Before We Go On, You Need To Know This Simple Fact...
A core proposition I have as a pastor and of this newsletter is you can know God. But do you know how?
As the new year began, I reviewed this Substack newsletter's core proposition and the posts from the last 18 months. Looking back at the topics I’ve covered, I realized I hadn’t covered what might be the most essential: most people make knowing God too complicated.
So, through February, I will show you how to know God because you can know God.
I’ve come to this conclusion after spending the better part of the last 30 years in a professional ministry setting. My ministry work has been in the urban and suburban worlds, overseas, and around the US. Most people make God complicated and unknowable.
You can know God.
If you feel like you don’t, you aren’t alone. Every day, I meet people who think it’s beyond them to know God, understand the Bible, or have a purpose. Can I be honest? That thought process is job security. I have a job if you need the pastor, minister, or priest to tell you what God wants you to know. There is a place for the “professional” minister, but you don’t NEED me to know God. Can I be vulnerable? I’ve felt like God is unknowable, too. I complicated it. I made it too hard. However…
You can know God.
Mysterious but Relatable
To be clear, God is mysterious. I’ve spent 35 years seeking God, and I’ll spend the next 35 years deepening my faith, but there still will be more about God I don’t know than I do know. Like scenery through a fog, God is mysterious, but at the same time, God is relatable.
Let me take it a step further: God is more than just relatable because God designed relationships. Even more, God doesn’t only make himself knowable (as if it’s just for the select few); God wants to be known by all humanity. God wants a relationship with you. More than God wants you to follow the rules or do some fantastic act of faith, God wants a relationship with you.
So, what does it take to know God? How can you begin a relationship with the Creator of the universe (think about that…YOU can know the One who made the moon, stars, and sky!)? Here are the three core things to know God1:
The Bible isn’t a convoluted ancient text. Do you know how to understand the Bible?
God wants to speak to you. Do you know how to hear God’s voice?
You are a unique creation of God. Do you know God’s purpose for your life?
You can know God.
You can read (or listen to) the Bible AND understand it. God can speak personally to you, AND you can hear it. There is a purpose for your life, AND you can know it. God is knowable, and I can show you how. Throughout the next few posts, I’ll show you how to:
Understand the Bible.
Hear God’s voice.
Determine God’s purpose for your life.
I know, I know, libraries have been written on each of these subjects. You can go as deep as you want on these topics, but it can be simple, too. You can understand the Bible, hear God’s voice, and know your life's purpose.
Let me end with one vital point about knowing God.
It all starts with Jesus.
One layer sits on top of everything regarding a relationship with God. All three steps are accurate (to a certain degree) without this layer, but one simple truth unlocks the depth of who God is and speeds up the connection process with God.
Jesus.
The way to fully know God is through His Son, Jesus. God wants a Father/Child relationship with you. He accomplished this through Jesus. Jesus unlocked the door standing between you and God. Yes, you can know God without submitting to Jesus, but you’ll never have the relationship God desires without using God’s chosen mediator.
The Bible is a collection of writings from the beginning of time to the Roman era, all of which point to Jesus. I hear God best because Jesus introduced me to the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. My purpose is much more precise because of who Jesus is.
Jesus is the way to God and the best way to know God.2
I can’t wait to share more with you!
A quick thank you to those of you who were able to join me for our first Word of the Year virtual meet-up last week. I heard from a few of you that you had hoped to make it but could not. No worries!
I plan to meet again toward the end of March, so you can join us then. Here is my request: connect with me and share two things.
Your 2025 Word of the Year.
What do you hope to learn or gain from your word?
Finally, I want to thank you for your subscription. I am amazed you appreciate my writing enough to make space in your inbox. All the posts from this newsletter will always remain free, but you can show your support through a paid subscription here:
Another way of support is sharing this or any post with a friend who could benefit.
My grammar plugin wants me to change this phrase to “know about God.” However, I don’t mean that you should know about God like you can learn about Abraham Lincoln, Babe Ruth, or Ghengis Khan. This is a part of knowing God, but at the same time, you can know God like you know your spouse, child, parent, or best friend.
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me.’” John 14:6 NIV