Embracing Discomfort: The Call to Spiritual Growth
Summary
In a world that constantly elevates comfort, it’s easy to forget that the Christian life is not about seeking ease, but about pursuing the call of God—even when it’s uncomfortable. The vision for our upcoming Breakthrough weekend is rooted in this very truth: that God is calling us, young and old, to step out of our routines, invest in the next generation, and encounter Him afresh. This is not just an event, but a generational investment, a time to build spiritual foundations that will outlast us and empower those who come after.
The heart of the matter is that comfort has become the kryptonite of our culture. It weakens our perseverance, paralyzes our purpose, and delays our destiny. We often medicate our discomfort with small pleasures—coffee, energy drinks, entertainment—none of which are inherently wrong, but can become substitutes for the true comfort that only the Holy Spirit provides. The danger is not in the things themselves, but in our tendency to use them as escapes, rather than facing the trials that God uses to transform us.
James 1:2-4 reminds us to count it all joy when we face trials, because it is through these challenges that God produces perseverance and maturity in us. The Christian life is not about convenience, but about obedience and transformation. We are faced with a daily choice: will we step through the door of comfort, remaining safe but spiritually stagnant, or will we step through the door of calling, embracing the unknown, the difficult, and the refining work of God?
God is more interested in what He is building in us than in our momentary comfort. The wilderness seasons are not punishments, but preparations. Just as Israel had to shed their slave mentality before entering the Promised Land, we too must allow God to break our dependence on comfort so we can walk in authority and purpose. Breakthrough comes not just through a shout of praise, but through obedience to God’s strategy, perseverance in the process, and a willingness to surrender our preferences for His purposes.
Today, the invitation is clear: name your wall, recognize where comfort has numbed your calling, and take a step of faith. God is ready to release strategies for breakthrough, but it begins with surrender. Which door will you choose?
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Key Takeaways
- Comfort as Kryptonite: Comfort, while not inherently evil, can subtly erode our spiritual strength and dull our hunger for God. When we consistently choose comfort over challenge, we risk missing out on the transformation that only comes through perseverance. The comforts of our culture can become a counterfeit for the true comfort of the Holy Spirit, leaving us spiritually weak and unprepared for the battles ahead. [01:13:12]
- The Power of Perseverance: Trials are not obstacles to be avoided, but training grounds for spiritual growth. God uses difficult seasons to build resilience, character, and authority in us. Rather than seeking escape, we are called to embrace the process, trusting that God is more interested in who we are becoming than in our temporary ease. [01:16:33]
- The Door of Calling vs. the Door of Comfort: Every believer faces a choice between the predictable safety of comfort and the risky obedience of calling. The door of comfort leads to spiritual apathy and missed destiny, while the door of calling, though filled with unknowns and challenges, leads to fullness of life in Christ. True faith requires stepping out, relinquishing control, and trusting God with the outcome. [01:19:09]
- Obedience Unlocks Breakthrough: Breakthrough is not just about a moment of emotional expression, but about sustained obedience to God’s specific strategies. Like Israel at Jericho, it is the combination of perseverance and obedience that brings down walls. Even when progress is invisible, God is at work, preparing us for the promises ahead. [01:33:28]
- Preparation, Not Punishment: Wilderness seasons and dry places are not signs of God’s displeasure, but of His preparation. God is breaking old mindsets and building new habits so we can sustain the blessings He wants to give us. The habits we form in the wilderness will determine whether we merely survive or truly thrive in the land of promise. [01:31:59]
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Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[01:00:00] - Vision for Breakthrough Weekend
[01:03:30] - Generational Investment and Legacy
[01:06:45] - The Power of Separation and Encounter
[01:09:50] - Serving Together: The Working Bee
[01:13:12] - Comfort: The Kryptonite of Our Culture
[01:16:33] - The Gospel of Perseverance vs. Convenience
[01:17:51] - The Weakening Power of Comfort
[01:19:09] - The Door of Comfort or Calling
[01:21:25] - Relinquishing Control and Embracing Faith
[01:24:04] - Listening to the Holy Spirit’s Conviction
[01:25:40] - Purification and Authority
[01:27:10] - The Lie: “If It’s Hard, It’s Not God”
[01:31:59] - Preparation in the Wilderness
[01:33:28] - Obedience and Breakthrough at Jericho
[01:36:32] - Naming Your Wall and Taking a Step of Faith
[01:38:23] - Surrender and the Call to Breakthrough
[01:48:09] - Closing and Blessing
Study Guide
Small Group Bible Study Guide: Breakthrough – Choosing Calling Over Comfort
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### Bible Reading
- James 1:2-4
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
- Joshua 6:1-20
(The story of Jericho – God’s people obeying His strategy, persevering, and seeing breakthrough.)
- Philippians 3:13-14
"Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
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### Observation Questions
1. According to James 1:2-4, what is the purpose of facing trials and how does it affect our spiritual growth?
2. In the story of Jericho (Joshua 6), what specific instructions did God give the Israelites, and how did their obedience lead to breakthrough?
