Well, hey, good morning, Valley Creek. It's so good to see you guys. Let's do this. Let's go ahead and welcome in all our campuses together. Come on, let's give it up. Hey, it is so good to be here with you. If we haven't got the chance to meet, my name is Caleb. I get to serve as our Student Director here at the Flower Mound campus and I love what God is doing in our students here at Valley Creek. Man, we've had an amazing Student Summer so far. So, if you're a student and you haven't got the chance to join us, we would love to have you on a Wednesday night. But man, as a church family, this summer, we've been in a series called 60 Days of Enjoying God and the Life He's Giving You – 60 Days of Enjoying God and the Life He's Giving You. Because you've got a great God and man, you've got a great life.

And I don't know about you, but when I think about enjoying God, my, my mind immediately goes to His creation. Like I think of some of the the tallest of mountains or or the deepest of oceans, like magnificent forests, vast deserts, rushing rivers or giant thundering waterfalls or even a night sky full of stars. Like when you're out in the middle of nowhere, you can clearly see the stars. Man, my mind immediately goes to the creation that displays God's beauty, His splendor, His majesty. Because creation around us is meant to display God's beauty to us. It's why the Bible uses creation terms when it talks about what God looks like. His eyes are like flames of fire. His hair is white like snow. His voice is like the sound of rushing waters. His face shines like the sun in all its brilliance. See, God's creation around us was meant to display the beauty of God. Hey, I read things like that and I think, "Oh my goodness, I need to go like enjoy creation. I need to take a trip to the beach and just look out at the ocean or like forget everything else I got going on. Let me find a cabin in the middle of the mountains. Let me take a vacation and I'll 100% be enjoying God and the life He's giving me." Anyone else, man?

But when I think about that, I realize I live in North Texas, which means instead of mountains and beaches, we have Buccee’s and we have construction. And I don't think a gas station quite encaptures the beauty and splendor of God. Sometimes I'm like, if only I were born in Switzerland, I would be so much more holy. I mean, even the cheese is holy over there. But what if I told you? What if I told you there was still a way for you to enjoy God through His creation regardless of where you lived? And I'm not just talking about going outside. We all have access to God's greatest creation that displays His image and His beauty because we all have access to people. We all have access to relationships.

See, in the beginning, when God created all of creation, when He spoke it into being, look what God says: “Let us make mankind in our image and our likeness.” In other words, while creation around us displays different aspects of the beauty of God, He chose you and me to reflect His image and His likeness. That one of the clearest ways that we have to enjoy the the beauty of God, to enjoy God and the life He's giving us probably isn't out there. It's probably right here sitting right beside you. The image of God is in His people. See, everything good we see in humanity, everything good we see in another person is actually a reflection of the goodness of God. Have you ever thought about it like that? Like like if you ever talk to a wise person, that wisdom is actually a revelation and reflection of the wisdom of God. If you talk to a compassionate person, that compassion is a revelation and reflection of the compassion of God. If you talk to a patient person, that patience is a revelation and reflection of the patience of God. A it's a reflection of the goodness of a good God. Everything good we see in other people is a reflection of God because every good and perfect gift comes from above. So that means that they don't even have to be Christian. They don't have to go to church. They don't even have to know who Jesus is. If you see someone who's who's very strong, very attractive, very intelligent, or just someone who's really funny. Every good thing we see in other human beings are a revelation and reflection of the goodness of God.

So, when's the last time you saw people as a means to enjoy the goodness of God? Man, that sure enjoy that sure changes the way we view relationships. See, there may be parts of them that are hard to enjoy. There there's parts of me. I'm pretty sure there's parts of you that are hard to enjoy, but there are parts of them that are a revelation and reflection of the goodness of God. And that sure changes the way we view relationships. Like I think of some of my own friends here on the Valley Creek staff, like Justin. He's not just a funny guy, man. He reflects and reveals the joy and the life of God. Eric's not just a great listener. He reflects and reveals the compassion and the patience of God. Carrie's not just a great leader. She reflects and reveals the courage and the authority of God. One of the greatest means we have to enjoy God and the life He's giving us are the relationships in our life because they reveal and reflect the goodness of God.

