How Do You Get Back to God?

 

Current Teaching Series Transformed

How Do You Get Back to God? By Rick Warren — December 26, 2018 "When you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed" (Jeremiah 29:13 The Message). I don't know where you are today. You may be far away from God. Maybe you haven't been to church in years, or maybe you've just been distant for a month or two. Maybe you've had one of those weeks where you thought, "I really don't feel God's presence in my life." And yet we all long to be close to God. How do you get back to him? This is the pathway back to spiritual transformation—the three things you need to do to get back to God. Get fed up with your life. Nothing is going to happen in your life until you get dissatisfied with the way you are, until you can say, "I don't like this. I'm tired of being stressed out all the time. I'm tired of being frustrated all the time. I'm tired of being overworked all the time. I'm tired of feeling distant from God." Why does God let you get to this point? Because he loves you just the way you are, but he loves you too much to let you stay that way. He will not let you waste your life. God tells us in Jeremiah 29:13, "When you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed" (The Message). Own up to your sin. Isaiah 59:2 says, "The trouble is that your sins have cut you off from God. Because of sin he has turned his face away from you" (TLB). Have you ever prayed and felt like God was a million miles away or like there was this wall between you and God? Where does that come from? Your sins have separated you from God. But if you feel far from God, guess who moved? God has always been there. He loves you unconditionally, and he's waiting for you to own up to your sin so you can have a right relationship with him again. Give up control. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 3:18, "We all show the Lord's glory, and we are being changed to be like him. This change in us brings ever greater glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (NCV). True transformation happens when your heart moves from self-centeredness to God-centeredness. Are you there yet? That transformation doesn't happen overnight. God is going to work on you your entire life. But to start the process, you have to make a decision to repent and, "in view of God's mercy, to offer your [body] as a living sacrifice" (Romans 12:1 NIV). God desires to be close to you and he promises that when we seriously seek him, we will not be disappointed.PLAY today's audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk About It Why is it sometimes difficult to let go of the things that stress you out? How does confessing sin open the door to spiritual growth and drawing closer to Jesus? What does it mean to be a "living sacrifice"?

Our Gift: Daily Hope 2018 Prayer Journal Do you sometimes struggle with how to talk and listen to God? The good news is he longs to hear your prayers, whether it's a bold cry or a whisper. And your words don't need to be perfect. He delights in you when you come before him—in thanksgiving and petition. Jesus says in John 15:7 . . . "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." So the key to praying with hope and expectation is abiding in Christ—and we want to help you do that with the all-new Daily Hope Prayer Journal. Your faith will be strengthened and you will be blessed as you look back on your written prayers and see how God has faithfully answered them. It has a soft cork-like cover on the outside, while inside you'll find . . . • Bible verses and suggestions to help you pray for specific people and situations • Practical encouragement for your prayer life from Pastor Rick • Plenty of space to write out your prayer requests and how God answers them LEARN MORE

Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes 8 full-length teaching CDs from Pastor Rick's series Transformed. LEARN MORE

Series Summary Message 1: Setting Personal Goals by Faith Message 2: How to Get Closer to God Message 3: From Stressed to Blessed Message 4: Change Your Life by Changing Your Mind Message 5: How to Deal with How You Feel Message 6: Facing the Fears that Ruin Relationships Message 7: Transforming How I See and Use Money Message 8: Facing Giants in Life and Work PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at pastorrick.com. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He's the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including The Purpose Driven Church and The Purpose Driven Life, which has been translated into 137 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered around the world. This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences | Unsubscribe

 

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