“Women are very complicated!” I’ve heard many guys make this statement over the years. The fact is we are all deeply complicated. We all have a lot more going on inside of us than any of us realize. My daughter, Lexi, sat silently in the passenger seat on our drive to take her driver’s test. I asked her, “What’s going through your mind right now?” Her response makes me laugh when I think of it even today, “Ahhhhhh!!!!!”. We both laughed for the rest of the drive.
Why was she so nervous? If you understand the history behind this reaction, it makes perfect sense. Just a matter of months prior to this she was riding with her older sister and she watched as a semi came across several lanes of traffic hitting them traumatizing both of them. Our point of origin always determines our frame of reference. Our problem is that we don’t always understand the trauma producing the trigger in our lives.
You have passions, triggers and deep emotions that are all at work in you. Understanding this and addressing it effectively is necessary if you are to direct your emotions constructively. As men and women of Destiny, we are marked by hunger and passion for God. As we pursue God’s heart deep emotions that exist within us begin aligning with the desires of God.
As a church family, we are OUTRAGEOUSLY LOVING people who PASSIONATELY PURSUE the Lord with IRRATIONALLY GIVING lifestyles as we CONSISTENTLY SUBMIT to God’s desires and EFFECTIVELY DISCIPLE others to do the same.
The question is not will you have passion. The question is will you direct your passion toward the things of God or the things of this world? The deeper issue beneath this question really deals with worship.
Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. NIV
To offer our bodies sacrificially is to address carnal desires and passions. The very thing that most commonly causes us to deviate from serving Jesus is the very thing God is asking for.
Romans 12:1-3 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. NIV
Passion exists within you because God created you to worship. Everybody worships. Even those who aren’t Christians and would consider themselves non-religious people are fervent worshipers. Everybody everywhere is always worshiping. Who you admire, who you try to impress, who and what you fear are all indicators of where you’ve focused your worship.
This is simply your God-given design. The devil can’t change this so he tries to hijack it instead. If you don’t worship God then you’ll worship something or someone else. Worshiping a person is fear of man, people pleasing or co-dependency. If you worship your job, you become a workaholic. To worship your reputation is to be totally worried about what everyone thinks of you.
Where I sacrificially give my time, talents and treasure reveals who or what am I living for? This could be relationships, an income level, hobbies, GPA, etc
The less we pay attention to the Holy Spirit the more we pursue entertainment and recognition.
Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world…
So many Christians and Christian leaders aren’t growing spiritually and don’t even know it! Do we truly know what our mission is and are we willing to build our lives around that mission as our greatest priority?
Our core problem is not that we are so passionate about the things of this world, but that we are not passionate enough about the things of God.
When we lose sight of Jesus (not fixing our eyes on him) we misappropriate our God-given desires. He is supposed to be what we desire. Sin is what we do in our hearts when God is not enough. Let’s devote ourselves to a deeper pursuit of the things of God together as a family.
PASSIONATELY PURSUING
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Click here for a downloadable pdf file of this guide.
UNDERSTANDING THE SEASON: As a church family we want to be OUTRAGEOUSLY LOVING people who PASSIONATELY PURSUE the Lord with IRRATIONALLY GIVING lifestyles as we CONSISTENTLY SUBMIT to God’s desires and EFFECTIVELY DISCIPLE others to do the same.
Our 2022 New Year’s Revelation as a church family is EVERYONE IS CREATED FOR ABUNDANT LIFE! Much will flow from heaven into our hearts and homes this year!
The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy but realize the aim of death is not to kill you but to keep you from the fullness of life until you die. Distraction is destruction of what could have been in your life.
John 10:10b “...I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].” Amplified
Jesus came demonstrating that true life is discovered in a willing death. When we die to ourselves we learn what it means to be alive in Christ.
God’s plan is for us to hear his voice together as a family. This is why we start each group with the first question:
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
1. Where are you reading in your Bible and what are you sensing from God?
Ask each person in your group to answer the discussion questions below after reading the verses. Don’t move on to the next question until everybody who is willing to share has had the opportunity to give their perspective.
ROMANS 12:1-3 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. NIV
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Have each person give a 60 second summary of what these verses are saying, in their own words.
What do these verses teach us about God?
What do these verses teach us about people?
What should you do this week in response to what we are reading and what God is revealing?
Who comes to mind when considering a person you might share this with this week?