We pursue God because he is for us, not against us. Jesus offers a full life that touches everything from our relationships to our eternity, and God has been pursuing us since before we were born. The Bible promises that anyone who genuinely seeks God will find him. Wherever you are on your spiritual journey today, God is not far away.

Where Are You on the Journey?

Take a quick personal survey as we start this series: do you feel close to God or far from him? Many people picture God as harsh, judgmental, or distant. But the Bible paints a very different picture. Here are three things you need to know about the heart of God, and the good news it reveals about pursuing him.

God Is for You

Everyone knows what rejection feels like. Maybe you’ve been rejected by a friend, a spouse, or even a parent. Some people feel that way about God. They feel unworthy, unlovable, or just plain irreligious, and God seems out of reach.

But Jesus shows us the truth: God is for you. Jesus shocked the religious world by inviting fishermen and despised tax collectors into his inner circle. He ate with outsiders, healed the sick, and touched the untouchable. Here’s a perfect example.

Matthew 8:2-3 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.

The man knew Jesus had the ability to heal him. He just didn’t know if Jesus was willing. For most people, it’s easier to believe God is powerful than to believe he is good. But he is both. He’s good enough to care about your everyday life and powerful enough to do something about it.

Notice how Jesus healed the man: he touched him. That was unthinkable in Jesus’ day, because leprosy was contagious. Jesus could have simply spoken a word, but he wanted to make a point. God cares personally about people, and he isn’t afraid of their condition. Jesus extends this invitation to anyone who recognizes their need for him.

Mark 2:17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Here’s the great irony of religion: people who look the most religious are often the furthest from God, because they don’t think they need a Savior. What about you? Do you need God’s help? He’s willing to give it.

God Offers Life to the Full

God’s heart for you puts a whole new kind of life on offer. Jesus called it life to the full. It shapes your friendships, emotions, work, and connection with God, and it impacts both your everyday life and your eternal destiny.

John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

We have a simple picture for this full life. We call it going “full circle” in your faith.

• Trust Jesus. We start a relationship with God by trusting Jesus (Romans 3:22). Faith changes our standing with God in an instant. We’ll cover this in Lessons 4–6.
• Honor God. After we come to faith, God gives us a new desire to honor him, and we’re transformed from the inside out over time (2 Corinthians 5:17). We’ll cover this in Lessons 7–9.
• Make disciples. Life to the full isn’t complete until we help someone else pursue God (Matthew 28:19). We’ll cover this in Lessons 10–12.

God Has Been Pursuing You

Pursuing God isn’t just up to you. Before you ever thought about pursuing God, he was pursuing you. King David learned this through a life full of battles, fame, and tragedy, and he wrote about it in one of his psalms.

Psalm 139:16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

The same is true for your story, even if you can’t see it yet. Your existence was God’s idea. Some people imagine God is playing a cruel game of hide-and-seek. The Bible is big, churches can be intimidating, and God seems complicated. But God makes a simple promise.

Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

God wants to be found by you, and he has been working since the beginning of time to make it happen. He made the first move. The next move is up to you. For now, just be genuine. Set aside your assumptions, come with an open mind, and open the Bible, because that’s where we learn about Jesus. That’s where we’ll go next in Lesson 2.

The Takeaway

We pursue God because he is for us, he offers life to the full through Jesus, and he has been pursuing us all along. God promises that everyone who seeks him wholeheartedly will find him. Wherever you are today, take the next step in your pursuit of God.

The Pursuit (Series)

Yes, the Bible is reliable. It has more manuscript evidence than any other ancient book, and discoveries like the Dead Sea Scrolls show it has been faithfully preserved. It tells one unified story centered on Jesus, even though it was written by about 40 authors over 1,500 years. And the changed lives of Jesus’ first followers point to the truth of its message.

Why the Bible Matters

In Lesson 1, we saw that God wants to be found. Before we can pursue the God of the Bible, though, we need to ask whether we can trust the Bible itself. It’s the best-selling book of all time. It has changed individual lives and shaped entire cultures, and it claims to be inspired by God. Here are three reasons we can trust it.

Historical Evidence

The Bible was written thousands of years ago, long before printing presses. Ancient copies were painstakingly written by hand, and many didn’t survive. Historians judge the reliability of ancient writings partly by how many copies exist. Here’s how the New Testament compares:

• We have only 49 copies of Aristotle’s writings.
• Homer’s Iliad does a little better, with about 643 copies.
• The New Testament has almost 5,700 Greek copies and more than 19,000 copies in other languages.

