Meaning Over Happiness: Matthew 16:24-26

Meaning Over Happiness: Matthew 16:24-26

From South Run Baptist Church by South Run Baptist Church

May 17, 2026

About this episode

Pastor Eric discusses the life-giving nature of Jesus' commands in Matthew 16, emphasizing the importance of self-denial and following Him for a meaningful life.

What if Jesus' most demanding words are actually his most life-giving? On Senior Sunday, Pastor Eric unpacks three commands from Matthew 16 — deny yourself, take up your cross, follow me — and makes the case that this isn't a burden to bear but a blueprint for a life worth living. Science, biography, and Scripture all point the same direction: the people who grip their lives the tightest end up with the least, and the ones who give themselves away end up with everything that actually matters. Meaning Over Happiness Dr. Eric J. Gilchrest | May 17, 2026 Check out the weekly sermon here or on our SRBC podcast on Apple Podcast and Spotify. What We’re Talking About What Jesus would actually say in a commencement speech — and why it's harder and better than the usual advice What "deny yourself" means, and the trap of thinking it means killing the passions God planted in you Why doing hard things isn't punishment — it's the path to the life you actually want The hedonic treadmill: what science finally caught up to tell us about pleasure, pain, and why your phone is making you miserable How to follow Jesus wisely — and why who else you follow matters more than you think Like what you…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Eric J. Gilchrest

Topics covered

  • self-denial
  • following Jesus
  • life purpose
  • sacrifice
  • happiness vs meaning

Keywords

  • self-denial
  • cross
  • meaning
  • happiness
  • life purpose
  • sacrifice
  • following Jesus

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Matthew 16:24-26

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