Joyful Moments in Christ

Counting the Cost of Following Jesus

This Sunday School lesson is intended for upper elementary students. All lessons on this website are protected by copyright, but you can use them for free in small groups or Sunday School classes. You may share a link to this page, but please do not copy these pages and put them on other websites.

The Big Idea

Jesus calls us to love him above all else and to understand the great commitment of being his disciple.

Lesson Objectives

1. Students will learn that following Jesus requires placing him first in their hearts above all other relationships.
2. Students will understand that being a disciple involves being ready to face hard things for the sake of Christ.
3. Students will recognize the importance of thinking carefully about the serious commitment of faith.

Class Setting Notes

1. Recommended for upper elementary Sunday School.
2. Lesson length: 45 to 60 minutes. Can be shortened or extended based on activities selected.

Opening Activity: The Tower Challenge

1. Give students a large pile of building blocks or plastic cups.
2. Tell them they have exactly three minutes to build the tallest tower possible.
3. Halfway through the time, tell them they must stop using their right hands.
4. When the time is up, look at which towers are finished and which fell over.
5. Talk about how frustrating it is to start a big project and not be able to finish it.

This activity helps introduce the idea of planning ahead and understanding the effort needed to finish a job before you begin.

Bible Reading

Ask the class to read Luke 14:25-35 aloud together or have one person read it.

• Very Easy: Easy-to-Read Version: Luke 14:25-35 (ERV)
• Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 14:25-35 (NIRV)
• Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 14:25-35 (GNT)
• Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 14:25-35 (NLT)
• Hard: New International Version: Luke 14:25-35 (NIV)
• Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 14:25-35 (ESV)

Additional Reading: Choosing the Right Bible Translation

Suggested prompts:

As the class reads aloud, consider asking some of these prompts:

1. Notice how Jesus turns to talk to the large crowds that are following him.
2. Think about what it means to love Jesus even more than your own father or mother.
3. Watch what happens in the story when a man starts to build but runs out of money.
4. Listen for the advice Jesus gives to a king who is about to go into a big battle.
5. Pay attention to what Jesus says about salt that has lost its taste.

Teacher Background Notes

1. The crowds following Jesus often expected him to be an earthly king who would bring them easy lives.
2. When Jesus speaks of hating family, he is using a common way of speaking to say that our love for him must be so great that all other loves look small by comparison.
3. Carrying a cross was a very clear and scary image for people in that time, representing total sacrifice.
4. The tower and the king represent the wisdom of counting the cost of an action before committing to it.
5. Salt in the ancient world was used to keep food from spoiling, just as Christians are called to be a good influence in the world.

Theological Insights

1. Jesus is worthy of our highest love because he is God and the only Savior of the world.
2. Discipleship is a work of God’s grace, but it involves our active obedience and perseverance.
3. True faith is not just a one time decision but a life of following Christ every day.
4. The cost of following Jesus is high, but the cost of not following him is much higher.
5. God provides the strength we need to remain salty and useful for his kingdom.

Discussion Questions

Understanding the Text

1. What does Jesus say a person must do with their own cross to be his follower?
2. Why would people laugh at a man who could not finish his building?
3. What does a king do if he realizes his army is not strong enough to win a fight?
4. What happens to salt when it is no longer salty?

Personal Reflection and Application

1. Why do you think Jesus is honest with us about how hard it can be to follow him?
2. What are some things in your life that might distract you from loving Jesus the most?
3. How can we encourage our friends to keep following Jesus when things get difficult?
4. What does it look like for a 3rd/4th/5th grader to be salty in their school or on their sports team?

Suggested Activities

The Cost Calculation

1. Give students a list of items with prices and a specific budget of play money.
2. Have them choose which items they can afford to buy for a pretend party.
3. Discuss how they had to make choices and give up some things to get what was most important.

This activity helps students understand that choosing one thing often means letting go of another.

Salt Science Observation

1. Put a small amount of salt in one cup of water and a small amount of sand in another.
2. Have the students observe how the salt changes the water while the sand just sits at the bottom.
3. Talk about how followers of Jesus should change the world around them for the better.

This activity illustrates the difference between being useful for God and being like salt that has lost its purpose.

Tower of Faith Drawings

1. Have students draw a tall tower and write “Following Jesus” at the top.
2. On the foundation stones, have them write things that help them stay strong, like prayer and reading the Bible.
3. On the windows, have them write names of people who help them learn about God.

This activity reminds students that a strong life with Christ is built on a solid foundation.

Memory Verse

Closing Prayer

Father,
Thank you for calling us to belong to you and for the gift of your Son. Help us to love Jesus more than anything else and to follow him with our whole hearts.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

The ESL Version

I also create materials for adult English Language Learners (ELLs) and ESL students. You can find my ELL Bible Study based on Luke 14:25-35 here:

• ELL Bible Study: Luke 14:25-35 — Following Jesus Is Costly

Subscribe

If you enjoyed this post and wish to receive more Christian content, consider subscribing to my newsletters!

Related Resources

Visit the Joyful Moments in Christ homepage for all posts, or scroll through other blog posts related to Sunday School:

English Standard Version (ESV): Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.