In this episode, we’re getting real about something I know many of us wrestle with: the fear of fully committing our lives to Christ. Maybe you’ve felt that pull to go all-in but hesitated because of what it might cost you—relationships, your job, or even just the comfort of staying where you are. Trust me, I get it. But here’s the thing: while Jesus never sugarcoated the challenges of discipleship, He did promise something far greater—the eternal reward.

We’re diving into powerful scriptures like the story of the rich young man who walked away because he couldn’t let go of his possessions. We’ll talk about why counting the cost is important but how focusing on the reward—eternal life and true peace—can help us overcome those fears. Plus, I’m sharing some practical tips on how to live boldly as a disciple, including ways to deepen your prayer life and bring Jesus into every part of your day.

📚 Bible verses for reflection:

Luke 14:28-34
Matthew 18:19-23
Matthew 19:16-22
Luke 12:16-20
Matthew 19:29
John 14:1-3
John 6:51-56

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Welcome back to the pew, everybody. I’m your host, John Edwards, and I’m excited to be joining you for another episode of just to get on the pew and the gym, or while you’re cutting the lawn or driving in your car or whatever you’re doing, it’s always a pleasure to be with you and I want to thank each and every one of Who are listening to this right now on any of the audio platforms that’s available out there, the podcast platforms, any of you that are listening to YouTube, I really appreciate it.

Each, every week we get your comments. We see the likes and the shares. We really appreciate it. So those of you who are listening and enjoying this, please consider liking, sharing, subscribing to our YouTube channel. If you haven’t become a partner in the pew yet, consider doing that. That just means you’re somebody who comes alongside us, supporting us on a monthly basis to help us continue to minister to men through this podcast, to the groups that we’re launching in parishes, to these diocese and leadership summits we’re doing.

It’s what allows us to continue this mission that God has set before us in this wonderful ministry. So folks, if you want to become a partner in the pew, you can go to just a guy on the pew. com. There’s a donate button there on the page or in the top menu bar, you can click that, or you can go directly to donor box.

org slash pew, or you can Or simply look in the comments. But folks, I just, I wanted to thank you all for listening, for sharing. It just means so much to see all of you that are, and all of you that share it each and every week. Folks, if you’re wondering where we’re going to be in the next couple of months, we’re about to get out on the road.

Starting in September, we’re going to be in Folsom, California. We’re going to be in Muncie, Indiana. We’re going to be in South Bend, Indiana. In October, we’re going to be in Scranton, Pennsylvania. We’re going to wind up going back to Muncie for a men’s conference there. In Indiana, then in November, we’re going to be in the Dallas Fort Worth area, and we’re going to be in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

So folks, we are busy all the way through deep into 2025. So go to our website. If you want to look at, see if we’re coming to your area, if we’re going to be around you, go to our website at just a guy on the pew. com, go to the events and book me page, there’s a calendar there. You can click it and look at everything we’re doing that we’ve got booked out as far as we’ve got things booked out.

So folks, we’re really excited about coming to your area. If you’re around and you listen to show or you love just following the ministry, show up, meet us there so we can meet you and spend some time with you. I’d be really excited to do that. Folks too. If you want to start a men’s group in your parish, you can go to just to get on the pew.

com. If you want us to help you launch a vibrant ministry to men in your parish, Go there. You can click it, fill out the form. You’ll get on a call with me, Derek or a new person that we’re going to be announcing here in the next couple of weeks, we’re bringing on to join us, but we’ll be able to get in touch with you, see what your needs are.

See how we can help. We can also put on diocese and leadership summits. We’ve been doing that in the diocese of Victoria and diocese of Metuchen and Fargo, we’re building these things out. We’ve got one coming up in St. Louis and the archdiocese of St. Louis. So we love doing all these type of events that bring men.

to a place where they can learn how to launch life changing, vibrant ministry men in their parish and diocese. So what we do, if you’re interested in it, go to just a guy on the pew. com and find out more folks. I am so excited to be back in here. I just got back from the diocese of Victoria.