But how do we know those copies are faithful to the originals? The Dead Sea Scrolls help answer that question. In 1947, a shepherd boy discovered ancient scrolls hidden in caves near the Dead Sea. Eventually almost 1,000 manuscripts were recovered, including parts of almost every Old Testament book. Some were about 1,000 years older than any manuscripts known at the time. When scholars compared the Dead Sea Scrolls copy of Isaiah with the oldest copy previously known, they were about 95 percent identical, and most differences were minor spelling variations.

Textual Evidence

The Bible contains 66 books written by about 40 authors over 1,500 years. Moses, raised in Pharaoh’s palace, wrote the first five books. Others were written by shepherds, kings, prophets, a tax collector, a doctor, and a former persecutor of Christians named Paul. Most of them never met, and they wrote in different cultures and languages. Yet the Bible reads as one story, and fulfilled prophecy holds it together:

• Of Israel’s 12 tribes, Judah was predicted to be the one the Messiah would come from, and that’s exactly what happened (Genesis 49:10; Matthew 1:1-3).
• The Messiah was prophesied to be born in Bethlehem, even though his mother didn’t live there (Micah 5:2; Luke 2:1-4).
• Prophets described Jesus’ suffering and death hundreds of years before it happened (Psalm 22; Isaiah 53).

That’s why Jesus told the religious leaders of his day that the Scriptures were all about him.

John 5:39-40 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

Personal Evidence

The Bible is ultimately about Jesus, and the changed lives of his followers are some of the most compelling evidence for its message. Peter denied Jesus three times on the night of his arrest (Luke 22:56-60). Days later, the risen Jesus restored him (John 21:15-19), and Peter became a pillar of the church. Thomas doubted the resurrection until he met Jesus for himself (John 20:25-28). Paul was a Pharisee who persecuted Christians until he met Jesus and became the church’s greatest missionary. Each of these men eventually gave his life for his faith. It’s hard to explain such radical change unless they truly met the risen Jesus.

Still, no amount of evidence can overcome an unwilling heart. Jesus made this point as he taught in the temple courts.

John 7:16-17 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.”

If you’re willing to come to God on his terms, Jesus promises you’ll discover the truth. The Bible is God’s Word, and we can trust it in our pursuit of him.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The Takeaway

The Bible is reliable. Manuscript evidence and archaeology show it has been faithfully preserved, fulfilled prophecy shows it tells one story centered on Jesus, and the changed lives of his followers show its message is true. If you’re willing to do God’s will, you can approach the Bible with confidence.

The Pursuit (Series)

Imago Dei is Latin for “image of God.” The Bible teaches that every human being is created in God’s image, which gives every person inherent value and dignity. This truth is the foundation for the freedoms many of us take for granted, like life and liberty. It also reveals our purpose: because God is love and we are made in his image, we were made to love God and others.

Very Good

Every culture has a value system shaped by core beliefs, and Western civilization has been deeply shaped by the Bible. One of its most important ideas comes from the first chapter of Genesis. God created light and darkness, land and sea, plants, fish, birds, and animals, and he called it all good. Then, on the sixth day, he created human beings.

Genesis 1:27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

After creating humanity, God updated his assessment of creation.

Genesis 1:31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

What makes human beings “very good”? We are made in God’s image. That means we are like God in certain ways: mentally (we can think and create), relationally (we were designed for relationships), and spiritually (part of us lives forever). It also means we have a responsibility to represent God to the rest of creation. Every person has inherent value, and more than anything else in creation, people matter to God. To go deeper, read What Does It Mean to Be Created in God’s Image?

Life, Liberty, and Happiness

Imago Dei is also the basis for many freedoms we expect today. In 1776, America’s founders signed the Declaration of Independence, writing that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” They recognized that human rights come from God, not from a king or government.

Consider the right to life. God made it clear to Noah after the flood.

Genesis 9:6 Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind.

Human life is sacred because people are made in God’s image. That’s why we feel compassion and righteous anger when we hear about the murder of innocent people.

What about liberty? For most of human history, individual freedom was rare. Yet God modeled an open-handed kind of leadership from the very beginning.

Genesis 2:16-17 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

God gave Adam and Eve every good thing, and then he gave them the freedom to make their own choices, for better or for worse.

And then there’s the pursuit of happiness. Many people see God as a cosmic killjoy, but Christianity is filled with hope and joy.

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Long before the Declaration of Independence, God invited all people to experience life, liberty, and joy, because he made all of us in his image.

A Purpose in Life

Imago Dei also helps answer a timeless question: what is the meaning of life? Because God is love (1 John 4:16), and we are made in his image, our purpose is to love. When religious leaders asked Jesus to name the greatest commandment, his answer caught them off guard.

Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Jesus didn’t name one of the Ten Commandments. He pointed to the heart behind all of them. People were made for relationships, not just rules. Being made in God’s image means you can have a real relationship with your Creator. That relationship transforms how you love others and even how you see yourself, because your value comes from who you are, not what you’ve done.

The Takeaway

Imago Dei means every person is made in the image of God. Sin has distorted that image, but it hasn’t erased our value. This truth is the foundation for life and liberty, and it reveals our purpose: to love God and others. Through Jesus, the perfect image of God, we can be restored and transformed.

The Pursuit (Series)

Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change. It doesn’t save you, but it’s a public declaration that you’ve decided to follow Jesus. When you go under the water and come back up, you identify with Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, and you show that your old life is gone and a new life has begun. Here are five things to know about baptism, and one simple conclusion: you should get baptized!

1. Baptism Doesn’t Save You

Let’s start with the obvious. In Lesson 6, we learned that we start a relationship with God by trusting Jesus, period. Baptism is important, but it isn’t required for salvation.

Titus 3:5 He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

If baptism were required for salvation, our salvation would depend partly on our own work. But Jesus did all the work on the cross. Consider the thief on the cross next to Jesus. He trusted Jesus in his final moments and never had a chance to be baptized, yet Jesus promised, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:39-43).

2. Baptism Is a Step of Obedience

If baptism doesn’t save, why do it? The simplest reason is that Jesus said so.

Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Jesus told his disciples to make disciples and baptize them, and that’s exactly what they did. Read the book of Acts and watch what happens when someone comes to faith: they get baptized. If you’ve put your faith in Jesus, get baptized because Jesus said so. That should be reason enough.

3. Baptism Is an Early Win

Following Jesus will challenge you to honor God in your relationships, sexuality, money, marriage, and parenting. Some of those steps won’t come naturally. But baptism is one of the easiest steps you’ll ever take, and God front-loaded it to give you an early win. It’s like paying off your smallest debt first: the early win motivates you to tackle the next one.

The Ethiopian official understood this. Right after Philip shared the gospel with him, he was ready to obey.

Acts 8:36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?”

If you haven’t taken this simple step, why not? Check it off so you can move on to even bigger steps of faith.

4. Baptism Identifies You with Jesus and His People

Romans 6:3-4 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Notice that Paul says “all of us.” Baptism unites you with a movement of believers around the world and throughout history. You’re doing what Paul, Peter, John, and even Jesus did (Matthew 3:13-17). If your grandparents followed Jesus, they did it too, and someday your great-grandkids may follow your example.

Baptism also identifies you with Jesus himself. It isn’t an empty ritual. It’s a reminder that Jesus’ death and resurrection are at the center of your life.

5. Baptism Is an Outward Symbol

Baptism is an outward symbol of something that has already happened on the inside. Think of a wedding ring. The ring doesn’t make you married, and taking it off doesn’t cancel your vows. But it’s a powerful symbol of a commitment you’ve made. Why wouldn’t you wear it?

When you go down into the water, you picture Jesus’ death and burial. When you come up, you picture his resurrection and your new life in him.

Romans 6:4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

So have you trusted Jesus? Are you ready to honor God with your life? Don’t overthink it. Get baptized. For more, check out our baptism resources.

The Takeaway

Baptism doesn’t save you, but it’s a simple act of obedience that identifies you with Jesus and his people. It’s an outward sign of an inward change, showing the world that your old life is gone and a new life has begun. If you’ve trusted Jesus, take this first step and get baptized.

The Pursuit (Series)

The keys to a godly life are God’s Spirit, God’s Word, and God’s people. Living to honor God doesn’t depend on willpower. Just as we started our relationship with God by grace, we live every day by grace. God has already given us everything we need: his Spirit to empower us, his Word to guide us, and his people to help us along the way.

A Life That Pleases God

Following Jesus is a lifelong journey of finding out what pleases God and doing it (Ephesians 5:10). Over time, our lives are marked by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). That’s not a checklist. It’s a picture of the kind of people we are becoming. So how do we get there?

2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

You already have access to everything you need for a godly life. To experience it, you’ll need three keys.

1. God’s Spirit

The Holy Spirit isn’t an impersonal force. He is God himself, the third person of the Trinity. When you trust Jesus, the Holy Spirit lives in you and begins empowering you to please God (Ephesians 1:13). God promised this long ago.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

Before you followed Jesus, you had one nature: the sinful nature, or the flesh. When you trusted Jesus, God gave you a new heart that is responsive to him. Your old nature didn’t disappear, so you can still sin. But now you have a choice. Paul describes the battle.

Galatians 5:16-17 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.

When we become Christians, our hearts change immediately, but our habits change gradually. The Spirit transforms us from the inside out, step by step.

