How to Discover and Enjoy The Very Presence

How to Discover and Enjoy The Very Presence of God… Right Here on Earth! Mt Vernon Christian Church

Session one: The Key to Spiritual Passion

A piece of your vision… Multiplying God’s kindness by experiencing God, sharing Jesus, and developing vibrant ministries.

Jeremiah 29: 13 -14 13 “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, ” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. . . ”

My Search for Personal and Corporate Renewal • With some friends, we started reading the book of Acts… • I also read most of the New Testament—in daily sessions that allowed me to read one whole book every time in just one sitting…

My Search for Personal and Corporate Renewal • It became obvious to us that the early believers were not like us. • They had a life characterized by a state of sustained spiritual passion • So, we tried to imitate what they did…

My Search for Personal and Corporate Renewal • Something was not quite right with this approach toward change…

My Search for Personal and Corporate Renewal • We failed to understand… …the concept of spiritual passion …where spiritual passion and vitality come from!

What is Spiritual Passion? • • Making a “joyful noise” to the Lord? Doing things for God and the church? Practicing spiritual disciplines regularly? Sharing with the lost?

X What is Spiritual Passion? • • Making a “joyful noise” to the Lord? Doing things for God and the church? Practicing spiritual disciplines regularly? Sharing with the lost?

What is Spiritual Passion?

What is _______ Passion?

What is _______ Passion? A strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something.

What is _______ Passion? We all know what that is!

Let’s see some examples:

Let’s see some examples: Football

Let’s see some examples: Football

Let’s see some examples: Football

Let’s see some examples: Football

Let’s see some examples:

Let’s see some examples: The Super Bowl

Let’s see some examples: The Super Bowl

Let’s see some examples: The Super Bowl

Let’s see some examples: The Super Bowl

Let’s see some examples: Hunting

Let’s see some examples: Hunting

Let’s see some examples: Hunting

Let’s see some examples: Hunting

Let’s see some examples: Cooking, Gardening, Making money, Facebook, texting, Getting our first Car

The Key to _______ Passion?

The Key to _______ Passion? • The key to passion is getting in love with that “something” first.

The Key to _______ Passion? • The key to passion is getting in love with that “something” first. It can be “a person” too!

The Key to _______ Passion? • The key to passion is getting in love with that “something” first. – We experience it, we get hooked… then, we love it! • Only then are we able to express passion externally.

What is _______ Passion?

What is Spiritual Passion?

What is Spiritual Passion? It is faith lived out with commitment, joy, fire, and contagious enthusiasm.

The key to spiritual passion?

The key to spiritual passion? • The key to spiritual passion is falling in love with God first. – We experience Him… we get hooked… we fall in love with Him!

The key to spiritual passion?

The key to spiritual passion… …is having a personal relationship with God that is supernatural, vibrant, fresh, and most of all. . . real!

The key to spiritual passion… Pursuing such a relationship with God will increase our love for Him in ways we cannot imagine

The key to spiritual passion… Once in love with Him, spiritual passion will follow and be obvious to all!

How relevant is this to fulfilling Mt. Vernon’s vision? Multiplying God’s kindness by experiencing God, sharing Jesus, and developing vibrant ministries.

How relevant is this to fulfilling Mt. Vernon’s vision? Multiplying God’s kindness by experiencing God, sharing Jesus, and developing vibrant ministries.

A Life-transforming Challenge • Having understood the meaning of passion… and if your desire is to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength… …can you start spending a little more time with Him?

Jeremiah 29: 13 -14 13 “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, ” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. . . ”

A Life-transforming Challenge • Having understood the meaning of passion… and if your desire is to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength… …can you start spending a little more time with Him?

A Life-transforming Challenge • Having understood the meaning of passion… and if your desire is to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength… …can you start spending much more time with Him?

The Key to loving God with all we have —and to spiritual passion— is not trying harder to serve Him. The key is having a relationship with Him that is supernatural, vibrant, fresh, and most of all. . . real!

What if there is much more than what we presently have in our experience? Wouldn’t that be an unfortunate waste of our rightful resources?

An impossible task? Probably… if we were on our own… But we are not!

We can partner with God to reach this goal!

How to Discover and Enjoy The Very Presence of God… Right Here on Earth!

A Partnership…

A Partnership… God acting apart from us

A Partnership… God acting apart from us His Part

A Partnership… God acting through us God acting apart from us His Part

A Partnership… God acting through us God acting apart from us Our Part His Part

God’s dream: “We will enjoy each other’s presence AGAIN. ”

The book of Hebrews…

Hebrews 10: 19 -21 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God…

Hebrews 10: 19 -21 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God… God’s Part

Hebrews 10: 19 -21 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Our Part

Hebrews 10: 19 -21 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

How to Discover and Enjoy The Very Presence of God… Right Here on Earth! Mt Vernon Christian Church