serious question

[anchorman]

I have a lot of friends at my church, and over the years I have been given more and more responsibility- but I have a problem. My church is a mega church- where a lot of returned come (in fact 3 years ago i was one of them.) Consquently i feel like the message is not all that deep and I am really hungry- and yet there are really good bonds.

Has anyone been here before

[fanuvmxpx]

I have a lot of friends at my church, and over the years I have been given more and more responsibility- but I have a problem. My church is a mega church- where a lot of returned come (in fact 3 years ago i was one of them.) Consquently i feel like the message is not all that deep and I am really hungry- and yet there are really good bonds.

Has anyone been here before

Yes, I have been there. I would encourage you to feed yourself more, and feed others as well. Consider attending or hosting a home study, where you can dig into the Word outside of the mega-church. This helped me immensely. God Bless

[Bonnie]

I agree that we have to feed ourselves. Daily reading and prayer will make you closer to God. I know in my area things have changed a lot since I was first saved.  Preachers don't preach like they use to.  It's like there is a famine for God's Word in many churches today.

[graceforme]

I attended a church very much like what you describe for several years.  I became more and more unsettled with what was being taught.  I began taking notes on the sermons, almost verbatim, and then studying them for the entire week between services.  What I found was that the Scriptures were being "stretched" to mean what he wanted, not necessarily what they meant. 

I decided it was time to leave.  While I totally agree that we should study on our own as instructed in 2 Timothy 2:15, but I also think that we should expect to hear nothing but the truth from the pulpit, not a "shortcut" sermon.

My advice is to have a conference with the pastor, telling him how you feel.  Make sure you approach him with love and concern, and Biblically.  He should be open to discussion regarding your feelings.  I know that the bonds we form in the church are important, but what is even more important is the teaching of the truth of God. 

Approach this situation prayerfully.  I pray that you will seek God and allow Him to show you what He would have you do.

Many blessings to you.

[Mere Nick]

I have a lot of friends at my church, and over the years I have been given more and more responsibility- but I have a problem. My church is a mega church- where a lot of returned come (in fact 3 years ago i was one of them.) Consquently i feel like the message is not all that deep and I am really hungry- and yet there are really good bonds.

Has anyone been here before

Some of us normally stick around each Sunday and eat lunch together downstairs in the fellowship hall.  None of us figure that's all the eating we need to do for the entire week. 

[Mystery Man]

A mega church needs smaller groups.  Maybe not at a sunday service.  But afterwards or during the week. 

It is important that a church, no matter what size or shape needs to take care of the spiritual needs of the church.  Smaller groups usually help tremendously.  Questions can be answered, and if they can not, then they can ask someone who has more understanding, so that babes in the Word are not making rash judgements on their own as to what they think the scriptures as saying.  And of course, if you feel that where you fellowship is not teaching you the truth, by all means leave and find one that does.

[anchorman]

oh I do belong to a small group that i actually lead, and that has been helpful. But still on Sunday morning I listen to sermons that just scratch the surfice...also- and this will sound horrible- after 3 years at the same church I've gotten to a point where my pastor sermons basically all sound the same.

i want to continue the small group- and all the friends I have made- but also want to start church shopping. I just don't know how to do both

[chosenone]

To a large extent I dont go to church to be taught, as usually as you said many of the talks are general and may well not be telling us what we dont already know, but I listen to many other teachings thorough other christian organisations and places where I buy teaching cds, and there are many places on line where we can listen to teaching. Also some of the teachers on godtv (you have to be very selective) are very good. Since my early days of being a Christian. I have ALWAYS wanted to learn more than what I was being taught, and went after it myself.  I wouldnt be where I am today spiritually if I had just left it all to the church sermon on a  Sunday.

[larry2]

Quoting Mere Nick - Some of us normally stick around each Sunday and eat lunch together downstairs in the fellowship hall.  None of us figure that's all the eating we need to do for the entire week.

Response - Dear brother, I love this example; please don't be offended if I borrow it from time to time, and then worst of all forget where I heard it.

In Jesus' name - larry2

[Rahn]

To a large extent I dont go to church to be taught, as usually as you said many of the talks are general and may well not be telling us what we dont already know, but I listen to many other teachings thorough other christian organisations and places where I buy teaching cds, and there are many places on line where we can listen to teaching. Also some of the teachers on godtv (you have to be very selective) are very good. Since my early days of being a Christian. I have ALWAYS wanted to learn more than what I was being taught, and went after it myself.  I wouldnt be where I am today spiritually if I had just left it all to the church sermon on a  Sunday.

I have a lot of friends at my church, and over the years I have been given more and more responsibility- but I have a problem. My church is a mega church- where a lot of returned come (in fact 3 years ago i was one of them.) Consquently i feel like the message is not all that deep and I am really hungry- and yet there are really good bonds.

Has anyone been here before

I am at a place where I wonder what church I need to be attending. I have been to worship where my dad goes. It is a very conservative Church of Christ. The sermons are very cut and dried. The words seem true but the love does not seem to be there. Some of the people know me. However, I am not the same person they knew 30 years ago. I have become more progressive in my views. This church has had very little growth over the years. I want to be a part of a more dynamic church. If I make the effort to drive to the big liberal church, I will have to go into hiding. lol. Oh well.

I go to a church but I am not a member of any small group. I do not fit in. I have to cultivate what I can by listening to sermons from the big liberal church. That is the way things are. I wish they were different.

[kristinaf]

There is a mega-church near where I live, but the teaching there is stale, not very passionate, slightly boring and not very biblical.  Therefore, I stick to my much smaller church, where at least the Pastor can shake us up out of our sin, tell us to repent, be "real" with us, speak passionately, and not mince words.  He is also more adherent to the word, and has the word more frequently mixed into the message, which is a good thing.  So, I stick to my smaller church, even though the big church has a Friday night service which I like the idea of.  But, for the most part, I am sticking to my small humble church for now. 

But I have also had the feeling sometimes of church-shopping.  It is a hard thing to do, esp. once you feel comfortable where you are and have made some friends.  If I check out another church (which I do only occasionally), I usually think of my usual church and end up going back to it on Sunday.  It's the people and the Pastor bringing me back.  Sometimes, though, I wish my church were bigger...but oh well.   

[Charley]

Since sermons will always....appeal to some and not others, listeners like you who want to go deeper end up having to do "extra curricular" study.  If God is using your church to bring people back to the Lord, then amen and amen!  I praise God that the church I am a part of features practical, but very thought provoking sermons.  But in those times of needing to dig deeper, I usually listen to or read from either of these two men of God:
http://www.rzim.org
This is the website of Ravi Zacharias (you can listen to his podcasts)
http://www.jimmcguiggan.com
As deep as you can get!
Blessings to you.