Lesson 86: The Cost of Following Christ (Luke 14:25-35)

It’s hard to picture Jesus getting invited to a whole lot of marriage conferences or family seminars today; hating one’s family and self doesn’t seem to make the topic list very often. The same could be said of many Christian rallies or events banking on hype or energy to make it fly—crucifixion, rightly understood, doesn’t seem to get people jumping all that well. But Jesus wasn’t interested in getting invites to be the keynote speaker at such events. He needed people to know that there was nothing loose or empty about following Him; it would cost one everything. Pastor Daniel puts it this way: “The heart of the true disciple values Christ above all else.” In order to wholeheartedly follow Christ, we need to 1) Know the terms of discipleships, and 2) Determine whether He’s worth it.

Summary by Seth Kempf, Bethany Community Church Staff