Counting the Cost: Forsake All to Follow Christ

Jun 07, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Scars That Speak Louder Than Comfort

The story of the teenage girl’s battered legs reveals the raw cost of choosing Christ. Her scars testified to a love that outweighed fear, a commitment deeper than self-preservation. Following Jesus often means embracing discomfort, even suffering, as the world’s values clash with His call. Her courage mirrors the disciples’ willingness to face persecution for the gospel. True discipleship isn’t about avoiding pain but valuing Christ above safety. Her question—“If He took a beating for me, shouldn’t I take one for Him?”—challenges every half-hearted faith. [32:26]

“Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.’” (Luke 9:23–24, NKJV)

Reflection: What comfort or relationship have you prioritized over faithfulness to Christ? How might His sacrifice empower you to endure criticism or loss for His name?

Day 2: Bandidos and Broken Chains

The Bandido’s total allegiance to his club—costing family and safety—mirrors Jesus’ demand for undivided loyalty. Christ’s call isn’t a part-time hobby but a lifelong surrender. Just as the biker’s identity reshaped his choices, discipleship reorders priorities, relationships, and ambitions. Jesus’ words in Luke 14:26 strip away polite religiosity, demanding a love for Him that eclipses every earthly bond. Half-hearted faith crumbles; radical allegiance endures. [49:19]

“No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Luke 16:13, NKJV)

Reflection: Where have you tried to negotiate terms with God instead of full surrender? What “patch” of identity competes with your loyalty to Christ?

Day 3: Unfinished Towers and Unpaid Debts

Jesus’ parable of the unfinished tower warns against impulsive commitments. Discipleship requires sober evaluation: Will we pay the price to complete what we start? Abandoned faith becomes a mockery, a testimony to shallow roots. Like the builder who miscalculates, many embrace Christ without counting the cost of daily cross-bearing. Yet the King who demands everything also supplies the grace to finish. [51:52]

“For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’?” (Luke 14:28–30, NKJV)

Reflection: What areas of your spiritual life feel unfinished or neglected? How can you rely on Christ’s strength, not your own, to persevere?

Day 4: The Alzheimer’s Echo of Eternal Regret

The woman haunted by a single memory—her mother’s death—hints at eternity’s sobering clarity. Jesus warns that rejecting Him leaves an indelible regret. Just as the rich young ruler walked away grieving (Mark 10:22), many will recall missed chances to surrender. Discipleship’s cost is great, but the cost of refusal is infinite. Today’s choices echo forever. [01:01:46]

“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.” (Hebrews 9:27–28, NKJV)

Reflection: Is there a decision for Christ you’ve delayed out of fear or convenience? How does eternity’s perspective reshape your urgency to follow Him fully?

Day 5: Tax Booths and Torn Reputations

Matthew’s abrupt abandonment of his lucrative tax booth models reckless obedience. He didn’t sanitize his past or hide his conversion; he threw a party for sinners to meet Jesus. Like the Samaritan woman, his testimony disrupted comfort zones. True discipleship isn’t private—it’s a public reordering of life that invites scrutiny and transformation. [01:05:17]

“And Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them.” (Luke 5:29, NKJV)

Reflection: Where does fear of others’ opinions silence your witness? How can your story of grace boldly interrupt someone’s spiritual complacency today?

Sermon Summary

Luke sets the scene with a great crowd trailing Jesus, but Jesus refuses to bait the hook with easy words. Christ turns and lays His terms on the table. If anyone comes to Him and does not “hate” father, mother, spouse, children, siblings, and even life itself, that person cannot be His disciple. The word lands like a thunderclap, but the phrase works as an idiom of preference. Christ demands to be preferred over every other bond. The call to follow Him will strain ties, rewire priorities, and at times cost relationships. The text makes the point plain before any illusion takes root that discipleship is a low-cost hobby.

The cross then steps forward as the image that defines the path. Christ requires cross-bearing, not bandwagon faith. This is a call to self-denial that may invite shame or worse. In His own day, hearers remembered fresh Roman crucifixions along the roads. The image signals death to self and a willingness to suffer for love of the King. The cross does not decorate a life; it interrupts and reorders a life.

The text then presses the mind to do the math. A builder sits down before he starts to be sure he can finish, or else the half-built tower becomes a public joke. A king sits down before he fights to see if he can win, or else he sues for peace while the enemy is still far off. The images insist on sober assessment. Jesus does not inflate the call with fine print. He tells the crowd to count the cost before they say yes, because finishing matters and presumption kills.

