the cost to follow jesus

Wow, such a great Bible study today. I’ve learned something so important recently. Often people don’t stand up for truth because they actually can lose their life so they remain silent. Fear of death for standing up can have a heavy price here.
Today we talked about our foundation (culture). Even though it may be so rooted in tradition and culture, to not stand up for truth often causes even more pain and robs them of God’s blessings and God’s favor.
Christ calls us to stand up for truth, even if it costs our life. There’s been a very painful real life example of that here recently.
They were challenged to consider this week the cost of following Jesus and then make a commitment one way or another. We can’t sit on the fence. Tradition can be so deep and actually a stronghold. But to not move forward in Christ is to remain in poverty, spiritual poverty being the worst.
We will begin studying what it means to take up our cross and follow Jesus!!!
“Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers dangers from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.”
2 Cor 11:21-28
How is your spiritual condition today?