The lesson, dated February 25, 2026, from Garrett Bookout (minister at Oak Hollow church of Christ) continues a Discipleship series by examining **Luke 14:25-35**, focusing on the requirements and costs of true discipleship. Jesus addresses large crowds following Him, warning that genuine disciples must prioritize Him above family relationships (interpreted as loving others less in comparison), bear their cross through sacrifice, and renounce all possessions to follow Him fully. Through parables of building a tower and a king preparing for war, Jesus urges potential followers to deliberately count the cost of discipleship rather than impulsively commit without considering the sacrifices involved.

In this Bible class session, Garrett recaps the passage from the previous week, emphasizing that Jesus intentionally "weeds out" superficial followers by highlighting the serious demands of discipleship, contrasting this with modern church tendencies to focus solely on attracting people without stressing commitment. He explains key phrases like "hate" family as meaning to love them less than Christ, and "bearing one's cross" as willingness to make extreme sacrifices, even if not literal crucifixion. The lesson warns against "fake discipleship" or "vampire Christianity," where people seek only blessings like forgiveness and the Holy Spirit without readiness to change, sacrifice, or prioritize Jesus over competing loyalties such as family, time, work, self, or comfort.

The class includes interactive discussion on practical costs believers today may face (e.g., family tensions, time commitments, self-denial, misplaced priorities, or cultural pressures to conform), whether it's possible to follow Jesus superficially without truly counting the cost (yes, often seen in half-hearted involvement or convenience-based faith), and examples from history, books like *The Cost of Discipleship* by Dietrich Bonhoeffer and *The Hiding Place*, and personal reflections on trusting God over self-reliance. The session closes with prayer for wholehearted, sincere discipleship that glorifies God.

- Opening prayer thanking God for blessings and asking for help in becoming better disciples and making disciples.
- Brief review of prior lessons (Great Commission, Limited Commission) and recap of Luke 14:25-35, including the context of crowds following Jesus and His challenging statements on hating family, bearing the cross, and renouncing all.
- Explanation of parables: the tower builder (count the cost to avoid unfinished work and mockery) and the king going to war (deliberate assessment to avoid defeat or premature surrender).
- Summary statement from verse 33: true disciples must renounce all possessions; reference to Paul in Philippians 3 considering former gains as rubbish for Christ.
- Parable of worthless salt (fake discipleship lacks value, like tasteless salt useful for nothing).

- Group discussion questions:
- What unanticipated costs might believers face today? (Responses: family, time, work, self-denial/control, trusting God over self.)
- Is it possible in our culture to follow Jesus without counting the cost, and what does that look like? (Responses: yes—convenience-based attendance, misplaced priorities, superficial conformity, leveraging Christianity for social gain without life change.)
- Closing prayer for commitment to count the cost and devote fully to Christ.