Receiving God's Wild Love: Freedom from Striving

Summary

Romans 5:1-5 reminds us that our peace with God is not something we earn, but a gift we receive through Jesus Christ. So many of us, especially dads, get caught up in the idea that being “good” is about doing good things, looking good, or trying harder to earn approval—from God, from others, or even from ourselves. But Jesus completely upends this way of thinking. When the rich young ruler approached Jesus, asking what he needed to do to inherit eternal life, Jesus didn’t give him a checklist. Instead, He exposed the heart behind the question: no one is good except God alone. Our attempts to be “good enough” will always fall short, and that’s actually good news, because it means we can stop striving and start receiving.

God’s love is wild, relentless, and not based on our performance. It’s not transactional—God isn’t a vending machine who dispenses blessings when we do good things. Nor is it about image—doing good to look good for others or for ourselves. The truth is, even our best efforts are tainted by mixed motives, and trying to manage our image or earn God’s favor is exhausting and ultimately empty. Real faith, the kind that leads to a wild, Spirit-led life, is rooted in receiving God’s love and letting it transform us from the inside out.

This wild faith doesn’t mean we stop doing good works. Rather, it means our good works flow naturally from a heart that’s been changed by God’s love. Faith and works are not in competition; they complete each other. Faith activates works, and works complete faith. We don’t do good to get good, to look good, or to be good—we do good because we are already loved, already accepted, already made good in Christ. When God looks at us, He sees Jesus. That’s our security, our identity, and our freedom.

So, the invitation is to stop striving, stop performing, and stop trying to earn what’s already been given. Instead, receive the wild love of the Father, let it fill you, and let it overflow into a life that shows Jesus to the world—not to prove anything, but because you are already His beloved child.

Key Takeaways

- True peace with God is not achieved by our own efforts or goodness, but is received as a gift through Jesus Christ. Our striving to be “good enough” only leads to exhaustion and disappointment, but surrendering to God’s wild love brings rest and security. The foundation of our relationship with God is not our performance, but His grace. [06:40]

- The temptation to treat faith as a transaction—doing good to get good—misses the heart of the gospel. God’s love is not a reward for our efforts, but a mercy given while we were still sinners. When we live with a transactional mindset, we end up judging others and ourselves, but when we receive mercy, we are freed to extend wild mercy to others. [12:41]

- Image-based faith—doing good to look good—leads to a shallow and fragile spirituality. Our culture prizes appearances, but God sees the heart. Real faith is not about managing our image or curating a highlight reel; it’s about letting God’s love transform us, even in the unseen and unglamorous moments of endurance and character-building. [20:32]

- Performance-driven faith is a trap that many fall into, believing that if we just do enough, we’ll finally be accepted. But Jesus invites us to lay down our striving and rest in His finished work. Our identity is not in what we do, what we have, or what others say about us, but in being God’s beloved children—secure, accepted, and free. [23:43]

- Faith and works are not opposites, but partners in a living relationship. Faith activates works, and works complete faith; one without the other is incomplete. We don’t do good to earn God’s love, but because we have received it, and now our lives become evidence of the gospel to the world. [24:20]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:00] - Reading Romans 5:1-5
[02:23] - The Struggle to Be “Good” with God
[06:40] - Jesus Raises the Standard of Goodness
[08:08] - The Heart Behind Goodness
[10:23] - What Wild Faith Is Not
[11:14] - Transactional Faith and Mercy
[12:41] - Judging vs. Mercy
[14:17] - A Story of Mercy in Family Life
[15:38] - Receiving God’s Wild Love
[17:22] - Image-Based Faith and Looking Good
[20:32] - The Problem with Image Management
[22:22] - Character Over Clout
[23:43] - The Trap of Performance-Driven Faith
[24:20] - Faith and Works: The Circle of Life
[28:44] - Prayer and Response

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: “Wild Faith: Receiving, Not Earning”

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### Bible Reading

- Romans 5:1-5
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

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### Observation Questions

1. According to Romans 5:1-5, what is the source of our peace with God? Is it something we achieve or something we receive?
2. In the sermon, what are some ways people (especially dads) try to be “good enough” for God, others, or themselves? [[02:23]]
3. What does Jesus say to the rich young ruler about being “good”? How does this challenge our usual ideas of goodness? [[06:40]]
4. The sermon mentions that even our best efforts are “tainted by mixed motives.” What are some examples given of this in everyday life? [[17:22]]

