Luke 14:25-35

1.	In essence what is Jesus doing in this section?

a.	Large crowds are following–maybe for the wrong reasons. Jesus challenges them to examine their motives and decide whether they really want to be His disciples.

2.	What effect does this have on those who follow?

a.	Some are hardened against Him

b.	Some become more committed to Him

3.	Why does Jesus sift these people? For whose benefit does Jesus do this?

a.	How might it benefit Him and His mission?

b.	How might it benefit those who turn away?

c.	How might it benefit those who stay?

4.	Why bother doing it at all in this context?

a.	Salt that loses its flavor?

b.	Judgment is coming–it helps people decide which side they're on before the decision is made for them by some sort of close of probation.

5.	Why bother asking people to 'choose you this day'?

a.	People will have to choose sooner or later. Why not challenge them to choose now while the stakes seem to be lower, while the pressure is not so high?

i.	How could this be illustrated?

ii.	What was going to force a decision later?

iii.	Who may have found themselves making their decision in a high-pressure time later on? How might this event have helped or hindered their decision-making later?

6.	Where is the gospel in all this? Where is Jesus?

Facts:

1.	What does it mean to hate family?

2.	Why is it together w/ hating own life?

3.

4.	What does it mean for me to carry my own cross?

a.	To help others hurt me. To be humiliated publicly, carrying the gun to my own death by firing squad. It's lifting up someone onto my shoulders who's hurting me. It's pushing someone out of the hole who is unable to lift me out.

5.	We need to be pushing others out of their holes by standing at the bottom

6.	But if you're having difficulty helping others hurt you then, you probably need first to let Jesus love you. Let Him help You hurt Him.

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