Prioritizing Love: A Relationship with God

Devotional

Day 1: Love God with All Your Heart, Soul, and Mind

Loving God is not just a religious duty or a checkbox on our to-do list; it is the very foundation of our relationship with Him. When we make God our first love, our perspective shifts, and obedience becomes a joy rather than a burden. Even in the midst of life's challenges, keeping God as our priority brings hope, comfort, and peace. The call to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind is not a suggestion but the greatest commandment, inviting us to a deep, personal relationship that transforms every area of our lives. [09:51]

Matthew 22:37-38 (ESV)
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.”

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you have been treating your relationship with God as a duty rather than a delight? How can you intentionally shift your focus to loving Him wholeheartedly today?

Day 2: Guard Your Heart Above All Else

Our hearts are constantly being pulled in different directions by the world around us, and even good things can become distractions if they take the place of God in our lives. Guarding our hearts means being vigilant about what we allow to capture our affections and attention, recognizing that our desires, decisions, and priorities flow from the condition of our hearts. When we protect our hearts from competing loves, we keep our focus on God and prevent the slow drift that can lead us away from Him. [17:13]

Proverbs 4:23 (ESV)
Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

Reflection: What is one practical step you can take this week to guard your heart from distractions or competing loves that threaten to take God’s place as your first priority?

Day 3: Keep Away from Idols—Even Good Things

An idol is anything that takes God’s rightful place in our hearts, even if it’s something good like family, work, or hobbies. It’s easy to let these things become more important than our relationship with God, often without even realizing it. The warning in Scripture is clear: keep away from anything that might displace Christ from the center of your life. Regularly checking your priorities and affections helps ensure that nothing—no matter how good—becomes an idol that draws you away from your first love. [20:18]

1 John 5:21 (ESV)
Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

Reflection: Is there something in your life—even something good—that you tend to check or prioritize before saying yes to God? What would it look like to surrender that area to Him today?

Day 4: Where Your Treasure Is, There Your Heart Will Be

Our priorities are revealed by where we invest our time, energy, and resources. Jesus teaches that whatever we treasure most will capture our hearts, so it’s essential to align our pursuits and desires with God’s purposes. By intentionally recalibrating our schedules, finances, and commitments to keep God first, we prevent the slow drift that can happen when life gets busy. Making God our greatest treasure ensures that everything else in our lives finds its proper place. [27:13]

Matthew 6:21 (ESV)
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Reflection: Take a look at your calendar and budget—what do they reveal about what you treasure most? What is one change you can make this week to better align your priorities with loving God first?

Day 5: Set Your Sights on the Realities of Heaven

As followers of Jesus, we are called to set our sights on the realities of heaven, not just the things of this earth. In a world filled with distractions, brokenness, and competing voices, fixing our eyes on Christ helps us stay grounded in His promises and purposes. When we make God our destination and continually recalibrate our focus toward Him, loving Him becomes second nature—shaping our thoughts, decisions, and daily actions. [29:24]

Colossians 3:1-2 (ESV)
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Reflection: What is one practical way you can set your sights on Jesus today—perhaps by starting your morning with prayer, meditating on Scripture, or pausing to realign your focus when distractions arise?

Sermon Summary

Today, we gathered to remember that God is holy and worthy, and that our greatest calling is to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind. Life is full of heaviness and brokenness, but also moments of joy and goodness. In the midst of it all, God invites us into a relationship, not a religious routine. Jesus came to bridge the gap that sin created, so that we could be restored to our first love—God Himself. When our relationship with God is our top priority, everything else in life finds its proper place. Obedience, faithfulness, and joy flow not from obligation, but from a heart that is captivated by God’s love.

We looked at the context of the Great Commandment, where Jesus was asked what matters most. He responded simply: love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is not just a rule to follow, but the very heartbeat of our faith. The Bible, from beginning to end, is a story of God’s relentless desire for relationship with us. Loving God with our whole heart means making Him our first priority, not just when life is hard, but every day, in every circumstance.

We also talked about the reality of competing loves—good things that can become idols if they take God’s place in our hearts. Whether it’s family, career, finances, or even ministry, anything that we check before saying “yes” to God can become an idol. Guarding our hearts is essential, because the direction of our heart determines the course of our lives. Just as we recalibrate our priorities in marriage or family to prevent drifting apart, we must be intentional about keeping God first, so that loving Him becomes second nature.

It’s easy to drift, but God’s grace meets us where we are. The call is not to perfection, but to realignment—setting our sights back on Jesus, our first love. For some, that means saying “yes” to Jesus for the first time; for others, it’s a reminder to recalibrate and let God’s love guide every decision. As we do, loving God with our whole heart becomes not just what we do, but who we are.