Maybe you just need to hear that you reflect and reveal the goodness of God? There are attributes in your life. There's parts of your character that reflect and reveal God's goodness to the world around you. And maybe you've never had a relationship that's called that out before? Well, I promise you, if you focus on on looking for that and calling that out in others, you'll find and you'll attract the type of relationships that will call those things out in you. See, to enjoy God and the life He's giving you, you have to learn to enjoy relationships. Because relationships, they reflect the heart of God. Enjoying God. And relationships is always the life He calls us into. That's the life He's giving us.

Enjoying God is directly linked to relationships. You can't have one without the other. That's why Jesus Himself teaches, "’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.” Love God. Love people. You you can't have one without the other. The two are inseparable. When asked, "What's the one greatest commandment?" Jesus responds with two. You you can't have one without the other. If you want to enjoy God, you'll have to enjoy people. And you can't enjoy people without learning to enjoy God. You you can't have one without the other. That's why last week we started with enjoying God. So this week has to be enjoying people.

See, a journey of following God will always lead you to people because people reflect and reveal the goodness of God. So, can I just straight up ask you, do you enjoy the relationships in your life? Do you enjoy the relationships God is giving you in this season? Your your spouse, your friends, the people you go to work with, the people you go to school with. Do you enjoy the relationships in your life? And just so we're clear, I'm not talking about like toxic or traumatic or or uh dysfunctional relationships. That's a message for another day. I'm just going to put that over here.

What I am talking about is do you enjoy the main relationships that God is giving you in this season of your life? Do you enjoy your spouse? Do you enjoy your kids, your coworkers, your teammates, the people you go to circle with? Do you enjoy the relationships in your life? Or honestly, do you just enjoy people? Like, like, are you aware of them? Do you appreciate them? I'm not saying they're going to be perfect, and I'm not saying they're not going to mess things up. They'll probably mess something up today. But can you enjoy the goodness of God in them even when they do? See, this entire series, we're practicing celebration, which means paying attention and calling attention to the goodness of God. So, do you see the goodness of God in them? Not just the the goodness of them, but but the goodness of God in them. It's very different. Can you appreciate the image and likeness parts of God inside of them? Appreciate who God created them to be, why He placed them in your life. Can you enjoy the relationships in your life?

And honestly, one of the best pictures we have of enjoying relationships in the entire Bible is the story of David and Jonathan. And many of us know who King David is – man after God's own heart, uh, shepherd boy, killed Goliath, killed lions and bears as a teenager. He was the all-time greatest worship artist of the 10th century B.C. – hits like Psalm 23. We love the dude. And then Jonathan is the son of King Saul. If you know anything about David and Saul's relationship, let's just say he wasn't the greatest boss. For reference, he tried killing him multiple times. He wasn't exactly HR's favorite. And so no one would have expected David to be buddy buddy with Saul's son Jonathan. But David and Jonathan ended up having one of the greatest relationships, greatest friendships in all of human history.

And they couldn't be more different. Like David was born in a pasture. Jonathan was born in a palace. David was a shepherd. Jonathan was a prince. David was the least of all of his siblings. Jonathan was literally next in line to be king. They couldn't be more different than each other, but God brought them together in this divine dynamic. And we don't even know what it is that they enjoyed about each other. Like, the Bible doesn't say. We don't know. Was it the conquest and the battles they fought? Was it the conversations that they had? Were they in the same fantasy slingshot league? We don't know. The Bible doesn't say. I like to believe it was the last one, but it's clear that they enjoy each other because of what they're willing to say and do for each other. And actually, like literally the last time they were together with each other and they were they had to be literally separate from each other, it says they were completely devastated. They fell on the ground weeping for each other because they enjoyed the relationship that much. You don't fall on the ground weeping for a fishing buddy, man. They enjoyed the relationship so much. And what's probably the most fascinating about the entire story is that David is the last guy Jonathan should want to be friends with. Like think about it. He's next in line to be king of all of Israel. And there's only one guy that can get in the way – David. And so the world would say, "You should hate David. Have nothing to do with David. You should despise him. Don't help him out. He's going to cost you your throne one day." But no, Jonathan enjoyed the relationship so much. Look what he's willing to say: “You will be king over Israel. And I will be second to you.” Talking to David – you will be king. I will be second. You'll be king. I'll be your servant. I don't care about the position, the power, the influence, the wealth. I don't care. I enjoy our relationship more than I enjoy that. You'll be king. I'll be second.