Finally, Jesus names the bottom line. “Whoever does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” There is no middle ground. No double allegiance. No hedging bets with two masters. Christ will either be loved above all or not at all. Throughout the Gospels, those who meet Him and believe go public like Zacchaeus, the delivered demoniac, the woman at the well, and Matthew who left his tax table on the spot. The kingdom call is clear, costly, and life-giving. Salvation is free to the one who calls on the name of the Lord, but the Savior who saves also claims the whole person.

Key Takeaways

1. Christ outranks every relationship Jesus’ “hate” language is an idiom of preference. He claims the top seat above parents, spouse, children, siblings, and even self. When He is first, other loves take their rightful place, even when that obedience brings strain or loss. Discipleship reorders the heart’s loyalties from the inside out. [38:43]
2. The cross demands real self-denial Cross-bearing is not a figure of speech that decorates faith; it names a readiness to lose reputation, comfort, and even life. In a world that knew fresh crucifixions, the image cut deep and concrete. Christ calls His own to step off the bandwagon and into suffering love, where strength is perfected in weakness. [46:25]
3. True discipleship counts the cost The tower and the war stories shut the door on impulse religion. Starting is easy; finishing is where truth shows. Wisdom sits down, weighs the call, and then follows with eyes open and hands steady, so the life does not become a half-built monument to haste. [51:52]
4. Forsaking all is not optional Jesus does not invite half-hearted allegiance. He names “all” and leaves no neutral zone, no fence to ride, no second master to serve. Where Christ is Lord, everything else becomes negotiable, and the heart learns freedom by surrender. [57:27]
5. Public faith replaces undercover religion Throughout the Gospels, those who meet Jesus go public, not because spectacle saves, but because grace refuses to hide. Zacchaeus makes restitution, the delivered demoniac proclaims mercy, the Samaritan woman calls a city, and Matthew leaves his table and brings his friends. Faith that confesses Christ becomes a witness, not a whisper. [63:23]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[28:31] - Reading Luke 14:25-33
[29:10] - “Hate” as preference for Christ
[29:27] - Bearing the cross to follow
[29:53] - The unfinished tower warning
[30:17] - The king who counts the war
[31:05] - Hot Hearts story and fear of man
[34:47] - “If He took a beating for me…”
[35:07] - Hard sayings that thin crowds
[41:00] - When Jesus changes relationships
[43:23] - Living sacrifice and real cost
[44:13] - Rich young ruler exposed
[46:25] - Cross-bearing in a crucifixion world
[50:34] - Assessment before allegiance
[51:52] - Mockery of half-built lives
[54:47] - The king who sues for peace
[57:27] - Forsake all or miss Christ
[58:09] - No middle ground, no two masters
[59:41] - The memory that will not leave
[67:28] - Call on the Lord and live

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Luke 14:25-33 (ESV)
25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”

Observation questions

What two illustrations does Jesus use to emphasize the importance of counting the cost of discipleship (vv. 28-32)?
In the sermon, what real-life example was given of someone willing to endure suffering for their faith? [34:47]
How does Jesus redefine loyalty to family in Luke 14:26, and what does the sermon clarify about the word “hate” in this context?

Interpretation questions

Why might Jesus use such strong language about “hating” family and even one’s own life to describe discipleship? How does this contrast with cultural expectations of loyalty?
The cross was a brutal symbol of Roman execution. What does it mean to “bear your cross” in a modern context where persecution may look different? [46:25]
The sermon mentions Zacchaeus and the Samaritan woman as examples of public faith. Why is public confession or action a natural response to genuine belief in Christ?

Application questions

What relationships or priorities in your life might currently compete with your loyalty to Christ? How could you intentionally reorder these?
The story of the girl willing to face a beating for her faith challenges us. Where do you feel most tempted to hide or downplay your faith to avoid discomfort? [34:47]
Jesus asks us to “count the cost” like a builder or king. What practical steps could you take this week to evaluate areas where you’ve rushed into commitments without considering their spiritual cost?
The sermon highlights that following Christ often means “forsaking all.” What is one possession, habit, or mindset you sense God asking you to surrender completely to Him?
Public faith looks different for everyone. How could you “go public” with your faith in a way that’s authentic to your personality and circumstances? [01:03:23]
Reflect on a time when obedience to Christ strained a relationship or cost you something. How did that experience deepen your understanding of discipleship?

