Count the Cost

Parables
August 16, 2026

KEY POINTS

Jesus never asks us to count the benefits of following Him. He asks us to count the cost.
Following Jesus means loving Him more than family, comfort, reputation, or even our own life.
Bearing your cross is a daily decision to die to self and follow Him.
The parable of the tower teaches us to sit down and calculate whether we will finish what we start.
The parable of the king going to war shows that true peace with God requires surrender of our own kingship.
Anyone who does not renounce all that he has cannot be Jesus’ disciple.
Discipleship is costly, but the cost of not following is far greater.
The reward of finishing the race with Jesus far outweighs every temporary loss.

DISCUSSION

Jesus said we must “hate” even our own family in comparison to Him. What does it look like practically to keep Jesus first in your relationships?
Where are you currently tempted to put the cross down instead of bearing it?
The builder who starts a tower but cannot finish becomes a mockery. How does this warning speak to half-hearted or unfinished discipleship?
In the parable of the king, the weaker king seeks terms of peace. What does surrendering your “kingship” to Jesus look like in your life right now?
Pastor Bob listed several costs (being misunderstood, serving unnoticed, admitting when you’re wrong, suffering for doing right). Which one feels most challenging for you?
How does Paul’s example in Acts 20 (“I do not count my life of any value… if only I may finish my course”) encourage or convict you?
What is one specific area where the Holy Spirit is inviting you to “count the cost” and fully surrender this week?