Then let us no more criticize and blame and pass judgment on one another, but rather decide and endeavor never to put a stumbling block or an obstacle or a hindrance in the way of a brother.  Romans 14:13 (AMPC)  Some people start out so passionate, but somewhere along the way lose their excitement for their walk with God. Why? There can be multiple reasons, but today I want to cover one of the most common: taking offence.    The enemy tries to get passionate people off track by luring them into getting offended about something. In today’s verse, the Greek word for “stumbling block” is skandalon, which refers to the trigger of a mousetrap or snare. The enemy knows that if you hold onto offence, you’ll be trapped …

Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.  Lamentations 3:23 (NLT)  How do you stay passionate when you’re “just not feeling it”?    Research shows that when you change something physically, your mind will follow suit—and vice versa. Taking a walk, eating healthy or even smiling can help you feel better mentally. On the flip side, changing your thinking can also improve your physical health by leaps and bounds.  But nothing changes both your mind and body like Holy Spirit does! When you get into God’s Word and stay connected to Him, you tap into a reservoir of His amazing power.    If you want to maintain your passion, it’s crucial to start your day with Holy Spirit. Beginning with devotions, praise or prayer will get you focused …

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.  Psalm 1:1 (NLT) When you’re a passionate person, you have to look out for “firehoses”: the people who will try to put out the flames of zeal and purpose in your heart.   Some of these people are rationalists who are happy to explain all the reasons why your dreams won’t work. Others take the “wisdom” approach, thinking that because they’ve been around the block a few times, their experience is more valuable than passion. Then there are the “yeah, but” people who sound like they agree with you at first, but are actually disguising their doubts. You’ll also run into naysayers, who are always focused on the negative—even in …

They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?”  Luke 24:32 (NLT) ‍Are you passionate about learning? As a young student, I paid more attention to sports and girls than academics. But things changed when I became a paramedic. Part of my training involved riding along in the ambulance and observing the paramedics in action. I remember going to horrific accident scenes and feeling helpless as I watched the trained paramedics rush out to scoop up broken bodies.  The pain I witnessed impacted me so much that I went back to my textbooks with a renewed motivation to learn. I even began pulling off A-pluses in most of my …

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.  Hebrews 10:24 (NLT) Yesterday we saw how passion produces perseverance. Another thing about passion is that it’s contagious.    A passionate person will be able to build an organization far more quickly than a knowledgeable person who isn’t passionate. Why? Because the passionate one will have no trouble attracting people with the right knowledge and skills, but it’s hard to teach someone to be passionate.    I’m reminded of a Tom Sawyer movie I saw years ago with my kids. In one scene, young Tom wasn’t allowed to go swimming until he finished painting a long fence. Now, most kids in his situation would grumble and complain. But when Tom’s friends …