In Luke 14:25-33, two parables and an exhortation urge us to forsake all that we have as a mandatory condition for becoming Christ's true disciples.

When Jesus gathered His disciples as He began His ministry, He needed principled and devout worshippers to teach and prepare for the work of spreading the gospel.

Even as several grandiose building projects have terminated because of cost overruns, so must we carefully count the cost of our spiritual building project.

We assess costs and values all the time in our daily lives. We should employ the same process to God's love for us in giving His Son as the sacrifice for sin.

If there is one great principle of Christian living, it is walking in Christ's footsteps. Sounds easy, but putting it into practice is one of the hardest tasks.

Are God's requirements too exacting and difficult for us? Are we committed to the way forward, or are we spending time looking back to the world?

Following Jesus requires absolute commitment, often involving sacrifice and discomfort. We must be willing to give up family and societal ties for God's sake.

Moses asks God to teach us to number our days, realizing that our physical lives are finite, requiring a sense of urgency to get rid of our sins.

Producing fruit is not simply a matter of having Jesus Christ or being forgiven. He says we will not produce anything unless we go on growing in Him.

Micah provides a formula for being a Christian: 1.) Doing justly, 2.) Exercising mercy and 3.) Walking humbly. These demand total commitment, not a pretense.

Like the marriage covenant, counting the cost is the most serious part of the baptismal agreement, not something to be taken lightly.

Jesus commands His followers to take our cross and follow Him. Does He mean to carry a pagan symbol, or is there a deeper meaning to His weighty words?

we must soberly count the cost before we embark on our spiritual trek. Are we willing to give up our job, our family, or even our life to follow God's plan?

For His Own reasons, God has chosen not to reveal His plan to those the world considers wise, but, instead, to work with the weaker sort of mankind.

Much of Protestantism misconstrues the significance of the New Covenant as a 'free pass into Heaven' without paying attention to the Law within the Covenant.

The brazen altar symbolized total sacrifice. We have to be willing to give up everything, bearing our own individual cross, forsaking all to follow Him.

If we want to follow Christ, we must sacrifice, take up our cross, and follow His example of service to God and others.

God inspired the book of Hebrews to answer the difficult questions church members were struggling with during the tumultuous first decades of the church.

Christianity is not for the faint of heart. Jesus urges us to count the cost of discipleship. Many of the patriarchs had to make hard choices, as do we.

There must be something to prove we are one with Christ and in union with the Father and the Son. That something is the manner in which we conduct our life.

Many of the Declaration's signers literally lost their fortunes, properties, and health—even their lives. Are we willing to commit ourselves as fully?

Bearing our cross means our time on this earth is virtually finished, that we are willing to give up our lives, emulating the life of our Savior.

Solomon emphasized in Ecclesiastes 2 that we should enjoy and derive pleasure from our work. The way that we work is a visible witness of God before men.

Hebrews emphasizes that Jesus qualified as High Priest, teaching us about living by faith in the New Covenant, which mandates that we keep His commandments.

God is putting us through exercises to create leaders in His image. His covenants are a primary tool in this process.