Life Begins Where Your Comfort Zone Ends

Life Begins Where Your Comfort Zone Ends - Doubtless Living

Perhaps you have heard the phrase; “Life begins where your comfort zone ends.”  For some of you that phrase rings true and you are the first to sign up for thrilling new adventures.  Your energy and enthusiasm abound, and you are eager to tackle the next challenge ahead.  Your life embodies the lyrics of one of my all-time favorite songs by Steven Curtis Chapman; “Saddle up your horses, we’ve got a trail to blaze.  Through the wild blue yonder of God’s amazing grace, let’s follow our leader into the glorious unknown.”

Indeed, life with Jesus is a great adventure.  But, for many of you, the thought of reaching out into the unknown strikes fear into your heart.  You enjoy your comfort zone and you are not eager to step outside of it.  It’s not that you don’t trust God to take care of you, it’s just that you prefer the familiar and more comfortable settings of your routine.  If you are in this second group, I hope our study this week will embolden you and empower you in new ways as we seek jointly to fulfill our shared mission of making disciples. 

So, join me and get ready for the ride of your life as Jesus takes us outside of our comfort zone in today’s focal passage (Luke 5:33-39).  It all begins with a question about fasting and prayer and ends up with a metaphor about wineskins.  Through it all, we are challenged to leave our comfort zone and be open to change as God directs.

It is true that like the Pharisees of old, some people will never leave their comfort zone and they will never alter the way they look at Jesus.  They will always reject the new in favor of the old and familiar.  But what Jesus offers is decidedly distinct— a new approach to God.  And like new wine and old wineskins, the new cannot be mixed with the old.  The old has passed away and all things are made new in Christ.

New wines must have new skins and new ways must have new containers.  Don’t be like the brittle old wineskins that are rigid, inflexible and unable to take in all that Jesus has to offer us.  Be bold, courageous and malleable in His hands.  Come and see the big frontier of the great adventure Christ has for those who love Him and follow His ways.

Take time this week to listen to The Great Adventure by Steve Curtis Chapman and let it challenge and motivate you to venture outside your comfort zone to meet God in the great unknown where faith begins.

Saddle up!

Download links: PowerPoint Slides, PDF File

For more information on this Bible study series see Doubtless Living: The Gospel of Luke.