Dangerous & Good:
Rethinking How We See God

Are you worshipping a Santa-grandfather figure or the ‘all-consuming fire’?

THIS WEEK’S BOLD STEP DEVOTION

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.”
(Hebrews 12:28)

Years ago, when I was working in the south of France, my coworkers and I would head to the beach after a long shift at the restaurant. One night, I dove into the dark waves without thinking much about it. I underestimated their power. Within moments, I was being tossed, pulled under, gasping for air, and fighting to stay above the surface. By the time I made it back to shore, I was shaken and deeply aware that I had been in far more danger than I realized.

That’s a little like how many of us treat God. We shrink Him down to something safe and manageable like a lucky charm, a “Santa-grandfather” figure we call on for blessings. But Hebrews 12:28 reminds us that we worship “an all-consuming fire.” God is holy, sovereign, and cannot be manipulated. Yes, He is good, but He is also dangerous in the most awe-inspiring way. The danger isn’t that He’s unsafe but that His holiness and power demand reverence.

The original readers of Hebrews were believers who had started to drift back into old ways because following Jesus was hard. And the truth is, we can drift too without even realizing it. It starts when we lose sight of the real, authentic Jesus. Many treat Him like just another great teacher alongside Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr., but the Bible tells us He’s far more. He’s God’s Son, the very image of the invisible God.

We also drift when we mix Jesus with other beliefs such as pluralism, materialism, and relativism. We sprinkle a little “Jesus” over self-made spiritual recipes, but in the end, it’s not the gospel. There is only one way to God, and it is through Jesus alone. Following Him will set you apart, and it may even offend some. But the narrow way is the only way that leads to life.

Bold Challenge:
Take a moment this week to honestly ask yourself: Am I following the real Jesus or my version of Him? Identify one area where you’ve “shrunk” God or blended Him with other beliefs and surrender it back to Him.

Prayer:
Lord, forgive me for the times I’ve treated You lightly or made You fit into my comfort zone. Help me see You for who You truly are—holy, sovereign, all-consuming—and help me live in reverent awe of You. Keep my heart from drifting and fix my eyes on Jesus alone. Amen.

Listen to the sermon: Are You Drifting

Part 1Part 2

Ministry Update from Mark

This past August, I spent a few days reading the names of every new student at Moody Bible Institute—hundreds of students, including over 50 international ones. For the last couple of years, I've felt a strong need to recruit people to fast and pray for each incoming student. I did this again this year, and many people from the Moody community joined me. I believe there’s a spiritual battle for the heart, mind, and soul of this generation's young leaders. The fight is intense, and the spiritual dimension can only be won with humility on our knees.

As Dwight L. Moody once said, “I’d rather be able to pray than to be a great preacher; Jesus Christ never taught His disciples how to preach, but only how to pray.”