The Cost of Being a Disciple

Luke 14:25-33 (GNT) Once when large crowds of people were going along with Jesus, He turned and said to them, "Whoever comes to Me cannot be My disciple unless he loves Me more than he loves his father and his mother, his wife and his children, his brother and his sisters, and himself as well.  Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.  If one of you is planning to build a tower, he sits down first and figures out what it will cost, to see if he has enough money to finish the job.  If he doesn't, he will not be able to finish the tower after laying the foundation; and all who see what happened will make fun of him.  'This man began to build but can't finish the job!' they will say.  If a king goes out with ten thousand men to fight another king who comes against him with twenty thousand men, he will sit down first and decide if he is strong enough to face that other king.   If he isn't, he will send messengers to meet the other king to ask for terms of peace while he is still a long way off.  In the same way," concluded Jesus, "none of you can be My disciple unless he gives up everything he has."