The Cost of Following Jesus: Why True Discipleship Demands Everything | Jonny Ardavanis
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Jonny Ardavanis
5 • 663 Ratings
🗓️ 10 June 2025
⏱️ 21 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
What does it really mean to follow Jesus Christ? In this powerful conversation, we explore the uncomfortable truths about discipleship that many churches avoid discussing.
Key Topics Covered:
- Why Jesus never hides the demands of the gospel in "fine print"
- What it truly means to deny yourself and take up your cross daily
- The difference between adding Christ to your life vs. giving your life to Christ
- How to practically live for God's glory instead of your own recognition
- Why persecution and difficulty are promised parts of following Jesus
📖 Scripture References:
Matthew 16:24-25, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23, Luke 14:27, John 15:14, Matthew 10:38
This isn't about earning salvation - it's about the heart transformation that genuine faith produces. If you're tired of watered-down Christianity and want to understand what Jesus actually taught about following Him, this conversation will challenge and encourage you.
💬 Discussion Questions:
- How does our culture try to make the gospel "easier" than Jesus presented it?
- What does daily cross-bearing look like in your life?
- How can we find the motivation to live sacrificially for Christ?
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The more I look at the scripture, the more I'm aware of the reality that Jesus never hides in the fine print what the demands are of the gospel. |
| 0:09.4 | Jesus doesn't promise prosperity. He promises difficulty. And he says that if you don't pick up your cross and follow me, you're not worthy of me. |
| 0:17.2 | You can't be my real disciple. I'd say the other part is like just practically, like, how serious are you for your love for Christ? |
| 0:24.5 | Like, what are the things in your life you know you need to give up if you want to be closer to |
| 0:30.2 | Christ? Jesus says in John 15, you are my friends if you do what I command you. |
| 0:34.4 | I think a lot of people would go, I don't know about that. I don't know. |
| 0:40.8 | I mean, that sounds a little legalistic. No, that's the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. |
| 0:52.0 | Brand, thanks so much for sitting down. You know, sometimes when I'm watching the golf channel, |
| 1:10.8 | which I do from time to time, they'll have these medication commercials and it'll kind of show you what what it can accomplish for 45 seconds. And then the last 10 seconds is a man talking a mile a minute, discussing or detailing the minor side effects of that drug or medication. And sometimes it's like, oh my goodness, you know, minor side effects include explosion because they're trying to hide in the fine print |
| 1:16.4 | what might be a result of taking this medication. And I think culturally sometimes that's what people |
| 1:23.5 | do in the way that they articulate and communicate the gospel. It'll be like, give your life to Jesus and everything will be fine. |
| 1:30.3 | And the more I look at the scripture, the more I'm aware of the reality that Jesus never |
| 1:35.3 | hides in the fine print what the demands are of the gospel. |
| 1:40.3 | And you work with young adults, but you're also active evangelistically. You coach your son's |
| 1:45.2 | teams, you're out and about in your neighborhood, maybe just talk about how this is a reality, |
| 1:49.9 | not even just in the big evangelical world, but a lot of people just tend to lean this way |
| 1:54.4 | as they share their faith is to not necessarily include some of the tough stuff regarding |
| 2:00.6 | the gospel. |
| 2:01.2 | Well, I think here's just a practical way I see it is sometimes if you've ever heard somebody talk |
| 2:05.4 | or just in conversations, you get somebody who goes, I don't really like this part of it, |
| 2:10.2 | but I kind of need to tell it to you. |
| 2:11.5 | So it's like all the good stuff about the gospel of Jesus died for you. |
... |
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