Wow! What an encouraging week. The grace of God is so much over my life. Even just the opportunity to go to such a conference is what I like to think of as a "God-thing". I was not planning to head to Atlantaa week before, but God knew that I really needed this awakening. Each message, each worship spoke righ to a particular situation and need in my heart.
Not only was it a huge blessing to be around 22000 students pursuing and worshipping Christ, but I also was able to connect with a few Moody students I didn't know before and really get to know them a bit better. This was an answer to prayer as well.
From Beth Moore, to Louis Giglio, John Piper, Francis Chan, and Andy Stanley, the week was jam packed of incredible preachers. Then to boot we had Hillsong United, David Crowder, Matt Redman, Christy Gnockels, Chris Tomlin, Fee to provide us with amazing worship. Each day was so inspiritng. Watching 22000 Students raising their hands, falling on their knees, lifting up their hearts to the Lord it took my breath away.
Each message, prepared and given completely uniquely, spoke directly to me.
Beth Moore captivated me with her message on the will of God and how God prepares, adjusts us, and fills us to equip us for our highest calling.
Some points that really stuck out to me were:
"If God saw things and situations in our lives weren't beneficial, he would have said NO"
"He puts us in situations where we don't fit. It doesn't mean we aren't supposed to be there, it means he wants to adjust us. He wants us to love those we don't like."
"Until you are in a situation with people who bring out the worst in you, God can't bring out the best in us"
"If we don't allow him to repair us we will not live out who God prepared us to be"
"Whatever God has called you to do/be, you can't do it. Only Jesus Christ can do. He may challenge you to rise up in his name to do the impossible"
"Quit try to run in someone else's lane, odn't compare yourself. Your plan is different than someone' else's"
"Let Christ restore you"
Francis Chan challenged me to Fear the Lord, have reverance for the Word of God. Ultimately if I feared God fully, no temptation would be too difficult. Without Scripture taken at its highest reverance we have a distorted view of who God is.
Some key things said:
"Stop believing you are the less loved kid. It isn't about you, but about God's grace"
"His divine power has granted us life and godliness. If you aren't living that way..whose fault is it?"
"I am not just a human being, flesh and blood, but his Spirit is in me. I am a partaker of divine nature"
"know you have a divine nature, utilize this power and recalculate your steps toward sin"
Why is it so hard to accept that God loves you?
What is God calling you to cahnge in your life right now?
Andy Stanley gave a practical message that I am goign to spend my next semester digging deeper into and trying to implement into my life. He kept repeating the phrase "Its always a mistake to determine what you want to do before you determine who you want to be"
His main points were:
"You talents have the potential to make a name for you, but your character is what you are defined by"
"For the rest of your life there will be pressure asking you what you want to do, not who you want to be"
"The traits that you choose to define you form a perimeter around your actions"
"You WILL become something"
"Purity paves the way to intimacy"
"Generousity assures that the things you own, will never own you"
John Piper is a deep guy. I have listened to him before and really have to analyze what he says after I listen to him because he goes fast for the concepts he digs into. Overall though, his message hit deep by asking the question is Jesus an ego maniac? Why do we praise a God that demands us to praise him? Why is he allowed to be a jealous God?
Some of his thoughts included:
"Not only do you live for God's glory, but God lives for God's glory"
"Do we love for God to magnify his glory or is our godcenteredness a cloak for our own self-centeredness"
"eternity past...eternity future...CROSS"
"the apex of the pursuit of his glory is joy"
"Praises not only express, but also complete our enjoyment"
"Where God says praise me, He wants us to come to the fulfillment of our joy"
"Ever notice the best moments make you feel insignificant"
"You weren't made to be somebody, but to know somebody"
"The cross is a combo of joy and grace"
"Jesus was crucified to show God's righteousness and because in his divine forebearance he passed over our sins"
"When he passes over our sis it makes it look like he doesn't value his glory/ but he does and thats why he died"
"the Cross vindicated his glory"
"the foundation of our salvation is not our worth, but on God's infinite value"
"he is the 1 being in the universe where self-exaltation is not an act of a needy ego, but a self-giving for our enjoyment and satisfaction"
Louis Giglio rocked my world the last day. He took a passage that really confused me and put a spin on it that cleared things up and put it in perspective. He used an analogy that showed us how often we try to make our salvation based on works and our promises to God that we would change. Instead he told us to surrender to Christ to let him work in us. He also points out some of the goals of Passion 2010 as we left.
He shared:
"Passion 2010 desires not an emotional turn around, but a theological one"
"It doesn't matter as much when you became a christian, but are you a christian and are you choosing to follow him Now"
"Allow/let God worki n you to work it out. Let grace take precedent"
"God works in you to will and act"
"I can't but you can"
"You ahve to work in me, trusting you to supply the power to work out my salvation"
Each message intertwined. I left, theologically challenged for the upcoming year with new perspectives and new desire and motivation for praising God. I want it to be about him. I want to fear God and glorify him in all i do.
