“Such grace is costly … because it costs a man his life and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner” (p. 5).

“When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die” (pp. 8 and 73).

“Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of our church. We are fighting today for costly grace. Cheap grace means grace sold on the market like cheapjack’s wares. The sacraments, the forgiveness of sin, and the consolations of religion are thrown away at cut prices … grace without price, grace without cost!… Everything can be had for nothing” (p. 37).

“Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without Church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without contrition. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ living and incarnate” (p. 38).

SOURCE: Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship (SCM, 1959).

John Stott, The Preacher’s Notebook: The Collected Quotes, Illustrations, and Prayers of John Stott, ed. Mark Meynell (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018).

We have just released a new Bible Study based on the theme: Disciplesship and Mission

These lessons are available on Amazon, as we as a part of my Good Questions Have Groups Talking Subscription Service. Like Netflix for Bible Lessons, one low subscription gives you access to all our lessons--thousands of them. For a medium-sized church, lessons are as little as $10 per teacher per year.

Lessons include:

Discipleship and Mission, Lesson #1
Called to Serve
Luke 14.7 - 14

Discipleship and Mission, Lesson #2
Called to Sacrifice
Mark 1:16–20; Luke 14:25–33

Discipleship and Mission, Lesson #3
Called to Return
Luke 15:11–24

Discipleship and Mission, Lesson #4
Called to Repent
Luke 19.1 - 10

Discipleship and Mission, Lesson #5
Called to Follow
Matthew 4.12 - 22

Discipleship and Mission, Lesson #6
Called to Mission
Matthew 10:1–15

Discipleship and Mission, Lesson #7
Called to Remember
Matthew 26:1–13

Discipleship and Mission, Lesson #8
Called to Believe the Resurrection
Matthew 28:1–15

Discipleship and Mission, Lesson #9
Called to Make Disciples
Matthew 28:16–20; Acts 1:6–8   123

Discipleship and Mission, Lesson #10
Called to Righteousness
Romans 3:21–31

Discipleship and Mission, Lesson #11
Called to Life in the Spirit
Romans 8:1–14

Discipleship and Mission, Lesson #12
Called to Mutual Acceptance
Romans 11:11–24; 10.5 - 13

Discipleship and Mission, Lesson #13
Called to Be Transformed
Romans 12:1 – 8

Each lesson consists of 20 or so ready-to-use questions that get groups talking. Answers are provided in the form of quotes from respected authors such as John Piper, Max Lucado and Beth Moore.

These lessons will save you time as well as provide deep insights from some of the great writers and thinkers from today and generations past.  I also include quotes from the same commentaries that your pastor uses in sermon preparation.

Ultimately, the goal is to create conversations that change lives.