Sermon Clips

32s

#ForsakeAllForJesus

“but Jesus said, if you wanna follow me, I I hope you caught this. Let me read it to you again in case you missed it. It's found right here in verse 33. Jesus says, whoever of you listen to this. Whoever of you that does not forsake, some of his life can't be my disciple. That's not what it says. Jesus says, so likewise, whoever of you that does not forsake all that he has.”

50s

#AllOrNothingFaith

“What a revolutionary statement. What an ironic statement for the son of God as he's trying to gather followers to tell this crowd of people that you must be willing to give up everything to follow me. Reminds me of Matthew six twenty four where Jesus said, no man can serve two masters. When Jesus said in Matthew twelve thirty, either you are for me or you are against me. But there's no middle ground. We talk about riding the fence, but according to the gospel message, there's no such thing as riding the fence.”

39s

#TakeUpYourCross

“Now this would have been very stunning to the crowd. You have to put this in the context of the day. Many of the adults that heard Jesus say this statement to the crowd would have remembered the Roman commander, Varus, who'd captured Jerusalem. He'd crucified over 2,000 Jewish people less than thirty years from the time that Jesus made this statement. Undoubtedly, many of the adults in the crowd, when they heard Jesus talk about taking up their cross to follow him, many would have understood that Jesus was saying that they needed to be willing to die for the cause of Christ.”

36s

#BuildToCompletion

“According to Jesus in the story that we just read, there's this builder and and he has this vision of building this building and he begins to build. And then in the process of it, he realizes that he doesn't have enough money to finish it. And according to Jesus, since he was unable to finish the building that he started, people began to mock him. He became the running joke. Surely, you have seen as I have seen how many unfinished buildings there are in the Christian world.”

29s

#CountTheCost

“And they'll do bids on different jobs. And I'll walk in, and he'll have all this paperwork, and he'll have two or three computer screens open. And and he'll be evaluating whether they have the right manpower and whether it's a good business decision, and he'll have spreadsheets. Jesus was saying that before you follow me, you need to count the cost. You need to ask yourself if you're willing to pay the price to be a follower of Christ.”

31s

#ChristAboveAll

“Jesus makes it very clear when he says, if anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother now I'm reading from the King James version. And if you're reading from a different version, they probably don't use that word hate. But let me clarify this. Jesus obviously is never teaching anybody to hate their mother or father, brothers, sisters. It's an idiom of preference. Jesus is saying that if you are going to follow him that you have to prefer him above anybody else.”

32s

#FaithOverEverything

“Your own mother, your own father, your brother, your sister, your son, your daughter, that there can be no other relationship that takes precedence over your relationship with Christ. I love what CS Lewis said. He said, you never know how much you believe in something until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you. Many of you, especially in this crowd, would already know this, that following Christ can affect relationships.”

47s

#FaithChangesRelationships

“I'm sure that there are people listening into my voice this morning who are are businessmen. And along the way, there are some business transactions that didn't come together or maybe people that didn't wanna do business with you because of your stand for Christ. There are others maybe in the crowd this morning. And maybe you haven't had as many dates. Maybe you're still in the single life because your relationship to Christ has brought about standards that maybe other people cannot live up to. Maybe even a student and you know what it's like to walk the hallways and to have a certain degree of criticism because of your stand for Christ. It affects your relationships.”

43s

#StrengthInWeakness

“You see, I love this part of of the scripture. I love the fact that that Jesus didn't make it easy, that Jesus didn't paint a false panorama of what it was going to be like to follow him. I think about second Timothy two three when the scripture says, endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. I think about first Timothy four ten that says, for therefore we labor and suffer reproach because we trust in a living God. I think about what Paul said in second Corinthians twelve ten when he said, I take pleasure in necessity and persecution and distresses for Christ's sake because when I'm weak, I'm strong.”

23s

#FaithTransformsLife

“And she came to this crusade thing that you had. And then she came home, and she told me she gave her life to Christ. And I said, okay. Well, whatever. I I it doesn't matter to me. And he said, then she wouldn't sleep with me anymore. You've ruined my relationship with her. I'm like, wow. Well, that's what happens when people follow Christ. Things begin to change.”

