This is the first sermon in a topical series entitled "Growing Deep Growing Strong" Today's sermon suggests the importance of moving beyond measuring our Christian walk along a "Y" Axis of years since coming to Christ or an "X" Axis of Breadth of Christian service, as opposed to the "Z" Axis of depth in our relationship with God.

2. Brandon Vogt
“In today’s always-on, always-
connected world, we have
contact with more people than
ever before. For instance,
Twitter users have an initial 2,000
“follower” limit while Facebook
has a “friend” limit of 5,000 – and
yes, many people bump up
against these constraints.”
Author of
“Timeless
Truths, New
Media”

3. Brandon Vogt
“But despite these vast connections, many
online relationships are shallow. New Media
tends to cultivate relationships that are a
mile wide and an inch long, reducing
relationships to sentence long Facebook
comments and 140 character tweets.”

4. Psalm 42:7
“Deep calls to deep in the
roar of your waterfalls; all
your waves and breakers
have swept over me.”

5. Series Outline
•A Mile High and a Mile Wide Aren’t
Enough.
•Deepening Your Faith in God.
•Deepening Your Love of God.
•Tapping into God’s Power.
•Experiencing the “Fullness” of God.

6. Series Verses
Ephesians 3
14 For this reason I bow my knees before
the Father, 15 from whom every family in
heaven and on earth is named, 16 that
according to the riches of his glory he
may grant you to be strengthened with
power through his Spirit in your inner

7. Series Verses
Ephesians 3
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts
through faith—that you, being rooted
and grounded in love, 18 may have
strength to comprehend with all the saints
what is the breadth and length and height
and depth,

8. Series Verses
Ephesians 3
19 and to know the love of Christ that
surpasses knowledge, that you may be
filled with all the fullness of God.

9. Today’s Topic
A Mile High and a Mile
Wide Aren’t Enough.

10. First Point
We typically use an
incomplete model
when measuring our
Christian experience.

11. YearsSince
ComingtoChrist
10
20
30
The Y Axis
Model

12. Amy Grant “Fat Baby”
He’s been baptized, sanctified,
redeemed by the blood,
But his daily devotions are stuck in the
mud.
He knows the books of the Bible
and John 3:16.
He’s got the biggest King James
you’ve ever seen!

13. 10
20
30
Breadth of Christian Service
The X Axis
Model

14. 10
20
30
The
essential
Z Axis
YearsSince
ComingtoChrist
Breadth of Christian Service

16. 10
20
30
YearsSince
ComingtoChrist
Breadth of Christian Service
How are you doing
along the Z Axis of your
relationship with God?

17. Second Point
Shallowness limits our
relationship with God.

18. Skyline Drive

19. Luray
Caverns
Titanias Veil

20. Luray
Caverns
Dream Lake

21. “Deep versed in books and
shallow in himself” – John Milton
There is no end to books, and too
much study will wear you out. –
Ecclesiastes 12:12 CEV

22. Matthew 7
21 “Not everyone who says to me,
‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but the one
who does the will of my Father
who is in heaven.

23. Matthew 7
22 On that day many will say to
me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we
not prophesy in your name, and
cast out demons in your name,
and do many mighty works in
your name?’

24. Matthew 7
23 And then will I declare to them,
‘I never knew you; depart from
me, you workers of lawlessness.’

25. A.W. Tozer on
“Shallowness”
“The shallowness of our inner
experience, the hollowness of our
worship, and that servile imitation of
the world which marks our
promotional methods all testify that
we, in this day, know God only
imperfectly, and the peace of God
scarcely at all.”

27. What wonders
are you
hungering to
experience in a
deeper walk
with God?

28. What prevents you
from allowing God
to lead you into
that deeper walk?

29. Third Point
Deep relationships are
the most satisfying
and enduring.

30. John 17
25 O righteous Father, even
though the world does not
know you, I know you, and
these know that you have
sent me.

31. John 17
26 I made known to them your
name, and I will continue to
make it known, that the
love with which you have
loved me may be in them,
and I in them.”