if you indeed cry out for insight,
    and raise your voice for understanding;
if you seek it like silver,
    and search for it as for hidden treasures—
 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God. – Proverbs 2:3-5

First of, “Happy Sunday” everyone. I’d like to begin by inviting you to church; we meet for worship at 10:00 during the summer months. Then, this is my invitation to come to the class I am teaching during the month of June. I get started around 9:00.

My class is about the basics of spiritual growth, and is built around the content of my first book, GET REAL. The volume – originally conceived for men – has been my best selling publication by far. But if I had it to do over again it would be designed for people regardless of gender; the principles are universal.

Today we are considering the first “D” in my outline. D stands for desire and we will be talking about the fact that the place to begin, if we are going to make any progress at all, needs to be with actually wanting to grow.

Fact is, once our desire is hooked, once we want something badly enough, we tend to move heaven and earth to get it. People camping out in the cold and the rain, on the street, overnight because they want a “Tickle Me Elmo” so badly! Or breaking the bank and standing in line for hours to buy a ticket to a hot concert! Or going through humiliation and sometimes danger and often considerable expense to join a fraternity.

There are countless examples. The key to marketing is to convince people they must have something. Once the “have to” is established things as trivial as money or time or convenience or reason are not such a big deal.

If, then, we really do want God, if we honestly desire to grow spiritually, then everything else I talk about in the book is going to fall into place because, as Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

It’s one thing to understand, intellectually, that being a part of a church is good for your family, or that pursing a relationship with God is beneficial; but unless we “desire” something more for our family, and “desire” a deeper walk with God then the good idea hasn’t made its way from the head to the heart and – sadly – nothing tends to happen.

I will be sharing some great stories this morning. What is your story when it comes to engaging a spiritual life? If, having read this post today, you feel even the slightest desire to grow then you are ready for the journey. Now the next step is discipleship, root word “discipline.”

Stay with me, and we will move forward together – DEREK