DISCUSSION:
Following Jesus is not something that could be considered as easy. The rich young ruler expressed his disappointment when Jesus told him to sacrifice all he had and give to the poor. Others stopped following him when some of the statements of Jesus became too difficult for them to understand or obey following John’s account of the feeding of the five thousand. Regardless of our situations, following Jesus requires that we have to take risks. It requires that we make sacrifices now that will pay off for us in the future. Jesus describes this type of commitment in this parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” (Matthew 13.44). Once we discover just how valuable it is to have Jesus in our lives, we should all be willing to sacrifice everything we own to have Him. In today’s world, people want to have Jesus, but they don’t want to give up anything for Him. What have you given up for Jesus? Have you given up your cares for earthly possessions? Have you sacrificed you desires and dreams for His? Have you given up your pride and selfish ambition? Whatever it is that you had to give up; having Jesus is well worth the cost. With great risk comes an even greater reward.
Prayer Requests:___________________________________________________________