Chip Ingram Encourages ‘True Spirituality’ in DEEP FAITH Messages

“If you had to come up with three or four words on how you honestly see yourself, what would they be?” Chip Ingram challenged the Gordon community as he launched this year’s spiritually intensive DEEP FAITH week. Ingram, who is the CEO and teaching pastor of Living on the Edge, led the College in a concentrated time of reflection with a series on The Real God, the Real You, and True Spirituality. Over the course of four sermons, Ingram described the significance of shaping self-identity under the influence of God’s love, as shown in Scripture. “What he spoke about gave me a better understanding of who God is in comparison to who I am,” said Alexis Morelli ’22. “I loved how he described true spirituality.” Session 1: “How do you see God?” Ingram outlined three facts to consider when learning who God is: 1. God is not like us. 2. God can only be known as he reveals himself to us. 3. Left to ourselves, we tend to reduce God to manageable terms. In order to see God as he really is, we must seek him. “Through nature and God’s word and Jesus, you can see and know God progressively and accurately,” he said. Watch Monday morning’s sermon > Session 2: “How do you see yourself?” Acknowledging mankind’s warped self-image and universal fears of rejection, insignificance and harm or death, Ingram pointed toward Christ’s role in our lives as redeemer. “We often think we’ll overcome these fears and our warped mirrors if we are accepted,” he said. “But Jesus came to break down that barrier and bring you, me and our Father toward the truth—to be the unique individuals we were made to be.” Watch Monday evening’s sermon > Session 3: “What does God require of you?” When you find a priceless treasure, you are willing to offer all that you have for it—just ask the man who discovered invaluable Civil War coins or the woman who found an authentic Picasso painting. We should approach our relationship with Christ with the same zeal, says Ingram: “Total commitment is the channel through which God’s biggest and best blessings flow. The Lord doesn’t withhold from those who go all in . . . He wants to give you what’s beyond what you can ask, think or imagine.” Watch Tuesday evening’s sermon > Session 4: “What does God want to give you?” True spirituality begins with an accurate depiction of God and is built on the foundation of relationship, Ingram preached. He described our five key relationships: with God, with the world, with the self, with other believers with and non-believers. In each relationship, respectively, there is power in surrendering, being separate from the world, finding purpose, serving and supernaturally responding to evil with good. “The only one who can live the perfect Christian life is Jesus,” said Ingram, “and he lives in you.” Watch Wednesday morning’s sermon > By Ellian Chalfant '22, Communication Arts