Week 1 – Counting the Cost

Day 1 The Cost of Discipleship

As Jesus made clear, being his disciple involves making a challenging choice. You have to weigh up the costs and benefits and decide whether you are willing to sacrifice your life for Jesus. This YouVersion Plan will assist you in making this choice.

This Plan offers more than a daily reflection on Scripture. It is designed to forge everyday disciples who are aware of God’s presence and hear God’s voice throughout the day. Please try to build into your routine the lunchtime meditations and evening reflections as well as the morning devotions.

MORNING

Scripture: Luke 9:22-24

22 And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” 23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.

Devotion

When the early followers of Jesus saw His power and heard His promise of a new Kingdom, they knew they had enlisted in something special. They expected Jesus to be welcomed by Israel and to establish His rule as the new King of the Jews. For them, being a ground-floor disciple of Jesus was an exciting and potentially rewarding prospect. But when Jesus made clear to them what being his disciple was really all about, He started with the cost. For Jesus, being King meant rejection and martyrdom. And for His disciples, it involved self-sacrifice and daily crucifixion (9:23). Being a disciple of Jesus is a costly business. Oh, Jesus does offer a hint of reward in 9:24, but as we consider what it means to be an everyday disciple, we must start where Jesus started – with the cost. Jesus mentions three overlapping challenges. 1. Deny yourself. Everyday disciples embrace sacrifice. They surrender their own agendas and desires. 2. Take up your cross daily. Everyday disciples embrace suffering. “Taking up a cross” involved embarking on a journey of shame, pain and death. 3. Follow Jesus. Everyday disciples embrace submission. They genuinely seek to do what pleases Jesus. As Jesus makes very clear, being His disciple is a costly business.

Prayer

I look forward to learning about the blessings of being Your disciple, but right now, help me to understand the cost. You make it clear that being Your disciple involves crucifixion as well as resurrection. Please help me to trust You enough, to follow You and serve You no matter how costly Your call may be. I know it won’t be easy, but I genuinely have a heart to be Your disciple today.

Today’s Bible Focus

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow me.”

LUNCHTIME (or when you can make a moment during the day)

Meditate for a short time on today’s Bible Focus. Let it seep into your heart.
Look and see what is happening around you from God’s perspective and listen to see whether God is whispering anything to you.
Pray for any not-yet Christians God has placed on your heart.

EVENING

Remember: Repeat today’s Bible Focus.
Reflect: Reflect on the day and thank God for what He has said and done.
Repent: Check where you have neglected or disobeyed God during the day and ask for forgiveness and freedom.
Release: Name any concerns or fears on your mind and release them to Jesus.

Day 2 Counting the Cost

MORNING

Scripture: Luke 14:28-33

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? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ 31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

Devotion

At this stage of his ministry, Jesus was very popular. Huge crowds were following Him around attracted by His power and authority. But Jesus never mistook fans for followers. He knew there was a world of difference between those who were hanging out for the next miracle and those who would commit to His lifestyle and submit to His teaching for life. He kept emphasizing to the crowds that being His disciple would cost them everything (14:26, 33). In this Scripture, Jesus challenges everyone to count the cost before committing. Like someone erecting a tower block, you need to weigh up the cost carefully before starting to build. You don’t want to get all excited about following Jesus and then find that you’re not prepared to keep going. That’s frustrating for everyone. On the other hand, you also need to weigh up the cost of ignoring Jesus’ call to be a disciple. You can’t win in a fight against God. You’d be better off making peace while you can (14:32). As Jesus calls us to be His daily disciples, we face these two questions: “Can I afford to give up my life to follow Jesus?” and “Can I afford to hold on to my life and end up losing everything?” It’s a huge call that cannot be taken lightly.

Prayer

It’s easy to look for a middle path in following You, Jesus, that will give me a little more pleasure, freedom and control. But You never allowed for it. You kept speaking about two options: the wide path or the narrow path, building on the rock or the sand, for You or against You. Lord, I’m weighing up Your invitation to be Your disciple. Please give me the courage to say yes, knowing the cost.

Today’s Bible Focus

“Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost.”

LUNCHTIME (or when you can make a moment during the day)

EVENING

Remember: Repeat today’s Bible Focus.
Reflect: Reflect on the day and thank God for what he has said and done.
Repent: Check where you have neglected or disobeyed God during the day and ask for forgiveness and freedom.
Release: Name any concerns or fears on your mind and release them to Jesus.

Day 3 It’s Hard for the Prosperous

MORNING

Scripture: Mark 10:19-23

19 [Jesus:] You know the commandments… 20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” 21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad because he had great wealth. 23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

Devotion

This must be one of the most heartbreaking stories in the Bible. A young man came to Jesus genuinely looking for the key to eternal life. He was a good guy who had tried hard to keep all of God’s laws for his whole life. Jesus saw his heart and “loved him” (10:21). He saw the incredible potential in this young man. People with hearts like his were few and far between. But the guy “went away sad” because Jesus asked him to abandon his “great wealth.” Here’s the problem. If becoming a disciple of Jesus means sacrificing everything, then the more you have, the harder it will be. It’s more challenging for those who are prosperous and self-sufficient to become disciples than those who are desperate and broken. That’s why Jesus said that it is so hard for rich people to enter the kingdom (10:23). They initially have so much to lose. So what does this mean for us? Giving away everything we own is not necessarily a condition of being a disciple, but being willing to sacrifice everything that stops us from depending on Jesus is. This guy couldn’t do it. He weighed up the cost and went away sad. It’s time to be honest about the things that are affecting your dependence on God.