We just did that leadership summit there in Texas, and I want to give a shout out. To rick and robert and iman and father jacob and everybody else that helped us put that event on We had close to 60 or 70 men show up that either want to launch something new in their parishes Or they want to revitalize something that maybe has lost a little bit of the fire But either way, a bunch of men showed up on a Saturday and we went through what it means, what men are looking for, right?

What men need, how to build a men’s group, what’s the structure and a leadership model you can follow, and then how to actually put those things in place to start launching your parish. So I’m sure we’re going to be going back to Victoria a bunch of times. So if you’re in that area, Just let us know you’re there, come to some of the events, we can’t wait to see you there either.

But guys, I just want to give you a shout out, Rick, thanks for letting me stay at your house, thanks for walking through this whole event with us, it was just such a blessing to be with y’all, and I can’t wait to see the fruit that comes of it. But folks, I was excited to get in here today, and Victor’s not going to be with me today I had a few moments here before the Labor Day weekend, this will come out after the Labor Day weekend, but I just wanted to jump in here while there were some things on my mind and get this kind of this subject matter out here.

Guys, a lot of times lately when I’ve been traveling one of the same questions or same themes comes up a lot. And it is just this idea of people that want to give their life to Christ, but they’re fearful of that. They. They are afraid of boldly living as a catholic christian man or woman And they’re scared of taking that next step and I don’t mean scared in a bad way like oh, they’re cowards I don’t mean that what I mean is this genuine fear that we can have When we look at it, what it means to actually give our lives to Christ and live as these disciples that we’re called to live as, and it’s a common theme, like I said, everywhere that I go, where somebody winds up coming up to me every single time, and they’re talking about this desire, the Lord’s place in their heart.

And then the butts start, right? Like the, but I’m worried about what will happen at work, but I’m worried about what my family might think, or, but I’m worried about losing the friends I’ve had in my life forever. It. So we start to fill ourselves with these questions and these worries and these anxieties And these doubts and these fears and the thing is like we start to count the cost and the funny thing is there’s nothing wrong with counting the cost like In prudence which is a virtue, we should always look at when we have to make decisions about things in our life, about what are they going to cost us, or what are we going to gain, or what are the two sides of the question or the equation.

And Jesus even talks about this, right? Like he doesn’t just say, follow me without looking at the consequences. He actually does the opposite of that. And there’s Very different, verses and places in the bible where he talks about this and the first one Really is in luke 14 28 through 34 He says if anyone comes to me And does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters Yes, and even his own life So boom, there’s a cost, right?

Like you have to love me above everything else and it may cost you everything else. He goes on to say, whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my own disciple. For which of you, and this is the important part here, another important part I should say. For which of you desiring to build a tower does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it.

Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish. All who see it begin to mock him saying this man began to build and was not able to finish Or what king going to encounter another king in war will not first sit down and take counsel whether he’s able to with ten thousand men to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand and if not While the other is yet a great way off.

He sends an embassy and asks terms of peace So therefore whoever of you who does Whoever of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. So here we see Jesus talking about this great cost. Like it may cost you your father, your mother your family, everything you hold dear there.

You have to pick up your cross and follow me. But then he also looks at who’s, that’s going to set out to build a tower, doesn’t sit down first and count the costs and make sure he has enough to do it. So Jesus isn’t saying don’t look at what it’s going to cost you. In fact, He invites us again and again in scripture to count the cost, right?

Jesus is being honest with us about it. I want this for you. I want this life. I want you to be my disciple But what it truly means to be a disciple Are these things and i’m going to lay them out in front of you and then you decide it’s just like at the At the bread of life discourse, you know when he’s telling people you must eat my flesh You must drink my blood and he keeps doubling down on those things and using harsher and more graphic words That people of that time would have understood to mean like exactly what he was saying You got to eat, you got to rip, you got to tear my flesh, you got to drink my blood.

How many people walked away? Like he told them completely what it was to follow him and what was required of him and what he would give us in order to do it. But so many said, what this saying is hard. And so they walked away. There is a cost to being a disciple and the Lord wants us to think about it.

