No Growth in the Comfort Zone

About The Podcast

Though he grew up attending church, Drew Jackson admits he was mostly “checking the boxes” in his faith. That changed when he and his wife were introduced to Big Oak Ranch, a ministry near Springville, Alabama that provides a home for abused and neglected kids. Now the Cattle Director at Big Oak, Drew shares about his spiritual journey, reluctant road to becoming a ranch hand, and the transformations he’s witnessed among the kids in his care.

Show Notes

Timestamps

0:00 — Intro

1:56 — About the Big Oak Ranch ministry

11:39 — How Drew and his wife became part of Big Oak

32:56 — Drew’s faith journey and personal view of redemption

45:20 — Daily life on the ranch

58:27 — Some scripture that Drew’s been thinking about lately

64:20 — Hunting talk/outro

Discussion

1. Drew says that before he got connected to Big Oak Ranch, in many ways he was just “checking the boxes” of spiritual life, only fulfilling his duties as a disciple of Christ if they didn’t “get in the way” of what he wanted to do. Does any of that resonate with your life currently? What are the things you don’t want your spiritual obligations to “get in the way” of, and what about those things is so important that you’d put them before God? Matthew 6:33
2. When Drew went off to college and started playing football at a higher level, he realized he wasn’t as good as he thought he was, and recalls feeling like “my god had left me.” Have you ever placed that kind of outsized importance on something (besides God) in your life, to the point where you felt completely abandoned or adrift once it was taken away or you moved to a stage in your life where it didn’t matter anymore? Did that experience cause you to re-evaluate the way you prioritized things? ​​1 John 5:21
3. Drew recounts the way his life was significantly changed by an online marriage conference—specifically, the conference leader’s encouragement to “pray over” his wife. Has anyone ever given you a piece of advice for improvement in your life or relationship that seemed incredibly simple at first, but surprised you with the impact it ended up making? Does that advice continue to make a difference in your life now? Colossians 3:19
4. Discuss Drew’s personal definition of redemption as explained in the pawn shop metaphor he uses. Did it surprise you to hear God’s redemption described in those terms? Have you ever been afraid to discuss your own personal views on faith or redemption because you didn’t think you’d sound like a trained theologian? If so, who are some trusted people with whom you could discuss these topics without fear of being judged? Ephesians 1:7
5. Drew says “There’s no comfort in the growth zone, and no growth in the comfort zone.” Can you recall a single time in your life when you grew as a person without some kind of hard work, challenge, or hardship? Think back to the time when you developed or matured the most in an emotional/spiritual sense—what difficulty did you encounter during that period that may have helped spur your personal growth? Did you realize the connection at the time, or did that not dawn on you until much later?
6. What was the biggest thing you were ever given responsibility for, or told to “take ownership” of, as a child? Was it something you volunteered for, or something that was assigned to you—maybe against your will? Did you initially feel overwhelmed by the responsibility, and did you eventually grow more comfortable with it? What did you learn from the experience that’s helped you become the person you are today?