DIVE INTO THE DEEP! We’re on a family vacation right now. My 6 year old son loves the water and wants to spend every minute in the pool. As a parent, I want him to stay in the safety of the shallow end, but everything within him knows that the real fun and adventure is in the deep end. That being ‘out of his depth’ is where he will experience the greatest risk and reward.

Many of us start our faith journey by jumping into the deep end - we’re so passionate, full of faith, generous, joyful, enthusiastic about sharing Jesus. But over time we retreat back towards the shallow end. We may be hurt or disappointed, we become critical or cynical, we’ve ‘been there and done that’. So we pull back slowly, we take less risks, we become ‘careful’ and ‘practical’. And, before long, we find ourselves in a shallow, boring, passionless, safe version of what following Jesus was meant to be.

Today Jesus is calling us to DIVE INTO THE DEEP! He longs for you to be totally immersed in His presence, overwhelmed by His favor, engulfed in His power. DIVE INTO THE DEEP! Yes, it’s where there is the biggest risk. But it’s always where you’ll find the greatest reward!

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Psalm 107:24

“They saw the works of the Lord, his wonderful deeds in the deep.”

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Psalm 42:7

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

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Luke 5:4-7

“When Jesus had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.”

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Ezekiel 47:1-5

“The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was trickling from the south side. As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in - a river that no one could cross.”