#011: The Cost of Following Jesus

You can't follow Jesus and stay safe. Real intimacy with God will cost you everything, especially your life as you've known it.

You can’t follow Jesus and stay safe. Real intimacy with God will cost you everything, especially your life as you’ve known it.

Welcome, Family

It’s been one of those weeks where the silence feels louder than the noise. You know what I mean? Those moments when you’re alone with your thoughts and suddenly you realize how much you’ve been avoiding, not just the hard conversations with others, but the hard conversations with yourself. With God.

Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve been sensing this tension lately. This pull between what feels safe and what feels… necessary. Like God is whispering something that would change everything if you really listened. And part of you wants to pretend you didn’t hear it.

Last week we talked about delay versus deception: how sometimes what we call “waiting on God” is actually just fear dressed up in spiritual language. This week, I think we need to go deeper.

Because if we’re honest, most of us have made Christianity way too comfortable. We’ve inherited a faith that fits neatly into our plans instead of one that completely disrupts them.

Christ didn’t come to make your life easier. He came to make it real.

🍞 This Week’s Bread

• ⏳ The Sign: Why comfort is the enemy of purpose

• 📖 The Word: Matthew 10:37-39 and the cost of following Jesus

• 🌍 The Witness: Learning from those who gave up everything

• 🔥 The Work: Three soul-searching questions about surrender

• ⚡ Midweek Power: Wednesday night prayer invitation

• 🙏 Prayer Corner: Intercession for courage and breakthrough

⏳ The Sign

I watched a video this week of a young woman explaining why she left her high-paying corporate job to work with refugees. The comment section was… telling. “What about your family?” “That’s so irresponsible.” “You’re throwing your life away.”

But here’s what struck me: she looked more alive in that video than most people do in their entire careers. She had this peace that comes from knowing you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be, even when everyone else thinks you’ve lost your mind.

Meanwhile, we’re living in an age where the biggest tragedy isn’t persecution-it’s comfort. We’ve made Christianity so palatable that it requires nothing of us.

We’ve turned following Jesus into a hobby instead of a complete life overhaul. And we wonder why our generation is walking away from faith that feels more like a social club than a revolutionary movement.

The sign of our times isn’t just moral decay, it’s spiritual complacency. We’ve made peace with a version of Christianity that our grandparents would barely recognize, and not because we’ve grown deeper, but because we’ve grown softer.

📖 The Word

“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”

• Matthew 10:37-39

Read that again. Slowly.

Jesus isn’t being dramatic here. He’s being honest. He’s telling us that following Him will cost us everything we think we need to be happy. And the reason this feels so shocking is because we’ve been sold a version of Christianity that promises to enhance our lives, not completely transform them.

But here’s what we need to understand: when Christ says He fulfilled the law, He doesn’t mean He abolished it. He embodied it. The commandments weren’t just rules, they were a reflection of God’s character.

And now, through Christ, we’re called to live lives that reflect that same character. Not by striving and performing, but by surrendering and being transformed.

The older generation modeled a Christianity that was heavy on rules and light on relationship. They gave us the commandments without the invitation into God’s presence. But Jesus didn’t come to give us better rules-He came to give us Himself.

And when you truly encounter Him, when you step into real intimacy with God, you discover that obedience isn’t about checking boxes. It’s about becoming someone different.

This is why Jesus talks about losing your life. Because the person you are before you truly encounter Christ can’t coexist with the person you become after. Something has to die. And it’s not just your sin, it’s your whole approach to life.

Your need to control. Your need to be safe. Your need to keep everyone happy.

You can’t follow Jesus and stay the same person. Real intimacy with God will cost you everything: especially your life as you’ve known it.

🌍 The Witness

Think about the disciples. They left everything: their businesses, their families, their security, to follow a rabbi who told them their lives would be harder, not easier.

Peter left his fishing nets. Matthew walked away from his tax collector’s booth. They didn’t know where their next meal would come from, but they knew they had encountered someone worth losing everything for.

Or consider the early Christians who faced persecution under Roman rule. They could have kept their faith private, blended in, stayed safe. Instead, they chose to live so differently that it cost them their lives.

They understood that following Jesus wasn’t about adding Him to their existing life, it was about letting Him completely transform it.

This is what happens when someone truly loses their life for Christ’s sake. They find a life that echoes into eternity. They discover that what they thought they were giving up was nothing compared to what they gained.

The world calls this foolish. But these lives are still bearing fruit thousands of years later.

🔥 The Work

Here are three questions that might make you uncomfortable. Good. Discomfort is often the beginning of transformation.

1. What are you unwilling to lose for Jesus? 

Be specific. Is it your family’s approval? Your financial security? Your reputation? Your plans for the future? Whatever comes to mind first-that’s probably what’s holding you back from deeper intimacy with God.

2. What version of Christianity are you settling for? 

Are you following the Jesus of the Bible, or the Jesus of your comfort zone? The Jesus who disrupts everything, or the Jesus who fits nicely into your existing life? Be honest about whether your faith is transforming you or just decorating you.

3. What would your life look like if you truly believed that losing your life for Christ’s sake is the only way to find it? 

Stop thinking about what you’d lose. Start thinking about what you’d gain. What would you do differently? Where would you go? How would you love? Who would you become?

⚡ Midweek Power

This Wednesday night from 8-9 PM EST, we’re gathering for prayer like we do every week. But I want to invite you to come with a different posture. Come ready to surrender something. Come ready to let God show you what you’re holding onto that He’s asking you to release.

God is doing something in our generation. But it’s going to require us to let go of the version of Christianity we inherited and step into the one He’s inviting us into. It’s going to require us to stop playing it safe and start living dangerously for the Kingdom.

🙏 Prayer Corner

Prayer Requests: We’re believing God for breakthrough in the lives of young adults facing major decisions about career, relationships, and calling. If you have a specific prayer request, send it our way.

Testimonies: Share your stories of what God is doing in your life. We want to hear how He’s moving in your generation.

Intercession Focus: Pray for young adults who are living in spiritual compromise. Pray that God would give them the courage to choose His will over their comfort. Pray that they would discover the joy that comes from complete surrender to Christ.

📅 What’s Next

Friday, July 11 (8-10 PM ET): We’re continuing our series on spiritual gifts and end-times clarity. The timing isn’t coincidental: celebrating freedom while preparing for His return.

Missed Last Friday night? Reply “REPLAY” and we’ll send you the July 4th session recording.

Sunday, July 13th: Men’s Brunch

📣 Take Action

Forward this to someone who’s been “waiting” too long.

Follow @mogakaeventsministry on Instagram for daily encouragement and prophetic insight.

DM us for prayer or if you need clarity about what God’s been saying to you.

✝️ Final Word

Here’s the truth we need to settle in our hearts: Christ didn’t lower the standard when He fulfilled the law. He embodied it. And now, through Him, we’re called to live lives that reflect God’s character, not by striving, but by surrendering.

The commandments weren’t abolished, they were fulfilled. And that fulfillment isn’t just about what Christ did; it’s about what He’s doing in and through us.

When we truly surrender to Him, when we lose our lives for His sake, we discover that obedience isn’t a burden, it’s the natural overflow of a heart that’s been transformed by love.

You can’t follow Jesus and stay safe. But you can follow Jesus and discover what it means to be truly alive.

The question isn’t whether you’re good enough for God. The question is whether you’re willing to let Him make you into who He created you to be.

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In His Love, Ravi Patel & Chriss Mogaka Mogaka Events Ministry

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Truth Over Trends is a Spirit-led devotional for young adults hungry for God’s presence. Written by Ravi Patel and Chriss Mogaka.