He desires for every one of us to be with him. But he also wants us to know that being a disciple is a very costly thing. It’s not just going to church. It’s not just checking boxes. It’s not just going to things to feel good that you’re doing something. It’s actually about giving more and more of your life and boldly following Christ, living with more courage each and every day to follow him more completely.

It’s about an ongoing conversion in our life. It’s not. It’s not a one time thing. It’s about going deeper and deeper in this pursuit with Christ and this relationship that we are all called to have with Him. Just because I’m on this podcast and I can do shows or I’m going and speaking to men doesn’t mean that I’m completely perfect and I’m where I need to be.

No. The Lord is always showing me in my life. That i’m nowhere near perfection And there’s so much more work to do in my life and there’s so many places in my heart That haven’t been healed that haven’t been reconciled that haven’t been Repented of that haven’t given to him. And so Jesus tells us to wild wisely count the cost because there is indeed a great cost and that’s what I love about jesus He tells us the truth, right?

He goes on to say in other verses in Matthew 18, 19 through 23, you hear someone else, a scribe come up to Jesus and say, teacher, I will follow you wherever you go. And Jesus said to him, foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head, says another of the disciples said to him, Lord, let me first go and bury my father.

But Jesus said to him, follow me and leave the dead to bury their own dead. Again, Jesus is laying out. The cost of being a disciple, right? This guy says I will follow you wherever you go It reminds you of peter when he boldly proclaims lord I will go where you have to go and I will die for you and all these things and the lord looks at me goes Before the cock crows tonight.

You’re gonna deny me three times he says the same thing to this guy here You know when he comes up and you can see this scribe just courageously and almost pridefully I’ll follow you wherever you go and jesus is like look foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head like I don’t have a home.

I’m on the road. Like I’m living the life that the Lord has called me My father has called me to going for the conversion of souls going to save the world to be the savior that i’ve sent to be And if you’re going to follow me, you have to be like new christ You have to be like me willing to give everything all the way to the cross that christ gave his life on the cross for us.

You have to be willing to do that same thing. All right So he’s on he’s never going oh, yeah, come with me It’s going to be a walk through the You know down a rainbow it’s gonna be like skipping through the tulips and there’s gonna be nothing But just awesomeness all the time and you’re gonna feel wonderful the whole time Like no the lord is telling you like it’s very hard to be a disciple So again, he’s giving everyone who comes to him these opportunities to really count the cost and he’s saying look I hear what you’re saying, but you need to think about what you’re saying Because what you’re what you have to do if you want to be my disciple is all for everything I have to become the most important thing in your life, and I think there’s so many of us today Including myself sometimes that would say that i’m a disciple of jesus christ But if we sit down and we put pen to paper and we start writing down the ways that we think we are That list may be a whole lot shorter than what we think it is in our mind because how many times do the hard things come up and we turn away from them?

Or the chance is to really choose christ over other things in our life or are there in our life But we choose very rapidly very easily very comfortably the other options All right. So jesus is always inviting us to It’s his place of counting the cost, right? But the difference is counting the cost is one thing.

You need to sit down and go, okay, where am I in my life? Like I need Christ. Okay. So to bring Christ into my life, it’s going to cost me all this selfishness, right? All this Tom spent thinking about my own desires and what I want and how I get ahead and the things that I need. And it’s the shift to thinking first and foremost, what is God calling me to?

What is Jesus desiring of me? Okay. Seeking his will and discerning his will in our life, but then also looking to those around us, what does my wife need? What are my kids need? What are the, what are those people around me? Even yes, my enemies, what do they need? And what am I called to give and to be for them, right?

So there’s this cost but it’s not the problem isn’t in counting the cost that’s something that we should all be doing right counting the cost of what it’s Of what it means to be a disciple because it’s also a way each and every day We can look at our life and see if we’re measuring up to the cost if that sheet is balancing if you will right with the cost and then what we’re actually living in our life Right the results of the cost of those things But the problem isn’t in counting the cost, as I’ve said.