When's the last time you had a Jonathan in your life? When's the last time you were a Jonathan for someone else? I'm not talking about just giving everything. When's the last time you just were willing to give something? Or when's the last time you were just willing to be second? See, because when both people are actually willing to be second, the relationship always comes first. And that was the case with David and Jonathan. They were both willing to do whatever it took, and the relationship came first. And for Jonathan, it cost him everything. It cost him like literally his own life as he knew it because greater love has no one than this that he laid down his life for his friend. Both people wanted to enjoy each other and were willing to do whatever it took. But I think for a lot of us, we're only willing to do some of what it takes. We'll go to a certain extent until it costs us a little bit more than we're willing to pay.

I feel like nine times out of 10, we always feel like we're the one doing way more in the relationship than the other person. Like you never hear someone say like, "Man, they do so much for me. I hardly do anything for them." Or like, "They put so much effort into this relationship. If only I valued the effort that they're putting into this.” I've never heard that once. Instead, we wish they knew how much we are doing for them. And man, we wish that they would do a little bit more for us. I mean, the relationship would be so much more enjoyable that way, right? Like, forget being crucified and dying for you. I want you to die to yourself and live for me. I I don't want to be second to you. Why why don't you just be second to me? I mean, it would be a great marriage if you would just die and live for me, right? Or you'd be a great dad if you would just die and live for me. Man, it sounds so crazy when we say it like that, but I feel like that's how so many of us view our relationships. If only they would dot dot dot. If they would just do this, then I could enjoy them.

But we miss out on the goodness of God in their life. We we overlook the areas that reflect the image and likeness of God and just focus on the areas of brokenness and disappointment or whatever else it may be. And I don't think we're aware that we do it because man, there's real pain in relationships. There's real disappointment in relationships, but there are also real attributes of the goodness of God in people's lives. I mean, that's what we want them to focus on in us, right? Like, we we want them to focus on what's good in us. We always put our best foot forward. Like, how much time do we literally spend building resumes, working on just a social media post, creating a Christmas card? We've literally been trained and conditioned to put the best version of ourselves forward for others to see. So what if all the time we spent focusing on ourselves was spent focusing on those around us, paying attention, calling attention to the goodness of God in their life? How much more enjoyable would relationships be? Man, it would be so good. It would be so pleasing. “How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!” How good and pleasant it is. Relationships offer us goodness and pleasure. See, relationships offer us goodness and pleasure. To to enjoy something is to find delight in something, to find goodness in something, to find pleasure in something. So to enjoy God and the life He's giving us, we have to learn to enjoy relationships. Because goodness and pleasure are found in relationship. They're they're only found in relationship.

See, remember the story of Adam and Eve? Do you remember what they were looking for when they first sinned in the garden? “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye….” They were looking for goodness and pleasure. They were looking for the thing that they already had in relationship, but they were so focused on themselves. What do I want? What benefits me? What am I going to get out of it? That they never stopped to realize they already had it in relationship.

