While at Passion, they placed us in “community groups.” I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people. I loved this time with my new friends so much! There were a group of 7 of us from all over the country. We still always stay in touch for sure. They will definitely be my friends for forever. Friends who continue to remind each other what happened at Passion2010 and to keep us accountable and to support/encourage one another and pray for one another. Such an amazing group of people who have SO many awesome things ahead of each of them!
It seems a little crazy to be able to tell you all about Passion, but let me just give you a little bit of some of the highlights and how God was working in my life at this gathering:
**On the first night of Passion, Louie Giglio reminded us that it is ALL for the Glory of God. God is going to become more famous when we go through the fire than in our normal, happy world. Such an encouraging reminder to me!
**Beth Moore spoke the next morning on how God equips us to do His will. He equips us by preparing us, adjusting us, repairing us and by filling us. “There ain’t no high like the Most High!”
**Andy Stanley talked about three different chairs in our lives. Who you are, Who you know, and What you do. We are always pressured about Who we know and What we do, but we are rarely pressured about Who we are, and yet that is the most important component. Andy mentioned about writing paragraphs from your best friend, husband/wife, strangers, etc about what they would say at your funeral. These words that you can sum it all up with helps you point out about who you want to be known for.
I did this when I got home from Passion and I will be vulnerable with you about the 7 words I came up with… Positivity, Beautiful Heart=Purity, Compassionate, Selfless, Faith, Generous, and Encouraging. If you do not see these characteristics as a part of me daily, please feel free to be a good friend and confront me on these things. Thank you in advance!
**Francis Chan gave an amazing breakout one day. However, the best part of the breakout was a question someone had asked him before he actually started talking about what his breakout was about. Someone had asked him a question about Pride. I wish I could remember everything about it. (I will soon know though because they are starting to provide some of the breakouts for sell online!...fyi).
It might sound reallyyyy crazy, especially coming from me, but I have become such a huge fan of public speaking. I’m not sure why though; it just doesn’t seem like anything I would actually be honestly saying that I love. There is just a rush that goes through my body whenever I even think about it. [Random side note—Speech class is actually my favorite class that I am taking this semester.] Anyways, Francis talking about pride was so good to hear. He gave us some questions he always asks before he speaks, one being “Am I trying to bring attention to God or to myself?” Wow. I really just want to share the love of Christ with the world! I want to use my gift of empathy and just love on people who think that they are the only person in the world going through what they are dealing with. But pride is such a deadly trait and something that I have to always keep working on. I can tell you that this past year of my life, God has definitely been breaking down many barriers of pride that I never even knew I had. It has been a humbling adventure for me. But that just leads me back to Beth Moore’s talk about how God equips us to do His will as He is constantly adjusting pieces of our lives…He is bringing out the worst in us so that He can bring out the best in us.
Moving on to the main part of his breakout talk… He spoke about Holy Suffering. The thing that stood out the most with that is when we say that God is Comforter…and why would we need a comforter if we were comfortable?!
**Whew, and the most difficult subject that I have been working through and trying to understand was John Piper’s talk posing the question “Is God an egomaniac?”
I could go on this forever trying to help explain this, but I might save that for later. For now, you are just going to have to wrestle with the idea that God DOES love you immensely, but you are not the center of it all. God made you to make Him look good. Not only do we live for God’s glory, God lives for God’s glory. This is also tying in with a book of his [John Piper] as well. God has to be happy so that He can make us happy, so that in return, we can make him happy as well. Crazy cycle, but I have to say that I am quite pleased with this idea. The world is definitely not about me. God is definitely not an egomaniac…He is just amazing God!
I am just so ready to continue living my life for Jesus Christ! It has been a difficult month since Passion, but I am loving every bit of it. Just getting over myself and reminding myself that God is Who it is about...not me at all. I am ready for the rest of my adventure. J
