Garry, I'm 54 years old and have been a Christian for 22 years. I grew up in a severely dysfunctional family with parents that divorced when I was young and I suffered 51 years of suicidal depression (statistically common for children of divorced parents...subconscious identity crisis).So the things I'm going to say will sound unconventional, but they come from a lifetime of pain, suffering, heartbreak, introspection, searching for truth, love, and an identity.When I was 31, I became convinced that the bible held the truth of God (until then, I was searching for His true identity). The first 20 years were kind of 'dry' because all I found in these 'christian club' traditional teachings were 'mechanical' (go through the motions, do this, do that, follow the rules, read this, etc.). The teachings from traditional 'christianity' didn't satisfy my heart. I was like you, I was searching for MORE.Well, there is MORE (LOVE). TRUE Christianity is a LOVE, not a 'faith'. It is based on being 'true blue' and having an honest to goodness LOVE for the creator. Faith (trust in) should be borne out of LOVE for God (like the way someone would have love for their dad, when I was young, I also had faith in my dad...BECAUSE I LOVED him). I also have faith in the laws of physics, but I don't love them.You see, there is a SECOND message in scripture (a DEEPER message) that those who worship Him with their lips (CALL themselves "Christian) cannot understand or see. This is the "STRONG delusion" that has been in effect all throughout history,...the 'babylon' of the heart (the MYSTERY that nobody WANTS to see...the doctrines of the heart are the stumbling block, Ezekiel 14:4-8 in the KJV), and no matter how much the true message is told to "christianity", there will be ENDLESS INTELLECTUAL OBJECTIONS because they have "REFUSED TO LOVE THE TRUTH and so BE SAVED" (2 Thessalonians 2:10).Christianity has always been under the strong delusion because actually BEing a loving and just/righteous person is not 'convenient', it's much easier to 'follow the leader', conform to rules, simply read and INTERPRET text (as though it's a 'MAP to God') and glorify one's self as a master scholar/intellectual. It is still believed/taught that we should walk by FAITH, but we should "WALK BY THE SPIRIT" (Galatians 5:16 and 25). The word of God is the "SWORD of the SPIRIT" (Ephesians 6:17). The bible is the INTRODUCTORY doctrine of Jesus (Hebrews 6:1) and the "WORD OF TRUTH" (2 Timothy 2:15, Ephesians 1:13, John 14:6). We are to know God as "ABBA FATHER" (dear father), NOT "MASTER" ('taskmaster'),Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:6 and have no fear of Him (1 John 4:18, Isaiah 29:13, Mark 12:30) because we should be a "FRIEND" of God (James 2:23).The 'sin laws' were abolished (Ephesians 2:15) and we are under the law of LIBERTY (James 1:25 and 2:12). We are justified IN CHRIST (1 Corinthians 6:11, Galatians 2:16 and 17) and wisdom IN CHRIST is not in parables (Matthew 13:13).Everything before the spirit was given (ancient scriptures, devotions/feasts, worship habits/Bereans, terminology, etc.), John 7:39, are irrelevant to New Testament devotion. We are obligated to do the "works of God" (John 6:28 and 29) by believing in Him so our goodness will not be by compulsion, but of our own freewill conscience (Philemon verse 14).There should NO "SELF abasement" (no self abatement/abandonment, Colossians 2:18 and 23). We should KNOW who we are (establish identity/individuality) so that we can have a TRULY 'PERSON'al relationship with The Lord ("I am who I am", Exodus 3:14, the Father's name FOREVER) and He can have one with us, His spirit "yearns jealously", James 4:5 (also, SELF discipline for repentance IN CHRIST is only possible with a strong sense of SELF). We should have 'tears of sorrow' in our heart about those who suffer misfortune ("rivers of living water", John 7:38, Revelation 7:16 (sorrow makes us sad/"poor in spirit", Matthew 5:3, the PRESENT heaven will be in our heart) and we should be transformed (new creation) by the renewal of our MIND (Romans 12:2, the heart can't THINK).This is a "MORE EXCELLENT WAY" of devotion (for the N.T. GODLY Christian, 1 Corinthians 12:31) because we should abide/live by "the GREATEST of these" (1 Corinthians 13:13) and have our CONSCIENCE PURIFIED ALSO (Hebrews 9:14). Adam and Eve ate of the tree of conscience and we should learn how to use that knowledge properly (Hebrews 5:14). These are just some of the better things (Hebrews 6:9) that belong to salvation. These are the "DEPTHS of God" (1 Corinthians 2:10).Mankind has always replaced God's 3 gracious gifts to humanity...1) creation (Father)2) salvation (Son)3) Godliness teaching (Spirit)...with the teachings and protocol of MAN (the SIXTH day creation)...666So, that you didn't find the teachings of man's institutional church satisfactory and it left your heart empty,....CONGRATULATIONS, you can "enter by the door" (John 10:1).All verses are from the RSV (I find it the most understandable and true to the real message).