You cannot please God without the Spirit. Romans 8:5–17 teaches that pleasing God is not first about outward action, religious effort, or external righteousness. It is first a matter of the heart.

In this sermon short, Pastor Ben Smith explains that the indwelling of the Spirit only comes through salvation. A person may do many right things, but without knowing Jesus and being filled with the Spirit of God, all that effort remains unable to please God.

Direction is more important than location. We tend to give more importance to location, but where you are heading matters more than where you are. You may be far away from the Lord today, but God beckons you to draw near (direction language). And the beautiful promise is that no matter where you are - when your direction changes from chasing after the world to drawing near to God, God meets you where you are and exalts you to a right relationship with Him.