Scooting Closer to Jesus: Creator, Healer, and King

Devotional

Day 1: The Unmoved One on the Swing

A couple once sat pressed together on a porch swing, skin touching like pages in a book. Years later, the husband noticed the chasm between them. His wife wept: “I never moved.” Jesus says the same to drifting hearts. He remains fixed while we inch away through neglected prayer, compromised choices, and crowded priorities. The gap always begins with us. [30:40]

This story mirrors God’s covenant loyalty. Like the faithful wife, Christ maintains His nearness even when we falter. Hebrews 13:5 echoes His promise: “I will never leave you.” Distance distorts our perception, not His presence.

Where has busyness or shame created inches between you and Jesus? Name one practical step to close that gap today—a canceled appointment, a confessed sin, a reclaimed quiet time. What specific drift will you repent of to rediscover His constant nearness?

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”
(James 4:8, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one way you’ve created distance from Christ. Ask Him to reveal His unchosen nearness.

Challenge: Physically move a chair 12 inches closer to your usual prayer spot. Pray there today.

Day 2: Atoms and Appalachian Hymns

Jesus spoke quarks into being without preexisting materials. He designed uranium’s nuclear heart and the brain’s 100 trillion gigabyte capacity. The same voice that carved canyons with syllables sings over you (Zephaniah 3:17). Creation wasn’t a one-time event—He sustains every mitochondrion and galaxy this moment. [41:14]

This changes how we face impossible situations. The Creator of DNA can reprogram addiction patterns. The Architect of supernovas can explode dead marriages. Nothing—not addiction, grief, or failure—exists outside His creative authority.

You’ve likely petitioned God about a “static” problem—a habit, relationship, or wound that feels immovable. Today, approach it through His lens: raw material awaiting His “Let there be” command. What impossible area will you consciously place in His creative hands?

“In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.”
(Job 12:10, NIV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for sustaining your cells right now. Ask Him to reshape one “unchangeable” area.

Challenge: Write “Creator” on a sticky note. Place it where you’ll see it during today’s biggest challenge.

Day 3: Broiled Fish and Fruitfulness

The resurrected Christ ate fish with disciples (Luke 24:42-43), proving His physical nearness enables supernatural fruit. Abiding isn’t mystical—it’s choosing Him over distractions as deliberately as Peter chose nets over breakfast with Jesus (John 21:15). Closeness births patience in screaming toddlers and grace for toxic coworkers. [35:25]

Fruitfulness flows from proximity, not effort. Grapes don’t strain to grow—they cling to vines. When we “sit close” through Scripture and worship, love/joy/peace manifest effortlessly. Striving reveals distance.

Identify one relationship or duty where you’ve relied on human effort rather than abiding. How could approaching it as a branch connected to the Vine change your next interaction?

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me, you will bear much fruit.”
(John 15:5, NIV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to prune one distraction preventing you from abiding today.

Challenge: Set a 3:15 PM alarm. Pause to whisper, “I’m grafted to the Vine,” then act accordingly.

Day 4: Masterpiece in the Making

God calls you His “workmanship” (Ephesians 2:10)—a Greek term meaning “poem.” Your flaws are verses awaiting redemption, not errors demanding deletion. The same hands that painted nebulae craft your story. Salvator Mundi’s $450 million value pales next to Christ’s investment in you. [51:07]

Satan whispers, “God’s done with you.” The Cross says otherwise. Every relapse, regret, and wound is pigment in the Master’s portrait of grace. Your scars become His signature.

What mistake or pain have you labeled “unusable” by God? How might surrendering it as artistic material change your view of His purpose for you?

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it to completion.”
(Philippians 1:6, NIV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for three specific ways He’s reshaped your past “mess” into His message.

Challenge: Doodle a cross on your wrist. When noticed, say, “I’m God’s poem in progress.”

Day 5: Porch Steps to the Altar

Some sit on faith’s porch, admiring the swing but fearing the commitment. Jesus says, “Jump in.” The disciples left nets; Zacchaeus climbed trees; you need only take the next step. Hell mocks your stumbles, but Heaven applauds forward motion. [57:07]

Coming closer requires vulnerability, not perfection. The woman with the hemorrhage (Mark 5:25-34) didn’t wait for healing to touch Him—her reach activated His power. Your effort honors Him.

