It's not uncommon that I find in myself and also in those around me that, in the pursuit of Jesus Christ, there are moments or periods of time where it seems like we've lost that spark. The spark and the hunger to run after Jesus. It's also not uncommon that I hear from many different believers that they know God and they follow Him, but that they don't have a relationship with Him. That they don't know what it's like to have a passion for Him. In the fallen world that we live in, it's easy to become caught up in the things we desire, the activities we have to do, the chores we have to get done, the people we have to talk to, the standard that we have to set.. And because of this, the life that we're living and the life that we're pursuing becomes that life that we're "supposed to live." Suddenly, God becomes the God we're "supposed" to serve.. We've stopped genuinely loving God and loving ourselves and we become distant. We no longer want to live the way someone is telling us to, and we no longer want to be around our God who seems to do nothing but tell us that we're wrong. Following God becomes more of a chore than an actual desire.

WELL

Some friends and I have prayed about and have considered when in our own lives we've found that we've lost that spark with God and what it took to fall in back in love with Him. Why did this happen? How can I serve a God that i'm not passionate about? How can I be worthy of a relationship with Him when He loves me so much and I just don't know how to love Him? These all might be questions you've asked yourself before, they may not be. Regardless, if you're still reading right now then that means that you must have some interest in finding your way back to God, or to light a fire in your soul that rages for Him. Whether or not that's you, I urge you to continue reading. You never know the incredible ways that God can show up in your life.

In order to find our way back to falling in love with our mighty Savior,  we had to sit and confront some of the things that may have caused us to lose sight of the God we love and the fire burning passion to pursue Him.

IDOLS by Phyl Luedke

I am a part-time Christian who demands a full-time God.

If I were to think about my relationship with Christ as much as I stressed over gaining other’s approval, my life would be radically different.

Honestly, I wish I thought about Jesus as much as I thought about custard, my instagram hashtags, or even man buns. Admittedly those three are pretty specific to me, but what I’m getting around to is that the idols in our lives aren’t tangible like a golden calf. Because of this, our idols are even more dangerous because we are able to convince ourselves that they aren’t detrimental to our relationship with Christ. Hey don’t get me wrong, we have a God that delights in bringing us joy! Jesus loves the fact that man buns make me happy! But at the same time we can’t forget that we also have a jealous God. Every time my heart centers itself on something other than him, every time I focus my energy on gaining others’ acceptance, God longs for me,  and He is jealous for me.

Exodus 20:5 “…for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods”

Our God is jealous because He rightly refuses to share what is rightly all his!

Emphasis on ALL. See, I usually think of “jealousy” in a negative connotation. How could the God of the universe be jealous of me? I’m broken, I have a wandering heart, and I am sinful beyond my own understanding. No one, let  alone God should be jealous of that! But then it clicked; Now I know what it means when it says that our Father isn’t jealous of us, he is jealous for us.

Think of it this way: your husband begins talking to another woman more than you. You would rightfully be jealous. Your husband is your husband, therefore you are deserving of his time, his affection, and a consistent relationship.  Just like a marriage, our God is deserving of our time, our affection, and a consistent relationship. When He gets anything less, he becomes rightly jealous of our idols.

Luckily though, even when I turn my heart from Christ and allow myself to get distracted by the world... God fights for my attention.

And how blessed are we to have a Father who loves us enough to forgive us, fight for us, and be jealous for us!

I'd be lying if I told you that I didn't idolize many things because I do. Often times, it's without even realizing that I have! It is very important to recognize and repent of our idols because the minute that our eyes avert from Jesus and move to something other than him.. we create a clear pathway for the devil to gain a foothold in our lives. When our eyes aren't on Jesus, satan moves in for the attack on our lives and consumes our mind with nothing but lies. Because our hope is not in our God, we no longer are reminded of His promises to protect us and the power that is in the name of Jesus! So when satan strikes, we struggle. Our peace slowly starts to fade away, our anxiety shoots through the roof, and all of the sudden sadness, depression, anger, bittnerness, and FEAR, it all hits you.. and it hits you HARD.

