“Count the Cost”

Please feel free to download the bulletin PDF or use another cell phone to read the sermon outline, news and prayer items.

CHAIRMAN: TIFFANY CHAN
SPEAKER: MR JASON KIM
SCRIPTURES: LUKE 14:25-35

Sermon Outline:

(1) The Three Requirements for Discipleship (Luke 14)

• • Jesus must have superiority over relationships (v. 26).
  • Jesus must have superiority over the self (v. 27)
  • Jesus must have superiority over possessions (v. 33)

(2) Illustrations of Half-Heartedness

• • The Tower Builder & The King: You must assess if you have enough to finish what you start.
  • The Useless Salt: A disciple who compromises with the world loses their distinctiveness. “Cost-less” Christianity is ultimately thrown away.

(3) The Motivation: Why Pay the Cost?

• • His Authority: The One asking is God Incarnate, the Creator who has the right to demand our all.
  • His Sacrifice: We do not pay the cost to earn salvation, but in response to the One who paid the ultimate cost for us on the cross.
    • Luther: “It is not imitation that makes us sons, it is sonship that makes us imitators.”

Discussion Questions:

1. If you choose to obey Jesus’s call to follow, what might it cost you? (avoid being vague)
   • Think about relationships, time, ambitions, money, habits, or even your reputation.
   • Where have you seen the call to discipleship confront your current lifestyle?
2. The sermon emphasized that we don’t count the cost to get saved, but because we are saved. How can we strive to be fully committed disciples without falling into the trap of thinking our sacrifices earn God’s love?
3. We only give up something if we value something else more. Identify one specific area (relationships, comfort, or possessions) where you struggle to give Jesus total control. How does seeing Jesus as a “treasure” help you surrender that specific area?

News & Events:

• During this 40-day Lent season, let us prepare ourselves for Easter, focus our hearts on the suffering of Jesus and be filled with gratitude for His sacrifice.  Congregants are recommended to take this Lent period and make some changes in our daily living.  You may practice “fasting” in forms of giving up certain foods, social media, gaming, movies/tv shows.  Meanwhile, let’s practice fasting for a purpose, namely reading bible, spending time in prayers, listening to sermon, leading your family in Easter devotions, etc.  May we all get ourselves prepared and be full of hope on Easter Day.
• We thank Mr Jason Kim, Director of Kingdom Come ministries, for sharing at Joint English & Bridge English Communion Service today. May God continue to bless his ministry and family.
• Daylight saving time begins on 3/8 (coming Sunday). Please remember to set your clock ahead one hour on Saturday night before sleep.
• English Sunday School (2 courses) will take place today 11:15—12:30. Encourage all congregants (Gr 6 to adults) to attend the course you are interested in:
  1.  New Testament Overview at Rm 308 (by: Rev. Andy Tse & Jon Lee)
  2.  Intro to Spiritual Disciplines at Cafetoirum (by: Rev. Iain Davis & Alec Cheng)
• Starting this month, there will be a minor adjustment on the weekly English Post-service programs. Prayer meeting will be held on every 2nd Sunday, and Fellowship Connection will be rescheduled to every 4th Sunday.  Others remain unchanged.  Look forward to your continued support and joining together.
• 2026 PGC Baptism will be held on 7/26. English baptismal class will start from 4/12 and on every 2nd Sunday of the month at 11:15-12:30.  If you are considering to get baptized this year or in near future, please start praying for it and join the class starting next month to grow stronger in your faith and belief.  Please contact Rev. Iain Davis or Rev. Andy Tse for enquiries.
• PGC church-wide retreat will take place on 5/16-18 at Trent University Peterborough . If you have registered for the early bird discounted rate on or before 2/15, please be reminded to make payment by 3/1 (today) to avoid falling back to regular rate.  Registration remains open with regular rate now (online registration: forms.gle/NEQqPm2yT9pxMpeR6) .  Please approach Millie or Retreat Registration Table set up today for in-person registration, payment and more details.
• Another Special PGC Membership Meeting will be held on 3/8, 12:45-13:30 at PCA Big Gym with the agenda item “Updates on PGC’s Land Development”. PGC Members please reserve your time to attend on that Sunday.
• The issue of Membership was being taught and preached recently. If you are interested in talking about it please sign up, and we will host an event where we can talk, share and have an open dialogue.  All are welcome!
• Praise God! Children’s Camp is sold out, and Youth Fellowship Camp is nearly full. Please pray for the recruitment of our Youth Ministry Team—especially for an adult Camp Director and additional high‑school‑aged Counselors. May God be glorified through PGC’s disciple‑making summer ministry, and may He provide the CSJ youth funding needed for this work.
  peoplesgospelchurch.org/summercamp/
• There remains some extra hard copies of the PGC 20^th Anniversary Publication for purchase at $20 each on a first-come-first-serve basis while stock lasts.. If you are interested, please make payment and collect one at Reception Table.

Prayer & Praise Items:

** Encourage use of PGC’s Prayer Card and be quiet, humble, turn back, seek and wait for God together (pgcmarkham.org/files/2023prayercard.pdf) **

• Pray for the world as many places remain in warfare, churches are persecuted, many peoples are injured and weak physically and mentally. Pray for God’s grace and mercy in granting hope and peace to the world.
• Pray for the development of PGC’s land in the best time in God’s plan.
• Pray for God’s guidance on the retreat planning and organization. May God grant us unity, closely bond in Him to build up each other to glorify His name.
• Pray for God’s provision for summer camp 2026: serving youth, esp. Camp Director and Counsellors, as well as government funding on youth payment.
• Pray for church unity with love and accommodations in Christ among brothers and sisters in PGC that God will help us remove any barriers, conflicts and misunderstanding in our spiritual home.
• Pray for Vika’s family that both her brother and mother are looking for work. May God provide for them jobs to be able to support their family and their needs in Ukraine.

Offering:

^“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”

– Malachi 3:10 (NIV)

PGC needs sufficient funds to provide for the needs of our different ministries.  Let’s respond to God’s love through our faithful and generous offering.

PGC welcomes your opinions and suggestions that help us improve further on Sunday Service, Sunday School and different ministries.  Drop them into our PGC Drop Box (for Offering & Opinions Collection) at PCA Big Gym.  Our pastoral staff and church leaders will review and follow up where appropriate.  Look forward to hearing from you.