Embracing a Transformative Relationship with God

Devotional

Day 1: Cultivating a Personal Relationship with God

Our faith journey is not about adhering to religious rituals but about cultivating a personal relationship with God. This relationship allows us to call Him our Father and experience His presence in our lives. It is through this connection that we find true fulfillment and purpose. As we step into a new year, we are reminded of the importance of diving deep into God's Word, not just for information but for transformation through application. Our prayers and praises are like incense rising before Him, filling the atmosphere with His presence. This profound privilege and responsibility of being in a relationship with God should guide our daily lives. [29:34]

"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." (James 4:8, ESV)

Reflection: How can you intentionally cultivate a deeper relationship with God today, beyond religious rituals, and experience His presence in your daily life?

Day 2: Establishing Spiritual Non-Negotiables

As we enter a new year, we are encouraged to establish spiritual non-negotiables—convictions rooted in God's Word that guide our lives. These are not mere resolutions but commitments to live out our faith authentically, influencing those around us positively. Our lives are like letters being read by those around us, and what we do in moderation, our children will do in excess. Therefore, our spiritual non-negotiables are crucial for influencing others positively. This year, focus on spiritual non-negotiables that will guide your actions and decisions, ensuring they align with your faith and values. [40:45]

"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:58, ESV)

Reflection: What are your spiritual non-negotiables for this year, and how can they guide your actions and decisions to positively influence those around you?

Day 3: Living with an Eternal Perspective

Our actions and beliefs today will impact our eternity. We are reminded of the inevitability of standing before God and the importance of our faith in the here and now. This perspective encourages us to live with purpose and intentionality. By focusing on the eternal, we can prioritize what truly matters and align our lives with God's will. This eternal perspective should shape our daily choices and interactions, reminding us of the significance of our faith journey. [37:27]

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." (2 Corinthians 4:16-17, ESV)

Reflection: How can you shift your focus from temporary concerns to an eternal perspective, and what changes can you make in your daily life to reflect this shift?

Day 4: Sharing the Hope of Christ

Jesus Christ is not to be our best-kept secret. We are called to share the hope and transformation He brings to our lives. This calling is not just for pastors but for every believer, as we are all ambassadors for Christ. By sharing our faith and the hope we have in Christ, we can impact the lives of those around us and fulfill our divine purpose. This year, make it a priority to share the hope of Christ with others, being a light in a world that desperately needs it. [52:05]

"But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect." (1 Peter 3:15, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life needs to hear about the hope and transformation that Christ brings, and how can you share this message with them today?

Day 5: Understanding Our Identity in Christ

Before we can embrace our "I must," we must settle our "I am"—our identity in Christ. Understanding who we are in Him clarifies our spiritual non-negotiables and guides us in living a life that glorifies God. This understanding of our identity in Christ is foundational to our faith journey and influences every aspect of our lives. By embracing our identity in Him, we can confidently pursue our divine purpose and live out our faith authentically. [59:12]

"For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3:3-4, ESV)

Reflection: How does understanding your identity in Christ influence your daily life, and what steps can you take to fully embrace this identity and live out your divine purpose?

Sermon Summary

In today's gathering, we explored the profound privilege and responsibility of being in a relationship with God. Our prayers and praises are like incense rising before Him, filling the atmosphere with His presence. This relationship is not about religion but about a personal connection with God, where we can call Him our Father. As we step into 2025, a year of new beginnings, we are reminded of the importance of diving deep into God's Word, not just for information but for transformation through application. We are called to ask ourselves three critical questions: What does the Bible say? Where does it say it in context? And what are we going to do about it?

The essence of our faith is not just knowing about God but knowing Him personally. This year, we are focusing on spiritual non-negotiables—convictions rooted in God's Word that guide our lives. These are not mere resolutions but commitments to live out our faith authentically. We are reminded that our lives are like letters being read by those around us, and what we do in moderation, our children will do in excess. Therefore, our spiritual non-negotiables are crucial for influencing others positively.

We also discussed the inevitability of standing before God one day, emphasizing the importance of our faith in the here and now. Our actions and beliefs today will impact our eternity. Jesus Christ is not to be our best-kept secret; we are called to share the hope and transformation He brings. Even Jesus had His "I must"—His divine purpose. We, too, must identify our "I must" by first understanding our "I am"—our identity in Christ. This understanding will clarify our spiritual non-negotiables and guide us in living a life that glorifies God.

