Bill was visibly frustrated as he briskly strode into Dave’s office.
“Hey Bill, what can I do for you?” Dave asked pleasantly.
“You can accept my resignation,” Bill snarled.
“What?” Dave replied, in confusion.
“That’s right, I’m done,” he continued.
“OK Bill, I see that you’re very upset; why don’t you tell me what’s going on?”
“Five Smooth Stones is what’s going on!” he said,
“You mean the Christian Rock Band?” Dave asked.
“Come on Dave, what else would I be talking about?” he shot back.
“OK, I just want to make sure I understand what the problem is?”
Bill’s expression twisted as he explained, “It’s really pretty simple, I’ve been teaching Sunday School in this church for almost twenty years now, and it’s been like pulling teeth to get anyone interested in this ministry; especially the kids. We never have any budget, we fight to get teachers, and even when you get some kids in the classroom, you fight to get them interested in anything to do with God. But let some guys with guitars show up, and all of a sudden, we’ve got money to upgrade the sound system, we’ve got an army of volunteers to set up the stage, and the kids are acting like its Christmas Eve.”
“So you’re upset that everyone is excited about this band coming in?” Dave asked in confusion.
“It’s not that I care about the band,” he responded, “I just wonder why no one is excited about working with this ministry until some group of hot shots they’ve heard on the radio comes around. Is this really even about ministry, or is it just a meeting of the ‘Five Smooth Stones’ fan club?”
“OK Bill, I think I understand where you’re coming from. First off, as the Superintendent of the Sunday School, no one understands better than me about the struggle to keep this ministry going, and to get people excited about it; but having a nationally known Christian band just volunteer out of the blue to come, and give a concert here is a blessing, not a curse. This will give us an opportunity to reach the kids in a way that we’ve never been able to before.”
“Will it Dave?”
“Will it what?” he again asked in confusion.
“Reach the kids,” Bill replied.
“I don’t know, but don’t you think that it’s worth a try?” Dave pled.
“I don’t know what I think anymore,” he said. “I’m beginning to doubt that I’ve ever reached any of the kids that I’ve taught over the years.”
Dave’s face fell, “Come on Bill, you don’t really believe that, do you?”
“No really; I’ve watched them come in, and sit through my class like it was detention. They do there time, and then they leave,” he responded. A few years later, when you see them on the street, they either don’t know you, or you find out that they’re living with their girlfriend or something.”
“You know that isn’t every kid’s story,” Dave defended.
“I know, but the good kids seem to come from good parents. They’re fine when I get them, and they’re fine when they leave,” Bill asserted. “I just can’t see where I’ve made any difference in their lives.”
“You’d be surprised.”
“You’re right Dave, I would be.”
Just as Bill finished, an assistant knocked on the open door, and exclaimed, “They’re here!”
“You mean the band?” Dave queried.
“Yup!” the assistant chirped.
“Send them in,” he directed.
Bill rolled his eyes, and said, “I should go.”
“No Bill, you should stay and meet these guys,” Dave replied. “It may make a difference for you.”
With a heavy sigh, Bill grumbled, “I don’t see how, but whatever.”
As two members of the band stepped into the office, Dave quickly moved to the doorway and extended his hand. “Hey guys, we’re excited about you being here. I’m Dave Roberts, the Sunday School Superintendent’ and this is one of our teachers, Bill Walker.”
Bill smiled weakly, and shook the guy’s hands as well.
“It’s a pleasure to be here, and to see you guys again. I’m Chris Smith, and this is Tom Howard. The rest of the guys are unloading our equipment.”
Dave looked confused, as he asked, “So you’ve been here before?”
“Oh yes Sir,” Chris replied. “As a matter of fact, Mr. Walker was my Sunday School teacher.”
The men exchanged a look of shock before Bill turned to Chris, and confessed, “I’m sorry, you do look familiar to me, but your name doesn’t ring a bell.”
Chris smiled knowingly, “Back then they called me Willie.”
“O Lord,” Bill exclaimed. “Little Willie Smith! Of course, I remember you now!”
