January first through the third I got to experience the Passion Conference for the first time with one of my very best friends, Stephanie. We booked an Airbnb which was weird but not as weird as we expected and headed down to Atlanta to enjoy 3 fun filled days with a generation seeking after God.
Passion Conference 2018 was many many things! It was 3 days full of laughter, joy, worship, and hearing directly from the Father.
God captured my heart and freed me from shame, chains, and fear! He gave me a renewed passion for seeking after Him and a sense of excitement for what is coming next in our relationship.
I had the privilege to hear from the founder of Passion City Church and the Passion Movement, Louie Giglio on the second night of the conference.
Louie told us that we are to be like an arrow on fire in the hands of Jesus.
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All we have to do is be willing to go where He aims and releases us. We have to be willing to say Yes to Jesus. He said that, ” purpose is found in the unfinished work of the church.”
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The unfinished work of the church is for every person on the planet to hear of the finished work of Christ, the gospel story. As you can see in the picture below the arrow is labeled with different things.
- The tip of the arrow is ‘Jesus’ name’ – the name that hits down first and penetrates the surface in which the arrow lands
- The blade is the gospel
- The arrow is the church, the purpose, us
- The feathers are the Word of God – the thing that will guide the arrow
- The fire surrounding the blade and tip of the arrow is the Holy Spirit
We the church are the arrow, guided by the Word, lead by the Spirit, with the story of the Gospel, and empowered by the name of Jesus to bring the message of salvation to the world.
Louie’s message gave me such hope and excitement to go out and help complete the unfinished work of the church.
So on the way home from the conference Stephanie and I decided to stop by Christian Supply to look for a pocket Bible. When we didn’t find what we were looking for we went to Barnes and Nobles.
We headed straight to the Christian book section and over heard a girl talking with a young man (probably 18 or 19) about the book “A Case for Christ.”
From the sound of the conversation, he was searching for answers about Jesus and had heard that book would answer some of his questions.
The book “Jesus Is” by Judah Smith immediately popped into my head and as I started to scan the shelved for it the book was there right in front of my. I grabbed it and handed it to him and told him this would tell him about the man he was searching for.
We proceeded to ask him about his story. I asked if we could answer any questions he had, his answer, “you couldn’t answer any of the question I have.” I thought to myself you’re right I may not be able to, but Jesus in me could; but I simply asked if we could pray for him. We prayed that God would reveal Himself to him, that God would show up and that he would meet his creator. We spoke the truth of how God knows him and loves him even though he doesn’t know God yet. How God created him with a purpose and wants to know him more than anything. We told him that he can find out some about Jesus from the Christian life books he was thumbing through, but he needed to turn to God’s Word above all else. We pointed him in the direction of the Gospel books and went on our way.
Stephanie felt led to buy him a Bible so we picked one out and got it packed in its own bag. Stephanie found him waiting in the inquiry line, (I’m sure asking about another book that could tell him more about this man he had just heard so much about) and handed him the bag and he asked “for me?” without even knowing what was in the bag.
She said “yeah, man have at it!”
I watched as she walked away with her back to him as he peered into the bag and saw the very book that we had just told him would give him all the answers he would ever need about who this man named Jesus is. He looked up, his eyes following her as she walked towards me to leave the store with the biggest smile on his face. In his smile, I saw hope.
Isaiah 55:11 says, “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
I have confidence that God will complete the work He started in that young man because His Word will not return void. The work that He started He will complete! (Philippians 1:6)
God gave us the opportunity right after Louie’s talk on completing the unfinished work of the church to do just that.
Thank you Jesus for those opportunities to be a witness for you!
I know in my heart that will be a story he tells in his testimony about how he met the Lord! I believe Jesus can do it!
God used Passion 2k18 to spark a new fire and hunger in my heart for him. He met with me so deeply and tenderly in that arena day in and day out. I am eager and excited to see where we go together this year! 2018 is going to be a good year!
Jesus is so good and I am so blessed and honored to be called his daughter!
