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Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin …

Zechariah 4:10 NLT

I started Deep Spirituality nearly ten years ago with a simple vision to help my local church. I wanted to provide Bible studies that made deeper spirituality more accessible for the members of the church. Little did I know, God was using these small beginnings to create something bigger than I had ever imagined.

Thanks to the feedback we got from many of you, I soon realized that there is a great need and hunger for a space to explore the depths of the Bible. Deep Spirituality began to expand to many others beyond our local community.

Fast forward several years, and this is what also led me to create The Chemistry Lab newsletter on Deep Spirituality. We are continually working to make this newsletter the best it can be—not to gain more subscribers, but to lay the foundation of discovery. 

I am under no assumption that I have all the right answers. Through this process, I’ve often gone back and disagreed with myself. We are not trying to know everything; we are trying to make God audible and read the Bible for what it is—a book of discovery. 

The more we discover who God is in the Bible, the more depth we will have, which leads to an unshakeable life.

An unshakeable life begins with digging deep

I will show you what everyone is like who comes to me and hears my words and obeys. [48] That person is like a man building a house who dug deep and laid the foundation on rock. When the floods came, the water tried to wash the house away, but it could not shake it, because the house was built well.

Luke 6:47-48 NCV

Even when life, politics, emotions, and people threaten to shake us up, we can remain steady and unshakeable when we dig deep and build on the rock of Jesus’s words. 

Depth and superficiality have been common themes so far in The Chemistry Lab. You may remember that in our first issue, we discovered that our human tendency toward superficiality is one of the root causes of unrest in the world. 

“From the least to the greatest, their lives are ruled by greed. From prophets to priests, they are all frauds. [14] They offer superficial treatments for my people’s mortal wound. They give assurances of peace when there is no peace.

Jeremiah 6:13-14 NLT

Increasingly, the times in which we live are politically polarized, economically aggrieved, religiously disinterested, institutionally distrusting, and socially angry. From a biblical point of view, these problems are not new; they exist whenever God is replaced with the shallow solutions of this world. 

For us to choose spirituality, we must learn from Jesus and resist the temptation to reduce life to the wisdom of a tweet or the opinion of an influencer. We must resist the urge to live by emotional reactions without reflection and human judgment absent the Word of God.

Real life, the life God has invited us to discover, is not superficial. It is multi-dimensional, deeply spiritual, and whole.

Beyond the surface: A scripture playlist to deepen your connection with God

Today, our team has developed a Scripture Playlist that dives deeper into the topic of, well, diving deeper. You can listen to it, read it, or read while you listen. It will walk you through key scriptures about superficiality and how to deepen your connection with God. 

As you listen to this Scripture Playlist, this is a great opportunity to use our new “How to Have a Deep Quiet Time” downloadable guide. Write notes, verses, and reactions as you listen along to deepen your relationship with God even further.

Coming soon: More Chemistry Lab tools

Next week, we’ll let you know about more Chemistry Lab tools that are in development. Many of you have requested additional ways to access and engage with the content, in addition to written newsletters. We are working on podcast episodes, more Scripture playlists, and other creative ways to enter the lab so that everyone can benefit from it. 

Reply or reach out

As always, we need your help. We love to hear your thoughts about the topics and tools that are resonating with you. Your insights are not just feedback—they’re fuel for future experiments.

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Resources for this devotional
Beyond the Surface: How to Build a Deeper Connection with God 10

As the editor in chief for Deep Spirituality, Russ Ewell writes, teaches, and innovates with his eyes on the future. His teaching is rooted in providing hope for those turned off by tradition and infused with vision for building a transformative church. His passion to inspire even the most skeptical to view God through fresh eyes can be found in his book, He's Not Who You Think He Is: Dropping Your Assumptions and Discovering God for Yourself.

Beyond the Surface: How to Build a Deeper Connection with God 10

As the editor in chief for Deep Spirituality, Russ Ewell writes, teaches, and innovates with his eyes on the future. His teaching is rooted in providing hope for those turned off by tradition and infused with vision for building a transformative church. His passion to inspire even the most skeptical to view God through fresh eyes can be found in his book, He's Not Who You Think He Is: Dropping Your Assumptions and Discovering God for Yourself.

Beyond the Surface: How to Build a Deeper Connection with God 12
Beyond the Surface: How to Build a Deeper Connection with God 12
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The Chemistry Lab

by Russ Ewell

A weekly spiritual newsletter about wonder, discovery, and the creative journey of walking with God.

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