STRUGGLES by Michelle Pratt

When Sydney had asked me to write some thoughts on what it looks like or means to fall back in love with Jesus, I was hesitant. I am personally in the process of falling back in love with my Lord and Savior. I just knew though that there was a reason I was asked to write this and I figured that being vulnerable and honest was the best way to go about writing this piece. I just graduated from the most incredible university and I have left my place of comfort. I left a place where I was known, where I was respected, and where people looked to me like I had life figured out. I am moving to Dallas, I am teaching first grade, and I have an apartment already figured out. However, so much uncertainty plagues me and fear of the future haunts me. I have thoughts such as, “Who do I want to be when I go into this world?” and “How does life look when I move into the unknown?” I like to know things and I like to have comfort and structure, and when I don’t..... all hell breaks loose. This summer I have struggled with the areas of uncertainty and how it looks to be a perfect Christian in this fallen world that I am moving into. I have fixated so much on what things I can and cannot do in this world that I have lost sight of who my Savior really is. I have been so concerned with what I need to be and look like to others to show His love, that I have not fully grasped what His love looks like for me. If I am going to continue to be vulnerable, I am going to tell you that I have been seeing a counselor to help me get through this transition because of my battle with anxiety and depression. When I go through these transitions and question so much about my life, I get lost in my questions and my self righteousness and I tend to make my own persona of who God is. The God I create is one that wants me to figure out how to live life as a Christian and wants me to follow through perfectly so I can appropriately show His love to others. This is NOT the God that came and died on the cross for all sinners to make them righteous. My counselor is a wise lady and she pointed me to the story of the woman (most likely a prostitute) who came and cried at Jesus’ feet. She came to Jesus with life no where near figured out. She was living life far from the perfect life I have tried to live, yet Christ turned to her and said “Your sins are forgiven... Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” This woman did not have life figured out perfectly and most likely, she went on and made some mistakes as she tried to re-adjust her life, but she fell in love with Jesus in that moment. She knew his GRACE and his FORGIVENESS. She knew that no matter where she found herself and how broken she was, Christ had redeemed her and let her go in peace. This is what I am working on: falling in love with my Redeemer just as the prostitute loved Him. I will not figure out life perfectly because that is nearly impossible. I do know that the better I can understand Christ’s love, the better I can understand my Savior and this will therefore direct how I live my life in this new and uncertain world. By realizing that I do not have it all together, nor will I ever live a life worthy of my God, I can realize how gracious and how loving my Father truly is and THIS is how I can fall back in love with Jesus.

“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

2 Corinthians 12:9 (Story of the woman at Christ’s feet - Luke 7: 36-50)

It's easy to give into the lies that satan tries to feed us. We all do it. But just as Michelle said, figuring out our life perfectly is nearly impossible. When things get hard and you don't know where to go or what to do and the things of life are uncertain.. PAUSE. This is a crucial moment. This is when satan can defeat us the most if we don't pause and take a step back to look at Jesus. We're all going to screw up and we're all going to fall.. but that is why God's grace is so incredible! Because we are forgiven and nothing we can do can separate us from His love! When things aren't going your way or you don't know what to do or where to go.. PAUSE and rest in Jesus. Refuse to give in to satan and his lies because that is exactly what they are, LIES. We are treasured and forgiven. We are covered in the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Trust that despite the fact that we screw up and are far from perfect, that Jesus Christ is so in love with you and everything about you.. That you're taken care of and that He's got you completely taken care of. Until we humble ourselves before God and realize just how broken we are and how much He cares for us despite that, we will never fully experience the incredible grace that God bestows upon us! The one thing that softens our hearts to His glory.

