Drawing on Matthew 7, Derek Maxson, our guest preacher serving our community in Poway, California,  confronts the chilling possibility of religious achievement without relationship: people who built impressive spiritual resumes — prophesying, driving out demons, performing miracles — can still be turned away by Jesus with the words, “I never knew you.” The exposition insists that outward spiritual activity, however impressive, is not the same as doing the will of the Father. Using the lost-sheep, lost-coin, and prodigal-son parables, the talk contrasts two kinds of absence: the surprising absences in heaven of those who appeared religious, and the surprising presences of the truly repentant and received. The older brother in the prodigal story becomes emblematic of a resilient, résumé-driven religiosity that mistakes dutiful performance for intimate belonging.

Derek  distinguishes modern faith, which privileges evidence and the mind, from an older, biblical pattern that begins with the heart and yields transformed actions. This ancient pattern treats belief as a posture of receiving and following, not as a checklist that earns acceptance. The will of the Father, he argues, is fundamentally a posture of belief — a trusting response that aligns inner disposition with outward life. Jesus’ invitation — “Take my yoke…for my yoke is easy and my burden is light” — reframes discipleship as a gentling reorientation of the heart rather than another project of self-justification.

The overall aim is pastoral: to replace anxious resume-building with confident reception, and to provoke honest self-examination and more sincere seeking. Comfort is promised to those who stop proving themselves; conviction is pressed upon those who mistake activity for intimacy. The closing appeal calls for exchanging head assent for heart allegiance, allowing inner transformation to rework behavior and community life. Prayer and an invitation to surrender conclude the call to abandon performance-based security and embrace the restful humility of faith that Jesus actually desires.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Spiritual resumes don't secure standingOutward accomplishments—even dramatic spiritual deeds—can mask a lack of personal knowing with God. The New Testament critique is not of activity itself but of activity divorced from a receptive, transformed heart; a polished spiritual CV can become a barrier to genuine belonging. This takeaway presses readers to test motives and to value relational knowledge of Christ over impressive religious output. [53:43]
• 2. Belief is the Father's willThe will of God, as framed here, is not ritual mastery or moral polishing but trust in the Son. True belief is an orienting response that reorders desires and enables obedience; it is not merely intellectual assent but a lived dependence. This reframes salvation as reception of Christ’s person and work, not as the sum of spiritual accomplishments. [62:33]
• 3. Align heart, not only mindModern faith can overemphasize proof and leave the heart unexamined, producing a disconnect between creed and conduct. The ancient biblical pattern invites listening, formation, and inward conversion so that outward actions flow from renewed affections. Spiritual integrity emerges when inner transformation governs external practice, minimizing hypocrisy and maximizing authenticity. [64:10]
• 4. Take Christ's yoke; find restJesus’ yoke is presented as formative rather than onerous: discipleship shapes the heart gently, not through proving worthiness but through shared life and learning. Accepting that yoke shifts the burden from self-justification to humble dependence, where growth is a cooperative journey with Christ. The promise of rest targets the soul’s exhaustion from performance and invites renewal through surrendered trust. [66:20]