Building a Relationship With Jesus

8/18/2025

Cain and Abel, the first sons of Adam and Eve, both brought offerings to God. Able brought the best of his flock in faith, while Cain offered fruit from the ground. God accepted Abel’s offering but not Cain’s, not because He loved one brother more, but because He was after something deeper- the heart behind the gift.

Instead of turning away from Cain, God actually drew near to him. He asked, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? (Genesis4:6-7) This was not rejection but invitation. God was giving Cain a chance to realign his heart, to step into a relationship rather than an empty ritual.

Instead, Cain chose jealousy and sin over repentance. Even after Cain killed Abel, God still pursued him. Yes, there were consequences, but there was also mercy. God marked Cain so that no one would kill him, showing that his desire for relationship and redemption extended even to the guilty.

The story of Cain and Abel is not just about a rejected offering-its about a God who wants our hearts more than our sacrifices. It reveals a Father who still comes near, even when we fail and offers us the chance to walk with Him. Abel shows us faith pleases God. Cain shows us rebellion grieves Him. But in both, we see a God who desires a relationship with his children- a God who doesn’t walk away, even when we least deserve Him.

I plan to feature a series of live interviews with pastors and fellow Christians, each sharing their own personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This first interview highlights a conversation with my pastor, Brother Mike McCoy of Crossville First Freewill Baptist Church. You can watch our church services on YouTube at Crossville First Freewill Baptist Church.

Let’s start from the beginning. Everyone is familiar with Adam and Eve, right? Genesis chapter 3, verse 8 says, “And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.”

Now to catch you up: God had created Adam and Eve and placed them in a perfect garden with no sin. He walked with them and delighted in a relationship with them. As we all know, it was through these two individuals that sin first entered the world. My point in sharing the verse is to show you that from the very beginning, our Creator desired a relationship with humans.

What I’m going to say next will be repeated throughout this blog. You may be saying to yourself, “There is no proof of God, there is no proof of intelligent design. All this crap is make-believe—just one big fairytale!” And I would have to ask, “What if I told you that I had these same thoughts, even after I gave my heart to God when I was 8 years old?”

You see, God desired a relationship with me after I had accepted Jesus as my Savior—and I hardened my heart. I blamed my failures on Him, and any of my few wins, I pridefully took full credit for. I rolled through life using Jesus only when it was convenient. Any time He reached out for a relationship, I would become afraid. As the devil whispered my fleshly desires in my ear, I would turn my heart toward him and chase the things of the world.

I looked for peace in worldly possessions but could not find it. Psalm 18:2 says, “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.” Ephesians 2:14a says, “For He is our peace…”

No matter how hard you try to find peace in earthly possessions, it will always be short-lived. Everything around us will soon fade away—our homes, vehicles, money—it’s all temporary. And in death, none of it can save us.

The world we are living in today is in need of godly men and women to stand up and witness to a dark, lost, and dying world filled with sin-sick people—just like I once was—with the same love that Jesus Christ had when He walked the earth, all the way to the moment He was beaten and nailed to a cross. His love for us never wavered.

I want to make it clear that adultery, murder, fornication, lying, drunkenness, homosexuality, and anything else classified as sin is still sin—nothing more, nothing less. Unforgiven sin will ultimately destroy you, and no matter how hard you try on your own, you can never find true peace. Just because one person’s sins are different from yours, that doesn’t make them a worse person than you, nor does it make it harder for God to forgive them.

My Bible says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and that “whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” God hates sin, but He loves the sinner. He gives both you and me free will to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior—to love Him and build a relationship with Him. If we accept His gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, He promises to forgive our sins and give us everlasting life.

If we choose not to accept Jesus Christ, God will love us all the way to hell. Let me make it clear: God does not send us to hell—we send ourselves by rejecting His Son, Jesus Christ, who came to this earth and was crucified by His own people to become the ultimate sacrifice for everyone’s sins. Make no mistake about God’s grace and mercy, which He gives in abundance each day of our lives. But it is appointed unto man once to die, and if we cross that threshold without accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior, then we are doomed for eternity in a lake of fire, which was created for Satan and his angels who rebelled against God.

The only way to navigate this cold, dark, and dying world is to develop and maintain a healthy relationship with Jesus Christ.

