People in church like to sound spiritual by saying, "I want to go deeper." To me, this is one of the most overused and often overrated comments people make in church. Why do I say this? Because, more often than not, it means "Bible study" and it reflects a person's desire to be thought of as pious or spiritual. Yet, rather than throw this statement out, I want to reclaim and redefine it.
So what does "go deeper" mean to me? It means three things:
1. Getting deeper into my commitment to God's church.
I can't be committed to Jesus (the head) without being committed to the church (His body). So, I must love God's people with the same passion that I have for Him. I can't say I love and serve Jesus if I don't also love and serve His bride.
2. Going deeper into my commitment to the world.
The world is dying and lost without Jesus. If I am to go "deeper" I must dive deeper into the muck and mire of a broken world in order to reach people. Pontificating about theological mysteries doesn't save people from Hell.
Only the Holy Spirit, through passionate, loving evangelism can do that.
3. Going deeper into my commitment to being mastered by Christ.
I'm a work in progress, and the more God works on me, the more progress I realize I need. Continually working to allow Jesus to be Lord of my money, my attitude, my eyes, mind, and my words feels like a never ending process. Therefore, I need to go deeper into submission to Jesus every single day.
Does Bible study play a part in these three commitments? Absolutely! Is Bible study enough by itself? No. Deepening knowledge is not enough; it must accompany deepening commitments.
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Prayer Requests
Pray the Lord will bring more youth and adults to get involved with international mission outreaches.
Pray for openings to speak in many churches and mission groups.
Pray for wisdom to know which ministries to support in the world and how to best help them.
Pray for the Unreached Andh of India
Population: 422,000
World Popl: 422,000
Main Language: Marathi
Main Religion: Hinduism
Status: Least-Reached
Christ-Followers: Few, less than 2%
"Declare his glory among the nations" (Psalm 96:3)
So what does "go deeper" mean to me? It means three things:
1. Getting deeper into my commitment to God's church.
2. Going deeper into my commitment to the world.
The world is dying and lost without Jesus. If I am to go "deeper" I must dive deeper into the muck and mire of a broken world in order to reach people. Pontificating about theological mysteries doesn't save people from Hell.
Only the Holy Spirit, through passionate, loving evangelism can do that.
3. Going deeper into my commitment to being mastered by Christ.
I'm a work in progress, and the more God works on me, the more progress I realize I need. Continually working to allow Jesus to be Lord of my money, my attitude, my eyes, mind, and my words feels like a never ending process. Therefore, I need to go deeper into submission to Jesus every single day.
Does Bible study play a part in these three commitments? Absolutely! Is Bible study enough by itself? No. Deepening knowledge is not enough; it must accompany deepening commitments.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Prayer Requests
Pray the Lord will bring more youth and adults to get involved with international mission outreaches.
Pray for openings to speak in many churches and mission groups.
Pray for wisdom to know which ministries to support in the world and how to best help them.
Pray for the Unreached Andh of India
Population: 422,000
World Popl: 422,000
Main Language: Marathi
Main Religion: Hinduism
Status: Least-Reached
Christ-Followers: Few, less than 2%
"Declare his glory among the nations" (Psalm 96:3)
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