Passionate Pursuit..Craig Denison Ministries

 Passionate Pursuit

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus we have been afforded an opportunity to live an incredibly abundant life here on earth. Our God is nearer, more tangible, and has a greater ability to make his presence known than we’ve yet realized. He longs to make his children more in tune and aware of the depths of his love, guidance, empowerment, and nearness. He longs for our days here on earth to be marked by unveiled communion with him. As we look at what it is to live an abundant life here on earth, I pray that your heart will be awakened to the reality of God’s presence and affection in your life.

Scripture:“You have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek.’” Psalm 27:8

Devotional:

The key to abundant life here on earth is the passionate pursuit of Jesus. I doubt there will be a single believer who ever reads these words that will doubt that statement. But I also know that we often fail to truly believe that statement in our hearts. If we truly believed that the key to abundant life was passionately pursuing Jesus, most of our lives would look drastically different. My life would look drastically different.

If we truly believed that passionately pursuing Jesus would bring us abundant life, the way we spend our time would drastically change. We would choose pursuing the presence of God over entertainment more often. We would structure most of our worship services differently. We would cease working for the opinion of man and start living for the good pleasure of our Creator. And our lives would look simpler, more joyful, more peaceful, and more like the life of Jesus.

The good news for you and me is that there is grace for us today. Isaiah 55:6-7 says, “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” It’s time for the people of God to wake up to the true purpose for our lives. It’s time that we stop seeking the things of the world and give our lives to the total and wholehearted pursuit of Jesus. And there is grace from on high that God longs to give us today to do so.

The Lord is saying to you and me,“Seek my face” (Psalm 27:8). And we need to reply as David by saying,“My heart says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek’” (Psalm 27:8). All that stands between you and a radical life transformation is turning away from the cares and pursuits of the world and giving your heart to your heavenly Father. We have a daily opportunity to live in total communion with our Creator, receiving and giving love in everything we do. Jesus paid the ultimate price for you and me to live with the tangible knowledge of God’s love for us. We also have the opportunity every day to live marginal lives where we experience and commune with God part of the time and live for the fleeting and unsatisfying ways of the world the other. The choice is yours today. Will you passionately pursue relationship with Jesus, or will you allow the ways of this world to crowd out parts of your life like weeds blocking you from the refreshing, life-giving presence of the living God?

Take time in guided prayer to listen to your Father, meditate on his promise of abundant life, and chase after wholehearted relationship with Jesus at all costs. May you experience to new levels today the abundant life Jesus died to give you.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the importance of passionately pursuing relationship with Jesus above all else. Allow Scripture to fill you with the will to choose God over the things of the world today.

“The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.” Psalm 34:10

“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.” Jeremiah 29:12-14

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33

2. What have you been pursuing above relationship with Jesus? What has been holding you back from seeking wholehearted relationship with God above all else?

3. Ask the Lord to help you live for him alone today. Take time to receive his presence and receive his incredible, grace-filled love for you. Enjoy his presence and allow it to lay a foundation on which you seek the Lord wholeheartedly.

“You have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek.’” Psalm 27:8

“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” 1 Chronicles 16:11

“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1

Extended Reading: Psalm 84

Jesus Never Asked You To Be Busy..GRACE VALENTINE

 Jesus Never Asked You To Be Busy

GRACE VALENTINE

“‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’” Luke 10:41-42 (NIV)

I get you because I am you … I’ve been you since I was 17. Always busy. Always “productive.” Living life like a race and running from activity to activity. Trying to achieve it all.

You’re overwhelmed and overbooked.
You’re undercaffeinated and underappreciated.
You’re busy.

And chances are, if you and I are this similar, then my favorite word is also your favorite word: “YES.” You say “yes” without thinking, then find yourself in over your head. Life is moving faster than you are, and some mornings, you wonder if there’s ever going to be an eye cream good enough to hide your bags.

I get it.

But, friend — Jesus never asked you to be busy.

Don’t let your plans distract you from your purpose. See, there’s nothing wrong with keeping a calendar. There’s nothing wrong with having plans. But are you pursuing plans, or are you pursuing purpose?

I often get distracted from God’s will when I focus on my will. My will is to be busy, have plans, be productive and achieve success. But God’s will is forever for me to sit at His feet, focus on Him and pursue my relationship with Him. I will never know why I was created if I don’t know my Creator and Savior.