Key Takeaways

1. Loving God is not a religious duty, but a relationship that transforms our perspective. When God is our first love, obedience and faithfulness become a joyful response, not a burdensome task. This relationship is the foundation that brings hope, comfort, and peace, even when life is difficult. [03:18]
2. The heart of God’s Word is not about rules, but about loving God with everything we are. Jesus pointed back to this truth when challenged by religious experts, reminding us that the greatest commandment is to love God fully. Our faith is not measured by knowledge or religious activity, but by the depth of our love for Him. [09:51]
3. Competing loves are often good things that subtly take God’s place in our hearts. Idols are not just obvious sins, but anything—even gifts or blessings—that displace Christ from His rightful place. Guarding our hearts means regularly checking what holds our deepest affections and making sure God remains our priority. [18:32]
4. Drifting from God rarely happens overnight; it’s the result of small shifts in our priorities. Just as we must be intentional in our relationships with family, we must also recalibrate our relationship with God to prevent spiritual drift. Recognizing the drift and realigning our hearts is an act of grace, not condemnation. [27:13]
5. Setting our sights on Jesus is a daily, intentional choice. The world is full of distractions and spiritual battles, but fixing our eyes on the realities of heaven keeps us anchored. When we let God’s love guide our decisions, loving Him becomes second nature, shaping our identity and the course of our lives. [31:27]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:00] - Entering God’s Presence
[02:30] - Why Relationship, Not Religion
[03:18] - The Power of First Love
[05:56] - Church Momentum and Vision
[07:30] - The Great Commandment Explained
[09:51] - Jesus’ Response to the Trap
[12:43] - Loving God with All Your Heart
[14:53] - Wrestling with God’s Love for Us
[17:13] - Guarding Your Heart
[18:32] - Competing Loves and Idols
[20:18] - Everyday Examples of Idols
[22:15] - Recognizing Spiritual Drift
[25:03] - Recalibrating Priorities
[27:13] - Encouragement and Realignment
[29:24] - Setting Your Sights on God
[31:27] - Responding to God’s Love
[32:30] - Saying Yes to Jesus
[34:49] - Prayer for Second Nature Love

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 22:34-38 (ESV) — > But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.”

Deuteronomy 6:5 (ESV) — > You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Proverbs 4:23 (ESV) — > Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

Observation Questions

In Matthew 22, what was the intention behind the religious expert’s question to Jesus, and how did Jesus respond? ([07:30])
According to Deuteronomy 6:5, what does God command regarding how we are to love Him?
What does Proverbs 4:23 say about the importance of guarding our hearts, and why is this significant? ([17:13])
In the sermon, what are some examples given of “competing loves” or idols that can take God’s place in our hearts? ([18:32])

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus emphasized loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind as the greatest commandment, rather than listing a set of rules or religious duties? ([09:51])
The sermon mentions that idols are not always “bad things.” How can good things in our lives become idols, and what does that reveal about our priorities? ([18:32])
What does it mean to “guard your heart” in practical terms, especially in a world full of distractions and pressures? ([17:13])
The pastor talked about “drifting” from God happening slowly over time. What are some warning signs that someone’s priorities are shifting away from God? ([22:15])

Application Questions

The sermon said that loving God is not just a religious duty, but a relationship that transforms our perspective. How does your relationship with God affect your daily decisions and attitude, especially when life is hard? ([03:18])
Think about your own life: Are there any “competing loves” (family, career, hobbies, finances, even ministry) that sometimes take priority over your relationship with God? What is one step you could take this week to put God first? ([18:32])
The pastor shared about recalibrating priorities in marriage to prevent drifting apart. What would it look like for you to intentionally “recalibrate” your relationship with God this month? ([25:03])
Proverbs 4:23 says to guard your heart. What practical boundaries or habits could you set up to help keep your heart focused on God? ([17:13])
The sermon mentioned that “drifting” from God rarely happens overnight. Looking back, can you identify a time when you started to drift spiritually? What helped you realign your heart, or what could help you now? ([27:13])
The pastor encouraged setting your sights on Jesus as a daily, intentional choice. What is one distraction you need to minimize this week to help you focus more on God? ([29:24])
For those who feel far from God or are just starting their faith journey, what is one simple way you can say “yes” to Jesus this week, or take a step closer to Him? ([32:30])

Sermon Clips

Sin and brokenness separated us from God. But Jesus, somebody say, but Jesus, he came and he said, you are worthy. As we just declared in worship that he was worthy and he is holy, he looked at you. And he said you by name. And he said, you are worthy to give my life up as a ransom so that you could have a bridge back to having a relationship with the Lord. [00:03:05] (23 seconds) #WorthyByName

The heart of God's word is not the law itself, but first and foremost about loving God. There's a lot of things in the Bible that make sense. There are a lot of things in the Bible that are important. And you and I need to live out our lives in such a way that it represents the entirety of God's word, not just a passage, not just one line, not just the Old Testament or the New Testament. The Bible is a story that constantly points back to the love of God. [00:10:22] (31 seconds) #LoveIsTheHeart

Let's not allow devastation to become the only reason that keeps our eyes focused on God. All of our heart, all of our soul, all of our mind. Again, this is the first and greatest commandment. And I said it already. I'll say it again. The entire story of this book, God's holy word is his desire to have a relationship with you. [00:14:25] (20 seconds) #FocusBeyondDevastation

An idol is anything that you have to check before you say yes to God. Meaning that when God wants you to move, when God wants you to take a step, when God wants you to forgive, when God wants you to serve, when God wants you to give, when God wants you to start doing this or stop doing this, you slow down and go, wait, wait, can I? What do I have to think about? Do I have to get this in order? Do I have to get that? That's an idol in your life. [00:19:34] (25 seconds) #HeartDriftWarning

``Why is he our first love? Because he was, he loved you first. God himself loved you so much that he sent his son Jesus. And he sent his son Jesus so that you could have a restored relationship back to him where you're not going to have it all figured out. You're going to mess up. You're going to screw up. But Jesus is always going to be there for you to forgive you, to love you, to accept you. [00:32:20] (23 seconds) #SecondNatureLove

My prayer, and I hope you'll join me in that prayer, is that loving God with our whole heart becomes second nature. That it's not something we even have to think about. It's not even just what we do. It's who we are. It's who we are. Our core, in our hearts, in our minds, in our emotions, our decisions, our affections, our desires, our priorities. It just becomes second nature. And this week, before you say yes to anything in your life, big or small, stop yourself and ask, does this keep Jesus first in my life and in my heart? If not, just get your priorities in order. Remind yourself you're doing better than you think. It's not as bad as you think. Just get yourself back in check and allow your first love to take steps and become second nature in your life. [00:34:57] (57 seconds)

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