Magnifying God: Embracing His Love and Relationship
Summary
This morning, the focus is on the simplicity and depth of what it means to magnify God. Just as Vacation Bible School brings us back to the basics—welcoming, worshiping, and teaching about Jesus—so too does our relationship with God begin with simple, profound truths. God is worthy of praise simply because He is God: eternal, self-existent, holy, and just. Even if He had never created anything, His very nature would still demand our worship. Yet, God chose to create, and in doing so, He revealed even more of His glory and care.
God’s creation is not distant or impersonal. He made each of us intentionally, in His image, for the purpose of relationship. Our default setting was to walk with God, to be close to Him. But humanity chose to “opt out” of that relationship through sin, creating a separation we could not fix. Despite this, God’s love and care are magnified all the more. He would not allow that separation to stand. Out of His deep love, He sent His Son, Jesus, to bridge the gap we created.
The love God has for us is staggering. Jesus tells us that as the Father loves Him, so He loves us. This is not a distant or abstract love, but a personal, sacrificial love—one that led Jesus to lay down His life for us. The familiar words of John 3:16 remind us that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. This is not just a truth for children at VBS, but for every one of us.
No problem we create is too big for God to overcome. While our sin is beyond our ability to fix, it is not beyond God’s power or willingness. Through Jesus, God provides a way for us to “opt back in” to the relationship we were made for. Even when we are unfaithful, God remains faithful. He promises to be with us always, never leaving or forsaking us. The invitation is open: to opt in, to allow God’s messages to reach our hearts, and to live in the relationship we were created to enjoy. As we serve, teach, and love others—especially this week at VBS—may God’s name be magnified in all we do.
Key Takeaways
- God’s Worthiness Is Not Dependent on Us
God is worthy of praise simply because He exists. His holiness, justice, and perfection are not contingent on anything He has done for us or anything we can offer Him. Even if He had never created the world, His very being would still demand worship. This truth grounds our praise in who God is, not just what He does. [47:00]
- We Were Created for Relationship, but Chose Separation
Our original design was to walk in daily relationship with God, to be close to Him as our default setting. Yet, humanity chose to “opt out,” creating a rift that we are powerless to repair. This separation is not just a theological concept but a lived reality that explains the deep longing and emptiness we sometimes feel. Recognizing this helps us understand both our need and God’s initiative in restoring us. [49:47]
- God’s Love Is Measured by the Cross
The depth of God’s love is seen in the way Jesus describes it: as the Father loves the Son, so Jesus loves us. This is not a lesser or diluted love, but the very same love that exists within the Trinity. The cross is the ultimate demonstration—Jesus laid down His life for us, not because we deserved it, but because God’s love is that great. [52:41]
- No Problem Is Too Big for God’s Redemption
While we created a problem—sin—that we cannot fix, God’s power and grace are greater. There is no situation, no failure, no sin that is beyond God’s ability to redeem. Through Jesus, God does what we cannot, offering us a way back into relationship with Him. This truth brings hope and assurance, even in our darkest moments. [56:29]
- God’s Faithfulness Invites Us to “Opt In” Again and Again
Even when we are unfaithful, God remains steadfast. He continually provides a way for us to return to Him, to “opt back in” to the relationship we were made for. His promise to be with us always is not just for the disciples, but for each of us, every day. This faithfulness is worthy of being magnified in our lives and in our service to others. [59:12]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[44:42] - Keeping It Simple: The Heart of VBS
[47:00] - Why Magnify God?
[49:47] - Created for Relationship
[51:38] - God’s Love and Our Separation
[52:41] - The Depth of Christ’s Love
[54:05] - The Cross: God’s Love in Action
[55:24] - The Gravity of John 3:16
[56:29] - No Problem Too Big for God
[57:08] - God’s Intentional Care
[58:03] - God’s Faithfulness Despite Our Unfaithfulness
[59:12] - The Promise of God’s Presence
[01:00:19] - The Invitation to Opt In
[01:01:55] - Letting God’s Message In
[01:02:37] - Teaching the Next Generation
[01:03:28] - Prayer for VBS and Our Church
[01:05:24] - Commissioning VBS Volunteers
[01:06:26] - Closing Prayer and Benediction
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: Magnifying God’s Worth, Love, and Faithfulness
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### Bible Reading
- John 15:9-13
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
- John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
- Matthew 28:18-20
“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”
