How Dying to Self Brings True Life in Christ

In this message delivered at Life Springs Christian Church, Trey Bompas (youth pastor) unpacks John 12 and challenges us to trade a life lived for comfort and self for a life surrendered to Jesus. From a youth ministry announcement to a powerful look at Palm Sunday and the grain-of-wheat parable, this sermon blends practical examples, honest stories, and a clear call to action: die to self so you can be alive in Christ.

Youth ministry, Good Friday, and community

Our youth ministry meets Fridays for connection, games, worship, and honest conversation (junior high to high school). We run retreats and events designed to build community: Trey mentioned a three-day youth retreat priced at $150 with a $50 deposit, limited to 18 students (nine girls, nine guys). This season also shifts a regular midweek worship service to a Good Friday gathering at 6:30pm with the All-In band leading worship — a great chance to invite friends and show them what community and worship look like.

These practical gatherings set the tone for the sermon: faith grows in relationship and in the soil of lived experiences, not simply in isolated ideas or private rituals.

“We wish to see Jesus” — John 12:20–23

When some Greeks ask Philip, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus,” we see several truths at once. First, Jesus is approachable. Philip served as a bridge between cultures; he could relate to people who felt foreign to Jewish customs. Trey echoes this by explaining why he dresses casually as a youth pastor — to be approachable, to remove barriers so young people will feel comfortable coming up and asking hard questions.

Jesus doesn’t simply answer the immediate request. Instead he brings a larger truth into view: His mission culminates in a paradox — a king who must die in order to bring life. He tells them:

“The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified… unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.”

That image of the seed is central. A grain sitting on a shelf does nothing. A grain buried in the ground dies — and life follows. Jesus draws this image to explain that death (not just physical death, but dying to self) is the way life multiplies and mission advances.

Why the parable matters

• Death is the pathway to fruitfulness: the seed must fall, be buried, and be transformed.
• Dying to self is not passive; it’s an intentional surrender that produces life for others.
• Understanding often comes after resurrection — the disciples only understood the full meaning of these things after Jesus was glorified.

Palm Sunday, kingship, and misplaced expectations

On Palm Sunday people shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, King of Israel.” They welcomed Jesus as king, but they expected a political liberator who would oust Roman rule. Jesus fulfilled prophecy by riding a donkey, but his kingship looked very different: not a conquering emperor but a servant-king who enters the city to die and rise again.

Trey reminds us that God’s kingdom is not the same as earthly governments. Christians can engage society and vote and pray for leaders, but ultimate hope rests in Christ’s kingdom — not a political solution. True restoration is spiritual and eternal.

Dying to self: practical spiritual growth

Jesus is blunt: “He who loves his life will lose it; and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” That sounds harsh until we unpack it: to “hate” our life here means to refuse to idolize the comforts, image, possessions, and distractions of this age. When we stop living for what the world applauds and start living for Christ, we find our true life.

Practical implications Trey shares:

• Flood your mind with worship, Scripture, and faithful teaching instead of constant media that distracts or erodes your faith.
• Be willing to get uncomfortable — invite someone to church, start a spiritual conversation, or serve in a place that stretches you.
• Make spiritual rhythms like prayer and kneeling a first response in crisis (not panic or self-reliance).

He challenges youth (and all of us) to “bury your wheat berries”: intentionally place your gifts, time, and courage into situations where they must die to self and produce fruit. For example, invite one person to the Good Friday service — that single act of discomfort is spiritual seed-sowing.

Every job matters — faith in the workplace

Trey stresses that spiritual calling isn’t only for pastors or missionaries. God uses plumbers, teachers, architects, mothers, trash collectors, and CEOs. Every vocation can be gospel-shaped. He shares a story of a young man who called about payroll and, in the middle of that ordinary conversation, sensed Jesus in Trey’s voice. That’s the Gospel at work in everyday life.

When you live surrendered, serving becomes natural. The Christian life is not proving salvation by activity, but out of genuine surrender comes a life of service:

“If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also.”

Service, then, is both evidence and expression of following Christ. It flows from dying to self and walking in resurrection life.

Steps to “bury the seed” in your life this week

1. Pray daily — make kneeling a pattern; invite God into decisions before stress takes over.
2. Invite one person to worship (Good Friday, Easter, or a midweek group).
3. Offer service in your church or community — pick a small, tangible way to help someone.
4. Protect your mind — replace passive consumption with scripture, worship, and discipleship.
5. Recognize that every job and calling is a place for God to work; serve where you are.

Invitation to faith and community

If you long to “see Jesus” in your life, Trey’s simple, urgent counsel is: get on your knees and invite Him in. Jesus will meet people who earnestly seek Him. For those already walking with Christ, the call is to fan the flame — share the good news, bury seeds, and serve sacrificially.

There is also a hope-filled conviction at the heart of the message: God is stirring revival. Trey believes we live in a season where many hearts will return to God — and the way we participate is by living surrendered, gathered, and sent.

Closing prayer and call to action

Jesus’ death and resurrection invite us into a life that is paradoxically fuller when we lose our self-centered life. If you want to take a next step:

• Come to a service this week (Good Friday, Easter, or a midweek group).
• If you need prayer or want to talk, reach out to church leaders — they are available to pray and walk with you.
• Take one practical step from the list above and hold yourself accountable to a friend or mentor.

As Trey prayed: may God fill our hearts and remove our fear so we can run to the people around us and invite them to see Jesus. Bury your wheat, serve faithfully, and watch God produce much grain for His kingdom.

If you want to be prayed with or need a next step, pastors and leaders at Life Springs Christian Church are available after services — you’re not meant to walk this alone.