It is important for me to keep this blog going for people who are in the same position I once was, and for those who will be in the future. To do that, I will need the help of supporting members. Eventually, I will have a donations page and an online store on my website where you can purchase items that support this ministry and the mission of telling everyone about a Savior who loves them and desires a relationship with them.

You can check back daily for updates to the blog, which will eventually include interviews with pastors and other inspiring children of God who have developed strong, healthy relationships with Jesus Christ. The online store will feature merchandise with my ministry’s trademark, HIYRWJ. Each of these everyday items will serve as a powerful witnessing tool and a reminder of your relationship with Jesus.

It is my prayer and heart’s desire that once the trademark becomes its own brand, I can transition this ministry into a nonprofit organization to support missionaries, the homeless, and other churches.

“From Religion to Relationship: Building a Relationship with Jesus”

5/5/2025

I would like to introduce myself and give you some history about my life. My name is Eric Garrett, and I have been married 31 years this month. My wife, Tonya, and I have two children, Brandon and Kelsey, and one granddaughter that we nicknamed Oakie Dokey!

I am 49 years old, and I was raised in church. At the age of eight, I went to the altar and announced my faith in Jesus Christ! So far this sounds great, right?

Well, I am here to tell you that up until December 28th of 2022, I did not have a relationship with Jesus Christ. I did not trust Him with my finances, my marriage, or anything else that involved drawing close to Him.

I have always been an emotional guy, and I am terrified of hell, which led to a lot of emotional trips to the altar. I absolutely wanted the fire insurance that came with knowing Jesus Christ, but I wanted no part of living Jesus Christ. When it came to riding both sides of the fence and living life in the gray areas, I did it to the best of my ability.

Why God would want to use me for anything is beyond my comprehension. I do not claim to be a writer or a well-educated individual. The idea for this blog—and ultimately my ministry—came through a lot of seeking and praying for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to show me His will for my life. I am simply trying to do His will to the best of my ability.

As far as education goes, I dropped out of school my senior year, earned my GED, and then married my best friend in the spring of 1994. I learned that no job gave me peace when it came to a career. I had plenty of jobs—and I do mean plenty—but I soon became bored with each one. There was always an empty spot in my soul, a sense that something was missing, and that what I was doing for work wasn’t what I was truly meant to do.

I had learned all about Jesus my whole life and could talk to you for hours about the Bible, but I had never learned to trust Him. I viewed Jesus as something like a pocketknife—handy to have when I was bored or in trouble. But my life and my problems always seemed bigger than Him. I rarely consulted Jesus for anything unless I figured it wouldn’t require me to change my ways.

Mostly, I prayed for everyone except myself. And if I did pray for myself, it was usually for monetary gain. Looking back, I honestly don’t know why He allowed me to keep on living. I did nothing but make Him look bad. At times, I made a mockery of Him. I denied Him in front of others. I was disobedient in every aspect of my life—and yet, He loved me through all of it.

My biggest mistake was that I never desired a relationship with Him. When I prayed, I never listened for Him to speak—I just said my peace and went on with my business. When I read my Bible, I never listened for Him to teach me. I just glanced through a couple of chapters so I could check it off my list. I did both of these things RELIGIOUSLY a couple times a day, so that if someone asked, I could say, “Yes.” That way, in the eyes of men, I would appear to be saved and on my way to heaven.

But no matter how good a show we put on for the world, God always knows the heart, the intentions, and the motives behind our actions.

God gave me grace and mercy—and He forgave me of my past. He will give you that same grace and mercy! That grace and mercy are why I’m sitting at my desk trying to do something I have no skill set for, no formal training, and no experience in.

That’s right—I have never written a book, a blog, or launched a business. My education is limited. But I have the ALPHA AND OMEGA, the LIVING GOD, the CREATOR OF ALL THINGS, the GREAT I AM, the LAMB OF GOD, the KING OF MY LIFE, YESHUA, JEHOVAH, YAHWEH—and all the other great names He goes by—guiding me!

It is my prayer that my ministry and this blog reach people who have been trying to live for Christ but keep failing—because they’ve never created a true relationship with Jesus.

Whether you are lost, a new convert, a theologian, a non-believer, or just not sure—this blog is for you.

• Not Just Sacrifice, But Relationship
• “HIYRWJ: Conversations that Matter”
• “From Resistance to Relationship”
• “From Sin to Salvation: The Truth We Must Share”
• From Religion to a Relationship