The Power of a Life Laid Down

by Pastor Ellis White, Senior Pastor

This week, I stood at the foot of the National World War I Monument in Kansas City—a towering tribute to the men and women who gave their lives in one of the most devastating conflicts the world has ever seen. It’s a sobering place. As I looked out over the city and read the names etched in stone, I was struck by the weight of their sacrifice. Ordinary people who laid down their futures so that others could have one. There is a sacredness to that kind of courage.

It reminded me of another kind of sacrifice—one even more profound. In our Bible in One Year reading this week, we came across these words from Jesus in John 12:24:

“Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”

Jesus was speaking of his own death, of course. A death that would open the way for eternal life to bloom for millions. But he was also giving us a picture—a seed must die to bring new life. Death precedes resurrection. Surrender precedes power. The cross comes before the empty tomb.

This is not just about Jesus’ sacrifice. It’s about the one he calls us to. In the next verse, he says:

“Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (John 12:25)

Following Jesus means choosing to lay down our lives—not in a literal battlefield, perhaps, but in the small and significant ways of everyday obedience. Maybe it’s the control we like to keep. The bitterness we’ve clung to. The plans we’ve tightly held. The comfort we don’t want to let go of.

What might Jesus be asking you to sacrifice today?

Is he asking you to forgive someone you’ve written off?
To take a risk that feels scary?
To give generously, when you’d rather hold back?
To trust him with an area you’ve kept hidden or locked down?

The promise is this: when we surrender what we cannot keep, we gain what we cannot lose.

I want to invite you to join us tomorrow for worship. We’ll be talking about the power that comes after the sacrifice—the power of the Holy Spirit to bring healing, freedom, and strength. We’re setting aside extended time for prayer, asking God to meet us in those places where we feel weak, stuck, or in need of breakthrough. Come expectant. Come ready. Come asking God, “What are you calling me to lay down?”

Let’s remember the power of a life laid down—and the new life that always follows.

Ellis