Galatians 5:24-25 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

If you struggle to honor God, you’re not alone. The battle is normal (Romans 7:21-25). Over time, you can learn to keep in step with the Spirit.

2. God’s Word

If God had only given us his Spirit, the Christian life would be completely subjective. Anyone could claim the Spirit told them anything. But God has also given us his Word. The Bible is our final authority for what we believe and how we live, and it helps us test everything we think the Spirit is saying.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The Bible teaches us what’s true, rebukes us when we believe lies, corrects us when we’re wrong, and trains us to do what’s right. It’s tempting to pick and choose which parts of the Bible we accept. Jesus called out that kind of hypocrisy.

Luke 6:46-48 Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.

It’s easy to accept Jesus as Savior while ignoring him as Lord. A godly life is built on hearing his words and putting them into practice.

3. God’s People

We don’t just need a new power source and a new way of thinking. We also need a new community. Other believers help us live out our faith, especially when we fail.

Galatians 6:1-2 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Nobody’s perfect. We’ll all lose the battle with our sinful nature sometimes. When that happens, God’s people should respond gently. We’ve received grace from God, and in the church that grace flows to one another. But a healthy community also offers correction and accountability, helping us get back on the right path.

The Takeaway

A godly life isn’t about willpower. It’s about relying on God’s Spirit, God’s Word, and God’s people. Godliness is a lifelong journey of learning to trust God more than yourself, and we live it every day the same way we started on day one: by God’s grace. In Lesson 9, we’ll look at practical habits that help us grow.

The Pursuit (Series)

The Big 5 spiritual disciplines are prayer, Bible study, connection, giving, and mentoring. These habits don’t earn God’s approval, but they create space for God to grow our faith. Just as physical exercise strengthens your body, spiritual disciplines train you for godliness. Over time, practicing them helps your new nature win out over your old one.

Training for Godliness

Honoring God is like anything else in life: if you don’t work at it, you probably won’t do it well. Many Christians train their bodies at the gym every day but put little thought into spiritual training. Paul had something to say about that.

1 Timothy 4:8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

In Lesson 8, we learned that God’s Spirit, Word, and people are the keys to a godly life. These five habits put those keys into practice. They aren’t always easy at first, but over time your faith muscles will grow stronger.

1. Prayer

Prayer is simply talking with God. Imagine a marriage without conversation, and you’ll understand why so many prayerless Christians feel distant from God. Set aside time each day for focused prayer. If this is new for you, start with five minutes a day and build from there. The PRAY acronym can help:

• Praise: Thank God for who he is and how he has blessed you.
• Repent: Confess the ways you’ve failed to honor him.
• Ask: Pray for people and situations in your life.
• Yield: Surrender your will to God’s.

Prayer isn’t only for scheduled times. You can talk with God anytime, anywhere. As Paul says, “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

2. Bible Study

For most of history, Christians didn’t own a Bible. Today most of us have easy access to God’s Word, so we have no excuse not to read it. Start by reading the Bible devotionally every day. Try a reading plan, or if you’re new to the Bible, start with the Gospel of John. Then set aside time each week for a deeper dive with a good study Bible.

As you read, remember that the whole Bible points to Jesus. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day knew the Scriptures well but missed the point.

John 5:39-40 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

3. Connection

Christianity is a team sport. God’s people have always connected in three environments: large (church), small (group), and individual (mentoring).

Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

If you’re an introvert, you might be tempted to skip this discipline. Push through the awkwardness. Saying you don’t need the church misses the point, because the church needs you. God has given every believer spiritual gifts to help others.

1 Corinthians 12:7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

4. Giving

Everything you have belongs to God, and he has made you a steward of it. Mature Christians make a habit of giving generously to their local church and other ministries. The church in Corinth struggled with this, and Paul challenged them.

2 Corinthians 8:7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

Jesus taught that your heart follows your money.

Matthew 6:20-21 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Make giving the first thing you do with every paycheck. Give in proportion to your income, work toward the benchmark of 10 percent, and trust God to provide for your needs.

5. Mentoring

The fifth discipline is one most Christians rarely think about. We call it mentoring; Jesus called it making disciples. It means personally helping someone else pursue God, and it was one of the last commands Jesus gave (Matthew 28:19-20). Most Christians don’t feel qualified. But maturity comes from making disciples, not before. We’ll explore this more in Lesson 10.

The Takeaway

The Big 5 spiritual disciplines are prayer, Bible study, connection, giving, and mentoring. These habits don’t earn God’s love, but they make room for him to shape us into the likeness of Jesus. As you practice them, your faith will grow deeper, your hope stronger, and your love for others greater.

The Pursuit (Series)