Ipassion

iPassion

2 Timothy 1:6-7

2 Timothy 1:6-7

6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

(NIV)

This month, a whole new set of graduates will enter the workforce. These grads have been impacted by iPhones, iPods, iTunes, iMovies--and the fact that life is pretty much about "I”.

The creative force behind all great art, all great drama, all great music, all great architecture, all great writing is passion.

Nothing great is ever accomplished in life without passion.

Nothing great is ever sustained in life without passion.

Passion is what energizes life. Passion makes the impossible possible. Passion gives you a reason to get up in the morning and go, "I’m going to do something with my life today." Without passion life becomes boring. It becomes monotonous. It becomes routine. It becomes dull. God created you with the emotions to have passion in your life and He wants you to live a passionate life. Passion is what mobilizes armies into action. Passion is what causes explorers to boldly go where no man’s gone before. Passion is what causes scientists to spend late night hours trying to find the cure to a dreaded disease. Passion is what takes a good athlete and turns him or her into a great athlete where they’re breaking records. You’ve got to have passion in your life.

In our culture it’s ok to be passionate about anything except your religion, except your faith, except your relationship with God.

Exodus 34:14

14 You must worship no other gods, but only the LORD, for he is a God who is passionate about his relationship with you.

(NLT)

C. S. Lewis said it like this,

"The only thing Christianity cannot be is moderately important."

It either deserves your entire life or nothing.

Tracy, was a little girl who was listening very closely to the preacher during the morning worship service. But she left service puzzled. She said, Mommy, didn’t our pastor say today that God is bigger than we are? Her mother was pleased to see her daughter was listening in service and said, “Yes, honey.” Tracy then proceeded on with her second question, “And didn’t our pastor say today that God lives inside of us.”

Her mother could sense a big question coming forth and she said, “ yes honey”. Tracy then put her points together and said, “well if God is bigger than us, and God is living inside of us, then shouldn’t God be popping out all over so that others could see God when they look at us.

Passion is not automatic.

Passion is waking up in the morning wherever you are and bounding out of bed because you know there’s something out there that you love to do, that you believe in, that God made you for and you’re good at, something that’s bigger than you are and you can hardly wait to get at it again. It’s something that you’d rather be doing than anything else and you wouldn’t give it up for money because it means more to you than money.

V. Raymond Edman, late president of Wheaton College, liked to remind his students that “it’s always too soon to quit.”

iPassion = Living with

COMMITTMENT

2 Timothy 1: 7

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power

Daniel 1:1-6, 8

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god. Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility-

young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service. Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.

(NIV)

Daniel and his friends lived with PASSION, even in a foreign land. Their commitment to God fueled their passion. And they refused to back down!