Help! My preacher is boring!

Which is better shallow water or deep water? The answer depends on the context.

Shallow water is better if:

• … You don’t need very much water.
• … You don’t plan of diving in.
• … You can’t swim.
• … You prefer to stay at the surface level.
• … You are not thirsty.
• … You choose to stay dry.

Deep water is better if:

• … You plan on diving in… head first!
• … You need to learn to swim.
• … You desire to go deeper.
• … You are thirsty.
• … You choose to take the plunge.

It’s been said that the spiritual depth of faith in the United States is a mile wide and an inch deep. Our attention spans are shrinking. Our appetites for being entertained are insatiable. Our stomachs are growling for spiritual nutrition, but all we have to eat is candy and fast food. Our souls were created for spiritual depth, but we only skip and splash in the kiddy pool.

Churches compete for attenders by aiming to please the consumer driven cravings of a the picky customer. In an effort to draw a larger crowd preachers are tempted to entertain listeners with short, amusing, and shallow messages. Jokes and stories replace difficult passages and confrontational challenges. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 “…profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness…”)

While it is true that “time is short,” and “we’re too busy,” consider reading the passages below. Answer these question, “What does God expect of me?” “Have I settled for shallow faith?” “How can I deepen my faith?” “How can I grow stronger in my faith?”

• … John 4:14 (Context: John 4:1-35)
• … John 6:35 (Context: John 6:4-15; 26-60)
• … John 7:37 (Context: John 7:37-53)

May we grow stronger in faith to bring God the glory He deserves!

Dr. Phil Sallee, Pastor
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