CLOSER THAN YOU THINK (7 OF 10)
by Ryan Heller
Scripture: James 4:7-10
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Closer Than You Think (7 of 10)
Series: Real Faith
Ryan Heller
James 4:7-10
I have a question for you this morning. Do you feel close to God? I didn't ask you, ''Do you believe in God?'' I asked, ''Do you feel close to God?'' A University of North Carolina study was conducted a few years ago among people who said they believed in God. The question was ''Do you feel close to God?'' When the studies were compiled, they discovered that only about fifty percent of those who said they believed in God felt close to Him.
This morning I want to talk to you about how we can be close to God. It's the theme of James chapter 4. Here is some important news for you: You can be as close to God as you want to be. No one can get in the way. If you want your closeness to be a ten on a scale of one to ten, guess what? It can be. The writer of the Book of James, the half-brother of Jesus, says to us:
But He gives more grace. That is why Scripture says, ''God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep, and let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will exalt you.'' James 4:6-10 (ESV)
We are considering some powerful concepts today. I want us to look at four aspects of drawing close to God. But first, why do we need to be close to God? You might think, ''What difference does it make if I feel close to God this morning?'' It's an excellent question. Listen, when you feel close to God, you will have more certainty in your life, you will have more direction, more peace, more joy-you will have much more in your life than when you don't feel close to God. Every one of us has a great deal to gain by drawing close to the One who created us. Oftentimes we try to replace inti ...
Series: Real Faith
Ryan Heller
James 4:7-10
I have a question for you this morning. Do you feel close to God? I didn't ask you, ''Do you believe in God?'' I asked, ''Do you feel close to God?'' A University of North Carolina study was conducted a few years ago among people who said they believed in God. The question was ''Do you feel close to God?'' When the studies were compiled, they discovered that only about fifty percent of those who said they believed in God felt close to Him.
This morning I want to talk to you about how we can be close to God. It's the theme of James chapter 4. Here is some important news for you: You can be as close to God as you want to be. No one can get in the way. If you want your closeness to be a ten on a scale of one to ten, guess what? It can be. The writer of the Book of James, the half-brother of Jesus, says to us:
But He gives more grace. That is why Scripture says, ''God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep, and let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will exalt you.'' James 4:6-10 (ESV)
We are considering some powerful concepts today. I want us to look at four aspects of drawing close to God. But first, why do we need to be close to God? You might think, ''What difference does it make if I feel close to God this morning?'' It's an excellent question. Listen, when you feel close to God, you will have more certainty in your life, you will have more direction, more peace, more joy-you will have much more in your life than when you don't feel close to God. Every one of us has a great deal to gain by drawing close to the One who created us. Oftentimes we try to replace inti ...
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