The longer you stay in a multi-ethnic church, the more you'll have to give up. It's not about compromising biblical truth - it's about releasing cultural preferences you never knew you had. Are you willing to be uncomfortable for the sake of unity with believers who are different from you? The journey isn't easy, but it offers a glimpse of heaven's beautiful diversity.

Grace Talks is hosted by Pastor Joshua Hurlburt. Pastor Josh is the directional pastor at Grace United Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.

The popular message that we're perfect just the way we are falls short of a deeper truth. While none of us are perfect and we all fall short, there's something far better than self-proclaimed perfection. We are perfectly loved by the One who is perfect - God Himself. His love isn't conditional on our performance or achievements, but reaches us in our brokenness and failures. When we acknowledge our imperfection with humility rather than pride, we open ourselves to receive God's grace and find our identity in His unchanging love rather than our own efforts.

Following Jesus requires total commitment, not casual interest. In Luke 14, Jesus challenged large crowds by explaining that discipleship means loving Him above all else, even family relationships. Using illustrations of a tower builder and a king preparing for war, Jesus emphasized the importance of counting the cost before committing. True discipleship means surrendering everything—relationships, dreams, finances, and future plans—to His lordship. While this sounds overwhelming, the beautiful truth is that Jesus already counted the cost and gave up everything to have us. His sacrifice demonstrates our infinite worth to Him and provides the foundation for our complete surrender.