Pastor Chill Will drives home one clear message right away: following Jesus means heading toward Jerusalem—embracing suffering, death, and resurrection—and taking up a cross rather than building one. He unpacks Jesus’ blunt prediction that the disciples will witness rejection and the cross, and then explains that “taking up the cross” is a call to let go of worldly power and self-preservation and to follow a life of costly love. He teases out the tension when Peter balks—telling Jesus “no way”—and gets a sharp rebuke that reads like a holy traffic warning: slow down, pay attention, and don’t miss the promise of Easter. Using playful travel metaphors (roundabouts, speed-radar smiley faces, and a few tolls paid the hard way), he shows how the Holy Spirit guides the congregation’s direction and gives grace in the messy bits of everyday life. He also points to the transfiguration as a brief mountaintop glimpse of glory that fortifies them before the descent into the cross, and he invites the congregation to treat the altar as a “grace moment” that keeps them on the road the Spirit is leading. Finally, he highlights a hymn verse that captures the paradox of discipleship—joy and tears, sacrifice and new life—calling the people to keep asking “Where are they headed?” and to follow together with attentive, hopeful hearts.

Takeaways:

• He teaches that following Jesus means denying oneself and taking up a cross—practical self-sacrifice and service, not political power; discipleship flips worldly success on its head.
• He uses driving metaphors—traffic circles, GPS directions, and smiley-face speed radars—to remind the congregation to pay attention, slow down, and not exit the roundabout of faith too early.
• He emphasizes the Holy Spirit as an active, present guide in congregational life—like a GPS-cheerleader hybrid—shaping worship, testimonies, and everyday decisions with gentle correction and inspiration.
• When Peter rebukes Jesus and Jesus rebukes back, he models humility, correction, and the danger of seeing only apparent defeat while missing the resurrection promise.
• He warns not to miss Easter’s assurance: the passion prediction includes both the cross and the third-day rising, teaching that apparent loss can lead to transformed hope.
• He frames the altar and communion as tangible grace moments—a spiritual pit stop with bread and wine that renews courage for the road ahead and steadies believers amid life’s traffic jams.

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