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Satan has two agendas: An attack on ourselves and an attack on the way we see God. We just talked about the first so now lets talk about satan's attack on the way we see Jesus. It's so common that in the midst of trouble or during the hard times of life that satan feeds us these lies and causes us to feel insecure about ourselves. In turn, we become distant with God because we have believed satan when he tries to convince us that Jesus is a person that he is definitely not. Somehow, when the storms start brewing and life isn't going the way we planned it to go, satan convinces us that it's God's fault. That God is a harsh and mean God. Just like in the garden with Adam and Eve, satan convinces us that God is holding out on us. That God is keeping us from a life that is much more extraordinary than the one that we're experiencing. That if we follow our own desires that “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. ⁵ “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4). All at once, we're deceived. We are convinced that God's plan isn't the best plan for us and that we personally can somehow come up with a plan that is much greater then what God has laid out. So we pull away.. we distance ourselves and we become convinced that God is the bad guy and that we are better off doing things our own way. (Isn't it ironic that as satan is trying to convince us that he will make us more like God, that he's actually causing us to become more like him)

DECEIVED by Emma Hennessey

The past few months I have been on an incredible, but challenging journey. I broke my arm in March and then found out that I broke my leg the same day that my arm was healed. I was supposed to be sharing the gospel and running around with little eight year olds during the summer, but I was held back because half of my body was broken. I was extremely frustrated because I wanted to get that "spiritual high" over the summer. I was really relying on being at Kamp Kanakuk to allow me to spend every day and almost every second with the Lord. Before I knew that Kamp was no longer an option, I slowly stopped journaling and spent less and less time with the Lord. I kept telling myself “its okay, you’re about to be at kamp and your flame will be rekindled”. Once Kamp got taken away I realized how far away I was from the Lord. At the beginning of summer I was super angry with the Lord because I was supposed to be at Kamp but instead I was stuck with a stupid boot on my foot and in a house with a broken family. My family is a huge part of my life. I have an older brother that has impacted my life in many different ways. He is struggling big time in his faith right now.. And that was a huge discouragement in my life and was a huge factor in my time away from the Lord. I became so frustrated with everything going on in my life that I just didn’t want to talk to the Lord. All I wanted to do was to escape and go to Kamp, but in reality the Lord was protecting me. He had me home for a specific reason. I needed to fall back in love with Jesus myself. As much as I hated this time away from the Lord, I needed it. I needed to realize myself that I NEED JESUS. I went a long time without journaling and gaining joy from Him. All relationships take effort and quality time. I was lacking both of those in my relationship with the Lord. Instead of finding joy in the Lord, I listened to my own heart and my own thoughts. I was very frustrated and mad at the Lord. I didn't confess this to myself or anyone else until about two weeks ago. I went about 7 weeks with being angry with the Lord. I was embarrassed to tell people about it and wasn't being honest at all to myself about it. I kept telling myself that it was okay because I made pretty good decisions. That didn’t matter, I was still extremely far from Jesus and I wasn’t loving Him everyday. I tried to find my happiness in many other things but it just doesn't compare to the way that the Lord loves me. One night, I opened my journal and realized how far away I was. I didn't know what my first step should be to get back on track with where I used to be with my relationship with Jesus. I went to Waco the next day and talked to my friend Cat. She was very encouraging and had a lot of wisdom for me. Her biggest advice for me was to start reading my bible again... Duh. Well along with this I began reading a book called crazy love. It has shown me how much the lord is soooo in love with us. It's amazing to me that I can go a long time with out loving Him and He is there, right by my side waiting for me to turn to Him again. I was in this lukewarm stage, where I did things for myself and not for the glory of the Lord. I tried to act like I had it all together, but really I was very broken inside. Jesus chooses to love us. Francis Chan states that “the irony is that while God doesn’t need us but still wants us, we desperately need God but don’t really want most of the time. He treasures us and anticipates our departure from this earth to be with Him- and we wonder indifferently, how much we have to do for Him to get by.” We must want to love Him. It took me 7 weeks to realize that was so lost with out Him. All of that time was part of the Lords plan. We must love Jesus because Jesus is LOVE.