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### Observation Questions
1. According to John 15:9, how does Jesus describe the way He loves us?
2. What does John 3:16 say is the reason God sent His Son into the world?
3. In the sermon, what does the pastor say was our “default setting” when God created us? ([49:47])
4. What promise does Jesus give at the end of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:20?
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### Interpretation Questions
1. The sermon says God is worthy of praise simply because He is God, not just because of what He does for us. Why is it important to ground our worship in who God is, rather than only in what He does? ([47:00])
2. The pastor talks about humanity “opting out” of relationship with God through sin. How does this idea help us understand the separation we sometimes feel from God? ([49:47])
3. Jesus says, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.” What does it mean that Jesus loves us with the same love the Father has for Him? How might this change the way we see ourselves? ([52:41])
4. The sermon says that even when we are unfaithful, God remains faithful. What does God’s faithfulness look like in everyday life? ([59:12])
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### Application Questions
1. The pastor said, “God is worthy of praise simply because He exists.” This week, how can you practice praising God for who He is, not just for what He’s done for you? ([47:00])
2. The sermon described our “default setting” as being in relationship with God, but that we “opted out.” Are there ways you have “opted out” or distanced yourself from God recently? What would it look like to “opt back in” this week? ([49:47])
3. Jesus’ love for us is described as the same love the Father has for Him. Is there an area of your life where you struggle to believe God loves you that much? What would change if you really believed it? ([52:41])
4. The pastor said, “No problem we create is too big for God to overcome.” Is there a problem or sin in your life that feels too big for God? What would it look like to trust God with it? ([56:29])
5. God’s faithfulness means He is always with us, even when we are unfaithful. Can you think of a time when you felt distant from God, but looking back, you see He was still with you? ([59:12])
6. The sermon encouraged us to “opt in” to God’s messages and not let them go to “spam.” Are there ways you have been ignoring or avoiding God’s voice? What is one step you can take to listen more closely this week? ([01:01:55])
7. As we serve, teach, and love others (like at VBS), how can you make sure that God’s name is magnified in your actions and words? ([01:05:24])
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Closing Prayer Suggestion:
Thank God for His love, faithfulness, and the invitation to relationship. Ask for help to “opt in” to His love and to magnify Him in all you do this week.
Devotional
Day 1: Magnify God Because He Is Worthy
God is worthy of praise simply because He is God—eternal, self-existent, perfect, holy, righteous, just, and good. He does not need anything to be worthy; His very existence and character demand our worship. Even if He had never created anything, He would still be deserving of all honor and glory. As we begin to understand who God is, we realize that our praise is not based on what He does for us, but on who He is in Himself. Let your heart be drawn to worship today, not for what you receive, but for who God is. [47:00]
Revelation 4:11 (ESV)
"Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created."
Reflection: When you think about God today, can you set aside your circumstances and simply praise Him for who He is, not just for what He does for you?
Day 2: God Created Us for Relationship
From the very beginning, God created humanity in His image and declared it "very good." Our default setting was to walk in daily relationship with Him, to be close and connected. Yet, through our own choices, we opted out of that relationship, creating a separation we could not fix. Still, God's intention for us remains: we are meant and made to be in relationship with Him, and nothing else can fill that place in our lives. [49:47]
Genesis 1:27, 31 (ESV)
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them... And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good."
Reflection: What is one way you can intentionally draw closer to God today, remembering that you were created for relationship with Him?
Day 3: God’s Love Is Magnified in Jesus
God’s love for us is so deep and profound that He would not allow the separation caused by our sin to stand. Jesus tells us that as the Father has loved Him, so He loves us, and He calls us to abide in that love. The greatest demonstration of this love is that Jesus laid down His life for us, making a way for us to return to the relationship we were created for. God’s love is not abstract—it is personal, sacrificial, and available to you right now. [52:41]
John 15:9, 13 (ESV)
"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love... Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."
Reflection: How can you rest in and respond to the reality of Jesus’ love for you today, knowing He laid down His life for you?
