Hey Friends,

Everyone today is looking for the edge – what will put them ahead of the competition. In a negative economy, what gives you the edge? In a day when so many are looking for jobs, what is the edge? In a day when so few churches are growing, what is the difference?

PASSION MAKES THE DIFFERENCE AND IT GIVES THE EDGE!

Let me give you some passion principles that I hope will help you:

1. Passion is the first step to achievement. To quote my friend John Maxwell: “Your desire determines your destiny. The stronger your fire, the greater the desire – and the greater the potential.”

2. Passion increases your spirit. If you are passionate about something it is fuel in your tank. You can keep going when others quit. The more I am around Coach Pat Summitt, I see why she keeps winning. She is full of passion. It is fire for the spirit.

3. Passion grows you. If you follow your passions you can’t help becoming more dedicated and devoted, productive and powerful in the field of your fire. You can only grow and become better.

4. Passion makes the impossible possible. In Genesis the people were building a tower to heaven. God said, “They are together and nothing is impossible for them.” Just think what would happen if the church got fired up and passionate about building the Kingdom! Wow – nothing would be impossible with Jesus!

Ask the Lord for passion. My tank stays so full, and people ask me how I stay fired up. It comes from a few things:

Passion Promise

1. It comes from surrender to the Spirit of God.

2. It comes from quality time with the Lord daily.

3. It comes from the Word of God which is a fire in my heart.

4. It comes from the people I hang with.

Are you on fire? Catch the fire and heat of the Spirit of the Living God.

Love you,

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

If you have read this blog for any amount of time, you KNOW that I am the chief fan of the spiritual disciplines. I love them and God has used them in my life so many times to draw me closer to Him. With that said, if you are not careful you can allow your devotion and disciplines to be a drudgery or duty instead of a delight.

Most of us enjoy eating food and if someone prepares our favorite dish we get excited! There are several dishes that will cause my mouth to water. I want my spirit to be hungry for the things of God – to be ravishingly hungry for the Word and for fellowship with the King of heaven. There is no way that rote, religion, and ritual impress God. Passion, zeal, and desire impress Him. People seeking Him with their whole heart move Him. Placing Him as the priority and loving Him more than anything else moves Him.

Do your disciplines draw God? Are you coming at Christ with a driving passion and a prayer life that gains the ear of heaven? I think that is the kind of heart the Lord listens to, don’t you? Now, like food, you have to eat and we must be in the disciplines – but let’s love it!

As leaders, let’s love the Lord to the level others can follow. Don’t allow the delight of your devotion to become a duty. How sad that would be. Don’t let your devotion miss the mark, which is the heart of God.

If you were to rate the heat of your heart in your devotion and disciplines, what would it be? On a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being cold and 10 being red hot, how would you rate?

1——–2——–3——–4——–5——–6——–7——–8——–9———10

Time to crank up the heat!

Love you and I mean it.

Pastor Chris