Like imagine if they had just enjoyed the relationship. Imagine if Eve had just enjoyed the relationship. If she had just thought like if I eat this fruit, Adam will die. Forget whatever I would have gotten out of it. Do I enjoy the relationship? If I eat this fruit, Adam will die. If I eat this, our relationship will die. Imagine if Eve had just enjoyed the relationship. She wouldn't have had to worry about this. Imagine if she had just been willing to be second. I feel like so often we're just focused on ourselves. What do we want? What are we going to get out of it? What's going to benefit us? And we never stop to think if I eat this, Adam will die. If I uh take this job, my my kids' relationships will die. If I don't change my words, my wife's heart will die. If I up and move our family, our kids' spiritual life will die. If I take this thing or do this thing, their hopes and their dreams will die. Man, Eve wanted it. You bet she was going to take it. But imagine if she had just paused and enjoyed her relationship. She looked at Adam, enjoyed him. He shows me what God is like. He's created in the image and likeness of God. I don't want him to die. I want that thing, but I enjoy Adam more. I enjoy our relationship more. I actually think this is right and this is good, but I enjoy our relationship more. This thing might make me happy, but man, the relationship is what brings me joy. Imagine how much brokenness would have been avoided if Eve had just enjoyed her relationships.

How much unnecessary brokenness would you avoid if you just enjoyed your relationships in your life? Clearly, relationships are the game. To enjoy God and the life He's giving us, we have to learn to enjoy relationships because they reveal God's goodness in our life. The image and likeness of God is buried within relationships. And so, how do we actually enjoy them? That's a great question. Thanks for asking. How do we actually enjoy it? Well, throughout the Bible, there's just a handful of principles that that are all throughout Scripture. And here are some of just the best practical ways that we can find in Scripture on how to enjoy relationships.

First is commit to them. Commit to the relationships in your life. Uh uh commit to to being a part of it. Make an agreement. Make an a commitment to them. See, I love what it talks about in the story of David and Jonathan. “And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.” Jonathan made a covenant. He made a commitment. He made a promise, an agreement. They they were committed to each other in relationship. And really, the best example we have of a covenant nowadays is a marriage. Two people exchange vows. They make an agreement, make a promise, and they literally put a ring on their finger to signify the commitment that they've made. Outside of your marriage, maybe when's the last time you committed to a relationship? Or like committed to a relationship to the point it actually cost you something? It's really hard to enjoy a relationship when no one's committed to it. And I feel like unfortunately so many of our relationships today have zero commitment whatsoever. It's like we're just waiting until they do something wrong. We're counting down the days until we bail on the relationship altogether. And I feel like my generation does this all the time. It's like we're just waiting for you to say the wrong thing, for you to do the thing that we don't agree with. We're just waiting till we're bored with you and we up and we move on. It's no wonder we don't enjoy our relationships because we approach it for happiness and not joy. We're in the relationship as long as it makes us happy. If it's pleasing to us, if it's good and pleasing to the eye but the instant it no longer makes us happy, man, it's over. It's really hard to enjoy something when you don't think it's going to last. And it actually creates this this deep sense of insecurity in all the relationships because if I'm in it so long as it makes me happy in the back of my mind, man, you're in it for the same reasons. So, am I doing the right thing? Did I say the right thing? Am I making you happy? It creates a sense of insecurity. It says that's happiness, not joy. But joy is a pervasive sense of well-being. It's not a sense of well-doing. So when there's no commitment, you can't just be in relationship. There's no joy because you have no freedom to simply be. But when there's commitment in the relationship, man, I'm confident things will be well. Even if it doesn't feel like it right now, I'm confident we'll see eye to eye because we're committed to this relationship. So commit to your relationships.

