Passion for Jesus Having a Passion for Jesus

1, Having a passion for Jesus Having a Passion for Jesus

By Dave Batty

What are you passionate about? lives. Many at one time or another words come easy. What does it really have been passionately in love. We mean to live out that statement 24-7? Hockey fans still talk about the thought happiness in life would only “Miracle on Ice” in 1980 at the be found in being with the one we Examples of those with a Olympic games in Lake Placid when love. the American hockey team comprised passion for Jesus Others are passionate about of college students and amateurs So who is providing a clear their hobbies—fishing, sailing, or defeated the heavily favored and example of what it means to be music. much more experienced team from passionate about Jesus? Billy the Soviet Union. The USA hockey Others are passionate about Graham is a good example. But how team brought home the gold medal their work, making money, or being do you know he is a good example? that year, and the memories that Because he became a world famous young people can be passionate about preacher and evangelist? Because he hockey and beat the odds stacked Being passionate avoided any moral failures, and stayed against them. for Jesus is more than true to his wife? Every four years the Olympic words and emotions. Perhaps Billy Graham is a good games inspire new stories of young example, but the truth is most of us people passionate about their sport have never met him personally nor who aspire to win the gold, and let famous. They pour all their energy lived with him on a daily basis to see nothing deter them. and time into being successful and how he lives out his personal relationship with Jesus. Many of us know it is foolish to reaching their goal. dream about winning a gold medal at At Teen Challenge we see So who are the examples you the Olympics—all the passion in the young men and women who have live with—up close and personal— world won’t be enough for us! But been passionate about their drug who are really passionate for Jesus? we find passion in other areas of our addiction. It may have started as casual, recreational use, but What would others say about eventually it escalated to a life- you? Would they list you as a clear example of someone they admire who What does it mean to have controlling obsession. Their passion to get drugs drove them to all kinds of is passionate about Jesus? a passion for Jesus? compromises, including stealing from What can rob you of a their own family, or selling their bodies What does passion for for the next fix. passion for Jesus? Jesus look like? So what are you passionate What does it take for a person If passion for Jesus is not about? More important—what does to be passionate about Jesus? It enough, what else do I God want you to be passionate about? takes more than words. What does need in my life? It seems like a no-brainer to say, God see when He looks into your “I’m passionate about Jesus.” But heart? The greatest commandment in

A Family Resource of Global Teen Challenge Vol. 9 No. 2, Copyright © 2007 By David Batty Resource R103.16 iTeenChallenge.org Last Revised 12-09 2, Having a passion for Jesus the Bible gives a good description of very attractive to follow “the from becoming passionate about what it means to be passionate about passionate desires and inclinations of things that will take us away from Jesus. You are to “love the Lord our sinful nature.” (Ephesians 2:3 New God? your God with all your heart and with Living Translation) How often does it all your soul and with all your mind happen that a young person has a Avoiding passion is not the and with all your strength.” desire to live for Jesus and then falls in solution. A person with no passion is (Mark 12:30 NIV) love with another person. Their love simply letting apathy rule in his or her affair soon dominates their life and life. Who is directing your passions? That’s passion directed in a their decisions. They abandon what positive way. But there is a war God has for them. God’s help in developing a “You don’t under- passion for Jesus stand,” they say. “I’m so in Jesus “offered himself as a Our passions in life are the love with this person, I can’t sacrifice to free us from a dark, results of our choices. Left help it.” rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud unchecked, our passions can We must face the truth of, energetic in goodness.” (Titus 2:14, take us farther down a path that our passions in life are The Message) The help Jesus offers is the results of our choices. than we ever intended to go. real, filled with power, more than Left unchecked, our passions enough to face every temptation that can take us farther down a comes your way. path than we ever intended many of us experience on a daily to go. How many young people have “The eyes of the LORD search basis. Our emotions pull us in many ended up in bed together before the whole earth in order to strengthen different directions, and our desires marriage. those whose hearts are fully and passions can lock our attention committed to him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9 So how do we guard ourselves on other people and things. After New Living Translation) You’ve got to all—it’s hard to see God, to feel God, and to hear God. Great potential for the worse people What hinders our passion We can often be very Those who were 100% sold for Jesus? skeptical of people who are the out to their life of crime and worst trouble-makers in society. violence often become sold out We can easily establish 100% to serving Jesus. emotional ties that become Many drug addicts who have passionate and crowd everything else come to Teen Challenge were We need to take heart when out. Jesus talked about how easily labeled as beyond help—“lock we see the worst of sinners, things in this world can take our them up and throw away the realizing the great potential they focus off our relationship with him. keys.” Their lifestyle of crime and have if they will allow God to “The cares and anxieties of the world violence showed little reason to redirect that into a passion for and distractions of the age, and the have any hope for change. Jesus. pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, But God loves to do miracles Nicky Cruz was an angry, and the craving and passionate desire in the lives of those who are the violent gang member when he for other things creep in and choke worst of sinners. Those who have encountered the love of Jesus 49 and suffocate the Word, and it been passionate about their life of years ago. Since then he has been becomes fruitless.” (Mark 4:19 crime and sin were demonstrating an evangelist, preaching to millions Amplified Bible) that they were people of passion— around the world. God sees great just needing God’s help to potential for good in the lives of the We can get in trouble with our transform that destructive lifestyle worst of sinners! passions if we simply let our into something good. emotions direct us. We all find it

