BUILT DIFFERENT WEEK 2: IT IS THAT DEEP
This past summer on our missions trip to Wyoming, we had a day to rest and were given the opportunity to take a boat out onto Fremont Lake. When we first pulled away from the dock, you could easily see the bottom through the crystal clear water of the lake, but not too long after pulling away, that view changed from big rocks to total blackness as the lake got deeper and deeper. Once we were out a little way, we were asked how deep we thought the lake was at that point. Most said about 100 feet…so they dropped a depth finder into the water, and we were astonished to find out that at that point, we were in water that was over 300 feet deep. Not only that, we learned that the lake was over 600 feet deep at its deepest point. What you quickly realized was that what we could see at the start and what could survive in that environment was vastly different from what we could see and could survive in over 600 feet of water. However, for the ecosystem of that lake to thrive it, needed both.
When we begin our faith journey, we are much like that environment that was close to the shore. We are just beginning to step out in this newfound life, and the shallows keep us safe and secure. But as we continue to live and develop, we find ourselves going in deeper. For those creatures that live in the lake, they must adapt as they move from the shallows into the deeper parts of the lake if they are to thrive there…and so must we in our faith journey.
We must grow deeper in our faith. We must adapt to the way of life required by this deeper walk of faith, and to do so we must be willing to change what we do and how we do things so that we can thrive in this environment.
For some, this may be easier than it is for others, but there are some simple questions we can ask ourselves that can help us as we work to deepen our faith (rather than continuing to live in a shallow faith world). God has uniquely formed each of us to grow and to thrive, but we must be clear on these things. What is forming my view of God and myself? What is forming my relationships? What is forming my attention? And finally, what is forming my desires? Because here is the reality: if something is forming and shaping you more than Jesus, you will never be able to grow and develop the roots that will sustain you in a deep, dark world. So what is currently forming you?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What are some of the biggest cultural trends or things that are forming our society and people right now?
How can being formed by these things affect our journey of faith and following Jesus?
Read Colossians 2:6-15. What do you think the “empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense” (NLT) were that Paul was talking about here? How could those same mindsets impact our faith?
How can those four questions in the devotion help us in making sure we are firmly and deeply rooted in Jesus and our faith? (What is forming your view of God and yourself? What is forming my attention? What is forming my relationships? What is forming my desires?)
What are some practices we can use that will help us become more deeply rooted in Jesus?