Our Relationship with God | Leo Nicotra

·51 min·5 clips

Leo Nicotra argues that without a healthy love relationship with God, we cannot have anything else.

The episode is a sermon by Leo Nicotra, opening a series focused on relationships. He begins by stating that the number one relationship is with God, and without it, other relationships will be 'messed up.' Nicotra shares his personal testimony of becoming a Christian at 19 and how encounters with God's love have healed him over 38 years. He then turns to Genesis 2:18, analyzing God's declaration that it is not good for man to be alone, even in Adam's perfect state, to argue that relationships are a core part of divine creation. Nicotra emphasizes that humans are created for intimate relationships, particularly in marriage, and that the world distorts this without God's pattern. He personalizes the importance of relationships by listing his own highest highs, like marrying his wife Christina and the birth of his children, and lowest lows, like the death of his parents, all tied to relationships. To illustrate the necessity of a God-connection, he uses the analogy of a tree: a dead tree cannot produce fruit, just as a person disconnected from God cannot have healthy relationships. He cites the breakup of The Beatles due to relationship problems as an example of how gifts can be sabotaged by poor relational skills. The sermon transitions to practical advice, framed as an 'art form.' He outlines points including loving God with all one's heart, valuing relationships highly, loving one's neighbor as oneself, and investing time in relationships. He references a study where children said doing things together, not money, makes a happy family, and shares a story about a father and son fishing to highlight mismatched values. Other points include walking in unconditional love, building trust, being honest, working through disappointment, having real expectations, practicing forgiveness, understanding perspective, learning communication, dealing with negative thoughts, and giving the benefit of the doubt. He concludes with a prayer for listeners to encounter God's love and forgive those who have hurt them.

As heard by us

A devotional appeal for God's love to heal patterns carried into intimate relationships.

The episode frames relationships through a clearly devotional lens, placing love for God at the center before tracing how family conflict, domestic violence, rejection, neglect, abuse, and early harmful images can shape what people bring into marriage and intimacy.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

When old family patterns follow you into love, start where this sermon starts: your relationship with God.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from GGC Life