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### Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think Paul emphasizes that peace with God comes through faith and not through our own works or goodness? How does this change the way we relate to God? [[15:38]]
2. The sermon talks about “transactional faith” (doing good to get good) and “image-based faith” (doing good to look good). Why are these approaches ultimately empty or exhausting? [[11:14]] [[20:32]]
3. How does understanding that “no one is good except God alone” (Mark 10, referenced in the sermon) affect the way we view ourselves and others? [[06:40]]
4. The pastor says, “Faith and works are not in competition; they complete each other.” What does this mean in practical terms for how we live out our faith? [[24:20]]

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### Application Questions

1. The sermon invites us to “stop striving, stop performing, and stop trying to earn what’s already been given.” What is one area of your life where you feel pressure to “be good enough” for God or others? What would it look like to surrender that area to God’s wild love this week? [[23:43]]
2. Have you ever caught yourself treating God like a vending machine—doing good things mainly to get something from Him? What would it look like to shift from a transactional mindset to one of simply receiving mercy? [[11:14]]
3. The message warns against “image-based faith”—doing good to look good. Are there ways you find yourself managing your image, either in person or online? How can you let God’s love transform you in the unseen, unglamorous moments? [[20:32]]
4. The pastor shared about the exhaustion of performance-driven faith. When have you felt worn out from trying to “do enough” for God? What helps you remember your identity as God’s beloved child, not your achievements? [[23:43]]
5. Romans 5:3-4 talks about rejoicing in suffering because it produces endurance, character, and hope. Can you share a time when a hard season led to deeper character or hope in your life? How did God’s love meet you there? [[20:32]]
6. The sermon says, “We don’t do good to get good, to look good, or to be good—we do good because we are already loved, already accepted, already made good in Christ.” How might this truth change the way you approach serving others this week? [[24:20]]
7. The pastor led the church in declaring, “I am the beloved child of God.” What would change in your daily life if you truly believed this? Is there a practical way you can remind yourself of this truth each day? [[23:43]]

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Closing Prayer Suggestion:
Thank God for His wild, relentless love that is not based on our performance. Ask Him to help you receive His love more deeply and let it overflow into your actions and relationships this week.

Devotional

Day 1: Justified by Faith, Not by Works
Peace with God comes not from our own goodness or efforts, but through faith in Jesus Christ, who has made us right with God as a free gift. When we try to earn God’s approval by being “good enough,” we miss the wild love He offers—a love that is not based on our performance but on Christ’s finished work. This means you can rest from striving, knowing that your relationship with God is secure because of Jesus, not because of what you do or don’t do. Let this truth free you from the exhausting cycle of trying to prove yourself, and instead, receive the peace that comes from being justified by faith. [01:00]

Romans 5:1-5 (ESV)
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Reflection: Where in your life are you still trying to earn God’s approval instead of resting in the peace Jesus has already given you?


Day 2: Only God is Good—Surrender, Not Performance
Jesus teaches that no one is truly good except God, challenging our tendency to measure ourselves by our own actions or compare ourselves to others. The call is not to try harder or do more to be “good,” but to surrender our attempts at self-made righteousness and look to God’s goodness alone. When you let go of the need to prove yourself and instead trust in God’s wild, never-ending love, you find true freedom and belonging as His child. [06:40]

Mark 10:17-22 (ESV)
And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Reflection: What is one area where you need to stop striving to be “good enough” and instead surrender to God’s goodness today?


Day 3: Mercy Over Judgment—Wild Love in Action
God’s love for us is not transactional; He does not treat us according to what we bring to the table, but with wild mercy that triumphs over judgment. When we receive this mercy, we are called to extend it to others, refusing to play favorites or treat people based on what they can do for us. True faith is marked by a heart that gives mercy freely, just as we have received it, breaking the cycle of judgment and reflecting God’s wild love to the world. [12:41]

James 2:3-4, 13 (ESV)
And if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? ... For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Reflection: Who is someone you tend to judge or show favoritism toward? How can you intentionally show them mercy this week?


Day 4: Faith That Works—Alive, Not Exhausted
Faith is not just believing the right things or working hard to look good; it is a living trust in Jesus that naturally produces good works from a place of love and security. When faith and works are separated, both become lifeless—faith without action is dead, and works without faith are exhausting and empty. Instead, let your faith in Jesus activate real, Spirit-led action in your life, not to earn God’s love, but because you already have it. [24:20]

James 2:17-18, 26 (ESV)
So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. ... For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Reflection: What is one practical way you can let your faith in Jesus move you to action today—not to earn approval, but as a response to His love?


