Today @ The Gathering we started a brand new series called “Yea God!” For the next 8 weeks, we’re going to focus on the nature of God: who He is, what He offers, and how we relate to Him in a real world, on a day-to-day basis.
Today we started by reminding people that just because we hear information at church, at school, and other places, doesn’t mean we learn it. We have to add the practice of the things we hear. Here is the formula: what we hear and put into practice over time, these are the things we learn. The things we learn this way is called wisdom. And wisdom is one of the most important things in the entire world to have.
So we talked about the wisdom that understands that God relates to us as a Father. This means that God is not remote or removed, that He doesn’t know what’s going on in our lives as a father would. But it also means God is not your buddy. Oftentimes we use familiar language: the man upstairs, the big guy, the big kahuna. None of these are appropriate because God is your Father. And as such, you owe Him respect and honor.
In today’s talk, we gave practical ways you can relate to God on a personal level, so that your faith becomes more than just theory or something that you were raised in as a child. God offers a relationship: a father-son, father-daughter relationship; the most intimate relationship you can have. All you’ve got to do is reach out by faith and take it.