In Pursuit of His Presence // Pastor Keenen Worrell

Sep 27, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The $84,000 Ticket and the Free Presence of God

We chase fleeting moments with people we admire, paying exorbitant prices for temporary proximity. Yet God’s presence—offering eternal security, rest, and refreshing—is freely available through Christ. Unlike concert tickets or VIP experiences, His nearness never fades. The veil was torn so we might walk boldly into His presence without hierarchy or perfection. What if we valued His nearness as intensely as we pursue worldly access? The cost has already been paid. [02:34]

“For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.”
(Psalm 84:10, ESV)

Reflection: What temporary pursuit have you prioritized over God’s presence this week? How might shifting your focus to His nearness change your sense of security?

Day 2: Awareness of the Ever-Present God

God’s omnipresence means He is already in your chaos, your waiting, and your ordinary moments. The pursuit isn’t about finding Him but awakening to where He already is. Like David in Psalm 139, we cannot flee His nearness—only our awareness falters. Intimacy begins when we stop treating Him as distant and start recognizing His hand in the mundane. What if today’s frustrations are invitations to perceive His constant companionship? [14:49]

“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!”
(Psalm 139:7-8, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you felt God’s absence recently? How might His nearness in that very space shift your perspective?

Day 3: Drawing Near: Posture Over Proximity

Pursuing God isn’t about checking religious boxes but posturing our hearts in humble dependence. James 4:8 isn’t a transaction—it’s an invitation to lean into His nearness even when feelings lag. Like a parent steadying a child’s first steps, God meets our imperfect efforts with grace. What if your scattered prayers or distracted quiet times still count as drawing near? He sees the longing beneath the mess. [15:28]

“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: What practical step could you take today to posture your heart toward God, even if emotions feel distant?

Day 4: Sitting at Feet Instead of Serving from Afar

Martha’s distraction mirrors our addiction to productivity, mistaking busyness for devotion. Mary chose the “better thing”—not inaction, but intimacy. Sitting at Jesus’ feet isn’t passive; it’s actively recentering our worth in His presence rather than our output. What tasks or anxieties keep you hovering near God but never still? The work can wait. The King is here. [20:26]

“But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.’”
(Luke 10:41-42, ESV)

Reflection: What “necessary” task have you allowed to drown out the urgency of sitting with Jesus this week?

Day 5: Security in the Shelter, Not the Counterfeit

The world offers cheap substitutes for what only God’s presence provides—validation, comfort, control. Yet counterfeits demand constant repayment while His shelter costs nothing. Psalm 91’s promise isn’t for the perfect but for those who dwell in His nearness. What counterfeit have you clung to, hoping it might fill the space only He can? The ticket is free. The door is open. [22:58]

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.”
(Psalm 91:1, ESV)

Reflection: What counterfeit source of security have you repeatedly returned to? How might abiding in God’s presence disrupt that cycle today?

Sermon Summary

The pursuit of “well done” now turns toward the presence of God, because people will go to great lengths just to be in the room with someone they admire. The price of a VIP ticket, the long drive, the late-night phone call, and the quick stop-by all reveal the same thing: people pursue the presence of whoever they love, admire, or want to be like. The question becomes, whose presence is actually being pursued?

The presence of God does not fade like the excitement of being near a celebrity, a relationship, a promotion, or a desired outcome. David’s language in the Psalms gives voice to a soul that pants for God like a deer pants for water, and counts one day in God’s courts better than a thousand elsewhere. God’s manifest presence is His felt, enjoyed, responsive nearness. God makes that nearness available from day one, not through hierarchy, perfection, or earning a way in, but through the sacrifice and blood of Jesus Christ.

Psalm 139 shows that God’s presence is never absent. God is in heaven, in the depths, in the morning, and at the farthest parts of the sea. The pursuit, then, is not about getting God to become close. The pursuit is about becoming aware of the presence that was always there. James calls the humble to draw near to God, and God responds by drawing near to them.

The presence of God comes through intimacy. Intimacy grows in the ordinary moments: waking up and talking to God, opening His Word, worshipping on the drive to work, asking for wisdom during the day, and thanking Him on the way home. Pursuit is not just proximity, it is posture. A hungry, surrendered heart cannot treat God’s presence like a drive-through, placing an order and leaving without sitting at His feet.

Counterfeits offer immediate feelings without requiring stillness, patience, sacrifice, or communion with God. Relationships, substances, stages, promotions, anxiety, fear, and emotional highs can promise filling, but they keep demanding another return because they never make a soul full. God’s presence brings security, rest, and refreshing. The world’s cheap counterfeits can only imitate what God freely gives.

The presence of God reframes every restless moment. When irritation rises, thoughts race, sleep disappears, and life feels out of control, the question is not only how to fix the problem, but when the heart was last still before God. God is near, free, and desiring intimacy. The final face-to-face moment with God will be either a reunion or an introduction.

