So, what exactly does it cost to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus? In short, everything. Last week, Ben looked into how suffering as a believer is a necessary cost of discipleship. This week, we’ll be spending most of our time looking at Jesus’ teaching on the subject as presented in Luke 14:25-35. Here, our Lord offers some incredibly hard teaching. It would profit us immensely to spend some time interacting with these words.

Can it be that to be His disciple I must hate those that I love the most? Must I really bear my cross daily? What does He mean that I have to renounce everything that I have? Surely these are just metaphors or He’s speaking in hyperbole…or is He? I encourage us to all chew on this teaching; it is of the utmost importance!

In order to follow Jesus, we must die. There is no way around it. The Bible is full of this teaching, and again, it is a difficult one. Also take a look at Romans 6:1-14 and Galatians 2:20. What do these passages mean? How do we die?

I’m excited to progress with this series. It is my earnest hope that we all spend some serious time counting the cost of what it means to truly follow our Master as His disciples. It is incredibly costly, but it is incredibly rewarding too! Keep that in mind. Eternal life doesn’t just mean living forever; it is something we possess now. It is nothing less than knowing the One True God and Jesus Christ whom He sent. Praise the LORD for this remarkable gift!