A Family Resource of Global Teen Challenge Vol. 9 No. 2, Copyright © 2007 By David Batty Resource R103.16 iTeenChallenge.org Last Revised 12-09 3, Having a passion for Jesus start with making a commitment to still seem every attractive and were “zealous for God, but their zeal is put Jesus first. It’s got to be a appealing, but we have to make a not based on knowledge.” (Romans 10:2 commitment that comes from the decision to call it what it is—evil— NIV) They had misdirected zeal. heart. And then we have to put legs and then make a decision to hate it to the commitment. No one ever won with a passion. Easier said than Jesus criticized the Pharisees of a gold medal at the Olympics by done! We’ve got to take our His day for the same issue. waking up in the morning, saying, “I thoughts captive and make them “Hypocrites! For you are careful to think I’ll enter the Olympic races tithe even the tiniest income from your today,” and win a gold medal that herb gardens, but you ignore the more afternoon. important aspects of the law—justice, Passion alone is not mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, The commitment is only the first enough. We must have but do not neglect the more important step. The steps that follow must passion that is directed things.” (Matthew 23:23 New Living focus on the goal. We must “throw by knowledge of what Translation) off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run God wants us to do. Passion alone is not enough. We with perseverance the race marked must have passion that is directed and out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on channeled by knowledge of what God wants us to do. We need to keep the Jesus, the author and perfecter of our obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5) main thing the main thing—from God’s faith.” (Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV) Having a passion for Jesus means point of view. We need to run with that we have declared war on the King David in the Psalms passion and perseverance the race temptations to sin that come our way. showed the passion he had for God, marked out for us by Jesus. “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart A second part of the answer is fixed.” (Psalm 57:7 KJV) He goes on comes in developing our strength for to say “My heart will not be moved, a passion for Jesus. The greatest A passion for O God.” (Psalm 108:1 New Life Bible) command of God tells us to love Him excellence David says he has no need to be with “all your heart and with all your afraid because “his heart is firmly soul and with all your mind and with Michael Jordan and Tiger fixed, trusting in the Lord.” all your strength.” (Mark 12:30 NIV) Woods have in common their (Psalm 112:7 Amplified Bible) This must be what consumes your passion for excellence. They thoughts throughout the day—not just did not achieve their greatness My part in developing a for 5 minutes a day. through luck—it was hard work and a deep commitment to be passion for Jesus As you are going through your the best at their sport. daily routine, having a passion for Many people struggle with their You can make the same Jesus means that you are constantly passions. These promises in the Bible choice to have a passion for bringing Jesus into your thoughts. all seem hollow, because their excellence in your life. But are We need to develop the strength to passions seem to run right over the you willing to do the hard work make godly choices—to walk in commitment they made to put Jesus to live out that passion day after obedience to His word. first. “Why does this have to be so day? hard?” asked one new Christian. Having a passion for Zeal without Part of the answer comes in excellence is not the same as choosing a new thought pattern knowledge = trouble having a passion for perfection. toward the old sinful passions of our Another word for passion is Babe Ruth was the home run lives. Job provides a good example— zeal. God makes it clear that passion king of baseball for many years, he “was totally devoted to God and alone is not enough. It needs to be but he also had the most hated evil with a passion.” (Job 1:1 The directed. “It is not good to have zeal strikeouts. However, he didn’t Message) God tells us to turn our without knowledge, nor to be hasty let his failures stop him from backs on the sinful passions of the and miss the way.” (Proverbs 19:2 NIV) striving for excellence. world. The temptations to sin may Paul talks about some people who