1 John 4:16-17

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.”

When the waves of life come crashing down, it's easy to believe that God doesn't know what He's doing and that somehow we could do a better job of taking care of an entire world full of people. But the reality is this:  exactly where you are now.. is the GREATEST place you could possibly be. It is EXACTLY where God has you and exactly where He is asking that you trust in Him. We have to stop looking at the hardships of life as something dreadful and miserable to go through and instead just ride the waves with God knowing that this is just something we have to conquer in order to see the glory of God on the other side and in order for God to make us the best version of ourselves that we could possibly be! Just like Emma said, "in reality the Lord was protecting me!" Even when things make no sense and you see no way that the thing you're facing is the best thing that could happen to you, it is! Even though we cannot see the full picture, we can stand firm in the Lord's promises and know that He IS taking care of us. We were made and molded to live, not by sight, but by faith. That is why we cannot see the whole picture.. because God is giving us an opportunity to set our lives down and trust Him. So the question is, how much longer are we going to allow ourselves to be deceived and away from Jesus?

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So how do we get back our spark with Jesus? We know now the different things that keeps us away from Jesus. We're aware now of how the devil can deceive us. But what now? What is the answer to getting back that spark?

LOVE. 

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

BEING IN LOVE by Sydney Pritchard

There's something incredible about being in love. It changes a person. It adds a glow to someone when they have a deep desire and love for something. Some say that the best version of yourself is revealed when you're in love.. and I fully back that! Because when you're in love, suddenly your days are just a little bit brighter, your hope is intensely stronger and you obtain a child-like faith where anything is possible! I was blessed with the amazing opportunity to be in love once. Before that time I had been very lost and very broken.. until one day someone came along side me.. he loved me for exactly who I was, exactly where I was, and he chose to love me despite the fact that I had so many things about me that were broken and despite the fact that everyone else around us thought that I was worthless. He really and genuinely cared about the honest version of who I was.

What many don't know is that before this time, I had fallen quite hard. I loved Jesus and followed Him all my life.. until one day I gave into satan's lies and I ran away. I was running so hard and so fast away from Jesus that I didn't even recognize that the floor had come out from beneath me and I was about to hit rock bottom. I went from the woman of God that served Him and fought for Him, to the girl that wanted nothing to do with Him and His plan for my life. At this point, I looked around and didn't even recognize myself. I was partying all the time, talking bad about people, being physical with guys.. I was depressed and constantly in and out of the hospital from being sick all the time (it was actually so bad that it caused me to be truant). I tore two muscles in my back and because of it, the team that I had dreamed about competing with since I was 5 years old that I had finally made that year, was stripped away right out from under me. I was miserable and broken and falling rapidly.

But then he came along. And love changed my life. Suddenly my hope and my faith in God skyrocketed and I couldn't help but know that everything in life was going to be alright because I was LOVED. And i'm not talking an average love, i'm not talking about lust. This guy came along side of me in my hurt and my pain and my struggle and said I know where you are, I know what you're going through, and i'm going to walk along side of you and i'm going to love you! He didn't claim that it was his love, he didn't claim to be perfect.. but he told me that the way he loved me was the way Jesus loved me but even more than that! Because of him, I was able to get a glimpse of God's love for me and that's all I needed. From that point on I couldn't get enough. If God loved me MORE than the way this guy loves me, then I wanted to feel it, I wanted to experience it! And I did. "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13) God is faithful and when we choose to run after Him, He is sitting there ready and willing to take off with you and show you the wonders of His love and the life that He provides. But it took love to see that. It took someone seeking to love me the way that Jesus loved me in order for a fire to ignite in me! And you know what? I've never been the same since. I cannot be content without experiencing that beautiful, wonderful love that God provides me with. That fire in me may dim at times, it may get really low.. but it has not gone out and it won't! Because love changes you. GOD'S love changes you. And all it took was one person seeking to love me the way Jesus did to ignite my spark. And you know what, he wasn't perfect.. there were times when he messed up or times when he let me down, but I wasn't expecting him to be perfect, because that was God's job! As we go out into the world and seek to love those around us, we're not going to be perfect.. but that's ok! Thats why nothing but God's love will complete us. But it's LOVE that conquers everything. In order to fall in love with Jesus, you have to be fully convinced that He is who He says He is. It's LOVE that proves that there is an incredible God, because there is not one person on this earth who is not in-tune with God that can love to the extent and with the wholeness that we as Christians are called to. And as we seek God's council and are letting the Spirit lead us in the way that we should love the ones around us and then seeking to love GOD the way that He loves us.. It changes us. It sets a fire deep within you that cannot be put out.

