Daily Christian Journey

Do you remember those first few weeks? The eerie quiet of the streets, the sudden halt to the relentless pace of life, the shared sense that the world had tilted on its axis. The pandemic was a global health crisis, of course, but it was also something more: a profound spiritual moment. It was a great shaking, a collective disruption that forced us all to look at what our lives were truly built upon.

For many of us who follow Jesus, that shaking was an uncomfortable unveiling. The pandemic didn’t necessarily break the church, but it revealed the cracks that were already in our foundations. It showed us where our faith was more of a weekly habit than a life-giving wellspring. It exposed the ways we had settled for a faith that was wide but shallow, easily disrupted by the first sign of a storm.

But here’s the beautiful, hopeful truth: that shaking was also an invitation. God is not calling us to frantically rebuild what crumbled or to simply get “back to normal.” He is inviting us to go deeper. He is calling us to a great re-rooting—a chance to cultivate a faith so deep and resilient that it can not only withstand the storms of the world but actually bring life and healing to it. This isn’t about recovery; it’s about renewal.

The Unmistakable Signs of a Shallow Faith

To understand where we need to go, we first have to be honest about where we are. The pandemic held up a mirror to the Western church, and the reflection was telling. It revealed a faith that was, in many places, too fragile to bear the weight of a world in crisis.

The Fragility of “Showing Up”

For decades, many churches measured health by what I call the “ABCs”: Attendance, Buildings, and Cash. The goal was to get more people in the seats. But the pandemic proved that a full auditorium doesn’t always equal a flourishing faith.

When the doors closed, the numbers told a sobering story. Research from organizations like Barna and Lifeway showed that about one in three practicing Christians simply stopped attending church, either in person or online. Weekly church attendance across the country dropped from around 39% to 33%—a shift representing roughly 15 million people stepping away from regular worship each week.

This wasn’t just a logistical problem. It was a discipleship problem. Younger generations, like Gen X and Millennials, were far less likely to return than their parents and grandparents. For many, it seems, church was a habit that, once broken, didn’t feel essential enough to restart. It revealed that our discipleship models had succeeded in creating church attenders but had often failed to form deeply rooted disciples.

The Epidemic of Anxiety and Loneliness

Even before 2020, our communities were struggling. Studies showed that more than half of practicing Christians were dealing with at least one significant relational or mental health issue. We were more connected than ever digitally, but we were also lonelier and more anxious.

The pandemic poured gasoline on that fire. Pastors quickly reported that the top needs in their congregations were no longer just spiritual guidance but emotional and relational support. Young adults were hit especially hard. One study found that nearly one in five felt lonely “all the time.” They were desperately looking for meaningful connection, for a community that felt like a family—and they were hoping to find it in the church.

This exposed a critical weakness in a faith that is purely informational. A faith that consists of a Sunday sermon and a midweek Bible study, without the messy, beautiful, life-on-life reality of authentic community, simply cannot sustain people through a prolonged crisis. We were created for embodied presence, and Zoom could only take us so far.

The Discipleship Vacuum: When Culture Rushes In

Here’s a truth we can’t afford to ignore: you are always being discipled. The only question is, by what? If the church is not actively and intentionally forming your heart, mind, and soul, you can be sure that the culture is. The pandemic revealed just how powerful these other “discipleship programs” have become.

Political Discipleship: In the vacuum of deep, biblical formation, political ideologies became a functional religion for many Christians. We saw a near-complete fusion of faith with partisan politics. Believers became known not for their love, peace, and unity, but for their anger, their embrace of conspiracy theories, and their role in the nation’s bitter polarization. Why? Because for too long, many churches adopted a model of silence on difficult public issues, hoping to keep the peace. But this silence didn’t create unity; it created a vacuum. And that vacuum was eagerly filled by cable news hosts and social media algorithms, which discipled millions of Christians into a posture of fear and outrage rather than faith and hope.

Digital Discipleship: At the same time, we all became more reliant on our screens. But our devices are not neutral tools; they are actively shaping us. The constant stream of notifications, headlines, and algorithm-driven content is rewiring our brains. It’s shortening our attention spans and making the deep, slow work of prayer, meditation, and reflection feel almost impossible. Pastors are overwhelmingly concerned about this massive shift to screen time, yet most churches have no real plan to help their people navigate this “Digital Babylon” with wisdom and intention.

This leads to a painful but necessary realization. The popular trend of “deconstruction”—where people critically re-examine and often discard the faith they grew up with—isn’t some random outbreak of doubt. It is a predictable consequence of shallow discipleship. When a person’s faith is built on a brittle foundation of cultural Christianity, political alignment, or the promise of a comfortable life, it’s bound to shatter when tested by the harsh realities of suffering, injustice, or intellectual questions. Deep discipleship must create a safe and honest space for people to wrestle, to question, and to rebuild their faith on the only foundation that will last: the person of Jesus Christ himself.