There’s a Bible passage I love where two women, Mary and Martha, prepare for Jesus to arrive at their home. However, they each handle His arrival differently. Martha was the one preparing the house while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, simply listening to Him.

Jesus told Martha, “‘Martha, Martha … you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her’” (Luke 10:41-42).

Martha may have been the one who was being productive, but she was missing out on her purpose. What Martha was doing was helpful … but it wasn’t holy.

You only have one purpose, and it is Jesus.

To love Jesus.
To be with Jesus.
To show others Jesus.

So, my busy, overwhelmed and tired friend — drop your worries. Drop your anxieties. Drop your to-do list. Drop your plans if they are getting in the way of time with sweet Jesus.

Your purpose is more than your job, your activities, your financial stability or your calendar. Jesus doesn’t want your schedule, your hustle or your good deeds. Jesus wants YOU.

When He said “come to me” (Matthew 11:28, NIV), I don’t think He meant “come to Me with a busy life.” He didn’t say, “Come to Me when you have space in your life.” He meant for us to come right now in our weariness and sit at His feet. He meant for us to be authentically ourselves and not bring our full résumés. He meant for us to come now, even in the midst of the craziness of life.

Whether you are in college and overwhelmed with school, or you are a postgrad overwhelmed with adulting — whether you are a mom of three, or a single woman killing it at work — do me a favor and make time for Jesus … time to be with Jesus. Call out to Him, and give Him your silence so you have a chance to hear Him speak. Open your Bible and read His Word.

Let's stop focusing on all the things and instead focus on Him. How are we supposed to figure out our purpose if we aren’t doing life with the One who created us? How are we supposed to change the world if we're not first sitting at the feet of the One who saved the world?

Many people will tell us to hustle. Many people will tell us that each day is about working harder and becoming smarter. But trust me — we can work as hard as we want, and if we aren’t sitting at His feet, we’re missing out on true purpose.

So go to work, study for the test and do your squats. But before you do any of that, sit quietly alone. Separate yourself from the hustle. Talk to Jesus, and open up your Bible. Jesus wants you — not your hectic life, not your hustle.

Let’s seek Him first so we don't risk missing out on His beautiful Kingdom.

Dear God, there may be a lot I have to do this week or even today, but remind me to first praise what You have done. Help me to first sit at Your feet and worship You. Remind me that if I want to change this world, I have to first sit at Your feet, the feet of the One who saved this world. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Riches of God's Grace..Dr. Charles Stanley

 The Riches of God's Grace

Dr. Charles Stanley

Ephesians 1:1-14

Do you think of yourself as rich? No matter how much money you have, if you're a believer in Jesus, you're extremely wealthy because God has lavished the riches of His grace upon you. At the moment of salvation, He deposited into your account "every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (v. 3). Why, then, do so many believers live in spiritual poverty?

1. Ignorance. Some Christians don't know about this unlimited spiritual "bank account," and, therefore, they never draw upon it.

2. Confusion. Too many believers just don't know how to access the treasures of God's grace. As a result, they worry and complain about their needs and problems or in desperation come to the Lord begging and pleading for help, never realizing His abundant supply has already been deposited into their account.

3. Competing Interests. Distraction by things of this world may be the most common reason. Christians in this category focus on possessions, pressing responsibilities, and advancement but lack interest in God's spiritual blessings.

The riches of God's grace supersede any earthly wealth. They give the peace and contentment that money can never buy, and their benefits reach all the way into eternity.

The only way to access God's spiritual riches is by faith. We don't have to beg or persuade the Lord to give what He has already made available to us. Instead, we simply choose to believe that we are who He says we are and can do what He has called us to accomplish.

5 Ways to Lead Your Kids to Jesus..Lynette Kittle

 5 Ways to Lead Your Kids to Jesus (Deuteronomy 11:19)

By Lynette Kittle

“Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” - Deuteronomy 11:19

What heartache some of my friends are experiencing with their kids who have turned their backs on God. As Christian parents, it’s heartbreaking for them to know their kids aren’t walking with God.

Because there are so many parents who don’t know what to do, below are five ways to cooperate with the Holy Spirit to help lead your children to faith in Jesus Christ.