What “porch mentality” keeps you observing faith instead of inhabiting it? What one action—confession, baptism, serving—could symbolize your leap onto the swing today?

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy.”
(Hebrews 4:16, NIV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus for courage to take your next step toward Him, however small.

Challenge: Text someone: “I’m scooting closer to Jesus today. How can I pray for you?”

Sermon Summary

The porch swing sets the tone. The swing tells on the drift that sneaks into a soul over time, and the tear-stained line “I never moved” locates the distance on the human side, not Christ’s. Psalm 73 says closeness to God is good, and Psalm 16 calls the nearness of Jesus the place of full joy. John 15 invites abiding, not glancing; abiding grows fruit that never sprouts in the flesh. So happiness does not ride how high the swing goes. Happiness rides how close the heart sits to the King.

Hebrews 1:1-3 opens the picture book and points to the Son. God spoke before through the prophets, but now he speaks in the Son, who stands as heir of all things, maker of the world, radiance of divine glory, exact imprint of God’s nature, upholder of the universe by the word of his power, and the One who sat down after cleansing sins. That five-part portrait lays out a summer of “scooting closer to Jesus”: Creator of all things, reliever of daily strain, existence of God made plain, destroyer of Satan’s domain, and healer of deepest pain. Today the lens tightens on Creator.

Genesis 1 and Hebrews 1 line up: Jesus created it all. The Hebrew verb for “created” means God used no preexisting material. The line lands sharp: God told nothing to do something, and it did it. The vastness of space and the smallness of atoms both answer to that voice. A hundred decillions of stars, distances that swallow history, and a teaspoon of uranium humming whole neighborhoods silently testify. The human brain stacks up as another gallery: trillions of gigabytes, a river of choices per second, senses tuned to dust and a million smells. Proverbs 20:12 tags sight and hearing as God’s handiwork. Evolution may strut in halls of learning, but Hebrews keeps pointing at Jesus and says, “He made it.”

If Jesus creates from nothing, imagination ought to run straight to what he can still make. Ephesians 2:10 calls his people workmanship, a living canvas where the Savior paints himself through flawed colors made beautiful. Salvator Mundi may be costly, but the most priceless portrait of Jesus is the one he is painting in a people who offer love where hate shows up, forgiveness where judgment bites, and help where self-interest reigns. The Spirit’s agenda is simple and urgent: scoot closer. Arms-length, elbow-length, or handbreadth, the call stays the same. Get off the far end of the swing. Draw near. Or, if not on the swing at all, stop standing on the porch and jump in. Jesus has not moved, and his nearness is the game changer.

Key Takeaways

1. Closeness beats spiritual busyness [33:56] The swing image exposes how activity can mask distance. Scripture ties joy and goodness to nearness, not noise. When the soul sits close, ordinary days carry holy weight. When the soul drifts, even big spiritual highs ring hollow. [33:56]
2. Jesus creates from absolute nothing [41:14] Ex nihilo is not poetry, it is power. The voice that called galaxies and atoms into being has no shortage problem with a human life. Nothingness is not a wall to him, it is raw material. This Creator is not stuck with what is on hand. [41:14]
3. Nearness grows supernatural fruit [35:08] Abiding in the Son births what flesh cannot raise. Love and patience are not life hacks, they are sap from the Vine. Proximity turns strain into strength because the Life of Another starts showing up as the life within. [35:08]
4. Grace makes masterpieces from messes [49:38] Workmanship is Jesus’ word over flawed people, not a compliment to the already polished. The Artist does not hide the scars; he weaves them into the story of mercy. The canvas of a church becomes a public exhibit of a faithful Christ. [49:38]
5. Risk is worth it with Jesus [49:14] If the Lord can speak worlds from nothing, he can speak hope into hostile places. Boldness is not bluster, it is confidence in the power of the One who upholds all things. Courage steps out because the outcome rides on his word, not human applause. [49:14]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[28:16] - From death unto life celebration
[29:07] - The porch swing story
[30:40] - “I never moved”
[33:56] - Closeness over height on the swing
[34:46] - Fullness of joy and abiding fruit
[37:21] - Hebrews 1:1-3 read aloud
[38:33] - Fivefold portrait of Jesus
[39:14] - Jesus the Creator of all things
[41:14] - Creation from nothing
[42:03] - Space size that stuns
[44:26] - Atom power and proof
[49:38] - Masterpiece workmanship in Christ
[55:14] - Invitation to draw near
[67:36] - Invite to Jesus, not just church

