Matthew 16:24, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” The second criterion Jesus gave to be His disciple was to “take up their cross.”  The cross was a form of torture and execution in the Roman world.  Jesus was…

Matthew 16:24, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” The last of the three criteria that Jesus gave to be His disciple was to “follow Him.”  To follow a teacher in the times of Jesus meant a 100% sold…

Luke 14:28, “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?” Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is free, but it will cost you everything you have.  In other words, to be a disciple doesn’t require…

Mark 3:14, “He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach.” By far the most important aspect of being a disciple is spending time with Jesus.  Doing good works, performing miracles, and helping others are all results of spending time with the Master.  If a disciple…

Mark 3:14, “He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach.” When disciples spend time with Jesus they get the privilege of knowing His heart for the people He has made.  Jesus loves His creation so much that He came in the flesh to die for…

John 8:31, “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.’” To be a disciple (a student) of Christ it is essential that you hold to His teachings.  To claim to know Jesus and not do what He teaches makes you a liar according…

John 8:32, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Disciples of Christ are no more to have sin in their lives than an airplane is to have holes in its wings.  Jesus clearly taught that He was not only able to save His people from sin’s penalty, but also…

John 6:35, “Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’” John 6:25-71 is one of the most misunderstood and pivotal passages in the book of John.  Jesus had just finished feeding the five thousand and walked across…

Matthew 16:23, “Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.’” Could you imagine being Peter and being called “Satan” by Jesus in front of every one?  Some people think Jesus was actually…

John 6:68, “Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.’” Could you imagine walking away from Jesus and no longer following Him?  What if you watched 100’s of people leave with bitterness in their heart towards God, would you stay or leave?  Peter had just watched…