The Cost of Discipleship - September 4, 2022

Bible Study “The Cost of Discipleship”

Share:  Your highs (something that made you happy) and lows (something that made you sad) this week with others around you or write them down.

What is the cross we are called to carry as a disciple of Jesus? What are we being called to take on? Jesus invites us to carefully consider the cost before choosing to carry this cross. We might begin by considering how our possessions get in the way.

What are some things you’ve paid for with your own money? There was a cost so you could have that thing.  Let’s think about “cost.”

For instance, how much would you be willing to pay from your own money for toy that’s popular when your parents said you had to spend your own money—could you pay the cost of that toy?

Cost doesn’t always have to do with money. If you wanted to learn to play piano, you’d have to pay money to get a piano to practice on, and you’d have to give up playing with friends to go to lessons and to practice every day. Or if you wanted to play a sport, you might need to buy equipment, give up free time to go to practices, and you’d have to work hard to get good at it.

Being Jesus’ follower is an important and special job, but Jesus said there’s also a cost to think about. He said His disciples would have to make Him most important in their lives, even more important than family and friends. He also said people might make fun of them or hurt them for being His followers. Being a follower of Jesus is not always easy, but it’s always the very best thing we can choose for ourselves. He just wants us to know there’s a cost to living a life as Jesus’ follower, and that’s taking up our crosses.

We all face important decisions in life.  The most important decision we face is whether we will follow Jesus or not.  Perhaps you might say, “Oh, that is an easy decision.  Of course I will follow Jesus, but Jesus warned that is isn’t always easy to follow him.  He said that we should sit down and count the cost.  Will we choose to follow him if it means giving up friends who are making bad choices?  Will we choose to follow him if it means moving to a faraway place and leaving our family behind?  Will we choose to follow him if it means we will never live in a big hour or drive a fancy car?

 

Opening Prayer:  Thank you, God, for the gift of Jesus who shows us how to do the work you give us to do. Thank you that each of us can be here today to hear what Jesus teaches us. Amen.       

 

Please open your Bibles to Luke 14:25-33 and read or read the scriptures below. 

Luke 14:25-33

The Cost of Being a Disciple

25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

 

Reflection Questions:

  • What is Jesus really saying to us in these first few lines of scripture?
  • If Jesus is not telling us to "hate" our families, what might Jesus be saying here? (The word "hyperbole" means “as exaggerating to make a point”: "I must have raked 100 bags of leaves!")
  • What priorities might Jesus be suggesting?  (Not about hating your parents, but putting Jesus first in what is important to us.)
  • What is the "cross" Jesus says we need to carry?  (It is about choosing what we will and will not do. It is about priorities: which things come first.)
  • Can you think of a time you had a great idea — but could not finish what you started?  (For example: you planted a garden and then did not have time to weed, tried to build a tree house as a child, but ran out of lumber.)
  • Verse 33: Jesus was talking to the adults here.  Do we think Jesus is telling them they have to throw all their "stuff" in the trash?  If not, what do we think he is saying here?

 

Click here for the young learner’s lesson

 

Videos (Click on the words or url)

St. Luke 14:25-33https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDq8woZJpa0

Song

I Have Decided to Follow Jesus - Song Lyrics - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7XHeCZB5KU

Activities:

Rich Person’s Possessions:  Let's imagine a very rich person getting ready to follow Jesus. This person has the very fanciest house and car. Let's think of all the things the person would think about taking to follow Jesus. For example, the huge plasma TV, the computer, the CD collection, fancy clothing, etc.  On a piece of paper, write down all the expensive things this person would have.

Think of a poor overburdened person.   List all the things an overburdened person would decide to leave behind.  Cross those items off the list. What, if anything, gets left on the list?

Journal: Try and keep a journal for each Sunday for a year writing or drawing something you thought about during Bible story and discussion, something you want to write to God.

Your list:  Write down, draw, or find a creative way to list those things you need to leave behind in order to better follow God.   What are the things that become more important than God in your life? Gadgets, clothes, money, being cool, etc.

Cross Suncatcher:  You will need Ruler, Card, Pen, Laminator and Lamination sheets or sticky backed plastic and Tissue paper.  Review the following website to create your suncatcher. https://www.learningandexploringthroughplay.com/2017/04/cross-suncatcher-craft.html

Cost of Discipleship Crosswordhttps://sermons4kids.com/cost_of_discipleship_crossword.htm?fromSermonId=216

The Cost of Discipleship Word Shapehttps://sermons4kids.com/cost_of_discipleship_wordshape.htm?fromSermonId=216

Cost of Discipleship Decoder: https://sermons4kids.com/cost_of_discipleship_decoder.htm?fromSermonId=216

Word Search: https://thewordsearch.com/puzzle/3989750/the-cost-of-discipleship/

 

Prayer:  Thank you, God, that you love us and want us to stay close to you. Help us leave behind those things that get in the way so that we might better follow you. Amen.