In Week 2 of our Story Time series, pastor Andrew explores Just the Way You Are by Max Lucado and the powerful truth that we don’t have to earn God’s love—we’re invited to rest in it. Through the story of orphaned children preparing gifts to impress a king, we’re reminded how easy it is to confuse performance with belonging. While some children strive to prove their worth, one child simply offers her heart—and discovers the king desires relationship, not achievement. This message points us to the heart of the gospel: our identity is found not in what we do, but in whose we are. Drawing from Scripture, we’re invited to move from striving to Sabbath rest, from earning to receiving, and from using our gifts for redemption to offering them as worship. God loves us—just the way we are, and the way we give Him our full hearts is through surrender.