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Hebrews 1:1-3 (ESV)
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Observation Questions

What five key roles or attributes of Jesus are highlighted in Hebrews 1:1-3? How do these roles connect to the sermon’s emphasis on His power and nearness?
The sermon mentions that Jesus “created all things from nothing” (ex nihilo) [41:14]. What examples of creation (e.g., atoms, galaxies, human senses) were used to illustrate this truth?
According to the sermon, what does the porch swing story reveal about spiritual drift and God’s faithfulness? [29:07]

Interpretation Questions

Why is the idea of Jesus creating “from nothing” (ex nihilo) significant for trusting Him with our daily struggles or impossible situations?
The sermon states, “Happiness rides how close the heart sits to the King” [33:56]. How does this contrast with common cultural ideas about happiness?
How does abiding in Christ (John 15:5) lead to “supernatural fruit” like love and patience, and why can’t these qualities be produced by human effort alone? [35:08]

Application Questions

Identify one area of your life where you’ve felt “distant” from Jesus (e.g., prayer, relationships, priorities). What practical step could you take this week to “scoot closer” to Him?
The sermon says Jesus uses “flawed colors” to paint His masterpiece in us [49:38]. How might embracing your imperfections as part of God’s workmanship change how you view your past mistakes or current struggles?
If Jesus can create galaxies from nothing, what seemingly “impossible” situation in your life (a broken relationship, a habit, a fear) could you entrust to His power today?
The porch swing analogy warns against mistaking spiritual activity for intimacy [33:56]. What routines or habits in your spiritual life might be masking a heart that’s drifting?
The sermon challenges believers to “offer love where hate shows up” as part of being Christ’s masterpiece [52:34]. Who in your life needs intentional love or forgiveness this week, and how will you act on it?
Risking boldness for Jesus requires confidence in His power [49:14]. What’s one “risk” (e.g., sharing faith, serving sacrificially, confronting sin) you’ve avoided due to fear? How could trusting His sovereignty empower you?

Sermon Clips

So what does it take to get in the swing of Christianity with with with Jesus? Jump in. Jump in. During this time, if you've never given your heart and life to Jesus, our first responders are down here at the front. You can walk to any one of them and say, help me pray that I might fully get in that swing with Jesus. This is your moment. This is why you came today. This is why you're here today. This is your moment. Not to just spectate from where you're at in your seat. Now you've heard the word. Now it's your chance to respond and press into Jesus. [00:57:07] (40 seconds)

Well, I've known the Lord now for some thirty six years, and there's something that I've learned about that swing of Christianity. Happiness does not come from how high we swing on the swing of Christianity. It doesn't come from how high we swing on that swing. It comes from how close we are on that swing to the king. To the king. And, you know, the Bible echoes that. Let me share some things with you right here. It affirms this truth. [00:33:51] (29 seconds)

You know, our relationship with Jesus can often look like that swing story. There was a time when we were a little bit closer to Jesus than we are right now. Some of us may have to confess that there's a whole arm link between us and Jesus. Others might say, well, it's an elbow link between us and Jesus. And some might be able to say, there's only a hand breath between me and Jesus. But nevertheless, there was a time when you were closer to Jesus. [00:30:50] (42 seconds)

You know what that means? There is a richness to life that comes from closeness to Jesus. Psalm sixteen eleven says this, in your presence is fullness of joy. Not a little bit of joy, fullness of joy. That means this, there is an unrivaled satisfaction found only in the presence of Jesus. Amen? I mean, Jesus himself said this in John fifteen five, abide in me. You know what that is? That's an invitation to closeness. [00:34:27] (32 seconds)

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Scooting Closer to Jesus: Creator, Healer, and King

Devotional

Day 1: The Unmoved One on the Swing

Day 2: Atoms and Appalachian Hymns

Day 3: Broiled Fish and Fruitfulness

Day 4: Masterpiece in the Making

Day 5: Porch Steps to the Altar

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Scooting Closer to Jesus: Creator, Healer, and King

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