Prayer

Lord, You have given me a lot of good things and I am very thankful. But I don’t want Your blessings to stand in the way of following You. Please search my heart and reveal anything that I am clinging to more than You. Free me from my idols so that I can be a fully devoted disciple of Jesus. I’m laying it all on the line Lord. I’m Yours forever.

Today’s Bible Focus

“How hard it is for those who are prosperous to enter the kingdom of God!”

LUNCHTIME (or when you can make a moment during the day)

EVENING

Day 4 The Benefits for Disciples

MORNING

Scripture: Mark 10:28-30

28 Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!” 29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.

Devotion

We’ve spent three devotions exploring the cost of being a disciple of Jesus. That’s because counting the cost is crucial. But now it’s time, at last, to look at the benefits. As Peter watched the rich guy leaving, it struck him that he and his mates had done exactly what Jesus asked. They had left everything to follow Him (10:28). Sure, they had not previously been millionaires, but they had chosen to make following Jesus their priority, and it had been costly for them. Jesus assured them that it would be incredibly worthwhile. Most importantly, they would receive eternal life (10:30). They would live forever with God enjoying all the blessings and goodness that God’s presence brings. But it is what Jesus says about the present age that intrigues me. He promised that they would receive 100 times what they had sacrificed. Jesus can’t be speaking literally because the disciples definitely didn’t finish up with 100 homes or 100 times as many children. Jesus is describing the wonder of being filled with God’s Spirit and being part of His family with the relationships and resources it offers. As a disciple of Jesus, you will benefit hugely, both now and forever. That is Jesus’ promise. Every sacrifice you make and persecution you face will be compensated a hundred times.

Prayer

I know that I can’t outgive You Lord. As I lay my life on the line, I receive that ancient blessing: “The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn his face towards you and give you His peace” (Num. 6:24-26). You are already pouring out the riches of heaven on me, and there is so much more yet to come. I’m glad that I’m Your disciple.

Today’s Bible Focus

“Those who sacrifice will receive a hundred times as much.”

LUNCHTIME (or when you can make a moment during the day)

EVENING

Day 5 Storing Up Treasure

MORNING

Matthew 6:19-21

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Devotion

We don’t have to worry too much about moths and vermin destroying our earthly treasures (although I do have a few T-shirts with moth holes in them), but with all the scams around, we certainly have to watch out for thieves. Some people have lost everything. The point Jesus is making is that anything we accumulate on earth is incredibly transitory. There is some small benefit in collecting stuff, but it will be short-lived. As Job rightly said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart” (Job 1:21). All that we have achieved and amassed on earth will be left behind. On the other hand, everything we do for Jesus and others will last forever. As you serve Jesus today, you are building up “treasure in heaven” that will be remembered and celebrated forever. None of the sacrifices you make for Jesus will be overlooked or disregarded. You have probably forgotten most of your ordinary acts of service, but God hasn’t, and He never will. They will bring joy to His heart and your heart forever. This puts the sacrifices involved in being a disciple of Jesus into perspective. Everything you do for God matters. Everything counts for eternity. Keep depositing those “treasures in heaven.”

Prayer

It’s incredible to think that everything I do for You and others will count forever. What a privilege to serve and give and love and forgive. These things not only please You now, but will do so for eternity. My attitudes and actions will be cause for celebration in the new heavens and earth. That makes my ordinary life now very significant. Please help me to live as Your disciple today.

Today’s Bible Focus

“Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.”

LUNCHTIME (or when you can make a moment during the day)

EVENING

Day 6 A Living Sacrifice

MORNING

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Devotion

Paul does not use the word “disciple” in his letter to the Romans, but he captures the concept here in the phrase “living sacrifice” (12:1). We have seen that disciples of Jesus sacrifice their agendas, priorities and securities, in order to follow and obey Jesus. While the reward is huge, the cost is significant. It can be painful and distressing to abandon things that make our lives secure, enjoyable, and respected by others. Living as an everyday disciple is like climbing up on an altar and offering ourselves as a sacrifice to Jesus every day. It’s a great way to live, brings huge pleasure to God (12:1), and will make a difference forever, but it is costly. So a “living sacrifice” is a helpful and accurate picture of a disciple. According to Paul (12:2), discipleship involves a transformation in us that causes us to think differently from the world and enables us to receive and follow God’s will. As we abandon our personal priorities, God gets hold of our mind and renews it. We start to think like God does. We see people differently. We experience different longings. Different things satisfy us. Gradually, our daily act of sacrifice becomes a joyful surrender to Jesus who we love and trust.

Prayer

I climb back up on the altar today and offer myself to You. I just want to serve and please You. I trust you with my life and future. Keep transforming my mind so that I will see what you see, love what you love, and break free from the attraction of this world. Show me your will and I will do it. May I live as your disciple today.

Today’s Bible Focus

“Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.”

LUNCHTIME (or when you can make a moment during the day)

EVENING

Week One Devotions

Week 1 – Counting the Cost

Day 1 The Cost of Discipleship

Day 2 Counting the Cost

Day 3 It’s Hard for the Prosperous

Day 4 The Benefits for Disciples

Day 5 Storing Up Treasure

Day 6 A Living Sacrifice

Week One Devotions

Week 1 – Counting the Cost

Day 1 The Cost of Discipleship

Day 2 Counting the Cost

Day 3 It’s Hard for the Prosperous

Day 4 The Benefits for Disciples

Day 5 Storing Up Treasure

Day 6 A Living Sacrifice