Next, ask questions. It it's simple. Ask questions. Ask them about things that they enjoy, things that they're passionate about. You'd be surprised at how much you're able to learn about someone and how much you start to enjoy someone when you ask them questions about things that they enjoy. So, your dad likes fishing, ask him about fishing. Ask him about the things that he's passionate about. If your son likes Fortnite, ask him about Fortnite. Your friend likes baseball, ask him about his baseball team. Don't wait for them to initiate a conversation about the things that you enjoy. You're going to be sitting there forever. And don't just wait for like literally the opportunity to just start venting about all the things you want to talk about. That's not enjoying the relationship. That's a therapy session. So ask them questions about things that they enjoy. Draw out what's in their heart. “The purposes of a person's heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.” Like literally think of drawing water out of a well. One who has insight draws them out. The mouth speaks out of the overflow of the heart. So there's something about questions that give us access to people's hearts. When we ask questions, we're actually drawing out the deep waters of people's hearts. We're mining out the image and likeness parts of God buried within them. So what you're doing is if you ask your dad about fishing, you're not asking about fishing. You're drawing out the image and likeness parts of God inside of him. Why do you like fishing? Who taught you how to fish? Wh what was that like? What's your favorite fishing story? Was your fish really that big? See, you're drawing out the image and likeness parts of God in them. Because I feel like a lot of us, we might just be in relationships because we enjoy the same thing. And that's actually not that's not a bad thing. It's great to enjoy the same thing, but the relationship will only go as far as that that common interest. And what happens when you no longer like the same thing, right? But if you ask questions, you draw out what's in their heart, you find the image and likeness parts of God inside of them. Man, you have everything in common because guess what? The image and likeness parts of God inside of them are hidden within you as well. So ask questions, draw out what's in their heart. There's so much more to enjoy.

And then third, be present. Be present both physically and emotionally, like up here. Like it's really hard to enjoy someone when they're absent. It's really hard to enjoy someone when you yourself are absent both physically and emotionally. See, this whole series we've been going back to the verse, “You make known to me the path of life; you fill me with joy in Your presence.” In God's presence is fullness of joy. There's something about presence, about being present, that leads to joy. See, joy is found when we're present with someone. You see, when me and my wife were dating, we actually created this rule where essentially we didn't text each other at all. We would we would maybe text use our phones to communicate information, but outside of that, we stopped texting each other because we we realized it robbed from the time we physically got to be present with each other. And what happened is once we stopped doing that, we we actually started to enjoy each other so much more when we're physically present together because we got to catch each other up on our days. We got to tell each other the things that we wanted to text, but uh we waited to tell each other and enjoy in person because there was something about having conversations via a screen that made it so much less enjoyable. I I could text you one thing, then I could go get distracted with everything else and then reply five minutes later. We were never truly present with each other.

It's why the Bible says things like as water reflects the face, someone's life reflects the heart. There's something about being face to face, physically present with each other that actually shows you their heart. So, so when you're sitting with someone, present with someone, their face is revealing their heart. But, but if I'm only ever digital with you, or if my back's turned towards you, or if I'm just distracted with everything else. This is where I'm able to enjoy you because this is what gives me access to your heart. So maybe for you being being present looks like showing up to things. Go to the things that they care about. Go to the things that they enjoy. Or maybe it's being like literally present in the moment when you there when you're there. Like put away the phone, turn off the TV, wait till you're back in the office to respond to the emails.

Or maybe it's simply choosing to listen. Like be quick to listen. Actively listen. Ask them the great questions that draw out the depths of their heart and then listen to what they have to say. Man, in their heart is a treasure to be discovered. So go treasure hunting with God to find it. There's some incredible treasure beneath the incredibly hard surface. I feel like there's a lot of people with an incredibly hard surface. But think about mining. Beneath the incredibly hard surface, beneath all the rock, there's an incredible treasure. So go digging with God – beneath that hard surface of your dad, beneath that hard surface in your spouse, beneath that hard surface in your teenage kid, go ask questions. Draw it out. Be present. Listen to what they have to say. Draw it out. What what there is to enjoy about people is probably not on the surface. It's what's in the center. So go treasure hunting with God. Be present. Persevere. Listen to what they have to say. Fight through the hard surface. And man, there's some of the greatest treasure that we can experience on this side of heaven buried within people's hearts. People are infinitely interesting because they're created in the image and likeness of an infinitely interesting God. So be present.

