Beyond Attendance: How to Actually Grow Closer to God
- Stonepoint Community Church
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Let’s be honest—showing up to church is easy. Real change? That’s harder.
You can sit in the same chair every Sunday, hear every message, sing every worship song… and still never grow. Why? Because hearing makes you informed, but following makes you transformed.
Spiritual growth isn’t automatic. It’s intentional. And if your spiritual life feels stale, stuck, or unfulfilling, the answer might not be more information—it might be a deeper connection.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Your Seat Isn’t What Changes You
A church chair has heard every sermon ever preached—but it’s still a chair.
You could attend every service for the next 10 years and still miss what God is trying to do in your life if you never move from passive listening to active following.
Don’t mistake proximity for transformation. Being near God’s word isn’t the same as being shaped by it.
2. Church Isn’t a Performance. It’s a Puzzle.
In this series, each sermon has revealed a “missing piece” that keeps us from fully experiencing the peace and power of God.
But the final piece? It’s not about systems or strategies—it’s about people. Connection. Community. Alignment.
Just like a puzzle can’t be built without a table, you can’t build a strong spiritual life without a local church body, pastoral leadership, and mutual accountability. Growth happens when you stop just attending and start belonging.
3. You Don’t Just Need a Shepherd. You Need Your Shepherd.
Jesus saw the crowds and was moved with compassion because they were “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).
He didn’t send thunder. He didn’t send lightning. He sent a leader.
In today’s culture, the idea of pastoral leadership is often misunderstood or rejected. People say things like:
“It’s just me and Jesus.”
“I listen to podcasts and YouTube preachers.”
“I don’t need a church—I can grow on my own.”
But here’s the truth: God’s help often comes wearing skin. Divine direction is delivered through human voices. When you disconnect from the leaders God’s placed in your life, you disconnect from the answers you’ve been praying for.
4. Offense Will Cost You Your Visitation
It’s possible to be sitting in the very place God called you to—and still miss what He’s trying to give you. Why? Offense.
Offense masquerades as “I don’t like the way they said that.”
Offense whispers, “No one checked on me.”
Offense hides behind the words, “I’m just not being fed anymore.”
But in reality, offense is a form of defense—it keeps you from being stretched, challenged, and changed.
The same word that convicts you is the word that can deliver you. But only if you stay rooted long enough to receive it.
5. The Shepherd’s Job Isn’t Control. It’s Covering.
Psalm 23 says, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Why? Because He feeds, guides, and protects.
If you’re spiritually hungry, directionless, or constantly under attack, it may be because you’ve stepped out from under your covering. And stepping away from the shepherd will always leave you vulnerable to the wolves.
The answer isn’t more hustle. It’s more alignment.
6. Don’t Just Watch Church—Work the Word
James 1:22 warns us: “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
If you listen to sermons but never apply them, you’re like someone who looks in a mirror and immediately forgets what they saw.
Growth happens when you:
Hear the word
Obey the word
Repeat
This isn’t about perfection—it’s about persistence. Keep showing up. Keep serving. Keep giving. Keep praying. Keep obeying. That’s where transformation lives.
7. God Gave You a Gift—Unwrap It
When Jesus ascended, He didn’t take His ministry with Him. He distributed it. According to Ephesians 4, He gave gifts—apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers—to equip you, build you, and mature you.
Your pastor isn’t just a preacher.
They’re a gift. Not for entertainment—but for alignment.
The way you receive determines what you receive.
Final Thought: The Real Missing Piece Might Be You
You’ve prayed for change. You’ve asked for answers. And maybe you’ve wondered why nothing’s shifting.
Could it be that what’s missing… is your connection?
Not just to God. But to His body. His people. His church. His shepherds. His call on your life.
You were never meant to live spiritually isolated.
It’s time to stop sitting in the chair and start walking in your calling.
🎥 Want More?
This message was part of The Missing Peace series. If you’re tired of feeling like something’s off, these sermons are for you.
📺 Watch the full series now on YouTube