Key Takeaways

1. Pursue God above every other presence. The presence of admired people can feel priceless, yet every human encounter eventually ends and every earthly thrill fades. God alone remains near without becoming ordinary. A heart reveals its deepest love by what it will sacrifice time, attention, and stillness to pursue. [06:43]
2. Access comes through Jesus, not achievement. The veil was torn because Jesus made a way into God’s presence. Spiritual maturity does not purchase nearness, and personal failure does not cancel the invitation to draw near. God receives people as they are, then meets them with grace that changes them. [12:22]
3. Pursuit is awareness and heart posture. God’s omnipresence means He was never the distant one. The issue is whether the heart is awake to Him, humble before Him, and willing to sit at His feet. Prayer becomes more than requesting help when desire says, “God, I got nothing. I need You.” [18:11]
4. Counterfeits never leave the soul full. The world offers quick feelings of relief, significance, and escape, but every counterfeit demands another trip back because it cannot satisfy the soul. God’s presence gives what no substance, relationship, result, or emotional high can provide: real security, rest, and refreshing. [22:32]
5. The final meeting must be familiar. Every person will stand face to face with God with no veil and no distance. Daily intimacy prepares the heart for that moment to be a reunion rather than an introduction. The pursuit of God’s presence is not an extra part of life; it is what life is for.

## [26:31]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:10] - Pursuing Well Done
[01:26] - The Value of Being in the Room
[04:58] - Whose Presence Are You Pursuing?
[08:58] - David’s Hunger for God
[10:01] - What Is God’s Presence?
[11:33] - Access Through Jesus Christ
[14:24] - Pursuing Awareness, Not Proximity
[16:16] - Presence Comes From Intimacy
[18:11] - Pursuit Is Posture
[21:11] - Counterfeits of God’s Presence
[22:58] - Security, Rest, and Refreshing
[24:39] - Stop Looking to the World
[26:31] - Reunion or Introduction
[29:21] - Making God’s Presence a Habit

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

James 4:8
“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” [15:37]

Psalm 42:1
“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.” [08:58]

Psalm 139:7-10
“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” [13:49]

Observation questions

In Psalm 42:1, what picture does David use to describe his desire for God, and what does that picture communicate about urgency and need? [08:58]
According to Psalm 139:7–10, what places does David name to show that no one can escape God’s presence? [13:49]
What does James 4:8 connect with drawing near to God, and what surrounding heart issues are mentioned in the passage? [15:37]
What examples of everyday moments were given as opportunities to grow in awareness of God’s presence? [17:27]

Interpretation questions

If God is already present everywhere, what does it mean for a believer to pursue awareness of His presence rather than trying to make Him come closer? [14:37]
How does access to God through Jesus, rather than through perfection or spiritual achievement, shape the way a person approaches God after failure or during a difficult season? [12:22]
James connects drawing near to God with humility, cleansing, and a wholehearted heart. What attitudes or habits can keep a person physically present in church or prayer but emotionally distant from God?
Why do counterfeits such as relationships, success, substances, fear, or emotional highs need to be pursued again and again, while God’s presence brings deeper security, rest, and refreshing? [22:35]

Application questions

What presence has been receiving the most time, attention, money, or emotional energy lately—God’s presence, another person, success, comfort, or a desired outcome? What does that reveal? [06:43]
When life feels rushed, irritating, fearful, or out of control, what is the usual first response? What might it look like to pause and become still before God in that moment? [28:38]
What is one ordinary part of the day—waking up, commuting, work, meals, parenting, or going to bed—where a simple habit of talking with God could grow this week? [17:27]
Is there a counterfeit source of comfort or escape that leaves the soul wanting more afterward? What would it look like to honestly bring that need to God instead of immediately returning to the counterfeit? [26:16]
Prayer can become a quick request instead of time spent with God. What helps create a heart posture that says, “God, I need You,” and is willing to sit quietly before Him? [18:33]
God’s presence is available because of Jesus, not because someone has earned it. Is there any shame, failure, or feeling of spiritual inadequacy making it difficult to draw near to God right now? How can the grace of Jesus change that response? [12:39]

Sermon Clips

53s

#GodsPresence

“I don't know about you, but I I could use refreshing. I could use rest. I could use security. And all of these things are found in his presence, and every cheap counterfeit that the world offers is just an imitation of what only can be found in the presence of God. Today, my challenge is this. Stop looking to the world for what only God can provide. Stop looking to the things of this world to give you what only the presence of God can give you.”

69s

#AccessThroughJesus

“It was about what Jesus did. How do I get access to the presence of God? And the thing that I love about Christianity, the thing that I love about Jesus is we don't get access to his presence through hierarchy. Unlike other religions, we don't get access to the presence of God through hierarchy. Unlike other religions, we don't get access to the presence of God through perfection. And like other religions, we don't get access to the presence of God by earning your way The access was made open and available to the sacrifice and the blood of Jesus Christ. In that story, the veil is torn. And when that veil was torn, it separated the thing that separated us, and we got the opportunity that we don't gotta go through nobody and nothing. We can get to him on our own.”

