WE

Church, we live in a world that teaches half-hearted living. People take shortcuts.

They live in compromise. They chase temporary pleasures while ignoring eternal purposes.

Some worship their family instead of worshipping with their family.

Some are following Jesus on Sundays but gossip the rest of the week.

Some tithe and pray but refuse to forgive.

Some talk about faith but live in fear.

But God calls His people to something different. He calls us to give Him our whole life. Every decision, every dream, every struggle, every success — all of it belongs to Him.

That’s what it means to go all in.

Let’s read what God says about going all in with your life.

Luke 9:23–24 says:

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”

Notice it’s daily. Not occasionally. Not when it’s convenient. Every day, every moment, every choice.

How many of us have prayed “God set me on fire for you.

I want to burn for you. Your will is my will God”.

But then you don’t stop texting that person God told you to stop texting or

we don’t stop looking at those websites God told you to stop looking at. Or stop hanging out at places God told us not to go to.

We say we want to get closer to God but we continue to choose mindsets and do things that draw us farther away from Him.

We say we want to be rooted in Him but we choose the things of the world over him.

Whether that’s the idol of sports, or the idol of our family or the idol of me time.

We can’t get rooted like that because we are too damp to go deep.

We have watered down the gospel in us.

There are well intentioned Christians who will smell the smoke of God but will never touch the fire of God.

Those same Christians come to church and they leave unchanged.

They excuse it by saying things like “Well I didn’t like the music today” or “Well I didn’t like the preaching today” or “Well I didn’t like the sun shinning today”

True worship of God is expressed through Holiness. That is being set apart for God’s Holy Purposes to do the things He has called us to do and Be the person that He created us to be.

It is having this identity in Christ.

A lot of times we can confuse emotional people as being passionate people.

Emotional people feel intensely, while passionate people act intentionally on their intensity.

Theres a big difference

1. Deny Yourself Daily

To go all in with your life, you must deny yourself.

That means you go off faith and not feelings.

It means you have discipline even when you don’t have motivotion.

It means putting God’s will above your own will.

Illustration:

Think about a farmer. Each day, he wakes up early, works the fields, tends the animals, sacrifices comfort, and endures the heat and the rain.

They do this not for themselves but for the harvest. God wants your life to be like that — hard work, dedication, daily commitment, all for His glory.

Romans 12:1 says:

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

A living sacrifice means every part of your life belongs to Him.

Your time, your talents, your body, your decisions — all of it. Not sometimes. Not if it’s convenient. Now.

2. Take Up Your Cross

Luke 9:23 tells us to “take up [our] cross daily.”

That’s a heavy image. A cross represents pain, sacrifice, and death. Following Jesus will cost something. It might cost comfort. It might cost pride. It might even cost relationships. But Jesus says that the reward is worth it.

Illustration:

Imagine a soldier in battle. Every day, he puts on his armor, faces danger, and marches forward. He doesn’t run from the fight.

He doesn’t complain. He faces it with courage because he knows the mission is bigger than himself.

That’s how God wants us to live with our lives — courageous, committed, all in.

Galatians 2:20 reminds us:

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

When you go all in, you are saying, “It’s not about me anymore. My life is Yours, Lord.”

3. Live with Eternal Perspective

Luke 9:24 says, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”

Jesus is telling us something radical here: if you clutch your life, if you hold on to your plans, if you insist on writing your own script—you’re going to lose it.

But if you surrender, if you lay it down, if you give it to Him—you’ll find real life. Eternal life. Abundant life.

That’s why going all in with God means you don’t just live for today—you live for forever.

Too many of us are caught up in temporary things. We want the quick fix, the fast track, the short cut.

We chase after likes, followers, money, status, and comfort. But can I tell you? None of that will last.

That promotion won’t last.

That paycheck won’t last.

That applause won’t last.

That house won’t last.

That car won’t last.

But what you do for Christ? That will last forever!

Illustration: The Architect

Think about an architect. When they build, they don’t just slap some walls together and call it a day. No—they start with the foundation. They think about the weight the house will carry.

They think about the storms that will come. They plan for decades down the road.

And that’s how God wants you to live. Don’t just live for right now—live for eternity.

Don’t just live for comfort—live for the kingdom.

Don’t just build on sand—build on the Rock.

What you build today, you will live in tomorrow.

Illustration: Retirement vs. Eternity

Some of us spend more time planning for retirement than for eternity. We worry about our 401(k), our IRA, our pensions, our savings. And that’s wise—you should plan ahead.

But hear me: retirement might last 20 or 30 years. Eternity will last forever.

If you’ll spend so much energy preparing for a few decades, how much more should you prepare for eternity?

This is the paradox of following Jesus:

the way up is down,

the way to victory is surrender,

the way to life is death.

You can try to save your life—protect it, insulate it, pamper it—but in the end, you’ll lose it.

Or you can lose your life for Christ’s sake—lay it down, give it up, surrender it—and in the end, you’ll find it.

Eternal perspective means saying: “I’m not here for the applause of people, I’m here for the approval of God.” “I’m not chasing temporary comfort, I’m chasing eternal purpose.”

“I’m not living for the short-term, I’m living for eternity.”

4. Steward What God Has Entrusted to You

When we say we’re going “all in” with God, it’s not just about surrendering our lives—

it’s also about stewarding well what God has placed in our hands.

1 Peter 4:10 says, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”

Notice—Peter doesn’t say if you’ve received a gift. He says, “As each has received a gift.”

That means everybody has something. You may not have what your neighbor has. You may not have what you wish you had.

But God has entrusted you with something. And going all in means you take responsibility for it.

