The Assignment - The Cost and the Joy // Aaron ShawThe Assignment - The Cost and the Joy // Aaron Shaw
Cedar Point Recovery - Weekly Messages
Pastor Aaron Shaw talks about the real cost of following Jesus and contrasts "cheap obedience" with a fully surrendered life. He links this to recovery, showing how enduring discomfort can lead to deeper joy and a more meaningful sense of purpose.
45:38•25 Aug 2026
The Assignment: Why Real Obedience Costs You Something
Episode Overview
- Following Jesus has a real cost, and quitting when it gets hard is "cheap obedience".
- Repentance means setting something down and then picking up the things of God, not living with empty hands.
- Your life is too valuable to spend on what dies; invest it in what outlives you by serving God and others.
- Joy does not require easy circumstances; it often sits on the far side of costly obedience.
- Starting shows interest, but finishing the race of faith shows true surrender and commitment.
“Cheap obedience quits the second it costs something.”
What makes a recovery story truly inspiring? Here, the focus is on the tough bit many people skip over: the cost of following Jesus, and the surprising joy that can come with it. Pastor Aaron Shaw continues his series "The Assignment" with a raw look at what it means to use the gifts God has placed in your hands, even when it hurts.
Building on earlier talks about laying down old "nets" and stewarding your God-given gifts, he asks a blunt question: "What does putting that into action, what's it going to cost you?" He calls out "cheap obedience" – the tendency to quit the second faith becomes uncomfortable – and connects it straight to recovery, where long-standing habits don’t vanish in four weeks after forty years of digging a hole.
You’ll hear Aaron contrast our love of easy, feel-good verses with the parts of Scripture we’d never print on a coffee mug, like exile and suffering.
Using Paul’s journey in Acts 20, he highlights a man who knew that "jail and suffering lie ahead" and still said, "my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus." That kind of surrendered life becomes a mirror for anyone wrestling with half-hearted faith and half-finished recovery efforts. The tone is honest, funny in places, and very direct.
Aaron admits his own unfinished projects and distractions, making it clear this isn’t about perfection but about finishing, not just starting. He ties the message to practical steps: counting the cost, naming what obedience is asking you to give up, finishing the work you’ve started, and sharing Jesus with at least one person.
If you’ve ever wondered why your faith or recovery feels flat, this episode asks you to weigh the cost honestly and then look at the joy on the other side of obedience. What might change if you stopped renegotiating with God and actually finished what you started?
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