Faith Listens to HIM
Pastor Jamie Self - 5/10/2026
The word “HIM” has become the highest praise our culture has. It’s reserved for the standout, the one carrying the team. In Luke 9, the Father speaks from a cloud and redefines it: “This is my Son, my chosen one. Listen to him.” Pastor Jamie unpacks how the culture’s HIM gets the trophy while the Father’s HIM gets the cross, and what it actually means to follow Jesus down the mountain into the rest of the week.
Weekly Reflection
“The culture’s HIM is the one who carries the team. The Father’s HIM is the one who carries the cross. The culture’s HIM gets the trophy. The Father’s HIM gets the crown of thorns.”
We were trained by a world that crowns winners and worships highlight reels. So when the Father’s HIM walks down the mountain toward Jerusalem, toward suffering, toward a cross, our instinct is to flinch. There is real glory at the end of that road, but only if we keep walking. The question this week is not whether Jesus is HIM. The Father has already settled that. The question is whether we will actually listen, follow, and stop trying to pitch tents on the high moments.
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This Week’s Challenge:
Pause and ask: Where am I trying to follow Jesus without following Him to the cross? Name one thing this week, one comfort, one self-protective habit, one place of quiet shame, that you will lay down so you can actually walk with Him.
Scripture:
Luke 9:1-36