1. Take a good look at your own heart. As a parent, ask God to spotlight areas in your life or behavior that may be stumbling blocks to your children coming to Salvation. Psalm 26:2 urges, “Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and mind.”

As a believing parent it can be challenging to know how to address unbiblical or ungodly behaviors and attitudes in your kids. In not knowing what to do, it’s easy to either come on too strong or not strong enough in addressing them.

Be open to the Holy Spirit bringing things to your attention that may need to be changed, like behaviors, speech, and even apologizing to your kids for areas where you may have failed. More than likely your kids will respond in positive ways to true spiritual maturing in your life.

2. Pray for your kids. Don’t let the enemy discourage you from praying for the Salvation of your children, even if you’ve already been praying for years or decades.

Let your house be a house of prayer (Matthew 21:13) by continually praying for God to turn your kids’ hearts towards Him (1Thessalonians 5:17).

3. Get on the fast track for your kids. Fasting is a powerful resource in the life of a believer, so much so, Jesus taught how some things in life only come through prayer and fasting (Matthew 17:21).

Make time to fast on a regular basis for your children to accept Jesus as their Savior. It can be as easy as fasting over one lunch or dinner hour.

4. Live faithfully with your children. Let your children see you living a loving, biblical, spirit-led lifestyle, submitting to God’s word in how you interact with them, and walking out your faith in genuine, practical ways.

As Romans 2:4 urges, reach out in kindness to your kids, especially when they are responding poorly to you or ignoring your words. Allow God to daily reach out through you with His kindness, to touch and soften their hearts towards Him.

5. Expose your children to Truth. Whatever you do, don’t leave your kids on their own to search for God. Instead lead them. Proverbs 22:6, advises, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”

Take them to youth group, church events, Christian concerts and festivals, and more. Many kids have been saved through their parents making them go to events they didn’t want to attend. Take them angry if it’s the only way they’ll go, even if they go kicking and screaming, don’t give in to letting them stay at home.

If parents don’t show their kids the way to God, they are left vulnerable to be led astray by others to false and destructive beliefs and ways.

A Prayer to Help Us Pray Without Ceasing..Emily Rose Massey

 A Prayer to Help Us Pray Without Ceasing

By Emily Rose Massey

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, ESV).

With the invention of smartphones and these (often anti) social media apps, we can now be distracted and ignore the reality in front of our faces at any given moment of every single day. Many have lost the art of communication because there really is no need to actually talk (aloud) to people anymore. It's all about these black letters on white background. We text instead of call. We use emojis instead of an emotional face-to-face conversation. We post "insta" updates like engagements or the birth of a new baby instead of waiting to share that news in person, especially to close friends and family members. I strongly dislike finding out important things through Facebook first, don't you?

We can't even sit in a twenty-minute car ride without grabbing for that block of distraction. My husband knows how guilty I am of this one! And recently, I discovered that existing behind my phone’s keyboard hadn't just affected my relationships with other people but with God. Are we so connected to our devices that we are neglecting to connect with the Lord? How much time am I spending on my phone? I must wonder if living a communicative existence of only black letters on a white background is a huge reason my prayer life seems like it is on life support sometimes. You can't text God. He wants to hear from His children. 

Because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, He tore the veil that separated sinful man from the Holy and Righteous One; Jesus made a way for me to approach God as my Father. What a beautifully life-changing truth! When the disciples asked Christ to teach them how to pray in Matthew 6, He told them to begin with “Our Father.” Prayer is personal because the Father longs to have a personal relationship with His children. He wants us to come to Him constantly with our concerns, burdens, joys, and requests. 

At the end of his first letter to the church at Thessalonica, the Apostle Paul gives a simple reminder to the Thessalonians (and us) to anchor themselves in joy and thankfulness and never stop praying:

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, ESV).

Just like all our relationships in life are affected by verbal communication, we are forming our relationship with the Lord with every conversation we have with Him, and we should constantly be lifting our gaze and voices to Him. This means that as we go about our day, we should remember to stay connected to the Vine (John 15), abiding in Him, knowing that we must remain dependent upon Him for all things, and to be thankful and content for His new mercies that are available to us every single day. The distractions are endless throughout the day, and it’s so easy for our eyes and minds to become focused on lesser, temporal things. This isn’t to say that we ignore all of our daily earthly responsibilities to sit in our “prayer closet,” but we seek God in the midst of responsibilities, remembering He is the One who gives us the grace to accomplish the tasks before us. 

