Passion 2011. Not just a conference of 22,000 college students,but a time for Jesus to be proclaimed and praised. I went to this conference with a group of about 20 people that just love Jesus more then words can describe: this trip is one of the last times i would be able to hang out with them for a really long time and i dont think i could have asked for a better trip. I don’t think i can quite describe the feeling of singing praises to God with 22,000 other college students from around the world, not just my state, or my country, but college students from all over.
Im not even sure if i could describe passion at all other then, JESUS. He came, He showed up, and He changed hearts and lives and SAVED lives. God blessed us with speakers and musicians that would speak and sing His word to their fullest. They were anointed by the Holy Spirit. This entire trip, after each message and each session i found my self breathless, and overwhelmed like never before. When i got on the bus at 4am on news years day to head to passion, i was dry, weak, and thirsty. I just wanted to see Christ and feel Him. I went to passion not knowing what to expect at all. I didnt know if it was just going to be another conference, or if it was going to be so much more then that, and let me tell you, it was so much more then that.
There wasn’t just one thing that i learned. My learning started before i even stepped on the bus. At lindseys that same night, i was learning what real community felt like. To sit on a couch or a floor with friends and just talk about the dirt in our lives and our expectations and how Great our God really is. Going into this trip, i didnt have any expectations. I didnt want to put God in a box like i had always done. I wanted God to be God. I prayed for conviction and i prayed for change, but i always prayed that God would show up and reign.
The first main session was taught by Louie Giglio and in my notes, i just wrote down qoutes that just hit me in the face. One of the first things i have written down is ” MAKE SURE YOU LIVE A LIFE THAT COUNTS”. Louie referenced Phil 1:6 and explained to us how God has started a good work in us and he will complete it, and how we were rescued. We were once enemies of Christ until he saved up. God wants to use you!
- CIRCUMSTANCES DONT MATTER TO CHRIST. NOR DO THEY EFFECT HIM.
- YOU PREACH YOUR OWN FUNERAL
- CIRCUMSTANCES DONT HAVE POWER.
- NO CIRCUMSTANCE CAN STOP YOU FROM BEING FREE AND FULLY ALIVE.
- ONCE WE CONNECT OUR LIFE TO JESUS, WE ARE FOREVER FREE.
PHIL 1:21 ” FOR TO ME TO LIVE IS CHRIST, AND TO DIE IS GAIN.
Passion does this really awesome things and has a thing called Community Groups and within your community groups, you have family groups. I was blessed to have an amazing group of people in my family! Miss you! But, Community group time was just a time to reflect on the day and to start off the day in a more intimate setting. On the 2nd day, our community group leader aaron coe, asked us a question and it is repeating itself in my mind. IF YOU GAVE UP EVERYTHING LIKE CHRIST DID, WHAT WOULD YOUR LIFE LOOK LIKE?
The main session the next morning was led by the lovely Beth Moore. One of her first statements got me to the core; she said, ” you need a renewed mind in order to fulfill the plan God has for your life”. That same day, we had break out time, and i went to the ” The fuel of the passion movement” and it was crazy awesome! One of the quotes that stood out to me was this ” God calls us to be set apart not by our facebook profile or our latest update, but instead, by the way we love each other” WOW WOW WOW! At the end of this breakout out time, one of the leaders said, ” Maybe God wants you to be the answer to your prayer request” He was talking about investing into people instead of just praying for them! This put me on my butt!
That same night, God blessed us Francis Chan and he brought the word! Francis spoke about whether or not your life matched up with the scripture and i think everyone in that arena was put on their faces. ” Can people look at your life and tell that you believe in Hell, and that you have been saved from it?” After many conversations this weekend, it was made very clear that we were meant to suffer. Christ gave it all, including his life. Also, Hell is a real place, and sadly real people will go there. There are people who need to know the grace of God. NORMAL ISN’T GOING TO CUT IT!
The next morning a man named Andy Stanley spoke; and honestly, that will have its own post shortly! I will combine the David Platt break out sesh with this as well.
John Piper. What a man, even though my head hurt after it was done. He made some pretty awesome points that we should pay attention too. “ Self can never satisfy a heart that was for God”. God loves you and thinks you are so precious. But, Your preciousness should not become your god.
The name JESUS is one that gets thrown around way to often when really it should be praised to the highest. Louie Giglio led the final session and said this ” Spend less time worrying about where your going to go and start worrying about if your carrying the right thing” ARE YOU CARRYING THE NAME OF JESUS? God wants us to know that we are the chosen instruments; “Go wherever your passion leads you, whats matters is, what you carry”
CARRY THE NAME OF JESUS WHEREVER YOU GO.
After being home not even two days, im realizing how hard reality actually is, and how important community is. When people persecuting you, they arent persecuting, they are persecuting Jesus. But im also realizing that people shouldnt give up on our generation. Its the people in this generation that are going to be leading this movement; its this generation is brokenhearted for the hurting people around the world, and WE ARE THE GENERATION THAT ARE IS GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! WATCH US WORLD! :)
Isaiah 26:8
8 Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws,[a] we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.
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