Count the Cost

“He who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.”
MATTHEW 10:38

It is unfortunate that after many years of service the Lord still has to call us back to the Cross, yet this is precisely where we should have begun. Although we ought to encourage people to come as they are and trust the Lord for salvation, we must also teach them that they must count the cost and take up the Cross: else they are not worthy of Jesus! God cannot fill us until He empties us. The Cross is where we are poured out that He may pour in.
Source: Embrace the Cross by Chip Brogden