“It’s been a long time since anyone’s called me Willie,” Chris chuckled.
Dave exuberantly asserted, “So you guys have some history together?”
“Oh yeah,” Bill nodded. We’ve definitely got some memories.”
Sheepishly, Chris nodded in agreement, “Yeah, some pretty bad memories really.”
Again, confused, Dave asked, “Bad memories?”
“Willie, I mean Chris, was going through a tough time back then,” Bill defended.
“It’s true,” Chris affirmed. “It was probably the lowest time in my life. I was here living with my Aunt, while my parents tried to work out their problems with the law, and each other. I was pretty angry, and I definitely didn’t want to be in church.”
With a look of satisfaction, Dave said, “I guess things changed after you got to know the people here.”
Chris grimaced slightly, “I wish I could say that was true. Honestly, I was hateful to everyone here, especially Mr. Walker. This is part of the reason that I wanted to come back; to apologize, and to let you know that you didn’t waste your time on me.”
Bill’s voice was noticeably softer as he continued, “As I remember, you went back to your parents. I guess they got their issues worked out.”
“Not really,” Chris replied. “My Aunt sent me back because she said that I was unmanageable. Things got a lot worse after that. My father eventually went to jail, and the courts took me away from my Mom. I was raised in a Foster home after that.”
Dave almost seemed to be pleading, “So,I guess they got you back in church?”
“No, they were good people, but they weren’t church people,” he said.
“So how do you go from where you were to a Christian Rock band?” Bill asked.
“By the time I was taken from my mother, I was so angry, and depressed that I was thinking about killing myself. I had actually planned it out, but then I remembered something you showed us in class,” he said turning toward Bill. “Do you remember the string that you had that stretched all the way across the room, with the little piece of string hanging from the middle of it?”
“Oh sure,” Bill nodded. “I still have that in my classroom to teach kids about how short this life is compared to eternity.”
“Well it works,” Chris declared. “I remembered that picture in my mind, and I realized that killing myself might end the pain of this life, but that it would simply be trading it for an eternity of pain. That depressed me even more, but then I remembered when you taught about the prodigal son, and you said that no matter what happens you can always come home to Jesus. I couldn’t think of anything else to do, so that night, alone in my bedroom, I asked Him to come into my life, and to help me. And He did.”
Dave could see Bill’s eyes filling with tears, as he exclaimed, “Wow, what a great testimony.”
“You know Chris gives his testimony at every concert, and we’ve seen hundreds of kids give their hearts to the Lord,” Tom added. “Many of them talk about how someone once told them about Jesus, but that it wasn’t until they reached the bottom that they were willing to call out for help. As a matter of fact we wrote a song about it for our second CD.”
“Wow!” Dave gasped.
“Yeah, it’s called “Believing for the Harvest,” Chris added. “I thought of how Mr. Walker’s ministry had touched my life, and I knew that he’d probably never know about it. It struck me that there are a lot of faithful servants out there who pour themselves into kids, without ever knowing whether they’re making a difference. I guess I wanted to honor their service and their faith.”
Pulling out a CD from his case, Tom said, “I just remembered that Chris wrote a little dedication for the song that we put on the CD cover. It says, ‘This song is dedicated to Mr. Bill Walker, and to diligent servants like him, who are faithful to sow and water, knowing that they may never get to witness the harvest. They will never fully understand the impact their lives have made until they get to their Father in Heaven’.”
Bill could no longer contain the tears, as Chris warmly embraced him, “Thank you Mr. Walker.”
“Thank you Willie,” he whispered.
As the two men separated, Tom stepped up and hugged Bill as well, “I want to thank you too Mr. Walker.”
“For what?” he queried.
“Well, Chris is the one who led me to the Lord, so I figure that I also owe you some thanks.”
“God bless you son,” Bill cried.
As the men separated, Chris declared, “We really need to go help the guys set up the stage; maybe we can get together afterward, and talk some more.”
“That would be great,” Bill said as he wiped his eyes.
As Chris and Tom headed out the door, Dave turned to Bill, and smiled, “Where were we?”
