Passion 2017 got started as I spent my time at the resource booth selling shirts, CD’s, DVD’s and other merchandise. It was weird at first not being out in the seats listening to the worship music and sermon, but I knew God was using me so these college kids could be used by God. Ten years ago that was me out in those seats for the first time. Once things got underway, I was able to step out and listen during slow periods. I was blessed to have a great team of people to work with. The Passion Band got things started off with some new songs. Sean Curran introduced a new song called “Worthy of Your Name” which was powerful. Louie Giglio invited Dr. Charles Stanley to come up and open Passion with a prayer. Christine Caine spoke a powerful word on endurance. Crowder closed the session out and brought out special guest Carrie Underwood to sing with him on stage. It was an amazing night to kick off Passion 2017.
After some Jason’s Deli for lunch, the Passion band came out and did a fun acoustic set. Kristian Stanfill, Chris Tomlin, Christy Nockels and David Crowder did a little rendition of Children of Light to get the session next started.
David Crowder started us off with worship this morning. I just got to say that I love this new direction he is taking with his music. My Beloved is such a great song – it’s got that fun bluegrass feel too it. Then he played Oh Praise Him which is always a song that has been near and dear to me. Then of course he got us all awake and moving by breaking out a little hoedown music with I saw the Light.
The Passion Band made up of Chris Tomlin, Kristian Stanfill, Christy Nockels, Brett Younker and others started the opening session off. They rolled out some new worship songs including the anthem song for the week Shout.
60,000 voices in the Georgia Dome
Passion Band
Jesus Generation
Louie Giglio and Chris Tomlin
Shout
Louie Giglio and Andy Stanley
Louie and Andy reunite with their childhood youth director Ms. Gellerstedt
God wants to do immeasurably more in your life than you can imagine
This is the overall theme of Passion 2013. Andy Stanley prayed over all of us and for this week at Passion. Louie brought Andy’s and his youth director from their childhood days. She is 87 years old and she probably never imagined that these two were going to be lead Pastors of thriving churches. It was a touching moment for me because I still stay in contact with some of my youth leaders from my childhood days and I love sharing with them what God is doing in my life. I’m so appreciate for them sticking with me through those teenager years. Louie went into a little history of Passion and how God did immeasurably more in his life with this movement. He showed us a clip from a global movement in Seoul that he saw before the first Passion in ’97 that inspired him for the vision of Passion. Here are some notes from his talk:
God intervenes into our foolishness. We are held in captivity and a lot of it is due to our choices. But God breathes into the hard-hearted and puts a beating heart into us (Ezekiel 36:24-27). He wants to do immeasurably more in us.
The rest of the talk centered around Ezekiel 37:1-6. This is the famous passage of scripture in which Ezekiel is led to the valley of dry bones. These bones represent the hopeless. God asks if the bones will live and Ezekiel responds “Sovereign Lord, you know”. He doesn’t question God because he knows the power of God. This is different from when the father in Mark 9:14 who questions Jesus if He can heal his son. Jesus gets annoyed with his unbelief. But then the cool thing is that the father asks Jesus to help his with unbelief. Shouldn’t we be praying that to God? I know that there are many times in my life I don’t believe in the power of God and I need to be praying to God in my time of unbelief. It’s an honest prayer to God. Jesus then rebukes the spirit in the boy and lifts the him to his feet. The boy stands up because Jesus wants to do immeasurably more in him.
Everything is possible for those who believes (Mark 9:23)
From Ezekiel we learn four things: We need to keep hearing and receiving the word of God. He breathes life into us. He is always repairing and restoring and we will know He is Lord by what He does in us. When we are in the valley, God comes to us in our brokenness. The bound are set free and the dead come alive. He lifts us up and it’s all for His glory.
Thanks to my amazing brothers in Christ for getting me a ticket. Love you guys!
Baseball players giving their testimonies
David Crowder
And here I am to worship, Here I am to bow down, Here I am to say that you’re my God, You’re altogether lovely, Altogether worthy, Altogether wonderful to me.
They had us walk in silence to the Georgia dome. It was wierd seeing crowds of students walk and not say a word. They had us spread out all around a stage in front of the Georgia dome where we were each given a candle. As Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, Matt Redman and Charlie Hall led us in worship songs, we each lit our candles one by one. The candles were a representation of the shining lights we are to be to the world. It was an amazing sight to see as we lifted up our heavenly Father’s name in praise.
Living a life that Matters 