I’m not sure what you desire when it comes to knowing God, but I want a 
deeper understanding of who He is and of His ways. I don’t want to be distant. I don’t want to be superficial. I don’t want to give Him a passing glance, or a Sunday morning nod. I want to know Him.
I want to know this God who created me; who fashioned me with His own hands; who has put His very breath in me; who has ordained the days of my life; who orders my steps. I want to know the God who knew me in my mother’s womb; who knows the number of hairs on my head; who knows me inside-out. I want to know this God who wants a relationship with me and loves me so deeply and passionately that He would sacrifice His son for His glory and my salvation. I want to know this God who desires to dwell in me and change me from the inside-out; who wants to use me to change the world for His glory, beginning with those closest to me and reaching the stranger around the world. I want to know this God who sustains me, heals me, comforts me, provides for me, endures me, and never gives up on me; this God who leads me in this journey of life, who whispers words of kindness and wisdom. I want to know this God who makes Himself knowable, accessible, approachable, and yet know this God who, at the same time, is perfectly holy, awesome in power, gloriously majestic, clothed in splendor, unmatched, incomparable, and eternal. I want to know this God who has promised the glorious return of His Son, King Jesus who will make all things new and rescue me from this world to Himself and His heavenly kingdom; I want to know Him!
“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” –The apostle Paul (A radical Christ-follower)
Thank you for this encouragement. It’s such a great dose of positive – to hear about other Christians LIVING and not just buying time.
Love it!
Hey can i use that It sums up perfectly my sermon for Sunday To Know Him is more than just loving, it is breathing, it is wanting souls touched by him. lives changed, and most importantly I just like Him oh to be like him is cool but to just like Him He is so loving and gracious and merciful and he gives me his peace, purpose, and oh words can’t describe but I am thankful for the words you wrote…..
Michael longing to be radical like Paul Whitman
Pastor Shawn, That is exactly how I feel. I have finally come ,been broken enough, to choose God and His ways over my husband and his ways. I have struggled for many yrs as a Christian to be a submissive wife as described in God’s word. I have been blessed and been broken, now I see so plainly my dear husbands stubbornness and pride against God’s ways and I see God’s love and provision so beautifully and real. There is no way not to see His hand at work, it is so clear and obvious. I have always had a love for God as I have known HIm, born a Jewess, bat mitzah and confirmed in the Jewish faith and then having the privledged as a young adult to meet Jesus and come to faith in Christ Jesus my Lord! I have desired to know HIm and serve HIm all my life. I am blessed to know and thank God for my future of restoration in my marriage, to have a ministry for young married women. To see my husband share testimony of marriage. To see our lives restored. I ask you to pray in agreement with me on these things and Thank God with me for HIs promise of Hope and a future. Right now we are in bankruptcy, facing forclosure, but hopeing that tomorrow we will be able to sell our custom built (my dear husband is a custom home builder. I was wheelchair bound when he designed and built this home for me, now I am free !The Lord has set me free from w.c. He has healed me from many health issues and thanking Him for continued healing and complete healing to come, lasted attack and lie from enemy is edrenal glands not working, due SLE Lupus, I have been disabled and unable to work for many yrs, and on Feb 7th my husband had a stroke and will not be able to return to full self employment for 6 months. We had already gone thru all savings, as last yr we only built one home, and our budget was based on 8-10 homes per yr.) God has provided thru HIs people, thru church , charities and Lone Star. We will not know until this wk if we will continue to receive benefits of Lone Star, had estate sale last wkend which enabled us to pay all bills up to date, pay off car which had 6 ;months left but none left over for apartment search. Not sweating though as I have said I trust in God alone. Of course I will continue to do what I can by selling off belongings and drastic change in life style. I look forward to being able to give again.ANd was thrilled beyond to be able to tithe all that had been given to us. I will always do that now. I love God and want so much to live His way and in His standards. I struggled for many yrs with putting God in the number one spot in my life, I lied to myself and tried to share that spot with God and my husband, but I have learned that does not work. Yes to Love God I must honor my husband, but I cannot hide behind him. Yes, I cannot fight his ways, but learn to listen to God and for God’s wisdom in each situation. He will speak to us, He will give us His wisdom, those who are saved and are His intimates as Dr. Stanley says. That means, those who are plugged into Him thru His word, seeking HIm thru His word, and prayer. We cannot hear from Him if we do not seek HIM. This is so important. Christians must understand this, if we are on the shelf, we cannot expect to hear from HIm or Experience His promises, we have to have continued communication, for instance, I cannot hear from you Pastor Shawn, unless I pick up the phone and call you, turn on my computer and read your blog or listen to your podcast, or visit your church and talk to you face to face. It is the same with the Father, We must , please excuse the terminology, “pick up the phone” and dial in”. That is picking up His word, calling upon HIs name in reverence, and approach His Holy throne.
Thank you for your words of encouragement, Thank you for your ministry, Thank you for holding the Tabernacle. Thank you for leading your church in missionary work. God bless you all.