Discipleship Is Not a To-Do List

We live by lists—apps, reminders, calendars, sticky notes. They’re meant to help us stay organized, but most of the time they accuse us of what we haven’t done. What if discipleship feels the same way? Another endless list of spiritual tasks you’ll never finish?

In this sermon on Luke 14:25-33 and Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Pastor Nate explores why Jesus’ hard words about “hating family” and “carrying the cross” aren’t just impossible demands, but an invitation to trust instead of achieve. Drawing on everyday experiences (yes, even fantasy football), this message reveals the freedom that comes when we stop treating salvation as a project and instead enter the story that Christ has already finished.

✅ Key themes in this sermon:

Why spiritual life isn’t a checklist of tasks to complete

What Jesus really means with the tower and king parables in Luke 14

How “choose life” in Deuteronomy points to grace, not pressure

The freedom of discipleship as trust, not performance

Living with less anxiety, comparison, and guilt because of the Gospel

If you’ve ever felt buried by your lists—or by the pressure to hold everything together—this sermon will remind you of the good news: Christ has already built what we could not.