31s

#MoneyIsNotGod

“Go and sell all of the things that you have and give it to the poor. And he walked away. Jesus was was in essence testing his willingness to sacrifice. His his his money had become his God, and Jesus was pinpointing and putting his finger on the very thing that was standing between him and Christ, and and he was unwilling to give it up. We need people with the message and the scars of the cross in this day and time.”

27s

#ScarsOfTheCross

“If he could take a beating for me, the least I could do was to be willing to take a beating for him. Wow. What a commitment. Again, never seen her since, but think about her often. To me, that's a great lead into the text that we read this morning. The multitudes, the crowds are following Christ. They're they're it's like the Coachella crowd from recently.”

72s

#LifeChangedByChrist

“I grew up in church and went to summer camp every year, was baptized on three different occasions, and yet I was lost. And that night I referenced earlier in the old sanctuary of this very church when I walked in, I knew that in spite of being religious, was extremely lost. And that night, along with dozens of other people, the man standing on the stage led us in a prayer. And from my seat in the balcony, I surrendered my life to Jesus, and I've never been the same since. How about you? Do you know that you know that you know that Christ lives in you? Is the evidence and the fruit there?”

31s

#RadicalDiscipleship

“And they're following Christ, and and and as I said earlier, you would think that maybe with Jesus trying to gain a group of followers, he might present an easy message. He might kinda water down a little bit what it's going to take to be a follower of Christ, and yet we see the exact opposite of that. Jesus doesn't conceal the the obstacles and the barriers there are to being a disciple and follower of Christ and rather he highlights them.”

33s

#SheepAmongWolves

“In some ways, it it almost seems as though Jesus is pushing people away, making clear how difficult it is to be a follower of Christ and the extreme commitment. I think about statements that Jesus made. We won't have time to go through all of them, but just some of the ones that over the years I've memorized that stand out stand out on my mind. I mean, what great teacher turns to a crowd as Jesus did in Matthew ten sixteen and says, I am sending you as a sheep out in the midst of wolves.”

36s

#NotAClub

“When when Jesus turned to the crowd, I don't know. I I I've traveled around. I've been in so many different churches, and I've spoken to so many different denominations. And and and I love the fact that Jesus was telling these people what we see here in this next pass passage of scripture. Rather than just saying, hey, just come join the club. Rather than just saying, hey, you you can put your name on the church roll or you can go you can be christened or you can be sprinkled or you can be baptized and then we're all good to go. You're you're one of us. No. Jesus doesn't say that.”

32s

#TotalCommitment

“And this is what he said to me literally three days ago. He said, man, let me make this clear. He said, this is no part time gig for me. This isn't something that I just a club that I go to on occasion that has some impact on my life. He said, my affiliation with the Bandidos is everything. I would be willing to die for my brothers in this club. Matter of fact, he said, I have lost my wife and my kids because of my commitment to this motorcycle club.”

33s

#FaithOverFear

“I said to her, I am so sorry I cannot imagine what you go through at your home. But I travel all over the world and I see people that sit back and they hear the gospel message and they give all these excuses of why not to come to Christ. And here you live in an abusive home and you knew that going forward might cost you another beating and you were willing to do it.”

29s

#RiskForFaith

“One of those teenagers was a girl and she said, well, I almost didn't. I really wanted to come forward. I I I really wanted to give my life to Christ because I I knew that I needed Jesus. But I was so afraid to, you know, to get up and make a stand and what would people say and plus my parents don't know that I'm here. And I knew that if my dad found out that I was here at this conference, my dad would beat me.”

36s

#VisibleCostOfFaith

“And one of her friends sitting next to her on this little bench simply made this statement, show him. I'll never forget it. As she was sitting there on that deal, she began to pull up her pants leg. It would be impossible to describe not only the the guilt and the shame that I felt for what I had been thinking and my utter amazement when you could see up and down her legs where literally it looked like, I exaggerate not, she had been beaten with a baseball bat.”

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Counting the Cost: Forsake All to Follow Christ

Devotional

Day 1: Scars That Speak Louder Than Comfort

Day 2: Bandidos and Broken Chains

Day 3: Unfinished Towers and Unpaid Debts

Day 4: The Alzheimer’s Echo of Eternal Regret

Day 5: Tax Booths and Torn Reputations

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Counting the Cost: Forsake All to Follow Christ

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