What Is Stewardship?

Stewardship simply means managing something that doesn’t belong to you.

Your life? It belongs to God.

Your talents? They belong to God.

Your resources? They belong to God.

Your influence? It belongs to God.

You are not the owner—you are the steward. And one day, the Owner is coming back, and He will ask, “What did you do with what I gave you?”

Illustration: The Parable of the Talents (Matt. 25:14–30)

Jesus told this story about a master who gave three servants some money before going on a journey. One received five talents, another two, another one.

The first two invested and doubled what they had.

The master returned and said, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

But the third servant buried his one talent in the ground. He wasted it. And when the master came back, he was called wicked and lazy.

The point is this: God isn’t asking you to do what someone else can do. He’s asking you to do what you can do with what He has given you.

If you’ve got five talents—use them.

If you’ve got two talents—use them.

If you’ve got one talent—use it.

Don’t bury it. Don’t hide it. Don’t waste it. Steward it for the glory of God.

But let’s be honest. sometimes the reason we bury it, the reason we hide it, the reason we waste it isn't because we don’t have anything to offer…it’s because we’re afraid.

Fear will paralyze your gift. Comfort will keep you from stepping out in faith.

And that’s why we’ve got to learn not only to steward what God has given us, but also to overcome fear and comfort if we’re truly going to go all in.”

5. Overcome Fear and Comfort

Church, I know some of you are afraid. You’re comfortable where you are.

You’re afraid of change, of stepping out, of going all in.

But fear is the enemy of commitment. and Comfort is the enemy of destiny.

Some of us know exactly what God has called us to do.

You feel it in your spirit. You hear His voice nudging you.

But fear whispers,

“What if i fail? What if they laugh?

What if I’m not good enough?”

But 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

If fear didn’t come from God, then where did it come from? It came from the enemy!

Fear is Satan’s favorite tool to keep you from stepping into God’s plan.

Illustration: The Locked Door That Isn’t Locked

Fear is like standing in front of a door you think is locked. You hesitate, you worry, you imagine all the reasons it won’t open. But the truth is—the door isn’t locked at all. You just have to push.

Some of us are standing in front of opportunities, blessings, ministries, relationships, and callings that God has already opened.

But we let fear convince us to stay still. When God says it’s time to push the door!

Comfort Will Trap You

And if fear won’t stop you, comfort will. Comfort whispers..

Don’t rock the boat. Don’t stretch.

Don’t sacrifice. Just stay safe.”

But nothing great was ever accomplished in the comfort zone.

Abraham had to leave his homeland to receive the promise. Moses had to step into Pharaoh’s court. Peter had to step out of the boat.

You’ll never walk on water if you don’t step out of the boat.

You’ll never see resurrection power if you don’t roll away the stone.

You’ll never discover what God can do until you move out of your comfort zone.

And now, church, I want to bring this home. Because this isn’t just about Peter on the sea, or Abraham leaving his country, or Moses and the promised land. This is about you.

God is calling you to surrender every part of your life.

Not some of it. Not most of it. Not the parts that feel easy to give up.

He’s calling you to surrender all of it—your plans, your fears, your future, your comfort, your relationships, your resources, your heart.

YOU

God Is Calling You Out of the Shallow Water

Some of you have been wading in the shallow end of faith. You come to church, you sing the songs—but deep down, you know you’re still holding back. You’ve been saying, “Lord, you can have this much, but not that.”

But God doesn’t want a piece of you. He wants all of you.

He doesn’t just want Sunday morning—He wants Monday through Saturday. He doesn’t just want your voice—He wants your heart. He doesn’t just want your appearance—He wants your obedience.

It’s Time to Step Out

And I know it’s scary. Stepping out always is. Faith will always stretch you beyond what feels safe.

Comfort will always tempt you to stay put.

But hear me—if you never step out, you’ll never find out what God can do through you.

If Peter never stepped out of the boat, he would have never walked on water.

If the woman with the issue of blood never pressed through the crowd, she would have never touched the hem of His garment.

If Zacchaeus never climbed the tree, he would have never seen Jesus passing by.

Child of God, what miracle might you be missing because you’re too afraid to step out?

So let me ask you today:

What boat is God calling you to step out of?

What stone is He calling you to roll away?

What comfort zone is He calling you to leave behind?

What part of your life is He asking you to surrender?

Maybe it’s your future. You’ve been trying to script your own story, but God says, “Let Me write it.”

Maybe it’s your past. You’ve been carrying guilt, shame, or wounds, but God says, “Lay it down. I’ve already covered it at the cross.”

Maybe it’s your comfort. You’ve been staying safe, staying small, but God says, “I’ve got more for you if you’ll just trust Me.”

WE

Church, imagine a congregation where every believer is fully committed:

Living for Christ every day.

Using every gift to serve Him.

Surrendering comfort and fear for God’s glory.

We would be unstoppable. We would see miracles. We would see transformation in families, in neighborhoods, in cities.

The power of God would move mightily in our midst.

If we go all in, our worship won’t just be songs, it will be fire.

If we go all in, our prayers won’t just be words, they will shake heaven.

If we go all in, our witness won’t just be talk, it will transform our city.

Altar Call

Right now, I want to invite you to make a decision:

If you have been holding back, come to the altar

If you have been living half-heartedly, come to the altar

If you want to give God all of your life — your past, your present, your future —come to the altar .

Say, “God, I am all in. Take my heart, my mind, my hands, my life. I will follow You daily, and I will not hold back. No turning back, Lord.”

Church, when you step forward, you are declaring: “I belong to Jesus. My life is His. I am all in with my life.”