Sermon by – Lead Pastor Justin Kendrick – Vox Church
My Notes…
Pursuing Happiness
What do we do to pursue happiness — and how long does it last?
Modern culture tells us to “follow your heart” to find happiness. The message is simple: if we pursue what we want with all our being, we will be happy. But this philosophy isn’t working.
The Problem with Following Your Heart
We think we know what we want — but when we finally get it, it doesn’t satisfy us.
- Our desires keep changing.
- Our heart deceives us, shifting what it wants, leaving behind a trail of half-promises and broken commitments.
As Bruce Springsteen put it:
“Everybody’s got a hungry heart…”
Our hearts are restless because they are constantly searching for fulfillment — but in the wrong places.
Augustine’s Insight
The problem isn’t that we love comfort or success — the problem is the order in which we love.
The Bible teaches that if we want to find peace with God, we shouldn’t pursue His blessings — we should pursue Him.
- True peace and lasting joy come from a relationship with God (John 17).
- The radical truth: You can know God. You can be in relationship with Him.
- Loving other things is not wrong — unless they are loved before God.
To experience true joy, we must train our hearts to love God more than anything else.
How to Train the Heart
We can’t directly control our desires — but we can influence and shape them through intentional action.
- Keep the Heart
- Tend the soil of your heart through spiritual disciplines.
- Curate your heart by choosing what you expose yourself to and dwell on.
- Surround Yourself with God’s Truth
- Desire can be learned.
- If you desire the wrong things, you’ve likely been shaped by the wrong inputs.
- Align your heart with God’s truth by immersing yourself in His Word and presence.
- Pursue God First
- Make God the highest love of your heart.
- Let your relationship with Him reorder your other desires.
Happiness is Fleeting
Happiness is fleeting when it’s built on temporary desires. But when we train our hearts to seek God first, He becomes the source of lasting peace and fulfillment. True joy comes not from having more — but from knowing the One who satisfies every longing.
Seeking God with Your Whole Heart
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” — Jeremiah 29:13
God can be found — but a half-hearted pursuit will never lead you there. True happiness comes from knowing God, but to know Him, you must seek Him with your whole heart. The question is: How do we cultivate a heart that desires God?
Cultivating a Heart that Desires God
We shape our hearts through spiritual disciplines — consistent habits that train our hearts to desire God above all else.
Two Types of Spiritual Disciplines
- Disciplines of Abstinence – Creating space for God by denying lesser things.
- Fasting
- Silence
- Solitude
- Disciplines of Engagement – Actively drawing near to God.
- Prayer
- Worship
- Studying Scripture
Important Reminder:
Spiritual disciplines do not make God love us more. God’s love is constant and unchanging.
Instead, they make us love and desire God more.
The pursuit of God through these disciplines is the key to true happiness. If we neglect them, we remain stuck in spiritual adolescence — knowing about God, but never truly experiencing Him.
Living a “Seeking God” Lifestyle
1. Make Seeking God a Priority (Mark 1)
Seeking God means operating from a deep conviction that God is more important than everything — even good things.
- Seeking God was the highest priority in Jesus’ life.
- When Jesus became busy, He made more time for God — not less.
- Jesus’ relationship with God was centered on prayer.
- The first priority of prayer is not asking for things — it’s orientation.
- “Our Father…” – Prayer reminds us of God’s presence and nearness.
- If God feels far away, the problem isn’t His absence — it’s our wandering hearts.
“Seek first the kingdom of God…” – Matthew 6:33
Rule of Firsts:
- What you do first orients your priorities.
- Psalm 5 – Seek God first in the morning.
If you spend 400 minutes a day on your phone and 10 minutes a day with God —
Where do you think your heart will naturally desire to be?
2. Start Small, Stretch Yourself
- Growth takes time — slow growth is lasting growth.
- Start small but push beyond comfort:
- Five more minutes of prayer.
- A moment of silence before starting the day.
- Less social media, more Scripture.
- Small, consistent changes will gradually reshape your heart.
If it starts feeling uncomfortable, you’re moving in the right direction.
3. Expect Resistance and Shallow Desire
- Old routines and patterns will try to pull you back.
- Sometimes your desire for God will feel shallow — that’s normal.
- Keep seeking anyway. Over time, your heart will catch up with your habits.
Perspective: The Story of the Leper (Mark 1:40–45)
- The leper represents us — isolated and separate because of sin.
- He comes to Jesus, throws himself at His feet, and begs for healing.
- Jesus responds with compassion, touches the leper, and heals him.
God is both holy and just — but He is also compassionate.
- Our sin isn’t just forgiven — it was absorbed and paid for by Jesus on the cross.
- We approach God not through merit, but through mercy.
Seeking God Must Be Propelled by Love
- The “seeking God lifestyle” must be motivated by love — not obligation.
- We pursue God because He loved us first. (1 John 4:19)
- Gratitude for God’s love fuels the desire to seek Him above all else.
God cannot be second.
My Takeaway
True happiness isn’t found in achieving more — it’s found in knowing God. Seeking Him with your whole heart will reorient your desires, satisfy your soul, and give you peace that surpasses understanding.
- Start small.
- Stay consistent.
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