It’s in fearing the cost and this is where so many people wind up and this is why so many people come up to me in events and this is why it’s always a theme where no matter wherever I go It’s like man, I want to do the things you’re calling me to that christ is speaking through you to me to do He’s calling me to do but man i’m afraid, and a lot of people don’t outright come up and say i’m afraid but you hear that fear in the my wife isn’t a believer.

My husband isn’t a believer or You Or my kids are, they’ve walked away from the faith. And if I live more fully as a disciple, it’s just going to push them further away. Or what if I lose my job? If you’re asking me to live for Christ everywhere, then you know that’s a problem in the world today in some places.

And you could lose your job over, over living out your faith in a bold way in your place. I get it. They’re all concerns, right? And they’re valid concerns, but we’re not supposed to fear those things, right? We’re not supposed to fear ’em. And when we fear the cost, this is where there’s a problem.

Because fear paralyzes us. Fear. Keeps us from moving forward. It just it’s like getting like stepping into quicksand or to concrete and you can’t move like wet concrete You’re just stuck and so you make no decisions and that’s what that fear leads us to it’s it’s where a lot of people are and it leads us to this place of indecision and we see this again In the scriptures, you know in a famous parable the rich young man, right?

We see it in matthew 1916 through 22 It says and behold one came up to him saying teacher What good deed must I do to have eternal life? So someone’s realizing there is a benefit to following Christ, right? There is eternal life. Like, how do I have. This great reward and jesus says to him why do you ask me about what is good one?

There’s one who is good if you would enter life keep the commandments He said to him which and jesus said you shall not kill you shall not commit adultery You shall not steal you shall not bear false witness honor your father and mother and you shall love your neighbor as yourself The young man said to him, all these I have observed.

What do I still lack? This is the question we want to ask Jesus, but this is when we don’t want to hear the answer, right? And so this young man has the boldness and the courage to ask Jesus and then Jesus looks to him and says if you would Be perfect, right? If you would be my disciple Go sell what you possess and give it to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven and come and follow me That’s always the invitation from Christ, right?

If you really want what you’re asking for, then give everything to me, right? Turn away these things and turn to me. Look to me for everything you need in your life, for your sustenance, for your support, for your faith, right? For your times of great need. Look at me, look to me and look to follow me.

But when the young man, it says in scripture, when the young man heard this, he went away, sorrowful. Some versions say sad for he had great possessions. This is the thing folks. When we hear this, we think man, if I follow Jesus, do I just have to walk around and torn robes and give up everything and have nothing in my life.

And no, that’s not the thing. Like Jesus, isn’t calling you. Not all of us, at least to, to give up, like what the things that you have, like the Lord has blessed you with a home, with a family, with a career, with a job, and sometimes maybe he’s calling you into ministry or something, but he’s not saying, okay, go get rid of everything that I blessed you with and then just walk aimlessly down the street searching for me.

No seek my will, look at the gifts I’ve given you in your life, and then choose to follow me, right? And that means putting me ahead of everything else. But the thing is, just like this rich young man, we get fearful. The devil starts whispering in our ear oh, you start being a full, a real disciple of Jesus, you’re gonna have to give up this, can’t watch those movies you like anymore with all the language and the nudity and all that stuff.

You’re gonna have to turn off that laptop of the things you’re not looking at You’re gonna have to really realize you’re probably drinking a little too much You got to put down that bottle or at least get it under control you’re gonna you’re gonna have to you’re gonna have to start forgiving people, right?

These people that you’ve wanted to just hate your whole life. You’re gonna have to forgive you’re gonna have to you have to quit being angry about things let the lord into those places, right? Because to be a fully a real and full disciple of the lord you got to let him into every part of your life So this is where we get scared and just like this rich young man He had a lot of things and he had found comfort in those things But even that comfort he realized as all of us do there was something still lacking, right?

Something’s still not right. I’m still not i’m still not really joyful. I’m still not happy I don’t feel like my purpose is fulfilled. So jesus, what do I lack? And this is the hard part jesus tells you give up everything and follow me Right? Make me the most important thing in your life and center everything in your life around it.

