Years ago, when I first started pastoring, I thought that when people said,

“I just want to go deeper,”

they were really hungry for more of Jesus.

But over time… I started noticing something.

The people who said it the most?

Weren’t the ones serving.

Weren’t the ones giving.

Weren’t the ones inviting, forgiving, praying, or growing.

They just wanted more theological INFORMATION …

not TRANSFORMATION.

DEEP isn’t confusing yourself so much that you never have to ACTUALLY apply anything.

Jesus didn’t say, “Memorize Leviticus and debate the finer points of Greek verb tense.”

He said, “Love your neighbor.”

He said, “Pray for your enemies.”

If we can’t even do that, we’re not craving depth…we’re craving prestige.

Like the Pharisees.

Impressive on paper. Useless in practice.

You don’t grow spiritually by sitting in a seat every Sunday waiting to be hand-fed like a baby bird.

When Shepherd(my youngest son) was just a few months old, we had to hold the bottle for him.

Now, almost a year later, he can hold it himself.

But if he’s still bottle-fed at ten years old…we’ve got a problem.

What’s the point?

Growth is learning to feed yourself.

And yet people walk into churches filled with the Word of God, opportunities to serve, a community to grow with, the presence of Jesus all around them…

and say…

“I’m starving!” 

Or 

“I need more”

That’s not hunger. That’s entitlement.

That’s showing up at an all-you-can-eat buffet and demanding a waiter bring you food to your seat while you scroll your phone.

Let me be clear…

If “going deeper” means sitting around trying to impress each other with spiritual vocabulary while doing nothing with it….Then we’re probably not the church for you.

And I’m not just comfortable with that.

I’m confident in it.

Because we are NEVER going to equate DEEP with head knowledge.

We define deep by fruit.

By the kind of people who don’t just talk about Jesus…they live like Him.

Let me show you what deep looks like at Dream City Church

DEEP is the single mom who works all week and still shows up early on Sunday to love on babies in the nursery so another parent can sit in service and hear the Gospel.

DEEP is the college kid who finally leads their roommate to Christ after months of prayer, invite, and one awkward conversation after another.

DEEP is the worship leader battling cancer, still showing up with a smile, still giving, still telling people how good God is!

Deep is the couple staying faithful in the valley, even when their prodigal hasn’t come home yet.

None of those people stood up and asked for “deeper teaching.”

They just applied what they already knew…and heaven took notice.

Listen… I’m not against studying Scripture.

I love the Word of God. I believe in learning and growing.

But if your version of spiritual depth is flexing your theology muscles while refusing to walk in humility, generosity, forgiveness, or faith…

Then congratulations… you’ve got the same spiritual résumé as Satan.

He knows the Bible too.

He just doesn’t live it.

Jesus doesn’t need more scholars with smug faces and dead fruit.

He’s looking for people who will follow Him, trust Him, and apply His words even when it’s hard.

So no, I’m not trying to impress you with Greek.

I’m not turning Sunday mornings into seminary lectures.

(There are plenty of churches with empty seats doing that already.)

I want to preach Jesus.

I want to see people saved.

Marriages healed.

Addicts set free.

Purpose discovered.

Forgiveness given.

The broken served.

And the name of Jesus lifted high.

That might not be “deep” in the eyes of a spiritual elitist.

But if that’s what deep looks like to heaven…

Then we’re going ALL IN.

So if you’re looking for a church that makes you feel smart but never challenges you to do anything…

We’re probably not your place. (We define deep by fruit.)

But if you’re ready to move beyond just knowing the Word to actually living it…

Welcome home.

—PZ