We pursue God because he is for us, not against us. Jesus offers a full life that touches everything from our relationships to our eternity, and God has been pursuing us since before we were born. The Bible promises that anyone who genuinely seeks God will find him. Wherever you are on your spiritual journey today, God is not far away.
Where Are You on the Journey?
Take a quick personal survey as we start this series: do you feel close to God or far from him? Many people picture God as harsh, judgmental, or distant. But the Bible paints a very different picture. Here are three things you need to know about the heart of God, and the good news it reveals about pursuing him.
God Is for You
Everyone knows what rejection feels like. Maybe you’ve been rejected by a friend, a spouse, or even a parent. Some people feel that way about God. They feel unworthy, unlovable, or just plain irreligious, and God seems out of reach.
But Jesus shows us the truth: God is for you. Jesus shocked the religious world by inviting fishermen and despised tax collectors into his inner circle. He ate with outsiders, healed the sick, and touched the untouchable. Here’s a perfect example.
Matthew 8:2-3 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.
The man knew Jesus had the ability to heal him. He just didn’t know if Jesus was willing. For most people, it’s easier to believe God is powerful than to believe he is good. But he is both. He’s good enough to care about your everyday life and powerful enough to do something about it.
Notice how Jesus healed the man: he touched him. That was unthinkable in Jesus’ day, because leprosy was contagious. Jesus could have simply spoken a word, but he wanted to make a point. God cares personally about people, and he isn’t afraid of their condition. Jesus extends this invitation to anyone who recognizes their need for him.
Mark 2:17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Here’s the great irony of religion: people who look the most religious are often the furthest from God, because they don’t think they need a Savior. What about you? Do you need God’s help? He’s willing to give it.
God Offers Life to the Full
God’s heart for you puts a whole new kind of life on offer. Jesus called it life to the full. It shapes your friendships, emotions, work, and connection with God, and it impacts both your everyday life and your eternal destiny.
John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
We have a simple picture for this full life. We call it going “full circle” in your faith.
- Trust Jesus. We start a relationship with God by trusting Jesus (Romans 3:22). Faith changes our standing with God in an instant. We’ll cover this in Lessons 4–6.
- Honor God. After we come to faith, God gives us a new desire to honor him, and we’re transformed from the inside out over time (2 Corinthians 5:17). We’ll cover this in Lessons 7–9.
- Make disciples. Life to the full isn’t complete until we help someone else pursue God (Matthew 28:19). We’ll cover this in Lessons 10–12.
God Has Been Pursuing You
Pursuing God isn’t just up to you. Before you ever thought about pursuing God, he was pursuing you. King David learned this through a life full of battles, fame, and tragedy, and he wrote about it in one of his psalms.
Psalm 139:16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
The same is true for your story, even if you can’t see it yet. Your existence was God’s idea. Some people imagine God is playing a cruel game of hide-and-seek. The Bible is big, churches can be intimidating, and God seems complicated. But God makes a simple promise.
Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
God wants to be found by you, and he has been working since the beginning of time to make it happen. He made the first move. The next move is up to you. For now, just be genuine. Set aside your assumptions, come with an open mind, and open the Bible, because that’s where we learn about Jesus. That’s where we’ll go next in Lesson 2.
The Takeaway
We pursue God because he is for us, he offers life to the full through Jesus, and he has been pursuing us all along. God promises that everyone who seeks him wholeheartedly will find him. Wherever you are today, take the next step in your pursuit of God.
