Rediscovering Intimacy with God in a Distracted World

Every human heart carries a deep longing for an intimate, experiential relationship with God—a life where the presence, love, guidance, and comfort of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not distant ideals but daily realities. This is not meant to be the exception, but the normal Christian life, as seen throughout the biblical record and the stories of saints across the ages. Yet, for many today, this kind of intimacy feels elusive, and there are real reasons for that. We live in a uniquely punishing moment in history, where the relentless pace of life, the overwhelming deluge of media and information, and the constant demands on our attention have eroded our capacity to experience God. The world around us is designed to keep us distracted, weary, and spiritually numb.

One of the most significant challenges is that we have become, often unconsciously, disciples of the internet. The systems that shape our daily habits and expectations have trained us to expect immediate answers, to distrust mystery, and to seek knowledge as our refuge. This has deeply affected our souls. We grow impatient when God does not respond instantly, and we struggle to linger in His presence. Our capacity for wonder and enchantment has been dulled, replaced by cynicism and a “prove it to me” mindset. Even our faith is undermined by the skepticism and weariness that come from constantly shifting expert opinions and the endless search for certainty.

Yet, there is hope. The invitation remains to return to a childlike posture—one of wonder, trust, and openness. Jesus’ words, “Unless you become as little children, you will never enter the kingdom of God,” are not a rebuke but a loving call to lay down our cynicism and rediscover the joy of practicing the presence of God. Like learning to play an instrument or enjoy a sport, intimacy with God is something to be practiced and cultivated over time. The kingdom of God is all around us, waiting to be discovered, like the hidden beauty beneath the surface of the ocean. By surrendering our skepticism and asking for God’s help, we can begin to experience daily encounters with His love and presence, opening ourselves to the fullness of life He offers.

Key Takeaways

• 1. The longing for experiential intimacy with God is universal and meant to be the normal Christian experience, not a rare exception. This intimacy is available to ordinary people in their everyday lives, but it requires intentionality and openness to God’s presence and provision. [01:08]
• 2. The modern world’s relentless pace and information overload have damaged our souls, making it difficult to find the bandwidth or attention to experience God. This is not a personal failure, but a reflection of the spiritual and cultural environment we inhabit, which is often designed to keep us distracted and spiritually depleted. [05:00]
• 3. Our discipleship to the internet has conditioned us to expect immediate answers, to distrust mystery, and to seek knowledge as our ultimate safety. This mindset undermines the slow, lingering, and mysterious nature of communion with God, and erodes our capacity for faith, wonder, and enjoyment of His presence. [09:47]
• 4. The “prove it to me” attitude and practical skepticism that pervade our age have seeped into our spiritual lives, making us weary, cynical, and resistant to the simple joys of loving and trusting God. True intimacy with God is not about mastering techniques or accumulating knowledge, but about opening our hearts to wonder, trust, and love. [13:36]
• 5. Jesus’ call to become like little children is an invitation to lay down cynicism, suspicion, and the obsession with immediacy and certainty. By surrendering these habits and practicing the presence of God, we can rediscover the beauty and adventure of life in His kingdom, which is all around us, waiting to be explored and enjoyed. [18:36]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:34] - Introduction to Experiencing Jesus
• [01:08] - Created for Intimacy with God
• [02:26] - The Epicenter of Human Existence
• [03:21] - Opening Prayer for Guidance
• [04:26] - The Normal Christian Life
• [05:00] - Why It’s So Hard to Experience God Today
• [06:59] - Discipleship to the Internet
• [08:22] - Conditioned for Immediate Answers
• [09:47] - Loss of Mystery and Wonder
• [11:04] - The Erosion of Faith and Trust
• [13:36] - The “Prove It to Me” Mindset
• [15:19] - The Enemy’s Strategy: Distraction and Weariness
• [16:00] - Practicing the Presence of God: Brother Lawrence
• [17:36] - Learning to Enjoy God Takes Practice
• [18:36] - Becoming Like Little Children
• [20:24] - Prayer of Surrender and Restoration
• [22:01] - Closing and Blessing

Bible Reading

Matthew 18:3 (ESV) — > “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Acts 17:28 (ESV) — > “For ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’”

Observation Questions

1. According to Matthew 18:3, what does Jesus say is necessary to enter the kingdom of heaven?
2. In the sermon, what are some of the main reasons given for why it is so hard to experience God in our current cultural moment? [[05:00]]
3. What does the speaker mean by saying we have become “disciples of the internet”? [[07:14]]
4. How does Acts 17:28 describe our relationship to God?

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think Jesus uses the image of becoming like children to describe the posture needed to enter the kingdom of God? What qualities of children might he be highlighting? [[18:36]]
2. The sermon suggests that our constant exposure to media and information has “eroded our capacity to experience God.” In what ways might this be true for people today? [[06:12]]
3. The speaker says that “intimacy with God is something to be practiced and cultivated over time.” How does this challenge the expectation of instant results in our spiritual lives? [[17:36]]
4. What is the danger of approaching faith with a “prove it to me” mindset, according to the sermon? [[13:36]]

Application Questions

1. The sermon describes a longing for daily, experiential intimacy with God as “the normal Christian life.” Do you feel this is true in your own experience? Why or why not? [[01:08]]
2. Think about your daily routines. What are some specific ways that the “relentless pace of life” or “information overload” keep you from experiencing God’s presence? [[05:00]]
3. The speaker talks about being “disciples of the internet” and how this shapes our expectations for immediate answers. Can you identify a recent time when impatience or the need for instant results affected your spiritual life? [[08:22]]
4. Jesus invites us to become like little children—open, trusting, and full of wonder. What is one area of your life where cynicism or skepticism has crept in? How might you begin to lay that down? [[18:36]]
5. The sermon mentions “practicing the presence of God” like learning an instrument or a sport. What is one small, practical step you could take this week to intentionally practice being aware of God’s presence? [[17:36]]
6. The speaker prays about surrendering cynicism, suspicion, and the obsession with immediacy. Is there something specific you need to surrender in order to experience more of God? What would it look like to do that? [[21:16]]
7. The kingdom of God is described as being “all around us, waiting to be explored and enjoyed.” What is one way you can open yourself to wonder and the beauty of God’s presence in your everyday life this week? [[20:07]]