Nearer, Still Nearer: How Close a Friend of God

Using levels of friendship as an illustration, the guest speaker shows that Jesus had acquaintances, followers, the Twelve, and an inner circle of Peter, James, and John, and asks how close each person wants to be to God. Walking through the hymn “Nearer, Still Nearer,” he ties its verses to David’s broken and contrite heart in Psalm 51, the need to give up sin, the anchor of hope in Hebrews 6, and James 4:8’s call to draw near to God. He closes with the Titanic band playing “Nearer My God to Thee” and urges listeners to decide how near they want to be to God while life lasts.