“Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.” With these words from 1 John, author and pastor Casey Tygrett challenged the ONU community to examine the priorities that shape their lives.
Tygrett, a pastor at Parkview Christian Church and the author of Becoming Curious: A Spiritual Practice of Asking Questions and The Gift of Restlessness: A Spirituality for Unsettled Seasons, returned to Centennial Chapel to continue his thought-provoking Shema series. Encouraging students, faculty, staff and alumni to reflect on what matters most in their lives, Tygrett explored the idea that our responses to God’s voice flow out of the things we prioritize.
Tygrett posed a crucial question: “If you did hear something from God, what now?” He emphasized that our decisions—what we wear, what we say, how we treat others—are all influenced by our deepest priorities. He pointed to Jesus’ response when asked about the greatest commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” Love, according to Tygrett, is the foundation upon which everything else rests.
Drawing upon the writings of St. Augustine, he introduced the concept of “rightly ordered loves”—the idea that our lives are shaped by what we love most. Misplaced priorities, or “disordered loves,” lead to confusion and brokenness, but aligning our loves with God’s priorities fosters wholeness and transformation.
Tygrett used the story of Peter’s denial and reinstatement to illustrate how God reshapes our identity and reorders our priorities. When Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?” He wasn’t condemning him—He was restoring him. In the same way, Tygrett reminded the audience that God speaks to us not in shame but in love, calling us to reorient our lives around Him.
He also acknowledged the barriers that prevent us from embracing God’s love and guidance—especially fear. “Fear is the greatest obstacle to rightly ordered loves,” he said, cautioning against making decisions based on fear rather than love. Quoting author Brian Zahnd, Tygrett noted, “Perfect love casts out fear, but perfect fear casts out love.” Overcoming fear, he urged, allows us to fully embrace the call of God on our lives.
As he concluded his message, Tygrett invited students to sit in silence and reflect on three pivotal questions: What have you heard from God? What do you love most? And what is God inviting you to do with what you’ve heard? He encouraged the Olivet community to act upon their reflections, stepping boldly into the life God calls them to.
Through his books, including The Practice of Remembering: Uncovering the Place of Memories in Our Spiritual Life, and his work as a spiritual director at Soul Care, Tygrett has helped countless individuals navigate the tensions of faith, doubt, and spiritual transformation. His message at Olivet was yet another reminder that God’s love is not only something we receive—it is something that reorders our lives and compels us to action.
Finally, Tygrett left the Olivet community with these encouraging words: “You will never do this alone. God will always be with you. And in the pursuit of love, it is very difficult to do evil.”
To watch Casey’s full chapel messages from this semester, click here and here.
