Overview:
You know, getting older happens automatically, but growing up spiritually? Well, that is a different story altogether. If we aren’t careful, we can find ourselves years down the road as believers, yet still shallow in our faith—a mile wide and an inch deep.
In this message, Stop Drifting Along and Start Digging In, I want to challenge you to move beyond a passive faith. Join me as we open God’s Word and discover the vital importance of intentional study and application. It is time to stop drifting with the current and start digging deep roots that will hold fast when the storms of life come.
Message Summary:
The central theme is the critical distinction between growing old and growing up spiritually. Using Hebrews 5 and Proverbs 2, Swindoll argues that many believers remain “infants” who are reliant on others for spiritual nourishment (milk) rather than learning to feed themselves on the “solid food” of the Word. He emphasizes that wisdom is not an academic achievement but a “cultivated skill” of applying God’s truth to life’s knowledge, which requires intentionality and hard work.
Message Key Facts:
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The Problem of Spiritual Dullness: Believers can become “dull of hearing,” meaning they have lost the capacity to listen to deep truths and prefer shallow entertainment over rigorous thinking.
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The Definition of Wisdom: Swindoll defines wisdom as the ability to discern truth from error and the “heightened awareness of danger and evil”.
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The Discipline of the “Ifs”: Based on Proverbs 2, obtaining wisdom is conditional. It requires one to:
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Receive and treasure God’s commands.
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Be attentive and inclined toward understanding.
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Cry out for discernment and search for it as one would for hidden treasure.
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Self-Sustaining Faith: A mark of maturity is being “spiritually self-sustaining”—the ability to open the Bible and feed oneself without being solely dependent on a specific preacher or teacher.
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The Benefits of Depth:
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Provides substance to faith, replacing purely emotional responses with biblical facts.
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Stabilizes the believer during times of intense testing.
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Equips the individual to detect theological errors in a “politically correct” world.
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Personal Testimony: Swindoll shares how his time as a Marine in Okinawa, under the mentorship of Bob Newerk, transformed his life through “searching the Scriptures” and memorizing hundreds of verses.
Message References:
Hebrews 5:11-14 Addressing spiritual immaturity, the need for solid food, and the training of senses to discern good and evil.
Proverbs 2:1-9 The core text regarding the conditions (the “Ifs”) and the rewards (the “Thens”) of seeking wisdom.
Proverbs 1:1, 8, 10, 15 Identifying Solomon as the author and the “my son” nature of the wisdom literature.
1 Kings 4:29-32 A snapshot of Solomon’s immense wisdom and prolific writing.
James 1:5 The instruction to ask God for wisdom if we lack it.
Proverbs 1:20-25 Wisdom’s “reproof” and the consequences of neglecting her counsel.
John 1:11-12 Cited during Swindoll’s recollection of his scripture memory program.
Joshua 1:8 Cited as a verse for meditation and spiritual success.
Deuteronomy 8:2 A reminder of God’s leading through the “wilderness” to humble and prove the heart.
Proverbs 16:7 A promise that when a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes his enemies at peace with him.
