Counting The Cost

Small Group Discussion Guide

Based on the message by Pastor Chris Hufton

1. SERMON RECAP

Pastor Chris Hufton walked the congregation through Luke 14 and surrounding passages to explore what it truly means to follow Jesus in a culture that is increasingly hostile to biblical faith. He challenged the group to recognize that Christianity in America is not collapsing but being clarified, as those who genuinely hold to the Word of God are becoming more distinct from the surrounding culture. He reminded the congregation that being hated, excluded, or cursed for following Christ is not a tragedy but an occasion for blessing, and that the call to love enemies, hold our tongues, and wash our minds in Scripture is the foundation every believer must build upon before the storm arrives.

2. KEY SCRIPTURE

Luke 14:27-28 (NIV)

"And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?"

3. ICE BREAKER

Think of a time you started something without fully counting the cost, whether a home project, a recipe, a road trip, or a commitment of some kind. What happened, and what did you learn from it?

4. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Pastor Chris described Christianity in America not as collapsing but as being "clarified," meaning the people who genuinely believe and follow the Word of God are becoming more visible and more distinct. Do you agree with that observation? What have you noticed in your own relationships, workplace, or community that supports or challenges that idea?

2. He pointed out that Jesus promised his followers would be hated, excluded, and cursed, and then immediately said to respond with happiness rather than fear or retaliation. How does that land with you honestly? Is it easy or difficult to receive persecution as a blessing, and what makes the difference in how we respond in the moment?

3. Pastor Chris used the image of salt losing its saltiness through dilution rather than through some dramatic failure. He connected this to the slow, gradual ways we allow screen time, social media, entertainment, and cultural noise to water down our faith and identity in Christ. Where in your own daily life do you feel the most diluted? What tends to crowd out time in the Word or quiet listening to God?

4. He read from Luke 6 where Jesus commands his followers to love enemies, lend without expecting repayment, and refuse to judge, and then he made the pointed observation that most Christians he sees on social media are doing the opposite. Why do you think it is so difficult to hold to those instructions when the topic is political, cultural, or personally offensive? What would it look like practically to apply Luke 6 in those moments?

5. Pastor Chris warned that it is possible to operate in spiritual gifts, serve faithfully, and give generously while still doing it without love, citing Matthew 7 where Jesus says "I never knew you" to people who performed mighty works in his name. How do we honestly examine our own motivations? What questions can we ask ourselves to check whether love is genuinely driving what we do, or whether pride or habit has taken the wheel?

6. He emphasized that our children and younger generations are being shaped for nine or more hours a day by screens and cultural voices, and that parents carry a primary responsibility for reinforcing the importance of Scripture and the church. Whether or not someone in the group has children, how does that principle apply more broadly to the people we influence? What does it look like for each of us to be someone who consistently points others toward what Jesus actually said?

5. APPLICATION CHALLENGE

This week, choose one specific relationship where you have found it genuinely difficult to show love, whether it is a family member with different political views, a coworker who has been unkind, or someone whose choices you disagree with. Do not post about them, argue with them, or attempt to correct them this week. Instead, pray for them by name every day for seven days using the pattern Jesus gave in Luke 6, asking God to bless them, do good toward them, and open a door for genuine care to be shown. At the next group meeting, share honestly what that practice revealed about your own heart.

6. PRAYER POINTS

• Pray that each group member would develop the habit of washing their mind regularly in the Gospels and in the full Word of God, so that cultural noise and social media do not gradually shift their thinking away from what Jesus actually taught.

• Pray for the courage and gentleness to hold the line on biblical truth without arrogance, remembering that when people reject the message, they are ultimately rejecting Jesus and not the messenger, and that it is not our job to force belief but to love faithfully and leave the outcome with God.

• Pray for the families represented in the group, that parents would be empowered to make the church and Scripture a clear priority in their homes, and that young people who may have walked away from faith would find the door open and the welcome warm when they are ready to return.

7. MEMORY VERSE

Matthew 10:28 (NIV)

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell."

Take time before you close to check in with one another personally. The storms Pastor Chris Hufton described are not only cultural and political. They are often deeply personal. Make space for that in your group.