Day 4: God’s Salvation Overcomes What We Cannot Fix
Though our sin created a problem too big for us to solve, there is no problem too big for God. In His love, He sent Jesus to die for us, offering salvation and eternal life to all who believe. This act of grace is intentional and personal—God chose to do what we could not, so that we might be restored to Him. No matter how small or insignificant you may feel, God’s salvation is for you, and His power is magnified in redeeming what was lost. [56:29]
Romans 5:8 (ESV)
"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Reflection: Is there a burden or sin you feel is too big for God to handle? Will you trust Him today to overcome it and receive His gift of salvation?
Day 5: God Is Faithful—Opt In to Relationship
God’s faithfulness endures even when we are unfaithful. Through Jesus, He provides a way for us to “opt back in” to the relationship we were created to have. Jesus promises never to leave or forsake us, and His presence is with us always. No matter where you are in your journey, God invites you to choose Him, to let His messages reach your heart, and to walk in the fullness of relationship with Him. [01:00:19]
Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV)
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Reflection: Have you allowed God’s invitation to relationship to go to “spam” in your life? What is one step you can take today to “opt in” and experience His faithfulness anew?
Quotes
God loves us so much that he sent his son, Jesus, to die for us. And it says, God loves us in this way that while we were still sinners, Christ died, Romans 5 .8. And we move on to probably one of the most VBS verses that we all know, right? That God so loved the world. Don't let that ever be lost on you. Sometimes in repetition, as we say things and we learn things and we memorize things and we say them over and over, we tend to lose the gravity of a certain phrase or passage or truth. God loved the world so much. He cared so deeply. He loved so much. He desires for us to have that relationship that we were meant to have so much that he gives his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but will have eternal life. [00:54:52] (65 seconds)
While sin is too big for us to fix, it's not too big for God. And so he sends his son Jesus to die for us. And in this, when we give our lives to him, as small as you might feel like you are, and the reality is compared to God, we're really small. But when we talk about God being magnified in the small things, this is what we mean. Each little piece of everything that God does is so intentional and so specific. And it highlights his care, his love for us, for his creation. And it magnifies him all the more because he didn't have to do it. He didn't have to, but he chose to. He chose to do it. [00:56:47] (50 seconds)
But then mankind goes and causes a problem that mankind cannot fix have you guys ever thought about that the lord kind of like unraveled that in my brain a couple years ago and i cannot really wrap my mind around how crazy that is that in the garden of eden mankind creates a problem that they cannot fix and because of that choice and because of that decision and the sin that is a result of adam and eve's choice there's a rift between us and god let me put it this way our default setting is to have a relationship with God and mankind chose to opt out. [00:49:57] (51 seconds)
We magnify God because he's faithful. Even when we weren't faithful, God was faithful. Remember, we chose to opt out. In the beginning, we chose to distance ourselves from him. But through this divine plan that God has, through his care and his love and sending his son Jesus to die for us, what God does is he provides a way, he provides a choice for us to opt back in. [00:57:59] (34 seconds)
No matter where you are in your life, no matter where you are in your journey, I want you to know God is faithful. God cares about you. God loves you. God provides a way for you to opt in to the relationship that you were meant to have, that you can't fulfill with anything else. Nothing. There's nothing else that will fulfill in you, that will fulfill in your life, the missing piece that God is supposed to have. [01:00:27] (35 seconds)
God, the eternal creator of the universe, of everything that we see and know who's worthy of praise just because he's God. That same God loves Jesus Christ, the savior of the world. And as much as God loves Jesus, Jesus loves you. And guess what? Jesus is God. God loves you that much. That's how much God loves you. [00:53:36] (29 seconds)
You see, because we were made for relationship. We're meant for relationship. We are meant and made to be in relationship with God. That's how we are supposed to live. You're created for it, but we opted out of it. And what can we do? Because we opted out, but we don't know how to get back in. We can't choose. We couldn't fix it. So God comes and he opens up a way. He provides hope for us to choose to opt back in through his son, Jesus. [00:58:37] (34 seconds)
My encouragement to you this morning, as we magnify God and we magnify his care and his love and his salvation and his faithfulness, is to opt in to the relationship that you were meant to have. [01:01:04] (17 seconds)
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