Bill smiled sheepishly, and replied, “I believe that I was saying how excited I was about tonight’s outreach, and how I can’t wait to get back into class on Sunday morning.”
Dave’s expression grew more serious, and with his voice was filled with emotion, as he said, “God bless you Bill.”
Tears once again began to flow, as Bill choked, “God bless you Dave.”
Bjcorbin's Blog 
The Cost of Discipleship
Posted in Commentaries, tagged appetite, blank check, cost, death, diet or exercise, discipleship, endurance, eternal security, faith alone, master, obesity, resurrection, sacrifice, servant, suffering, weight loss on August 20, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Western culture’s infatuation with convenience has led to a steady progression of “advancements” meant to make life easier. But like any significant shift, there have been some unintended consequences. Though the practical demands of our day-to-day life have receded, so too has our capacity for delivering consistently high levels of energy for any given task. Within this new reality, there is no need to sweat anywhere other than the gym. Despite this erosion of endurance, our voracious appetites seem to have remained largely intact.
As a result, the struggle with obesity has become rampant throughout our society, which has triggered a corresponding obsession with weight loss. Things like gym memberships, progress picks and Ozempic shots have become prominent features of our cultural landscape. And one of the most popular components of this phenomenon is anything that promises that we can lose weight without changing our diet or exercise pattern.
Inherently, we recognize that if we hope to lose weight, we ought to be disciplined in what we take into our bodies, and/or in how we take care of ourselves. But the appeal of “weight loss without dieting or exercising” is that we can get the results we want, without having to sacrifice the things we crave, even when they are counterproductive to that goal (i.e., reap the benefits without paying the cost).
Unfortunately, this kind of thinking is like yeast that spreads through the whole loaf and works its way into our spiritual life as well. Western Christianity has largely grabbed a hold of the scriptures that celebrate the finished work of Christ, while ignoring those that speak of the cost of following Him. Popular doctrines create the illusion that Jesus’ love created the proverbial blank check (i.e. He died once for all, and we are justified by faith alone) which covers however we chose to live our lives today, while ensuring our place in the next life as well. Like a spiritual Ozempic shot, it promises eternal security, without sacrifice (i.e., dying to yourself) or suffering.
More often than not, faith is presented as both the vaccination and antidote to all suffering (e.g., if we just believe that God loves us and that He is all-powerful, we will somehow become immune to struggles of this life). Yet, Jesus (a man of perfect faith) learned obedience from the things He suffered (Heb.5:8), and He endured the cross, despising its shame (Heb.12:2). He warned His followers that no servant was greater than their master, and that they would be hated for His sake (John 15:18-21). Further, He let them know that to those who have been given much, much more will be required (Luke 12:48).
Throughout the scripture, we see the lives of devoted followers testify to the cost of discipleship. Paul declared that we ought to present our bodies as a living sacrifice (Rom.12:1), saying that in order to become an heir we must be willing to share in Christ’s sufferings (Rom.8:17). Peter agreed, asserting that to partake of this burden was cause for rejoicing (1Peter 4:12-13). David avowed that he would not offer to God that which cost him nothing (2 Sam.24:24), and James observed that the price of cultivating a friendship with the world (i.e., adopting its ways, and adhering to its value system) was to become an enemy of God (James 4:4).
Jesus spoke very plainly about all of this, teaching that whoever wants to be my disciple must be willing to deny themselves and take up their cross daily (Luke 9:23-25). He clarified that the key to experiencing the life He’s ordained for us is found in laying our lives down for Him and His purposes (Matt.16:25). This was the challenge He made to the “rich young ruler,” asking him to forfeit those things which might identify him as anything other than a child of the one true God (Luke 18:18-30).
He taught that unless a seed falls to the ground and dies, it has no potential to produce fruit (John 12:24), and He left no room for interpretation when He said that those who are unwilling to take up a cross and follow Him are not worthy of Him (Matt.10:38). Jesus surrendered His will to accomplish the will of the Father (Luke 22:42), but if we refuse to participate in this of death of self-rule, how then can we lay claim to the resurrection that was gained by it? Can there be a resurrection if there hasn’t been a death?
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