3. The sermon described comfort as the “kryptonite of our culture.” What are some examples given of how comfort can weaken our spiritual lives? [01:13:12]
4. What does Philippians 3:13-14 say about how we should approach our past and our future as followers of Jesus?
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### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does James encourage believers to “count it all joy” when facing trials? What does this reveal about God’s perspective on hardship? [01:13:12]
2. The Israelites had to march around Jericho for seven days before seeing any results. What does this teach us about the relationship between obedience, perseverance, and breakthrough? [01:33:28]
3. The sermon says, “Comfort will not carry you through the fire. Comfort won’t win the battle. Comfort won’t take you into your calling.” What does this mean for someone who wants to follow Jesus wholeheartedly? [01:17:51]
4. The pastor mentioned that the wilderness is not punishment but preparation. How does this change the way we view difficult or “dry” seasons in our lives? [01:31:59]
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### Application Questions
1. The sermon challenged us to “name your wall”—the thing standing between you and breakthrough. What is one area in your life where comfort has numbed your calling? Are you willing to name it and bring it to God? [01:36:32]
2. Think about a time when you chose comfort over obedience to God. What was the result? How might things have been different if you had chosen to step through the “door of calling” instead? [01:19:09]
3. The pastor talked about using things like coffee, energy drinks, or entertainment as escapes. Is there a “comfort” in your life that you tend to turn to instead of the Holy Spirit? What would it look like to surrender that to God this week? [01:13:12]
4. The Israelites had to obey God’s strategy even when it didn’t make sense (marching around Jericho). Is there something God is asking you to do right now that feels uncomfortable or doesn’t make sense? What step of faith could you take? [01:33:28]
5. The sermon said, “God is more interested in what He is building in us than in our momentary comfort.” How can you remind yourself of this truth when you’re tempted to give up during a hard season? [01:27:10]
6. The pastor encouraged us to invest in the next generation and build a legacy of faith. What is one practical way you can invest in someone younger in faith this month? [01:03:30]
7. The message ended with a call to surrender: “Which door will you choose?” What is one area where you need to relinquish control and trust God with the outcome? How can your small group support you in this? [01:21:25]
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Closing Thought:
Breakthrough doesn’t come from staying comfortable. It comes from stepping out in faith, persevering through the process, and obeying God’s call—even when it’s hard. Which door will you choose this week?
Devotional
Day 1: Perseverance Through Trials Leads to Transformation
God uses the trials and discomforts we face as a training ground to build perseverance and resilience within us. Rather than seeking to escape or medicate our pain with temporary comforts, we are called to embrace the process, trusting that God is perfecting us and making us complete through every challenge. When we choose to face discomfort with faith, we allow God to shape our character and prepare us for greater things ahead. [01:13:12]
James 1:2-4 (ESV)
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Reflection: What is one area of discomfort or trial in your life right now that you have been trying to avoid? How can you invite God to use this situation to build perseverance in you today?
Day 2: Choosing the Door of Calling Over the Door of Comfort
Every day, we are faced with a choice: to remain in the safety and predictability of comfort, or to step out in faith through the door of calling, even when it means facing the unknown and the uncomfortable. The door of comfort leads to spiritual apathy and missed destiny, but the door of calling leads to fullness of life in Jesus, where we encounter Him and grow into all He has for us. The step of faith may be daunting, but on the other side is transformation and purpose. [01:20:12]
Luke 9:23-24 (ESV)
And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”
Reflection: What is one step of faith you sense God is asking you to take that feels uncomfortable or risky? What would it look like to choose the door of calling today?
Day 3: God Uses Hard Things to Make Us Holy
The lie that “if it’s hard, it must not be God” keeps us from embracing the very challenges that God uses to shape us. God is more interested in what He is building inside of us than in our temporary comfort, and He often uses difficult seasons to develop perseverance, obedience, and holiness. Rather than seeking the easy path, we are called to ask, “God, what are you asking me to be obedient to?” and trust that He is working for our good in every circumstance. [01:28:20]
Philippians 3:13-14 (ESV)
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Reflection: Think of a hard situation you are facing. How might God be using this to grow holiness and perseverance in you, and what is one act of obedience you can take today in response?
Day 4: Preparation, Not Punishment—The Wilderness Builds Victors
Seasons of dryness or waiting are not punishments from God, but times of preparation where He is breaking old mindsets and building us into people who can carry His promises. Just as Israel wandered in the wilderness to be transformed from slaves to conquerors, God uses our wilderness seasons to prepare us for the battles and blessings ahead. In these times, He gives us strategies, sustains us, and teaches us to rely on Him alone. [01:31:59]
Deuteronomy 8:2-3 (ESV)
And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
Reflection: In what area of your life do you feel like you are in a “wilderness” season? How can you shift your perspective from seeing it as punishment to seeing it as God’s preparation for what’s next?
Day 5: Breakthrough Comes Through Obedience and Surrender
Breakthrough is not just about a moment of praise or a loud shout, but about a heart that is fully surrendered and obedient to God’s strategy. Like the Israelites at Jericho, it is our willingness to listen to God’s voice and act in faith—even when the walls seem immovable—that brings true transformation and victory. God is inviting you to move from comfort into calling, to surrender your will, and to trust Him for the breakthrough He has promised. [01:38:23]
Joshua 6:2-5, 20 (ESV)
And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.” … So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city.