39s

#AwareOfHisPresence

“Right? Because if I'm pursuing his presence and his presence everywhere, then what exactly am I pursuing? That's the thing. What we are pursuing is not proximity. What we are pursuing is the awareness of the presence that always was. It is the awareness of the presence. He's omnipresence. That means his presence is everywhere, but what has to change is our awareness of it that we might encounter and participate in it. The awareness of the presence that was never absent.”

73s

#HeartPosture

“Pursuit isn't just proximity, it's posture. Pursuit isn't just proximity, it's posture. What is the posture of your heart? Well, I pray and I don't I don't really feel nothing. What is the posture of your heart? What is the posture of your mind? Posture. Because when we come to him and we're like, god, I got nothing. need you. That's a posture of desire. When we come in, we say, god, I I don't have the answers. I don't I I I don't know why I'm walking through what there's a there's a posture there. Because we cannot treat the presence of God like a drive through. Well, we go in, place our order, and then leave.”

38s

#PresenceIsFree

“$84,000 to stand in a room to breathe the same air as four guys who are gonna walk off that stage and go back to being ordinary people the next morning. That's it. That's all that was ever on the other side of that ticket. A few hours, a memory, a story that you would tell for the rest of your life about being about the time you were close to someone. And the presence of God is free.”

50s

#ChooseEternal

“Do not leave here chasing a ticket to something that fades. He is free, he is near, and he desires intimacy with you. desires intimacy with you. That's how much he loves you. That's how much he cares for you. That's why he wakes you up every single morning and puts the breath of life in your lungs at every moment. The thing that you don't even think about is intentional to him because he desires that with you.”

74s

#PursueHisPresence

“As believers, we are called to be in pursuit of the presence of God. And if you make this pursuit a habit, change forever. Breakthrough is available in his presence. Peace is available in his presence. Joy is available in his presence. All that you need, all that you are looking for, we find it in him. Father, I thank you. God, I thank you for reminding us of our source. That our source is not this world, our source is not people, our source are are not the things that this world offers. But everything that we need comes from the source, which is the presence of God.”

46s

#ReturnToHisPresence

“And so I would challenge you, in those moments where where you're trying to, why am I so irritable? Why why why does it seem like everything's going crazy and wild? Why can't I get a grasp on anything? And it seems like all of these things are happening. Ask yourself, when was the last time I was in his presence? When you're trying to figure it out and and it's so much turmoil around you and you your mind can't be quiet and and there your thoughts are racing and you can't rest and you can't sleep. When was the last time you were in his presence?”

77s

#SeekGodFirst

“For some of us, we are pursuing a number on our bank account. For some of us, we are pursuing a prestige or we're pursuing a a level or a place at our job. Some of us are pursuing relationships. Some of us are pursuing a desired end outcome. But we're pursuing something. What if we pursued the presence of God more than we pursued the presence of anything or anyone else? You see, that presence or that feeling when you are in the presence of great people, that presence, that feeling fades. The butterflies and the warm feeling that you feel for that specific person, the intensity of that feeling fades. But the power of being in the presence of the Lord is a feeling that never decreases, that never dissipates, that never loses its potency.”

65s

#BeyondCounterfeits

“And I get it because pursuing other things, it doesn't require sacrifice. Pursuing other things doesn't require you to require you to be still. Pursuing other things don't don't require you to be patient. Because the counterfeit gives you immediate gratification, immediate satisfaction that leaves. And I know a lot of us, we have been guilty of chasing everything but his presence. We'll look to chase a relationship to feel only what he can feel. We will chase a promotion. We'll chase a substance. We'll, chase a stage. Anything that gives us that feeling of being filled without ever having to come to God.”

52s

#InHisPresence

“What are we pursuing? We can pursue our bias. We can pursue our opinion. We can pursue all of these things, but they fade. But there is something about being in the presence of God. The intentionality of that moment, the the smallness of who you are and the bigness of who God is in that moment to hear him, to feel his presence, to feel his arms around you, to to that that that warming, that intention, that responsiveness. That is what this life is for.”

74s

#DrawNearToGod

“What is the posture of your heart? Pursuit isn't just proximity, it's posture. And I wanted to to give you something practical. He says, draw near to me, and I will draw near to you. I said this drawing near is the intentional heightened awareness of him in every aspect of your life and the intentionality to sit at his feet and commune with him. Drawing near is the intentional heightened awareness of him in every aspect of your life, I'm aware of you at my house, I'm aware of you at my job, I'm aware of you with my kids, I'm aware of you with my finances, I'm aware of you on the way home, I'm aware of you. And it's the intentional high end awareness of him in every aspect of your life and the intentionality to sit at his feet and commune with him.”

60s

#ResistTheCounterfeit

“the enemy goes so far as to consistently present counterfeits to God's presence to get us to pursue them instead of God. He consistently presents counterfeits to get us to pursue them instead of pursuing God. He'd rather we pursue addictions. He'd rather we pursue relationships. He'd rather we pursue misguided identities. He'd rather we pursue results. He'd rather we pursue this this thing that's in our mind about, oh, it's life is supposed to be like this and I'm it's gonna he'd rather we pursue that. Anything that gives us the feeling of the feeling without having to go to God.”

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