His sovereign hand is always guiding us as His beautiful providence unfolds in our life, and we should be careful not to get caught up in our own plans and goals that we neglect coming to Him first. Constant communication with the Lord will build and strengthen our confidence and trust in the Lord as we learn to lean upon Him in all things. Rejoicing always and remaining thankful for another day to get a chance to get to know Him through His Word and glorify His name in all that we say and do. Let us ask the Lord to help us throw off the distractions that would keep us from that glorious partnership with Him.

Let’s pray:

Father God,
There can be such a blessing that comes from technology and being able to connect with other people all over the world in a moment. But this blessing can also become a major distraction from something so much better, staying connected to You. Lord, I repent for neglecting to keep our communication a top priority and allowing an electronic device to become a hindrance to the spiritual discipline of prayer. You call us to never cease from praying, meaning that we should be continually looking to You every moment of the day. I lift my gaze to You, knowing that is where my help comes from. I lift up my voice to You, knowing that You incline Your ear to me as Your child. Thank You, Jesus, for making a way for me to have a relationship with my Heavenly Father. May I never take that relationship for granted? Help me by Your grace and the power of the Spirit to remember to keep prayer a daily, moment-by-moment lifeline to my Heavenly Father.
In Jesus’ name, amen. 

The Spiritual Discipline of Contentment..Amanda Idleman

 The Spiritual Discipline of Contentment

By Amanda Idleman 

“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” - Philippians 4:11-13

We’ve all probably heard the latter part of this passage….”I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” It’s a beautiful message of strength, help, and confidence from the Lord! However, the context of these words is so important to understand their message. Paul is explaining that he has endured lows, hunger, and need. It is in these trying situations that he was taught the discipline of contentment. It was then that he realized that he can do all things through the power of Christ. 

Not to rain on the parade of this beloved verse but the idea that we have to endure hardship to understand what it means to be content and provided for is not as exciting as just focusing on the promise that we'll always, almost magically, have what we need in Christ. 

Contentment from the bible is usually associated with moderation, a sense of God's guidance and readiness for obedience. The definition of contentment is the state of being satisfied or the source of satisfaction. How many of us find ourselves longing to be content with our lives, bodies, marriages, finances, circumstances, personalities, faith, and stories that we have been given? 

Contentment is a discipline, and it is hard. 
Envy, ungratefulness, comparison, and fear are the things that stop us from living with contentment. Contentment is not a static state of being. It's the active pursuit of the life God has just for YOU. It's being ready to be obedient to God’s guidance in every season. It requires laser focus on what God has for you without being distracted by what could be instead. Contentment means we have to abandon the pursuit of perfection and instead strive for God’s beauty and redemption in our lives. Seeing God’s beauty often takes a change in mindset and not circumstances. 

This may look like appreciating the way your body has served you even if it’s not in perfect shape, it can be choosing to show love to your husband even though you experienced many seasons of struggle together or focusing on the ways you are growing rather than obsessing over your failures. Letting go of the pride that says “I have to or I need to” can be one of the hardest things for believers to do. Yet, this is the type of surrender we are called to. Our lives are no longer our own, we are a new creation in Christ! 

Contentment is a posture. It’s being in the presence of God first before we pursue action. It’s strategic stillness in our lives so we can have the right focus. Contentment feels like a strong sense of faith that your life is only possible because you are connected to your Creator. It’s living as though He is your strength and portion! 

Contentment is a gift. It often can be a fleeting feeling of rightness in a moment or a season. The enemy is always working to steal our peace and push into our minds another reason to doubt, fear, worry, or need. God gives us the gift of assurance, peace, joy, of knowing we are in his will and that we are loved. Even though it can be hard to find contentment in our lives, it is a good gift worth pursuing. 

Intersecting Faith and Life: 
Pause to consider how you can cultivate more contentment in your life. How can you better model for your children peace and enoughness in a culture that screams more, more, more! What words communicate that God is enough for you, that your life is His, and while you are always moving forward, you are never asked to strive. You just have to walk hand-in-hand with Him. That is all that is required of you.