Comments on: Count the cost http://www.journeyguy.com/count-the-cost/ Life, adventure and faith in south Arkansas Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:39:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Jeff http://www.journeyguy.com/count-the-cost/#comment-17871 Jeff Sat, 03 Nov 2007 22:14:50 +0000 http://www.journeyguy.com/archives/1255#comment-17871 Brittany, I have definitely been here before: "he almost tries to talk them out of it..." I've seen waaay too many folks fall away after a hopeful start in their relationship with Christ. When Jesus told the parable of the soils, (Mark 4.1-20) he said that there would be at least four different responses to the Gospel. It's profound that only 1/4 of the soils in that parable actually produced a harvest from the Gospel. There's actually a great little sermon on that parable <a href="http://www.bereanbiblechurch.org/transcripts/mark/4_1-20.htm" rel="nofollow">here</a>. Brittany, I have definitely been here before: “he almost tries to talk them out of it…” I’ve seen waaay too many folks fall away after a hopeful start in their relationship with Christ.

When Jesus told the parable of the soils, (Mark 4.1-20) he said that there would be at least four different responses to the Gospel. It’s profound that only 1/4 of the soils in that parable actually produced a harvest from the Gospel.

There’s actually a great little sermon on that parable here.

]]> By: Mandy http://www.journeyguy.com/count-the-cost/#comment-17864 Mandy Sat, 03 Nov 2007 21:23:22 +0000 http://www.journeyguy.com/archives/1255#comment-17864 So true. I've felt snubbed more than a few times due to trying to follow a life I believe Christ wants me to lead... but I know more times than not I myself can probably come across as that hypocritical christian. I try hard not to be judgemental of others b/c my faults are all too often presented to me day to day! "The Cost" of following Christ really can be great... and I agree with Brittany that many times we're not "warned" of what that cost is when we decide to submit ourselves to God. I'm feeling it less lately due to being surrounded now by other people who love God and want to see me and my family rise above and beyond a selfish and sinful life. What a relief! I think I'm finally getting to a place in my own spirituality that I can be a fairly good example to others. I just have to keep working on shutting my mouth when it needs to be shut, and thinking more carefully before I speak... such a struggle for me! <em>Mandy's last blog post..</em><a href='http://peaceandcraziness.blogspot.com/2007/11/sleeping-in.html' rel="nofollow">Sleeping In</a> So true. I’ve felt snubbed more than a few times due to trying to follow a life I believe Christ wants me to lead… but I know more times than not I myself can probably come across as that hypocritical christian. I try hard not to be judgemental of others b/c my faults are all too often presented to me day to day! “The Cost” of following Christ really can be great… and I agree with Brittany that many times we’re not “warned” of what that cost is when we decide to submit ourselves to God. I’m feeling it less lately due to being surrounded now by other people who love God and want to see me and my family rise above and beyond a selfish and sinful life. What a relief! I think I’m finally getting to a place in my own spirituality that I can be a fairly good example to others. I just have to keep working on shutting my mouth when it needs to be shut, and thinking more carefully before I speak… such a struggle for me!

Mandy’s last blog post..Sleeping In

]]> By: brittany http://www.journeyguy.com/count-the-cost/#comment-17694 brittany Fri, 02 Nov 2007 14:12:34 +0000 http://www.journeyguy.com/archives/1255#comment-17694 I definitely agree. By trying to produce more christians, we are probably hurting our cause more than helping it. Many, if not most, of those christians may not live the lifestyle of following Christ and then non-christians don't see a difference. How many times have we heard comments about christians being hypocrites? When Shaun leads someone to Christ, he almost tries to talk them out of it because, as he says, if I can talk you into it, someone else can talk you out of it. That's also why some student camps upset me. They like to play on students' emotions to get a lot of decisions. However, once we went to a student life weekend conference and the invitation time was so different from any other camp or conference I'd ever been to. The speaker told them that if they wanted to accept Christ to stand up and shout it. I think there were 3 students that did. It was pretty awesome. Don't you know they had to count the cost! <em>brittany's last blog post..</em><a href='http://brittany-becoming.blogspot.com/2007/11/pondering.html' rel="nofollow">Pondering</a> I definitely agree. By trying to produce more christians, we are probably hurting our cause more than helping it. Many, if not most, of those christians may not live the lifestyle of following Christ and then non-christians don’t see a difference. How many times have we heard comments about christians being hypocrites? When Shaun leads someone to Christ, he almost tries to talk them out of it because, as he says, if I can talk you into it, someone else can talk you out of it. That’s also why some student camps upset me. They like to play on students’ emotions to get a lot of decisions. However, once we went to a student life weekend conference and the invitation time was so different from any other camp or conference I’d ever been to. The speaker told them that if they wanted to accept Christ to stand up and shout it. I think there were 3 students that did. It was pretty awesome. Don’t you know they had to count the cost!

brittany’s last blog post..Pondering

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