Key Takeaways

1. The Power of Relationship Over Religion: Our faith is not about adhering to religious rituals but about cultivating a personal relationship with God. This relationship allows us to call Him our Father and experience His presence in our lives. It is through this connection that we find true fulfillment and purpose. [29:34]
2. The Importance of Spiritual Non-Negotiables: As we enter a new year, we are encouraged to establish spiritual non-negotiables—convictions rooted in God's Word that guide our lives. These are not mere resolutions but commitments to live out our faith authentically, influencing those around us positively. [40:45]
3. Living with Eternal Perspective: Our actions and beliefs today will impact our eternity. We are reminded of the inevitability of standing before God and the importance of our faith in the here and now. This perspective encourages us to live with purpose and intentionality. [37:27]
4. Sharing the Hope of Christ: Jesus Christ is not to be our best-kept secret. We are called to share the hope and transformation He brings to our lives. This calling is not just for pastors but for every believer, as we are all ambassadors for Christ. [52:05]
5. Understanding Our Identity in Christ: Before we can embrace our "I must," we must settle our "I am"—our identity in Christ. Understanding who we are in Him clarifies our spiritual non-negotiables and guides us in living a life that glorifies God. [59:12]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[29:34] - The Power of Relationship Over Religion
[31:07] - New Year, New Beginnings
[34:16] - The Importance of God's Word
[36:06] - Living with Eternal Perspective
[37:27] - Facing Eternity with Confidence
[38:38] - Celebrating Life and Faith
[40:45] - Establishing Spiritual Non-Negotiables
[44:33] - Trusting God's Word and Will
[47:47] - Living as a Letter Read by Others
[51:05] - Paul's "I Must" and Our Calling
[52:05] - Sharing the Hope of Christ
[52:51] - Jesus' Divine Purpose
[56:56] - Embracing Our "I Must"
[59:12] - Understanding Our Identity in Christ
[66:03] - Becoming a Child of God
[69:09] - Moving from Knowing to Following

Sermon Clips

"But for us, it's a picture of us always coming into God's presence, raising the praise, raising our prayer. The incredible thing is we've been invited into a relationship with God. It's so cool. And so I'm going to ask you, let's bow our heads in a word of prayer, and we're going to pray together, and we'll go from there, all right? Father, we do love you. We are grateful to be in your house today." [00:28:49] (22 seconds)

"The Word of God is God's Word. I don't want to twist it to make it say what we want it to say. The Word of God is God's Word. I don't want to twist it to make it say what God's Word. And we believe this, that the Word of God wasn't given to us for information, but for transformation only through application, which led us to our third question." [00:33:47] (14 seconds)

"And we have a choice by the way, with what we do with Jesus Christ in the here and now, listen to me, what we do in our faith in the here and now it's going to matter in the when and then can I get an amen? And Matthew chapter 25 says that when we stand before God, Romans said, we're all going to give a one-on-one eyeball to eyeball account before Jesus Christ, the righteous judge one day." [00:37:27] (23 seconds)

"Even Jesus, even Jesus was compelled by an I must. I'll show you. We just came through Christmas. We just did the incarnation. God became a man. Emmanuel, God with us, God for us. We studied all that. And then you get a little bit of Jesus, about two years old. Then the next thing you see about Jesus, he's 12 years old. Okay, let's read this account." [00:52:51] (25 seconds)

"Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. And the Bible says this, and everything else God's got taken care of, amen? Here's what this is. When one of our, when our I must all of a sudden is rooted in the father's business, you know what father takes care of? Our business. Some of us are so stressed out over certain situations in our life that we're trying to manipulate them and be God." [00:57:43] (31 seconds)

"Before you can get to your I must, you've got to settle your I am. You've got to settle your I am. The first one is your spiritual identity. You've got to know who you are in Christ. You've got to understand the promises of God. You've got to understand the power of God in your life. You've got to understand the call of God in your life." [00:59:12] (23 seconds)

"You have to understand your I must, who you are in Christ, your identity in Christ, because your identity in Christ, will help you clarify, man, your I must, your spiritual non-negotiables. I am, so therefore I must. You with me? Give me an uh-huh. So many people are like, oh, yeah, I just love God. God's awesome. Listen." [01:00:20] (33 seconds)

"Because there's a lot of things about the Christian life that are tough, and a lot of things, like if I was God, I would just maybe, can we just change that a little bit? How about we take that tithy down to 2%? God's like, man, I told you I was going to open up the windows of heaven. What are you talking about?" [01:01:14] (22 seconds)

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