A Family Resource of Global Teen Challenge Vol. 9 No. 2, Copyright © 2007 By David Batty Resource R103.16 iTeenChallenge.org Last Revised 12-09 4, Having a passion for Jesus Misdirected passion Having a passion for Jesus Satan can greatly reduce our effectiveness by misdirecting us to Discussion Guide have passion for minor issues instead of the major issues. A person can have The following questions can be used for your personal reflection on this a passion for God and still not be in topic, or it can be used as a guide for a group discussion. If this is used in a right relationship with God. Paul talks group setting, please understand that you are not required to disclose the of his years before his conversion: “I specific details of past sins, failures, or personal experiences. was carefully trained in our Jewish laws and customs. I became very 1. As you look at your life, what are some of the things you have been zealous to honor God in everything I passionate about? did, just like all of you today. 4And I persecuted the followers of the Way, 2. Who have you seen that is a good example of having a passion for hounding some to death, arresting both Jesus? What illustrates their passion for Jesus? men and women and throwing them in prison.” (Acts 22:3-4 NLT) 3. Read Mark 12:30. Paul provides solid instruction on A. What are some of the practical ways you have been able to live the balance we need. “It is fine to be this verse out in your life? zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when B. What are some of the questions or struggles you face in trying to I am with you.” (Galatians 4: 18 NIV) develop a passion for Jesus? Some have a passion for Jesus when they are in a crisis. Their passionate 4. Read Mark 4:19. Are there issues or problems you face in your life cry for help comes from deep within that distract you from your relationship with Jesus? Describe. their heart—absolutely sincere. But when the crisis is past—does their 5. Read 2 Chronicles 16:9. How can this promise impact your life? passion for Jesus fade? What are some areas where you need more of God’s strength?

Having a passion for Jesus 6. Having a passion for excellence is not the same as having a passion that is deep rooted for perfection. How have these 2 passions been an issue in your life? How has a passion for perfection hindered your life? Having a passion for Jesus needs to be rooted in a deep commitment to 7. Read Proverbs 19:2 and Romans 10:2. How big a struggle do you keep this as your top priority for the have with understanding how to use God’s word to channel your rest of your life. This focused passion passions? for Jesus is what will keep your priorities on what really counts in life.

We can easily be distracted by what others say or do—especially If you would like extra copies of when it hurts us. But God has told us this newsletter, or if you have to stay focused on Him. The greatest questions or comments, please commandment tells it all—we need to contact Teen Challenge at this love him with all our heart, mind, soul, address. This resource and and strength. If we focus on that, we Global Teen Challenge others are available in the won’t have anything left for other P.O. Box 511 “Resources” section of the distractions. If we focus our passion Columbus, GA 31902 USA website www.iTeenChallenge.org on Jesus, we will achieve a reward far Phone: 706-576-6555 better than any Olympic gold medal— E-mail: [email protected] we will have eternity with Him! Website: www.Globaltc.org First edition 6/2007