Day 5: You Are the Beloved—Identity in Christ Alone
Your worth is not found in what you do, what you have, or what others say about you, but in being the beloved child of God through Jesus. When God looks at you, He sees Jesus’ goodness, not your failures or successes, and nothing can take that identity away from you. Living from this secure identity frees you to love, serve, and risk wildly, knowing you are already fully accepted and loved by your Father. [27:00]

Galatians 2:20 (ESV)
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Reflection: What would change in your daily life if you truly believed your identity as God’s beloved child could never be taken away?

Quotes

There's a misconception about what the wild life actually looks like, and I want to break that down a little bit, especially for the dads, because this is dad's day and we're talking about, you know, dude stuff, bro stuff. How many of you guys have ever been in any sort of fight or argument with one of your other guy friends? All right, yeah, a few of you. Keith, I said I was sorry already. No, you know, like a few times we get in our ways, things sometimes get competitive, we always know we're right, and it doesn't matter what happens, we can argue, sometimes you can fist fight with your bros, and there are just two simple words though, it doesn't matter what happens, how bloody things are, how messy things are. Ladies, sometimes you need like the longer talk, let's explore all of these things, not always so with guys. Maybe you even know these words, right? We good? That's it. We good. Yeah, we good. You know, that's it. All right, now you're good. Okay. [00:02:27] (00:01:00 seconds) Edit Clip

We come up, many of us, with this belief that faith is about being a good person who does good things. Anyone else ever felt that, thought that, heard that before? Come on. I know worship's over, but you can be with me. Yeah, we've heard this before. It gets ingrained in us, especially in our culture. That's what most people have believed. It's what we taught. Be kind. Try harder. Do better. And if we do those things well enough, we'll get the attaboy. We'll get, hey, proud of you, son, daughter. I love you. We're good. [00:04:34] (00:00:35 seconds) Edit Clip

At Paradox, we love Jesus. We listen to Jesus. We follow him anywhere. We trust him. We believe him in what he says, and Jesus wrecks that idea. He absolutely destroys it. In Mark 10, actually, there's a rich young ruler that comes to Jesus, and this dude looks like he's got his whole life together. People respect him. They like him. They're looking to him. He's an influencer. He's got money. He's got the life. And he waltzes up to Jesus, and he goes, hey, Jesus, good teacher, he calls him. What do I have to do to have eternal life, to be good with the big guy upstairs? [00:05:10] (00:00:39 seconds) Edit Clip

Because what Jesus says here is that if you miss God's wild love, you'll miss his wild life. We have to start with this wild love. The wild love of a father that never gives up. This is what scripture says about it. It never ends. It never gives up. It never stops. [00:09:39] (00:00:19 seconds) Edit Clip

God's saying in his word, no, that's judgment. And if you want to live judging, that's, that's how you're going to die. You live judging, you die judging. You live merciful, you receive mercy. Give mercy. Wild mercy. Wild love. Because why? Because you receive wild love first. You've received mercy. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. We receive mercy, not judgment. This is the gospel. [00:15:38] (00:00:27 seconds) Edit Clip

You don't make peace with God by doing good. In fact, Romans 5 .1 says, We have peace with God through our good works. No, through our Lord Jesus Christ. It's how we have peace. It's how we're good. His goodness, not ours. No matter how much we think it is. No matter how much we think we deserve it. You haven't earned it. [00:16:35] (00:00:19 seconds) Edit Clip

Character is not something that gets a lot of clicks these days. But that's the stuff that wild, real faith is made of. Character produces hope. Hope, doing good, to look good is a losing proposition, and wild faith doesn't always look good anyway. That's why it's not real. We're after wild love and wild faith. Romans says real faith produces character, not clout. [00:21:57] (00:00:25 seconds) Edit Clip

He gave that up and he didn't just give it up, he gave it away. He gave it to us so that when God looks at us, if you're in Jesus, this is what it means to be in Jesus, to trust him, to receive this gift, what it means is that you don't have anything to earn. You are at peace with God. You don't have to make peace. You don't have to buy the flowers. You don't have to do all the stuff. Why? Because when God looks at you, he sees Jesus. [00:28:44] (00:00:29 seconds) Edit Clip