1. Devotion
When you spend a lot of time with Jesus, you can’t help but become more like him. The people that I know that are a lot like Jesus, they spend a lot of time with him.
2. Community
Community is God’s design. At Hillsong Church we take the call seriously, but we don’t take ourselves seriously. If you are loved, then you’re going to get teased. And if you start thinking you’re a bit too cool, then we are going to call you out on it.
3. Suffering
I don’t think we like to talk about it. Of course we are overcomers in Christ and victory is our potion—but also suffering is not an exception to the Christian life, it’s actually essential to the Christian life.
Jesus said, “Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me.” There is an element of sacrifice and of suffering that is actually part of God’s gift to us. And it’s not pleasant and it’s not nice, but nothing can come to life that hasn’t first died. So, God will allow circumstances in our lives that feel like they’re going to kill us because it’s killing in us what would kill us eventually anyway if that doesn’t die.
Nothing can be raised to life; nothing can bear the image of Christ if it’s not first submitted to the cross. Obedience and suffering, these words that aren’t very in vote now are the very essentials of the Christian life that will cause us to experience victory and freedom that we can find no other way.