Join us this Sunday! In-Person 8:00am, 9:30am & 11:00am, Online 8:00am, 9:30am, 11:00am & 5:00pm

Join us this Sunday! In-Person 8:00am, 9:30am & 11:00am, Online 8:00am, 9:30am, 11:00am & 5:00pm

Join us at the next Sunday worship service:
In-Person
8:00am, 9:30am & 11:00am
Online 9:00am, 10:45am & 5:00pm

A Personal, Not Casual Relationship With Jesus

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” – Matthew 6:33

In many ways, we are defined by our relationships. Relationships tell us who we are, whose we are and what is expected of us as well as where we’ve been, where we are and where we’re going.  Some relationships are simply professional, casual, or superficial and nothing more becomes of them. Some relationships will last for a lifetime, while others last for just a short stint. When all is said and done, the only relationship that defines who we genuinely are is our relationship with God. The question we need to ask ourselves constantly is what is the state of that relationship. Too often that relationship is more casual than it should be.  

We want a personal relationship with God. He has been there for us when no one else could be. He is loyal. He is true. He tells us the truth even when we might rather not hear it. He never fails us. God is so much more than another Facebook friend or casual acquaintance. The word casual means: relaxed, unconcerned, laid back, acting without much thought or premeditation, acting without sufficient care or preparation, temporary, happening by chance, accidental, etc.

God is the exact opposite of casual. He is deliberate, concerned, focused, acting only with thought and premeditation, acting with sufficient care and preparation, permanent, acting by choice through purposeful acts.  

In John chapter 3 we read about a religious person named Nicodemus.  He was a religious leader and a Pharisee.  He watched as Jesus worked incredible miracles, but it wasn’t just His power that was impressive, it was his compassion and love. Nicodemus was ready to take his relationship with Jesus, to another level, but it wasn’t that easy. Being a secret admirer of Jesus cost him nothing, but becoming a follower of Jesus came with a high price tag. It always does. The price tag gets higher as you move from a casual to a committed relationship with Jesus. 

The bottom line is this: It is never a bad time to invest in getting to know God better. You may not always know what you are doing and progress may be slow. But if you are deliberate, purposeful, and determined, you will get to know Him better;  learning who He is, how He works, and how to learn more and more about Him. But remember the relationship is always personal, not casual. And, perhaps the more seriously you take your relationship with Him the more quickly it will grow into the type of relationship that will sustain you through all others because it’s the only relationship with the power you need.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How would you define a casual relationship with God? 
  2. What can you do this week to make your relationship with God less casual? 

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