31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.(A) 33 But seek first his kingdom(B) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.(C)

Read full chapter

The Way of the Cross

34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.(A) 35 For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.(B) 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Mark 8:35 The Greek word means either life or soul; also in verses 36 and 37.

The Cost of Being a Disciple

25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.(A) 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.(B)

28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.(C)

34 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?(D) 35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.(E)

“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”(F)

Read full chapter

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss(A) for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing(B) Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ(C) and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law,(D) but that which is through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness(E) that comes from God on the basis of faith.(F) 10 I want to know(G) Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings,(H) becoming like him in his death,(I) 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection(J) from the dead.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Philippians 3:9 Or through the faithfulness of

Bible Gateway Recommends