Dr. Beau Hughes, Lead Pastor at The Village Church Denton, explores James 4:1-10 and speaks on drawing near to God that He may draw near to us.
- God’s presence and nearness is not bound by our emotional experience and regulation.
- Having clarity for what God’s nearness is shapes what we are after as the people of God. This clarity helps guard us from feeling like God has abandoned us or doesn’t care about us or isn’t near to us.
- Even though it will not always feel and manifest the same way, we can trust that His nearness is sure.
- By His Spirit, He dwells within us and we as His people dwell in Him. This is glorious, liberating news. He is ever-present.
- There are many well worn ancient practices that help us draw near to Him, such as confessing and repenting of our sin, actively resisting the temptation to go with the spirit of the world, and prayer. Jesus gave us the Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11) as a way to regularly draw near to Him.
ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:
- Psalm 16:11
- Psalm 63:3
- Psalm 73:28
- Luke 11:1-4 (The Lord’s Prayer)
- Luke 15:11-32 (Parable of the Prodigal Son)
COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION:
- Begin by praying the Lord’s Prayer, together.
- What, at least prior to the sermon, comes to your mind when you think about the presence of God? What assumptions have you held about God’s nearness?
- How does the scripture, as Beau unpacked in his message, redefine your perception or understanding of God’s presence in your life?
- Beau shared that not only do our beliefs shape our actions, but our actions also help determine what we desire. So the habit of prayer, like praying the Lord’s Prayer, shapes us as it seeps into our hearts and into our lives. Share, as an encouragement to one another, examples of spiritual disciplines and habits that have drawn you nearer to Him.
- Every single day comes with an invitation to remember, acknowledge, and orient ourselves towards God’s presence with the full assurance that as we do, He will draw nearer to us. How are you going to respond to this invitation?