Make me the center of that circle and everything else is circles that come into that circle. Everything is impacted by your relationship with me. All your relationships, the way you work, the way you carry yourself, the way you treat people, all of that. Let me come into you through the Eucharist, through the Holy Spirit, and let me live in you as a light and a beacon to this world.

But so many of us we count the we’re not only counting the cost, we’re fearing the cost, what it’s going to cost us. And this is exactly where the devil wants us. He wants us to think about that instead of thinking about what it means and the gift that we receive when we become a disciple of Jesus Christ.

So we settle for being content, right? We settle for mediocrity, we settle for indifference. And this is where we begin to struggle, right? This is when we begin to struggle. And this is what happens, like here’s another scripture verse in a, an example for you. So everybody also knows about the rich man that was storing up things in barns.

And he says, Jesus told, it says, Jesus told them a parable saying, the land of a rich man brought forth plentifully. And he thought to himself, what should I do? For I have nowhere to store my crops now. So this guy’s like abundantly being blessed. And instead of returning gratitude for those things or sharing those things with others and helping other people.

He says, man I’ve got all this stuff. What should I do now? And so he says, what shall I do for? I have nowhere to stare my crops, store my crops. And he said, I will do this. I will pull down my barns and build larger ones. And there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years.

Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said to him, you fool, this night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be? So is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich towards God. Folks, that’s Luke 12, 16 through 20. Again, here’s this person that like doesn’t even realize the blessings of God, like he realizes, oh man, I got all this stuff.

And instead of thinking like what can I do with it? How can I bless others? How can I use it to serve the lord? He simply thinks I can just store all this I’ll rip down my two small barns and build gigantic barns and fill those and then I can finally rest I can be comfortable and that’s it’s almost like satan saying this stuff when he says I say to myself You know, I have many years worth of stuff laid up.

So you know what? Take your ease, drink, be merry. It almost sounds like the devil in his ear saying those things. And it’s what happens to us. Like we get it fearful. We start to listen. We go, you know what? Following Jesus is hard. Like I’ll do that later on in life. First, let me just take care of all these other things.

My job, my, my stuff like that. I’ll focus on that. And then when I’m retired and I don’t like have work to answer to, or maybe when my kids are gone, I’ll Or you know when they’re grown up and have their families then i’ll pour myself into this time to really being a disciple then i’ll put the fears aside and i’ll move forward courageously to serve the lord and i’ve seen that in so many businessmen like I talked to They’re like man my whole life I had my head down and all these other things and then I looked up one day and like I had no Relationships with my kids and I had no relationship with the lord and i’d given everything to work and I had all these plaques That basically mean nothing in my life now You And they want to return then in that life when they’re retired.

So serving the Lord and praise God for that. Whenever you turn and you encounter the Lord is a good thing. But how many of us never make it to that, right? I know many people in my life in the last year, it seems every time I get an email from my parents, someone’s dying. They’re announcing a funeral and they’re not just people in their eighties and nineties, there’s guys in their fifties.

Women in their 40s. They’re passing away people that have cancer randomly now more than ever who succumb to it, right? We’re not promised anything We’re not promised tomorrow and that’s what god says to him like you fool This very night your soul is required to you and the things you prepared whose will they be?

As you’re sitting in this comfort saying i’ll do it later. I’ll do it later. I’ll do it later may never come All right and so as we fear we begin to put off and we begin to procrastinate and we begin to procrastinate To just settle for mediocrity and comfort, right? And we just become content with where we are and we think i’ll serve jesus another day And I get it folks like I get that giving your life to jesus can be a very scary idea like it can be a very scary idea and you want to put it off to a more a better time But really what we’re doing is saying like lord, i’m afraid like i’m afraid to trust you I’m afraid to fully surrender and here’s the thing.

I want to ask you like Why focus on fearing the cost when we should be looking towards the reward? That’s what I’ve told all these men when I’m speaking is like, why do we fear counting the cost? Why do we fear the cost after we count it instead of looking towards the reward? And what do I mean by that?