A Hunger for the Real Thing: Glimmers of Revival in an Anxious Age

But the story doesn’t end with decline and deconstruction. In the midst of all this shaking, something else has been stirring. A deep, profound hunger for God. And nowhere has this been more visible than among the very generation many had written off.

The Story of Asbury: When God Showed Up Without a Plan

In February 2023, a regular Wednesday chapel service at Asbury University in Kentucky simply… didn’t end. After the final song, a few dozen students stayed behind to pray. And then a few more. There was no plan, no program, no famous speaker. There was just a simple, un-produced, student-led movement of worship, repentance, and prayer that continued, 24 hours a day, for more than two weeks.

Word spread like wildfire on social media, and soon, tens of thousands of people were flocking to this tiny town, waiting in line for hours in the cold, just to be in a room where God’s presence was tangible. What they found inside was radically simple. There were no lights, no smoke machines, no celebrity worship leaders. The motto that emerged was, “No celebrities except Jesus.” People sang simple songs, read scripture, and waited on the Holy Spirit. Students and visitors alike came forward to publicly confess sin, share stories of healing, and give their lives to Christ.

Observers from every background all said the same thing: the defining characteristic of the Asbury Outpouring was a palpable sense of peace, humility, and overwhelming love. It was a glimpse of heaven, a place where divisions faded and the only thing that mattered was the worship of Jesus.

Sparks on Other Campuses

And it wasn’t just Asbury. In the months that followed, similar, smaller outpourings of prayer, worship, and even mass baptisms began to pop up on college campuses across the nation, from the University of Alabama to Cedarville University.

We don’t need to label this a “Great Awakening” to recognize its significance. These events are undeniable proof that there is a desperate spiritual hunger in our land, especially among Gen Z. They are tired of the polished, the produced, and the politicized. They are longing for an authentic, unfiltered encounter with the living God.

In a world of constant stimulation, political rage, and curated perfection on social media, the most radical and attractive thing the church can offer is an alternative. The simplicity, slowness, and holiness of what happened at Asbury was its most powerful feature. It wasn’t trying to be a better version of the world; it was offering a doorway into another world altogether—the unshakeable kingdom of God. And that is the true heart of deep discipleship.

The Ancient Path for a Modern World: Three Directions for Going Deeper

So how do we respond to this moment? How do we move from a shallow faith to a deeply rooted one? The good news is that we don’t have to invent a new strategy. The path has been laid out for us for 2,000 years. It’s an ancient path, but it’s the only one that will lead us through this modern wilderness. It involves moving in three directions at once: inward, together, and outward.

Part 1: The Inward Journey – Reclaiming Your Soul from the Noise

You cannot give what you do not have. Deep discipleship always begins with your own personal, transforming relationship with God. In our noisy, distracted age, the classic spiritual disciplines are not just quaint religious habits; they are radical acts of resistance. They are how we reclaim our souls from the clamor of the world.

• Prayer: It’s time to move beyond a prayer life that looks like a Christmas wish list. True prayer is a conversation. It involves listening as much as speaking. It’s a space for adoration, confession, and surrender. If you don’t know where to start, try praying the Scriptures. Take a Psalm and make its words your own.
• Scripture: We must learn to read the Bible for transformation, not just for information. This isn’t about winning a trivia game; it’s about letting the living Word of God read us. A simple but powerful method is S.O.A.P.:
  • Scripture: Read a short passage slowly.
  • Observation: What does it say? What words or ideas stand out?
  • Application: How does this speak to my life right now?
  • Prayer: Turn your reflections into a prayer, asking God to help you live out this truth.
• Silence & Solitude: These are the antidotes to our chronically overstimulated lives. Find a few minutes each day to simply be still and quiet. Put your phone in another room. Turn off the podcast. In the silence, we create space to hear the still, small voice of God and to face the truth of our own hearts. It can be uncomfortable, but it is essential.
• Fasting: Fasting is about intentionally denying a physical appetite to awaken a spiritual one. While it traditionally involves food, you can fast from anything that has an unhealthy hold on you. Try a 24-hour media fast. Fast from social media or the news for a week. You’ll be amazed at the mental and spiritual space it creates for God to speak.

Part 2: The Journey Together – Forging Unbreakable Community

Christianity was never meant to be a solo sport. The pandemic was a painful reminder that while online services can be a helpful supplement, they are no substitute for the embodied, in-person, life-on-life community God designed us for.

