In our sermon this week, Pastor AJ notes that this is a very difficult text.  How could Jesus be asking us to give up everything we know and everyone we love to follow him?  What does it mean that we should "hate" our own family?

These strong words challenge us to re-examine our priorities, especially our highest ones. Do we have the proper understanding of God and family? Do we use words like "values" to hide our lack of love for God and His kingdom? Our Lord Jesus uses strong words to challenge us and to demonstrate how radical the Gospel really is.