Like, Jesus and the saints scriptures. They all talk about this great reward. Jesus says this in Matthew 1916 through 22 Sorry that’s not the right verse. I’m sorry there. He says in 19 matthew 19 through 29 Sorry, I got a bunch of notes and I want to make sure I’m telling you but he says in every one of them, and this is after that he had talked to after he had talked to the rich young man who said, what do I need to do?

And he walked away sad. Peter then says, Lord, who’s going to be saved in like we’ve given up everything. What is there for us? And Jesus goes on to tell him about, we’ve, I’ve got a place for you and all of that, but he finishes it talking to basically all of us. And he says in Matthew 19, 29, and every one of you has left house who has left houses.

Or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for my name’s sake Will receive a hundred fold and inherit eternal life This is the reward like the jesus saying like stop fearing what it’s going to cost you now in this Temporal world in this temporary place and start to look where you’re going to be for eternity Because folks there’s two options where we’re going to be with him forever loving worshiping serving him in this joyful bliss And this restored to this divine intimacy and this friendship with the Lord that we lost in the fall of man and in Genesis being restored to their proper place or living forever in, in hell with the, in what is hell.

It’s eternal separation from God. It’s this pain of never feeling God again in your life. And so Jesus is saying whoever gives up all these things and does all these hard things I’ve asked of you it’ll be returned to you a hundred fold. And you’ll be there with this joyful and peaceful and wonderful life for eternity.

That’s the reward. He goes on to say in, in John 14, one through three, he says, let, and this is when he’s talking to the disciples about what’s going to happen to him and how he’s going to have to go to the cross. He says in John 14, one through three, let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God.

Believe also in me. In my father’s house are many rooms. If it were not would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself. And where I am, may you also be. Like, Jesus is telling you stop focusing on this life and what you’re going to lose here because it’s not going to matter.

You can’t take it with you. And the things that you lose are probably things you didn’t need in your life in the first place. Right when you boldly start to live your life god starts to clear out Like when you boldly start to live your life for him god starts to clear out the things that are unnecessary All right the things that once captured your attention and the things that drug you down and the things that you struggled with seem to be of no importance anymore, and it seems magical, but it’s not it’s just that the reward Of that greater trust in the lord and surrendering ourselves over to him the saints talk about this, too they say saint irenaeus says this he goes god did not tell us to follow him because he needed our help But because he knew that loving him would make us whole. How many of us feel like we’re missing pieces of ourselves? Like we’re, there’s just something, no matter what we shove in the hole of our heart, it never fills us up.

It’s because God kept a piece of himself for us and hoped one day we would come looking for him. And when we do, we surrender it all to him. And he sticks that piece of our heart right back to him and we become whole. That’s why we need healing in our life to heal the whole person. All of those things.

We need God. And that’s what St. Irenaeus says there. As he says, God didn’t tell us to follow him because we need him. Because he needs us. We need him. Not to follow him because he needs us, but because he wants to make us whole. St. Bernadette says, Jesus gives all to those who surrender all.

Jesus gives everything you’re looking for. He takes off the goggles of the world and everything the world tells you gotta have to be happy and you need To be successful in other junk. He removes all that. And he shows you what these clear glasses he puts on you to show you everything that you want.

He gives all to those who surrender all St. Bernard says, Jesus gives all he says, excuse me. He says, God not only gives now, this is confusing of a quote. So I’m going to say it slowly so you guys can hear it because I confused myself when I read it. So it says, St. Bernard says, God not only gives me myself, he also gives me himself.

In his first work, he gave me myself. In his second work, he gave me himself. When he gave me himself, he gave me back myself. So there’s this idea that when we count the cost and the fear that what we’re going to lose, the friendships and brother, have I lost those? Yes. But I’ve also gained more close friends that I’ve ever had in my life and better relationships that I ever had in my life.

