Last Sunday I preached on the price of following Jesus. Jesus didn’t practice some of the positive thinking recruitment strategies we’d think of today. Instead of just offering a mansion in heaven, eternal happiness and an end to the difficulties of life, Jesus said, “Anyone who wants to follow me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” In this message I show that this isn’t an isolated thought in scripture but permeates not only the message of Jesus but also the writings of Peter and Paul.