Where you can learn to parent to your full potential. This episode contains message content from our series, CLOSE, in our middle school environment, Collective REMIX.COMMUNICATOR: Tyler Snyder

CLOSE Week 3 - DistanceScripture: Romans 2:1a; Romans 2:4; Hebrews 12:1b-2aBottom Line: Pick what you pursue. INTRODUCTIONHave you ever tried to hang out with someone who is easily distracted?TENSIONAnytime someone takes off in a different direction, it creates distance.Whatever thing you’re chasing or pursuing, causes distance between you and God.All of those “things” boil down to a single word: Sin. Sin is anything that creates a distance between God and us.Scripture Main Application PointTRUTHThe Apostle Paul spent a great deal of time talking to the earliest churches about this very issue.Some of the members of the Roman church began to chase after things other than God, but when they realized it, they deflected it instead of owning it.And then right in the middle of a conversation about sin, Paul says something unexpected; he throws out words like “kind” and “tolerant” and “patient”—words that describe the opposite of how we think God feels towards us.If you feel like God’s mad at you right now, remember He wants to be close to you. He loves you.God’s kindness, tolerance, and patience is for the purpose of getting us to turn from sin.APPLICATIONWhat would it look like for you to turn away from the things you’re chasing after and walk back toward Him? To pick what you pursue?For some of us, the first step in closing the gap between God and us is to simply start talking to Him again.For others of you, you know that God is kind to you, but you haven’t let that kindness lead to change in your life.APPROACHWe have all walked away from God in an effort to chase something else, but walking away doesn’t have to mean you keep your distance.
He’s inviting you to pursue Him.