But what he’s saying here is God will give you yourself back, right? Your true self, who you were supposed to be. Not the person you become because of who the world’s told you to be, but who you’re supposed to be and who God designed you to be, who he loved you into existence to become, right? The plan that was always who you were supposed to be.

He gives you that because he gives you himself. And through himself, that, that relationship restored his beloved father and beloved son or daughter. You now understand better who you are. So he gives you yourself back more fully. It’s a beautiful quote. St. Thomas Aquinas goes on to, to give some quotes.

I’m going to share here at the end too. But the last one I want to share in this part is St. Francis of DeSales. He says, serve God as he wishes. You will see one day he will do all you wish and more than you even know how to wish. So there’s a thought for you to stop counting the cost and look to the reward.

This is what Christ calls us to, right? This is what he calls us to. This is why he says I’ve come so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. I, my peace I give you, my peace I give you, right? Like my peace I bring you, my peace I give you. What does he say to the apostles when he appears like my peace I give you This is what jesus came for to deliver hope and peace and mercy and love And second chances and healing from brokenness In this world, but further in the next but if we’re always fearing the cost We never look to the reward and my brothers and sisters that are listening here The thing is if you really want to count a cost like if you really want to fear a cost Then fear the cost of not giving your life to him That’s what you should fear if you’re gonna fear anything fear not giving your life to the lord Because if you’re unhappy here on this earth think about how happy you’re gonna be in hell And that’s the truth guys like we get on here every week and we talk about all these things We’re struggling with and where we are, but there’s the truth of a matter There’s a choice in your life that has to be made either i’m going to throw caution to the wind, and I’m going to quit fearing surrender, and I’m going to, I’m going to quit fearing the cost, and I’m just going to boldly take this step forward into saying yes to the Lord Jesus in my life, allowing him into my heart.

And allowing him to take over myself so that I can be what I was created to be in the first place. And I can go out and serve in the way I was supposed to not for myself, but for everyone else around me, my family, those that I love and the people in the world around me, folks, that’s what we’re here for.

That’s what Jesus called every one of us to when he ascended into heaven, to go and make disciples. There’s a cost to discipleship. Yes. So count it. Look at it. And for those of you who think that we’ve given our lives over to being disciples of Christ, start to write down how. And I think each and every one of us can find ways where we’re not giving our lives fully over to Christ.

And that’s okay. That’s a gift. That’s not something to go stick your head in the muck about and to ostrich yourself, right? Oh, I don’t, I’m not a terrible disciple. Look at it as a gift. These are the places I still need Jesus to come into my life. Praise God. I recognize them. Now let that happen. But to those of you who are stuck in fear because of what it’s going to cost you, stop fearing the cost of that.

And start looking towards the reward. Start having a an eternity mindset. We weren’t made for this world. We were made for the next one. So stop spending so much of your mind, your headspace, focusing on the things of this world and focus on the things of the next, and you find out that the things of this world become a lot easier to deal with, a lot easier to put into perspective and a lot easier to give to him, the only person that could do anything about it.

So let’s talk a little bit about some how to’s here, folks. Like, how do we do this? Like, how do we stop fearing the cost and how do we start stepping into this bold life of a disciple and not again, a box checker. But somebody who’s actually seeking in their lives each and every day, Lord, I know I’m not living the way I should.

How do I live more perfectly as a disciple for you? That’s the question he longs for. That’s the question he’s looking for. And that’s the question we need to be asking ourselves each and every day. So how do we do that? Honestly, folks, you have to say enough is enough. You have to be tired of living in fear.

You have to say I’m making a decision right now to surrender it all, get sick and tired of being sick and tired, right? Because here’s the thing. Aquinas, as I brought up a minute ago, this is what he says about it. St. Thomas Aquinas, he says, two things are required in order to obtain eternal life, right?

Which is the reward we’ve been talking about. So two things are required to obtain that eternal life, that eternal reward, the grace of God and man’s will. And although God made man without man’s help, when he gave me himself, I’m sorry, that’s wrong. I read the wrong thing there. Sorry. When God, I’m messing up today.

