Going Deeper

What does that mean?

1.  Sometimes by going deep people mean intellectually deeper.  They’re asking that a certain amount of Greek or Hebrew words should be included in every sermon.

2.  For others going deeper might mean depth of obedience.  Such people are asking that more specific challenges be issued to the congregation about holy living.

3.  Still others might mean the depth of relationships.  They are asking for increased environments for authenticity.

I could keep going by including other definitions like experiencing God’s power, or being actively involved in a place of service.  No matter the definition, when someone says they want to “go deeper” they are expressing a sincere desire towards spiritual growth, discipleship, and drawing nearer to Jesus.

But how is this accomplished?  It is classes?  Sermons?  One-on-one meetings?  The answer is yes and no.

Here’s why.  Each church is unique and exists in a unique context, so different methods must be used.  What works in one church may not work very well in another.  Furthermore, every believer is unique; each one possesses different needs.  Most believers are in different places of spiritual understanding, so different approaches must be used with them.  There is no cookie-cutter approach that works for everyone.

No matter how hard church leaders try to minister to all the varying needs of everyone in the Body of Christ, they will always fall short of the expectations of “someone.”

So the best thing we can do is to serve the Body of Christ to the best of our ability AND to REMIND people that, at some point, they are responsible for going deeper themselves.  We can take you to a point, but after that “you have to own it.”