What Does Jesus Say About . . . Commitment?

Luke 14:25-35

Pastor Joel Sutton; November 22, 2009

 Listen to this sermon

The Cost of Following Christ:

      The Relational Cost (v. 26)

      The Personal Cost (v. 27)

      "Following Christ will cost you dearly."

Are you Willing to Pay the Cost?

      The Tower: Are you committed to finish? (Vv. 28-30)

      The War: Are you willing to surrender it all? (Vv. 31-33)

      "Any half-hearted attempt at following Christ is doomed."

Christ's Challenge: Salty or not? (Vv. 34-35)

Take Home Idea: A disciple willing to pay the cost is a disciple worth their salt!

Sermon-Based Discussion Questions

What thoughts did you have about the sermon? Were there any ideas that you couldn't stop thinking about? Has Christ's words opened your mind to think differently in any way?

Have you asked Christ to open your ears in order to hear the truth and let that truth shape your heart and life? If not, do so now.

What item would you pay $1 million for: a car, a house, a boat, an island in the sun, lifelong financial security?

Is Jesus saying that we cannot glorify God and be His disciple within the family structure? What is He saying about family? What do we make out of the idea of hating our family in order to be Christ's disciple?

Have you built a foundation in Christ, but now that you see the cost of continuing to become like Him, you would rather not continue building and laboring for Him? Explain your answer.

What part of discipleship does this parable of building a tower illuminate?

Take the second parable of a king going to war into consideration. How does this picture speak to the reality of being a disciple for Christ?

What does the salt analogy emphasize about being a disciple of Christ?

What kingdom values has Jesus taught you through this passage?

When did you realize that following Christ is a costly endeavor? What opened your eyes; how was Jesus the center of your life at that time?

Is it worth it? What keeps you going?