The Life Not My Own

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Passion 2011

This past weekend I was privileged with the chance to attend Passion 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia.  For those of you who have never heard of it, it’s an amazing conference for college students who want to impact the world for Christ and worship Him in all that they do…not merely in song.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but let me tell you, I was completely blown away.  All 22,000 seats were full of college students who were genuinely hungry for the Lord and desiring to live set apart lives.  I have seen lots of college students genuinely on fire for Christ, but I have seen more who serve the Lord half-heartedly.  They attend church and college group and worship him with upheld hands, then go out and look exactly like the world.  There is no impact there, and I consider that a sad excuse for a Christian.

1 Timothy 4:12 says, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because of your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, and in faith, and in purity.”  This past weekend I saw young people actually living this verse out.  And it was awesome.

God spoke to me on so many levels at this conference.  To be honest, I don’t know how you could have set in on any of these sessions without being blown away.  Seriously and truly.  Sure, there were some amazing people there: Francis Chan, Beth Moore, Andy Stanley, John Piper, Matt Redman, Charlie Hall, the David Crowder Band, Christy Nockels, Chris Tomlin, Tenth Avenue North, Lecrae…the list could go on and on.  The truth is, however, that God was there.  That’s all that really matters.

I was also very impressed with the group I went with from Flatwoods.  This was a group of people that was so genuine and so hungry for the Lord and for Him to move.  There were no cliches, no one felt left out…we were a family as it should be.  I have been around high school and college-aged students for a long time, but I was extremely impressed by this group.  They exuded Christ in all that they did and said, and I have never seen a better witness for Him.  It was truly amazing and I was so blessed to be a part of such an awesome group of people.

God knows what He is doing.  He has a plan for each and every one of us.  And He desires more than anything for us to live lives wholly focused on Him; genuinely authentic lives in which we are not afraid to be set a part, to be different, or for people not to like us.  What it all comes down to is, if everything else was stripped away…if you lost your family, your home, your life, your friends…if you were persecuted by all around you and tortured for your beliefs…if you were hungry and starving and cold…would Jesus be enough for you? 

Lord, let me not go back home unchanged.  Do a mighty work in me.  Do a mighty work in every student who attended Passion 2011.  Such a generation…such a group of people, truly has the capability, through Christ working in them, to change the world.  Let’s change it.   

1 Comments:

  • At March 9, 2011 at 10:33 AM , Blogger Stacie said...

    I found your blog through HSA! :) I really enjoy reading it.
    I went to Passion 2010. It was SO awesome and God taught me so much. I hope I have the chance to go back again soon. My favorite speakers were John Piper and Francis Chan.

     

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