A house full of teenagers

Today was a good day home made pizza, chocolate cake, x-box, spongebob and a house full of teenagers.
I must be mad but it was true we had the youth group around today and all of the above was on the menu, including games in the park.
It was good to catch up after a long summer, and i was encouraged to see all those who are stepping up from the younger groups, fit in and interact with the others and make new friendships.
Tomorrow the whole church including the youth, we are looking at Luke 14 25-33 the cost of being a disciple.
Laying it all down for Christ and what it actually means to follow him, giving things up and being selfless and not selfish.
I struggle at times with this i think we all do, giving up our comfort zones or even bad habits that we try and keep from God, one story about a boy in a youth group i ran in Bradford puts it all into proportion for me and humbles me.
The young lad was from a rough estate in Bradford and was from an unchurched family, he was also in a gang.
One day i got a phone call to say he was in hospital. When i went to see him his jaw was broken and he was beaten black and blue, i asked who done this and why.
He simply said because i chose to follow Jesus and leave the gang and get on the bus to church, they got me and took a baseball bat to my face.
I prayed with him and wept with him and was sad i asked him if he thought it was worth it, giving it all up for Christ and being unpopular with his family and friends, he said its hard, but yes it worth, because Jesus is the only one who makes me happy and takes the pain in my life away.
Wow now that's what i call taking up your cross and following Christ.
My Prayer for myself and the young people that i disciple and teach, is that we all get hold of Christ and fall in love with him enough to completely give our lives to him.
As Jm Barrie quoted in Peter Pan " to live will be a great adventure".
To live for Jesus to follow him, to give it all up now that's a great adventure.