And then lastly, meet their needs. Do something that's beneficial that they want, that they need. It's fascinating how much more you're aware of someone and how much more you enjoy someone when you've had to give something up to serve them. Because where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. So maybe the reason we have yet to enjoy our relationships because we have yet to give our time, talent, and resources to serve them. Our heart wasn't with them because our treasure wasn't spent on them. See, there's something about serving a giving something up for someone else that brings us joy. It might not be happiness, but it brings joy. Like moms, you know this. It probably doesn't make you happy to have to make dinner and do the laundry, but man, it creates a sense of well-being in the home. Teammates, students, it's probably not fun to have to uh help out the teammate who's struggling a little bit, but man, it creates a sense of well-being knowing that our team is growing stronger together. Or dads it might not be fun to have to help your teenager out with all the car issues in the middle of the Texas heat, but it creates a sense of well-being knowing that you're helping them take that step towards independence. Hap, not joy, not happiness.

So, have you ever served relationships in your life? Have you helped someone move? Have you given them a ride? Have you bought them lunch and not asked for a Venmo request? Or maybe it's not even doing something. Maybe it's literally just what you have to say. It's it's speaking a kind word. It's encouraging them. It's literally speaking well of them and celebrating them in front of others. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” There's a real emotional need as well. It comes from a kind word. Honestly, I feel like we're we're quicker to meet the physical need than we are to meet the emotional need. Like I think we would rather buy the nice presents than write a genuine sincere card. So meet their needs. Literally serve others, meet their needs, speak a kind word.

So commit to your relationships, ask questions, be present, and meet their needs. And really, all this is is choosing to walk in humility. Why? Because it's choosing to focus on someone other than yourself. It's choosing to take an interest on someone else. Really, this whole series, it's been a series on humility. To enjoy God and the life He's giving you, it means walking in humility because it's focusing on who God is and what He is giving me, not who I am and what I don't have. There's a great quote from a theologian C.S. Lewis. He's the guy who wrote the The Chronicles of Narnia series. It's incredible, by the way. But he talks about humility. And he says, "If you were to meet a humble person, they probably wouldn't be what most people call humble nowadays. They'd just be the sort of person who took a genuine interest in what you had to say to them because they wouldn't be thinking about humility, they wouldn't be thinking about themself at all." And I bet that if we if I were willing to walk in more humility, man, we'd we'd enjoy our relationships so much more because we take a genuine interest in what they have to say. We'd see the image and likeness parts of God inside of them.

“In humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” In humility, enjoy your relationships. Not looking to your own interests, looking to the interests of others. Looking at them first. In your relationships, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus, who who walked in true humility, who took on the very nature of a servant who made Himself nothing. And so, if we're supposed to have the same mindset as Christ, did did Jesus enjoy His relationships? Did Jesus enjoy His relationships? But for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross. And what was set before Him? You, me, the relationships in our lives. See, the only thing missing from the throne room of heaven before the cross was you and me, was relationships. For the cross, it made everything possible for us. But for Jesus, it gave everyone access to the father. For the joy set before Him were the relationships set before Him. And for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross. He enjoyed you so much. He endured the cross for you. That that somehow Jesus know possibly the greatest treasure outside of God Himself is found in relationship. That while we seek so many other things in this world, the ones that endure forever are the relationships in our life. If God is good, wouldn't it just make sense that the things that bring us the greatest joy and the deepest delights are the things that endure forever? You, me, the relationships that God is giving us. So, Valley Creek, may you enjoy God and may you enjoy the relationships He is giving you in Jesus’ name.

Would you close your eyes with me? What's the Holy Spirit saying to you about the relationships that He is giving you? Jesus, thank You that You made it possible for us to enjoy relationships, that You've hidden the image and likeness parts of You within each and every one of us. Thank You that we have access to literally dig that out and get to enjoy people and that it's a means to enjoy You. But thank You that You enjoyed us first. So may we go this week, may we enjoy the relationships in our life. May we truly take delight in You through the relationships in our life in Jesus’ name. Amen.