More Than a Name: The Call to Personal Relationship with Jesus Christ

Pastor Darren challenges the congregation to examine the depth of their personal relationship with Jesus Christ, warning that familiarity with His name, acknowledgment of His authority, and religious busyness are not substitutes for genuine relationship. Drawing from Matthew 7:21-23, he emphasizes that on the day of judgment, many will be turned away not because they were irreligious, but because Christ never truly knew them. The message calls believers to stop hiding from God's presence, to stop filling their lives with religious activity at the expense of intimacy with Christ, and to intentionally invite Him into every area of their lives. Pastor grounds this personal relationship as the foundation for all other relationships, including marriage, family, and the body of Christ, and closes with a passionate call to pursue Christ above all else, believing that a genuine harvest of souls awaits a church truly built on relationship with Him.