Hitting the Target

This past Sunday, Pastor Paul kicked off our new sermon series "Focus" by zeroing in on the first of our church's three core values: Abide. Using a humorous story about a misguided paintball adventure, he illustrated how easy it is for us as Christians to miss the mark when it comes to our faith. We get so caught up in doing things for God that we neglect simply being with Him.

But as Pastor Paul emphasized, "The primary call on your life is not to do something for Jesus. The primary call on your life is to be with Jesus." Christianity, at its core, is about relationship — a love relationship with the God who created us and desires to know us personally.

Too often, we substitute religion for relationship. We define our faith by what we do (church attendance, serving, giving) or what we know (doctrine, theology). While those things have their place, they're not the heart of what it means to follow Jesus. We can be busy with spiritual activities yet fail to cultivate spiritual intimacy.

Jesus Himself modeled what it looks like to abide. His life was the overflow of His relationship with the Father. "The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own initiative," He told His disciples, "but the Father abiding in me does His works" (John 14:10). He called His followers to the same kind of intimate union: "Abide in Me, and I in you" (John 15:4).

So what does it mean to abide? Simply put, it means to remain, to stay vitally connected to Jesus. It's a daily, moment-by-moment choice to orient our lives around Him — to seek His face, not just His hand. It's about cultivating a depth of relationship that goes beyond surface-level religious activity.

That's not always easy. Life gets busy, distractions abound, and spending quality time with Jesus can feel like one more thing to check off the list. But here's the beautiful truth: God desires a relationship with you more than you desire one with Him. He invites you — yes, you — to know Him intimately. And everything He wants to do through you, He'll accomplish as the overflow of His relationship with you.

So how can you hit the target of abiding this week? Start by setting aside intentional time each day to be with Jesus. Read His Word. Talk to Him about what's on your heart. Listen for His voice. Ask Him to make you aware of His presence moment by moment. Surrender the areas of your life you've been trying to control.

Remember, it's not about perfection but direction. Keep turning your heart toward Him. As you do, you'll find that knowing Jesus is the greatest adventure of all — and sharing His life with others becomes the natural overflow.

"This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3). May that be the cry of our hearts and the focus of our lives as we learn to abide in Him.