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Woburn

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35 Olympia Avenue
Woburn, MA 01801

Service Times

Sunday 8:30 AM

Sunday 10:00 AM

Sunday 11:30 AM

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North Shore

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North Beverly Elementary School | 48 Putnam St.
Beverly, MA 01915

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Sunday 10:00 AM

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An Uncomfortable Truth

by on April 03, 2017

In America, we expect our faith to be comfortable and easy. If it requires too much of our time or talents, or causes us to give up too many of our treasures, we instinctively back away. We live life trying to be "balanced,” all the while becoming spiritually out of balance. We aim to save ourselves for something better, but most of the time, the only thing we have to show for it is more sleep and TV. We protect our schedules like the times is ours. We vigilantly guard against burn out, even if that means checking out.

We live our lives like they are under our direction with little regard that we have been bought with a price. We read the command to love God with ALL of our heart, soul, mind, and strength and respond by giving Him some. We happily attend Kingdom events on Sundays but forget we are citizens of that Kingdom on Mondays, too. Our god, in America, is comfort. That is the altar our worn-out knees continue to bow down to.  

True Christianity is not like that – it should reflect its originator, Jesus Christ. It is not comfortable; He gave up everything. It is not easy; it cost Him everything. And that leads to the obvious question:

What is my faith costing me?

When was the last time my faith cost me anything? You and I can read about a Christ who sacrificed everything while sipping coffee in our pajamas, but what does that motivate us to do? If we are Christian, our life goal should not be ease and comfort; it should be faithfulness and obedience - regardless of the cost.  It may demand our sacrifice, but Jesus came to serve. It may require some of our resources, but there is nothing we have that was not given to us by God in the first place.

Being a Christian is not comfortable. It was never meant to be.

I pray that the Lord would make these truths real to me and to all of us.  

"For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him." - Phil. 1:29 

"And anyone who believes in God's Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn't obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God's angry judgment." - John 3:36