#soap # Luke 14 ## Title: Count the Cost ## Scripture: (Luke 14:26-28) “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t sit down first and compute the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? (NET) ## Observation: Jesus tells us to consider the path before walking the path. Think hard about what we are doing when we desire salvation. This is not because He does not want us to be saved. He knows that the commitment to follow Him will require all of us. You cannot halfway follow God and be successful. It requires all of us. That would be like someone who desires to go back to school to better their education. A good academic advisor would stop them first and suggest they count the cost. It will take extra hours of study. It will be a financial commitment. It will mean saying no to fun outings so you can attend class. But, once you have made up your mind, go for it. This is the same with Jesus. Make up your mind. Let’s take this adventure together. ## Application: Go all in with Jesus. ## Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for being honest with us about what it will cost to follow You.