150816 AM What Should I Do if my Experience of Christianity Seems Shallow

What Should I Do if my Experience of Christianity Seems Shallow?    We live in confusing times.  There are many who express confusion, doubt, and discouragement. What can we do when we are feeling this way? How can we find the answers we want and deepen our faith to serve God? We will examine these questions and ideas in a special series of lessons: Rock-Solid Truths in Confusing Times for all Generations. We want to open our Bibles and our minds to what God has to say in answer to the questions we may have about our faith, the church, and our relationships with one another. This week we will examine the idea of what to do if our experience of Christianity seems shallow.I.       Seeking that which is genuine  a.   We recognize the difference between what is real and what is fake   b. Understanding an experience of Christianity is our involvement or participation in something; it is not just something that happens to us   c. God calls us to experience the depth of His calling, to be true to Him and different from the world (Mark 7:6, 2 Cor. 6:17)   i.  If I don’t want to have a shallow faith, I must commit to grow (2 Pet.3:18, 1 Pet.2:2)   II.       Christianity as defined by Goda.   Christians  are God’s                                                                                 (Acts 2:38-41, 47)(Eph.1:3-5) Christians are theb.   Christians have put on                                    (Gal.3:27) and live under authority of Him (Eph.1:22)c. The church is involved, as well. (Eph. 5:24-26). Our Christianity is not apart from the church. (Eph.1:22)d. It is living, believing and acting on a deep and intimate relationship with Christ as His bride, and God as Hid child.III.       The Depth of Christianity in Timothy (1 Timothy 4:6-13)a.   Understanding the gospel and doctrine of Christ (vs.6, 2 Tim.3:14-17)i.   We can get out of the shallow water and into depth, as wellii.   Taking in the knowledge of other generations, learning from themb.   Powers of Discernment (vs.7, 1 Tim. 6:20-21, Heb. 5:11-14)i.   Looking to God’s truth, rather than the philosophies of menc.    Trained in Godliness (vs.8, 2 Tim.2:22)d. He had set his hope in God (vs.10) His hope was firm and he acted on it, it was more than just a feeling he was looking for.e.   Standing for truth (vs. 11). Devoted to teaching others.f. A shining example of faithful youth (vs 12). Timothy was encouraged by the older generation to live in a way that brought glory to God.