“What do you like to do with your free time? What’s your passion?” Those are pretty typical questions we ask one another when we’re getting acquainted. They’re great questions, because you learn so much about people just by figuring out what they enjoy. I, for example, really like outdoor adventures with my family and friends. I also love working with my African brothers and sisters at Nhowe each year. And when the introvert in me needs quiet and solitude in order to unwind and recharge, it’s hard to beat a quiet walk in the forest, a peaceful kayak on the river, or even a quiet room with a good movie. I truly love all those things, and they tell you something about me, but they don’t really paint a complete picture that represents my passions.
In the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing with the church our new website, and at least for now it has a tagline on the front page that says, “His Passion Is Our Purpose.” By that, we mean that we are a church whose mission is modeled after the heart and sacrifice of Jesus. We are driven by his passion for the reunification of God and his people. The things we see Jesus doing and the things we hear Jesus saying in the gospels give us some insight into what he was most passionate about. Those things drove his life and ministry, and they should drive ours, too.
If we can continue to grow into people whose hearts are truly modeled after Jesus—and by the Spirit’s work in our lives, we can—we will begin to love what he loved and do what he did for the glory of God. I’m so excited to share a story with you from John 4 on Sunday about a time Jesus’ passion for people was so great that he was too hungry to eat. I know that sounds weird, but trust me, it’s true.
Join us at 9:00 this Sunday morning at 595 Tolland Turnpike in Manchester, CT, and you’ll hear the story and judge for yourself if this Jesus is the kind of Lord and Savior worth claiming as your own. Even if you don’t know him yet, his life, death, and resurrection are proof of his passion for you.
See you soon,
Patrick Barber