Today's Scripture:

John 12:20-33 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

Read: Reflect on a story in your life that pertains to this scripture.
In this passage, Jesus realizes the end of His time on Earth has come. We get a glimpse of what is ahead for Him, and we start to see how God works through death and resurrection. The lesson of the grain of wheat challenges us and helps us understand what is required of us as we follow Jesus. When we make the decision to die to ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Christ, the fruit we bear is beyond what we could have ever worked on our own.

Reflect: What is this scripture telling you during this season?
When I read this Scripture, my sweet friend and neighbor, Christy, immediately comes to mind. Christy had listened to us plan and talk about Christmas for the City for weeks. I didn’t think to invite her family because they are very involved at their own church, and our event takes place on Sunday. So you can imagine how deeply loved I felt when I looked up to see Christy and her family of 6 all serving on different projects from assembling garden beds to the building walls for Habitat for Humanity! She came for me. I will never forget that day. Christy sacrificed kids’ sports, Sunday School, and precious time with her family to show up for us, to remind my family and I how deeply we are loved. She did it without being asked. When I saw Christy that day, all I could see was Jesus. I knew the sacrifice she had made. Since that day, I look around and I see story after story like mine – members of our Grace family and staff show up to share love in extraordinary ways – mentors to disciple group members who are studying, listening and following Jesus. We are different that way. So the lesson of the grain of wheat reminds me that we are called to self-sacrifice every day. I want to be so present to the Lord that I might hear when the Holy Spirit nudges or whispers to me. I want to know when to set my plans aside and do what I may not want to do or have time for. I want to show up for and love my husband, my kids, our church family, and community, deeply. I want to follow Jesus.

Respond: How is this scripture calling you to respond?
There are many demands in life, and it is easy to put off time spent with our Lord, studying His Word and spending time in prayer, listening. During Lent, let’s listen for the Lord to guide us, let’s be open to sacrifice something we love to grow closer to Jesus, and let’s make sacrifice a way of life. When we spend time listening to the Lord’s voice and leading in our lives, our Kingdom impact is beyond what we could have ever imagined!

About Kristy Elmore:
Hugh and I have been married for 13 years, and we have two sons, Thomas, 13, and Townes, 11, who both attend Grace School. I love being outdoors – hiking, beach, watching sunrises or sunsets – with Hugh and our boys. I also love baking and cooking with the boys.
My family and I first started attending Grace when our boys started school at Grace School and when Jo Swank showed up in our lives to love us through Hurricane Harvey! Our involvement has grown over the years, and I now serve as Director of Mobilization and as Director of Friends of Westchase - working with our global and local mission partners and building community involvement through Friends of Westchase.