• Rethinking Small Groups: The old model of meeting in a stranger’s living room can feel intimidating in our post-pandemic world. But the need for community is greater than ever. Churches are getting creative with new models that are bearing incredible fruit.
  • The “TableTalk” Model: Imagine a large group gathering in a neutral, welcoming space like a church basement for a shared meal. The room is buzzing with energy. Then, after dinner, people break off into smaller, consistent groups for discussion and prayer. This model, used by a church in New York City, creates a low-pressure entry point with the high-relational payoff of a tight-knit group.
  • The On-Campus to Off-Campus Pathway: Another great strategy is to offer short-term, on-campus studies—think a six-week class on a compelling topic. Seat people at round tables where they can get to know each other. After a few weeks, as relationships form, you can invite those tables to continue meeting on their own as a new small group. It shortens the path to connection.
• The Power of Mentorship: We all need people in our lives who are a few steps ahead of us on the journey. A spiritual mentor isn’t an expert with all the answers; they are a faithful guide who can help us see the path more clearly. A great mentor is someone who is F.A.I.T.H.-ful: Faithful, Available, Initiative-taking, Truth-telling, and Healthy in their own walk with God. The most powerful mentorships are built on authenticity. We don’t need perfect role models; we need honest ones who are willing to share their struggles and their stories of God’s grace.

Part 3: The Outward Journey – Living as Salt and Light in a Divided World

A deep faith doesn’t create a holy huddle, insulated from the world’s problems. It forms us into people who can carry the peace, love, and hope of Jesus into a world that is fractured and hurting.

• Navigating Political Polarization: Our discipleship must teach us that our primary allegiance is to the kingdom of God, not to a political party or a national identity. We need to develop a “Jesus-centered political imagination,” one that is shaped more by the Sermon on the Mount than by our preferred news channel. Jesus’s vision for human flourishing transcends the tired left-right binaries of our day. The goal is to be both convinced in our biblical principles and profoundly kind in our posture toward others.
• Practical Steps for Peacemaking:
  • Listen to Understand: In a world that only wants to shout, a disciple of Jesus learns to listen. Practice seeking to understand the story and the hurt behind someone’s position, even if you vehemently disagree with it.
  • Engage More Than Politically: Our witness is not primarily our vote; it’s our love. Are we known in our neighborhoods and workplaces as people of integrity, service, and compassion? We must find tangible ways to care for the poor, the marginalized, and the vulnerable around us.
  • Curate Your Information Diet: Make a conscious choice to lower the temperature of your media consumption. One pastor I know made a simple rule: he reads the news, but he doesn’t watch it. This small shift helps him engage thoughtfully without getting swept up in the emotion and outrage that television news is designed to produce.

Your Action Plan: A 7-Day Re-Rooting Kickstart

All of this can feel overwhelming. So let’s make it simple. Deepening your faith isn’t a massive, complex project. It’s a series of small, intentional steps taken consistently over time. Here is a simple, 7-day challenge to help you begin the process of re-rooting today.

• Day 1: The Inward Journey
  • Action: Schedule 15 minutes of silence. Put your phone in another room. Sit quietly and simply be present with God. No agenda. Just be.
  • Reflection: “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
• Day 2: The Journey Together
  • Action: Identify one person you respect spiritually. Send them a text asking if they’d be open to grabbing coffee to talk about faith.
  • Reflection: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17)
• Day 3: The Outward Journey
  • Action: Read a news article from a source you don’t normally consult. Pray for the people involved in the story, asking God to give you His heart for them.
  • Reflection: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)
• Day 4: The Inward Journey
  • Action: Choose one verse from the Psalms. Write it down. Use the S.O.A.P. method: write down the Scripture, your Observation, how you can Apply it, and a simple Prayer.
  • Reflection: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
• Day 5: The Journey Together
  • Action: Think of a friend who might be struggling. Invite them to do something simple with you this week—go for a walk, grab a meal—with no agenda other than to listen well.
  • Reflection: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)
• Day 6: The Inward Journey
  • Action: Practice a “digital sunset.” Put away all screens one hour before you plan to go to sleep. Use the time to read a book, journal, or pray.
  • Reflection: “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:8)
• Day 7: The Outward Journey
  • Action: Perform one small, unexpected act of service for a neighbor or coworker.
  • Reflection: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.” (Mark 10:45)

Building a Faith That Lasts

The past few years have been a test. The ground beneath our feet has shifted, and the things we once trusted in have been shaken. But for the follower of Jesus, this is not a cause for despair. It is a call to build our lives on the one thing that can never be shaken: the love and lordship of Jesus Christ.

The invitation of this post-pandemic era is not to a new church program, but to a new posture of the heart. It’s a call to a slow, intentional journey of becoming people whose faith is not just a Sunday activity, but the deep, life-giving source of everything we are and do.

The goal is not merely to survive this new season. It is to emerge with a faith that is deeper, stronger, and more beautiful than ever before—a faith that is truly rooted in the unshakeable love of God.