Reflection: What is your “wall of Jericho” right now? What specific step of obedience or surrender is God asking you to take as you trust Him for breakthrough?
Quotes
Comfort, it weakens perseverance, paralyzes purpose and delays destiny. But trials are God's training ground for transformation. And we cannot live a life that avoids discomfort. Sorry, avoids discomfort. We cannot live a life that constantly pursues just things that make us feel good all the time. The reality is that we will have to face trials. We have to face difficult things. And we have to learn to persevere in that. If we run, if we escape, if we hide from everything that is uncomfortable, we will not grow. And this is something for every single one of us because comfort is all around. [01:12:25] (42 seconds)
Only when I want to do this, I will do it. Only when I feel like this, I will be obedient. Only when I, only when I, it's all about us. It's never about us. It's always been about Jesus. See, an encounter with Jesus sets us free. But what, but your habits with Jesus keep you free. When you're born, you look like your parents, but when you die, you look like your habits. [01:16:48] (30 seconds)
But if you would say that you would die for Jesus tomorrow, why won't you die to yourself today? Because Jesus said, Jesus says this, that we must die to ourselves. And that means some of these comforts, we need to crucify them. Some of these comforts that are causing us to escape and not persevere into all that God has called us to, we need to address them. We need to deal with them. We need to look at them for what they really are. [01:18:42] (27 seconds)
And for you today, this door represents a choice. A choice that we often come to many times in our lives. And there will be things that you're facing and you've got a choice. One door, one choice. And so this door could represent one of two things. Today, this door could represent the door of comfort. The door of comfort. And or it could represent the door of calling and all that God has called you to. And your choice is to which door you will open, which door you will step through, which door you will take a step of faith into. And the thing is that every step that we make through a door like this, every decision that we make is based upon some things. [01:19:18] (55 seconds)
But when we choose to step through the door of comfort, that's a choice to stay in the safe place, to stay in a place of safety where it's predictable, where we know what's to come. It's maybe a bit easier. But let me tell you, that door, that door of comfort, it leads to spiritual apathy. It leads to spiritual apathy and a missed destiny. But this door, if we're going to call it the door of calling, on the other side of that door, there's some battles. There's some difficulty. There's some stuff to persevere through. There's some things on the other side of this door that I don't even know. There's an unknown thing on the other side of this door. I don't know all of the things that God's going to take me into. I don't know what some of the battles necessarily will be. I know what I'm facing now, but I don't know what I'm going to face tomorrow. [01:20:19] (54 seconds)
The life Jesus called us to is to relinquish our control, is to actually die to ourselves, is to choose the highway that God has created for us and choose relationship with Him. The door of calling stands before us. What will you choose? You don't always know what's behind it, but see on the other side of that door of calling is actually Jesus. It's fullness of life. And when I open that door and take a step of faith, I move into it. And I go on to the other side and I begin to experience everything that God's got for me. [01:21:45] (41 seconds)
He's in the business of dealing with some of our heart issues so that we can have a greater authority in the world, have a greater impact on the people around us, have a greater impact into this nation. See, what, what would happen if there was just 50, just 50 people in New Zealand that were so sold out and hungry for God that gave up everything that the Holy Spirit was saying to give up and they just went all in. What would happen? I think this nation would start to change. I think there would be some things that would start to shift and that 50 would turn into 100 and that 100 would continue to extrapolate because there is something that occurs when, when God's people choose to surrender their own will and surrender their own preferences and desires and just go all in on the call that he has for them. Something begins to change. Something begins to shift. [01:25:57] (55 seconds)
I'm building something in you. And I'm more interested in what I'm building inside of you than what's happening to you in this given little moment. And I love you. And my heart breaks when you're struggling, but son, daughter, I need you to know that the struggle builds perseverance. The struggle builds something in you. We cannot avoid it. So the lie that we've believed is that if it's hard, it must not be God. Well, that's not true. The real question is, God, what are you asking me to be obedient to? And then we focus in on that. See, we can feed our flesh or we can feed our spirit. One leads to destiny, the other to defeat. [01:27:45] (49 seconds)
With Israel in the wilderness time moving towards the promised land, God called Israel out of Egypt, out of slavery, but it took 40 years to get Egypt out of Israel. It took 40 years to get the slave mentality that they had adopted as a result of generation upon generation being enslaved. It took 40 years for this thing to be dealt with in their minds. And many generations had to pass away before they were able to step into the promised land because God was trying to teach them to be victors, not victims. [01:30:20] (38 seconds)
It's not punishment, it's preparation. God is preparing something inside of you in order to take hold of the promises He has for you. See, there is power through perseverance. Ephesians 3, 20 to 21 says this, Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more, you're in the sand with me, you're planning to deal with the promises. What are you doing here? I suggest a few past? I give them to this time. You're immeasurably, unmeasurably more. Perseverance activates transformation. Perseverance activates transformation. [01:32:10] (31 seconds)
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