Your Connection Matters: Draw Near to God

An opening of gratitude and intercession frames the morning, giving thanks for safety, worship, and the chance to gather despite storms. The congregation’s concerns are named specifically—sick members, caregivers, incarcerated clergy, and neighbors served through an expanding food ministry—while testimony to faithful volunteers underscores how ordinary acts of generosity widen the church’s outward reach. A historical vignette honors Gloria Jean Williams and traces the birth of campus ministry through the ASU Wesley Foundation, celebrating a new director and the church’s continued commitment to hospitality, student formation, and internship opportunities.

Generosity and practical ministry are presented as tangible expressions of faith: the food pantry’s response and a family being rehoused illustrate stewardship that changes lives. That momentum carries into an invitation to sustained giving so ministries can remain resourced and responsive. Scripture anchors the sermon in James 4:1–10 to diagnose spiritual disconnection: internal cravings, sinful desires, and political or cultural alliances that fracture fellowship with God. The exposition insists that much conflict is the outworking of disordered desires and that friendship with the world invariably damages divine relationship.

A theological remedy is offered with urgency and pastoral clarity: humility, submission, and active resistance to sin restore connection. The promise embedded in the text—draw near to God and God will draw near to you—is treated as both an invitation and a discipline, requiring daily obedience, communal prayer, and concrete practices that keep the “rope” of relationship taut. Practical imagery and testimonies encourage the congregation to live faith out Monday through Saturday, not only on Sunday, so that discipleship is visible in public witness, prophetic speech, and loving service. The service concludes with fervent intercession for justice-minded protesters, elected leaders, and the community, and a benediction that calls the congregation to hold their connection to God with renewed intention.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Connection to God determines spiritual health A believer’s vitality is less about external ritual and more about the quality of attachment to God. When desire is reordered toward God—through confession, prayer, and obedience—prayer ceases to “bounce” off the ceiling and becomes a lifeline in crisis. This health requires daily maintenance, not occasional revival. [59:05]
• 2. Desire often breeds destructive conflict Inner longings, when untethered to holy aims, manifest as fights, envy, and covetous behavior that fracture community. James exposes the interior genesis of public quarrels: unmet wants evolve into aggression, prompting believers to scrutinize motives before blaming external forces. Sanctification therefore begins with the purification of desire. [54:09]
• 3. Friendship with the world severs A divided allegiance—trying to be popular with the culture while claiming fidelity to Christ—produces spiritual infidelity. Scripture’s stark claim that friendship with the world makes one an enemy of God demands discernment about political and cultural attachments. True discipleship requires choosing the kingdom’s loyalty even when the world rewards compromise. [62:50]
• 4. Submit, resist, draw near Restoration is available through concrete spiritual actions: submit to God’s lordship, resist temptation, and intentionally draw closer in prayer and obedience. These are not one-off acts but ongoing practices that recalibrate heart and behavior, inviting divine proximity as both promise and process. Persistent humility opens the door for grace that transforms conduct and community. [67:28]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [06:45] - Opening Remarks & Weather
• [11:14] - Intercession for Sick and Clergy
• [17:45] - Corporate Prayer of Thanksgiving
• [22:26] - SPLC Event & Food Pantry Report
• [26:00] - Remembering Gloria Jean Williams
• [28:50] - Introducing Rev. Herbert Brisbon
• [38:18] - Giving, Housing, and Mission Impact
• [53:56] - Scripture Reading: James 4:1–10
• [56:49] - Sermon Theme: Your Connection Matters
• [67:28] - Practical Steps: Submit and Resist
• [72:20] - Holding the Rope: Discipleship Daily
• [79:36] - Pastoral Prayer and Benediction

Here is a Bible study guide based on the sermon summary and transcript:

Bible Reading

James 4:1–10 (ESV)

1 What causes quarrels and conflicts among you? Is it not from your passions that are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose that the Scripture says in vain, “He struggles with all the envy, the Spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Observation questions

1. The sermon mentions that "much conflict is the outworking of disordered desires." [01:02:22] Based on James 4:1-3, what are some specific examples of these disordered desires and how do they lead to conflict?
2. The summary states that "friendship with the world invariably damages divine relationship." [01:02:50] How does the passage in James describe the nature of this "friendship with the world" and its consequences?
3. The sermon emphasizes that "connection to God determines spiritual health." [58:47] What actions does James prescribe in verses 7-10 as the way to restore or maintain this connection?
4. The sermon highlights the importance of "sustained giving so ministries can remain resourced and responsive." [38:18] How does the concept of generosity and stewardship, as seen in the food pantry and rehousing examples, connect with the spiritual principles discussed in James 4?

Interpretation questions

1. James 4:3 states, "You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions." [54:44] What does it mean to "ask wrongly," and how can we discern if our prayers are motivated by selfish desires rather than God's will?
2. The sermon suggests that "friendship with the world breaks our connection with God." [01:02:50] How can we practically identify when our allegiances to cultural or political viewpoints might be creating a divided loyalty that distances us from God?
3. James 4:6 says, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." [55:10] What are the characteristics of pride and humility as described or implied in the passage and the sermon, and how do they impact our relationship with God?
4. The sermon uses the imagery of "holding the rope" to illustrate maintaining our connection to God. [01:08:38] How does the call to "draw near to God" in James 4:8 function as both an invitation and a discipline in keeping that "rope" taut?

Application questions

1. The sermon noted that "our connection to God matters. Not just on Sunday morning, not when we are just inside the church building, but even when things go wrong every single day." [58:47] In what specific ways can you intentionally nurture your connection with God during the week, beyond your Sunday worship?
2. The passage in James points out that conflicts often stem from "desires that battle within you." [59:20] When you find yourself in a disagreement or conflict, what steps can you take to examine your own desires and motives before blaming external factors?
3. The sermon challenged us to consider that "friendship with the world breaks our connection to God." [01:02:50] What are some areas in your life where you might be trying to balance loyalty to Christ with popularity or acceptance in the world, and how can you prioritize your allegiance to God?
4. James calls us to "submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you." [01:07:16] What is one concrete action you can take this week to actively submit to God's will, resist temptation, and draw closer to Him?
5. The sermon emphasized that discipleship is lived out "Monday through Saturday, not only on Sunday." [01:12:20] How can you intentionally live out your faith in a way that is visible in your public witness, prophetic speech, or loving service this coming week?
6. The sermon highlighted that "real connection requires us to surrender." [01:07:16] In what area of your life are you being called to surrender more fully to God's lordship, and what might that look like in practical terms?
7. The sermon concluded with a call to hold our connection to God with "renewed intention." [01:19:36] What is one specific practice or discipline you will commit to this week to ensure your connection to God remains strong and intentional?