Sorry. So let’s start over that. Two things are required in order to obtain eternal life. The grace of God in man’s Will and although God made man without man’s help. He does not sanctify him without his cooperation So now that I confused everybody i’ll say it one more time For me and the ones in the cheap seats.

Two things are required in order to obtain eternal life, the grace of God and man’s will. And although God made man without man’s help, he does not sanctify him without his cooperation. So folks, this is what I mean. You got to get sick and tired of being sick and tired. You have to say enough’s enough.

You have to make a decision. That i’m going to surrender it all and then do it because it’s an act of your will That god’s looking for and then he gives you the grace to do everything else The second thing I would say is keep your eyes on eternity Quit worrying so much about here because guess what you could die tomorrow and nothing here matters anymore It’s not a concern of you anymore because you’re not here You’re going to be concerned about wherever you are worshiping and serving god or wishing you had if you’re in the other place, so keep your eyes on eternity, look to the reward, stop counting the cost, and then you’re able to live in the way as a disciple that you’re called to live three, grow your love for Christ by building a greater relationship with him through prayer, through the liturgy and through the word.

That’s what Saint yeah, not saying yet. He will be, I’m sure one day Pope Benedict, the 16th says, you want a better relationship with Christ? Seek it in the mass, right? Go and receive the Eucharist each and every day. Through prayer, grow in your prayer life every day, seek the Lord every minute of your day, like just keep them in your mind and your thoughts all the time and offer everything to them in prayer.

Three, through the word. Get into his word and learn a bit more about Jesus there and what he says. Everything I’m reading to you here on these podcasts and we’re sharing with you scripture wise are places I’m diving back into in my own life to seek him in a greater way and he’s given me these insights and by the way, these podcasts, like they’re not just for you, they’re for me.

He’s giving me insights into my own life and I thought, you know what, that would probably be helpful to somebody else because oftentimes I fear what giving more and more of my life to Christ looks like. And he calls me to quit worrying about the fear and start looking towards the reward. So I’m sharing that with you here.

So seek him in all of these things, right? In the sacraments, in reconciliation, all of those things, seek him constantly. Finally, pray to the Holy Spirit for help and the courage to continue to live the life of a real disciple. Have the courage, Holy Spirit, give me the courage to examine my life. And look at where I haven’t surrendered, where I haven’t fully given my life over the Lord, and help me to have the courage to invite Jesus back into that place to come to heal me to give me what I need to move forward, and to counsel me in the places I need counsel.

Folks, that’s how you do this. It’s not a hard thing. It’s hard in the fact that if you look at the fears and you concentrate on that, but we’re not called to count, to, to fear the counting the cost and what those costs are. Counting the cost isn’t the problem. It’s the fear of the cost when we’ve counted it.

Stop thinking about the fear, start thinking about the reward. That’s the that’s what God told me this week in my own life. That’s what I’m here to share with you folks. Thank you for listening. Thank you for sharing. If you want to support us again. You can go to JustToGetOnThePew. com and click the donate button.

Join us as a monthly supporter. It allows us to do all that we’re doing here on this podcast and throughout all of this ministry, what we’re doing. Folks, I’m going to be praying for you. Please pray for me. And we’re going to take all of this to prayer right now. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Amen. Heavenly Father, When we look to being a disciple, the devil meets us immediately with the fears of what it’s going to cost us. We think about the relationships we might lose, the job we might lose the friendships we might lose, the family members that might walk away. But Lord, you call us back by saying, Yes, it may cost you something, but I’m going to give you everything.

Just trust me and to walk forward with me, give your life to me, and there’s a reward in heaven that waits for you. Lord, when we fall in these places of worry and stress and anxiety and fear over the cost, remind us of the great reward. Help us to have the courage to walk more boldly as a disciple of yours each and every day, and help us each and every day as we face those struggles.

To turn back to you, to look for you, to you for courage, for advice, for strength. And at the end of the day, trust. So that we can be in the places you’ve called us to be, and we can experience that great reward with you one day. In your most holy name we pray. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.