Key points
- 1
1Knowing Jesus personally means continuing to pursue an intimate, growing relationship with Him — not merely knowing facts about Him.
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2The Word of God is the primary way we come to know Jesus; we must be people of the Word and let it read us.
“The word of God brings us to the God of the word”
- 3
3The Word of God is alive and powerful — it produces spiritual energy and will accomplish what it says, like a force that works even when we least expect it.
- 4
4God's 'rest' is not ceasing activity but surrendering to His Word and will — resting in submission to God is where real spiritual energy and life change come from.
“you can rest in your salvation, but we also need to rest in the submission to God's word. That's where life is really lived. That's where the energy is produced. That's where life change happens”
“it's not just a book you need to study. It's not just a list of do's and don'ts, and some of you you're tired because I got just so tired. It's just gonna be one more thing I gotta do, but you don't understand. When you're in that and you rest in it and you will respond to it, it produces the power and the energy”
Illustration
George Whitfield and the Hellfire Club — a member named Thorpe mockingly preaches a Whitfield gospel sermon and is converted mid-performance
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5The Word cuts like a surgeon's scalpel, exposing the true condition of our hearts so that God can bring healing — the heart of every problem is a problem in our heart.
“the heart of every problem is a problem in our heart”
A story from life
Pastor Bill's wife develops a daily Bible-reading habit using a chronological Bible and the Bible Project, and it visibly changes her
A story from life
Pastor Bill attends a conference for young pastors where a dying Dr. Bill Bright wheels out, speaks about resting in God's will, and personally hands Pastor Bill a relay baton — the moment he said yes to planting Rock Point
- 6
6Because Jesus is our great High Priest who understands our weakness, we can run boldly to God when we fail rather than running away from Him.
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7God calls each of us to take the baton — to say yes to the next step of trusting and following Him, even when it is frightening.
“I knew in my heart, if I say yes to that, I'm saying yes to God. I know what's going on. That word of God was cutting and exposing my heart so cleanly, so clearly”
“I didn't do any of it except take a stupid baton and say, okay”
Application
The pastor calls every listener to stop knowing about Jesus and start knowing Him personally — and the path runs directly through God's Word. Practically, this means choosing each day to open the Bible, read it slowly, and then pause long enough to let it read you back: asking where the Holy Spirit is tapping you on the shoulder. Pray out of what you find there, even when you have nothing to say. Worship as a decision of the whole self, not just a feeling. When the Word cuts and exposes something uncomfortable, receive it as a surgeon's scalpel bringing healing, not condemnation. And when God holds out a baton — a scary next step of trust, giving, serving, or obedience — fight the fear, say yes, and rest in the confidence that His power does the work you cannot do on your own.
