do you want to be challenged?
From the conversations I’ve had and the way most churches position themselves, it seems to me that most people choose a church based on the level of comfort they perceive and experience.
People will ultimately settle on a church they best connect with, find people similar to them, have their needs met, and/or experience a level of general satisfaction with.
These things, in my experience, far outweigh (it’s not even close) how hard the church pushes them to fulfill the mission of God or to grow in their discipleship.
Why?
Let’s say you wanted to choose a training program to lose weight, or maybe a trainer to help you.
What would be your primary characteristic of evaluation?
Would you want a training program that primarily pushed you hard to lose weight efficiently and effectively?
Or would you choose a training program that kept you comfortable?
Because here’s the thing: you’ll never lose weight staying comfortable.
Now, notice I spoke about the “primary” thing. Being satisfied and comfortable have their place. But they should not be primary.
After all, you don’t want a workout program that causes harm to your body by overworking you or incorrectly working you out.
Why would we be more passionate about losing weight than living a life that glorifies God? It seems that our criteria for our life of faith often leaves something to be desired.
I'm a runner, writer, thinker, and pastor. I love to agitate people's consciences. I like to spend my time reading, running, and relaxing with family & friends.