Feeling stuck in your faith, even though you’re praying, reading your Bible, and going to church? You’re not alone. This article explores why so many Christians stop growing spiritually despite doing “all the right things” and offers practical, biblical steps to move from routine to a real relationship with God.
I think what Pastor Chris is naming here is something I’ve seen often: people worn down not by faith, but by the infrastructure built around it. Church services, Bible studies, volunteer asks, small groups, retreats—all well-intentioned, but sometimes so stacked that they crowd out the very encounter with God they’re supposed to foster.
What if growth looks more like subtraction than addition? Less doing for God, more being with Him. Stillness. Prayer. Silence. Scripture read slowly rather than studied academically. The ache we feel might not mean we’re doing something wrong—it might mean we’re finally ready to let go of the scaffolding and meet God in the quiet.
Too many churches confuse busyness with discipleship. But you don’t have to be busy to be close. Sometimes, to grow, you have to stop showing up for church and start showing up to God.
This is the problem we encounter when there is no true discipleship going on with inside the church. We have people trying to fill the god shape hold our lives with busyness instead of God himself.
As someone who used to suffer from ADHD, until I renounce it and stopped coming into agreement with it, I found it very hard to get still before the Lord.
Now is become a matter of just learning to listen with my heart and my ears to that God is speaking to me. There is a reason why silence and solitude are part of the spiritual disciplines.
But we can take the disciplines too far and make them religious instead of allowing them to shape and form us to be more like Christ. To help us build our relationship with the Father
Yes. I've found the issue of discipleship in larger churches because there's so many people and not enough groups to disciple them in. We have to make community just as important as serving and the message. Community cannot be an afterthought.
Correct community is the floor built upon the foundation (Christ). The Disciples and Apostles didn’t do it alone and they built communities wherever they went.
Good article. We meet on ZOOM 3 times a week to stay connected and one day we are reading together through the Old Testament. One day we are reading through the New Testament and the third day we have a practical presentation on something related to the life of Christ and / or growing in Christ, including preparing for His 2nd coming. I know some who meet daily online at 6:00 am and they are getting deeply rooted in the Word of God.
If we are feeling spiritually hungry, I encourage people to get into a Bible reading group several times a week and be continuously fed.
I think what Pastor Chris is naming here is something I’ve seen often: people worn down not by faith, but by the infrastructure built around it. Church services, Bible studies, volunteer asks, small groups, retreats—all well-intentioned, but sometimes so stacked that they crowd out the very encounter with God they’re supposed to foster.
What if growth looks more like subtraction than addition? Less doing for God, more being with Him. Stillness. Prayer. Silence. Scripture read slowly rather than studied academically. The ache we feel might not mean we’re doing something wrong—it might mean we’re finally ready to let go of the scaffolding and meet God in the quiet.
Too many churches confuse busyness with discipleship. But you don’t have to be busy to be close. Sometimes, to grow, you have to stop showing up for church and start showing up to God.
Yes. We need to focus on a few things rather than the many. God is in the simple, in rest, in time spent with Him.
This is what I’ve been feeling lately. I needed to read this today. Thank you
I’m glad this article was an encouragement to you. God knows what we need.
Wow brother, preach.
This is the problem we encounter when there is no true discipleship going on with inside the church. We have people trying to fill the god shape hold our lives with busyness instead of God himself.
As someone who used to suffer from ADHD, until I renounce it and stopped coming into agreement with it, I found it very hard to get still before the Lord.
Now is become a matter of just learning to listen with my heart and my ears to that God is speaking to me. There is a reason why silence and solitude are part of the spiritual disciplines.
But we can take the disciplines too far and make them religious instead of allowing them to shape and form us to be more like Christ. To help us build our relationship with the Father
Yes. I've found the issue of discipleship in larger churches because there's so many people and not enough groups to disciple them in. We have to make community just as important as serving and the message. Community cannot be an afterthought.
Correct community is the floor built upon the foundation (Christ). The Disciples and Apostles didn’t do it alone and they built communities wherever they went.
Great practical tips here, Chris! Great read!
Thanks, Brandon. I appreciate your work as well—so many great notes. 😊
Thank you so much!
Good article. We meet on ZOOM 3 times a week to stay connected and one day we are reading together through the Old Testament. One day we are reading through the New Testament and the third day we have a practical presentation on something related to the life of Christ and / or growing in Christ, including preparing for His 2nd coming. I know some who meet daily online at 6:00 am and they are getting deeply rooted in the Word of God.
If we are feeling spiritually hungry, I encourage people to get into a Bible reading group several times a week and be continuously fed.
This was a needed word today. Thank you.