GPS-Be Passionate

SEP 29 / Sunday – Read Romans 12:11-12 / 2 Timothy 1:6

Overview: The third key to a victorious life is to maintain your enthusiasm, energy, and passion for Christ. It’s a combination of hope, patience, and faith that are all needed in the quest to emerge as a winner.

Predicting the Winner Key #3: Be passionate

30 / Mon – Fanning the flame  |  Read Rom 12:11 / 2 Tim 1:6

Key #1 was daring to be different by presenting your everyday life as an offering to the Lord. Key #2 was a challenge to honest self-assessment, not thinking of yourself more highly than you should. Remember, you are a part of the body of Christ. This week’s key #3 is to maintain your passion and enthusiasm for the Lord Jesus. Many of us start strong, excited to live out this new life. Then the fire wanes. How can a person keep that zeal according to Rom 12:2a? When you begin to think differently, it will change the way you live. How will you renew your mind?

OCT 01 / Tue – Fervently serving who?  |  Read Rom 12:11b / Eph 6:7

Unchanneled zeal can be disastrous. According to these verses, where is your spiritual fervor to be directed? Your zeal for God can be the energy that fuels your service. And notice the importance of whom you serve. Do you get discouraged when serving those who take it for granted? If so, refocus your attention and you will see how blessed the Lord is when you serve Him by serving others. Where will you fervently serve the Lord today?

02 / Wed – Joyful in hope  |  Read Rom 12:12a / Psalm 33:18 / Nehemiah 8:10

Hope produces joy. But what is your hope anchored in? Your job or your bank account, your ability to be strong when navigating hard times? David repeatedly declared in the Psalms where our hope can be anchored. Have you ever done something that impressed someone you looked up to? Do you recall how their joy and approval made you want to do even better? When the Lord sees you following His ways, His joy about it can infuse strength and hope in your heart and motivate you to keep going. Will you look to Him for approval instead of those around you?

03 / Thu – Patient in affliction  |  Read Rom 12:12b / Rom 5:3-5 / Rom 8:23-25

Some folks erroneously believe that God always spares His people from difficult times. Has your life experience exposed the error in that kind of thinking? As Paul writes, there is value in ‘afflictions.’ They can draw you closer to the Lord. They expose your inability to be self-sufficient and highlight your need for God and others. The key is to be patient. Why is that important? It shows trust in the Lord. You know Job’s story. You know how it ended. Will you trust God to end yours well also?

04 / Fri – Faithful in prayer  |  Read Rom 12:12c / Luke 18:1 / Matt 6:9-13

Jesus told his disciples to ‘pray and never give up.’ Paul tells us to pray continually in 1 Thess 5:17 and on all occasions with all kinds of prayers in Eph 6:18. Where can you start? Begin with the Lord’s Prayer and make it your own. Pray the Psalms or borrow prayers Paul prayed in Eph 1:15 and 3:14 / Phil 1:9 / Col 3:9. And when you don’t know how to pray, let the Holy Spirit pray through you, even if you don’t understand all the words you are saying (Rom 8:26-27). Keep praying.

05 / Sat – Next steps  |  Read Rom 12:11-12 / James 1:22-25

As you look back over this week, where do you see your greatest need? How has God met you as you’ve been honest? What has been the most encouraging? Write down one or two things the Holy Spirit is encouraging you to do to maintain your enthusiasm, energy, and passion for loving Jesus and following him daily.