Are You a Mile Wide?

The following is a conversation I had a short time ago with a young man from England. He grew up in a Christian home and later married an American Christian and moved to the U.S. about four years ago.

I asked him the following question: “What do you see as the biggest difference between the church you were raised in and the ones here in America?” His answer was quite telling, and I paraphrase it for you.

“The churches here are a mile wide and an inch deep. You have beautiful buildings, lots of land, many resources, lots of programs. . . but the preaching is not Word based nor do the people have a love for Scripture study or doctrine.

“Back home, attendance at Christian churches is declining significantly. But the one I attended the pastors preached from the Scriptures. People knew their doctrine. They wanted to read the Bible during the week. Our church was 10 feet wide but a mile deep.”

He went on to say, “I’m thankful my parents were Christian, and I had faithful pastors who were committed to the Word.”

How much time do you spend in the Word? Are you a mile deep? Or just wide?

- Jim Weikal