Loving Jesus Christ is the second best thing to ever happen to me. Being loved by Him... well that is the greatest thing I have ever experienced in my life.

He's waiting for you.. Don't stay away any longer.

Although I was talking about a love that involved dating, the kind of love that I experienced is not limited to a relationship status. It could be anyone, any time, any place, and relation, or no relation at all! It could be the person in front of you in the grocery line or a client that walks into your business. It could be the little kid next door that always walks his dog on your street, or it could be the store clerk with the weird haircut that you can't stop staring at. The point is that anyone can provide that love.

COMMUNITY by Bennett Shilling

I’m in London. This place is full of tightness. The second I dropped off my bags in the hotel I decided to go on a walk and had the dopest people-watching experience of my life. In the span of an hour long walk through the city I saw everything from rich guys killing it in their G-Wagons to the guards in front of Buckingham Palace to teenagers taking out the trash at McDonalds. Seeing other places never fails to open up my eyes in ridiculous ways, mainly because I don't get out (of the United States) that much. It absolutely blows my mind that everyone in this city from the tourists (me) to the natives has a different story, different home life, different beliefs and they are ALL a part of God’s plan. Dang.

If I went on this trip about a year ago I would’ve walked through the streets of London and seen the people, the buildings and the nature and thought little of it. I would’ve thought I knew a whole person’s story just by looking at them. I totally had a hard heart, thinking that the world was a two-dimensional place and that I couldn’t learn anything from hearing the wisdom of others. In the past year, the Lord has shown me the extraordinary in the everyday. He has shown me how much those people you walk by on the street mean to Him, how present he was in all those history lessons you learn in class, and how evident His presence is in His creation around us.

Walking around the city the other day I was just in awe by the art that was displayed through the buildings that people made and the parks and awesome sunsets that God made. We so often take this stuff for granted and when you take the time to appreciate God’s creation, it will bring you to your knees. Think about a tree. Think about all the branches, bark, and leaves on that tree, all of which are different from the next. Think about how many millions of cells are in each leaf on a tree. Remember your Biology class and think about the intricacy of each cell… That is all God’s work. Holy moly. AND THAT’S ONLY A TREE!!! Just imagine how thoughtful and detailed God had to be when he created and creates every person in every city ever, all of them with different backgrounds and personalities. This alone is worthy of praise (Rom 8:19-27). If you do not read anything in this, please read that passage in Romans.

People, guys. People are the absolute coolest thing ever and I was doing this life without them basically. Get it together, Bennett! Yes, I had friends and yes I hung out with them a lot. What I did not have was intentional relationships. I was so caught up in my own agenda that I completely overlooked the God given gift of community. In the beginning, I wasn’t ready for community. Community is a two-way street that constantly looks towards the Word to spur each other on (Eph 4:29-32). I had to ask the Lord to break my heart for what broke His. In other words, “Lord show me what is unpleasing to You in my life and use it to make me vulnerable”. Only then was I ready to bear someone else’s burdens in community (Gal 6:2). Community is tough, y’all (Prov 17:17). There is literally no stone left unturned when you commit to it, but I guarantee that you will see more growth than you ever have in your life when you do. God showed me the beauty that is humans made in His image by breaking down barriers and really knowing someone. I urge you to know someone and have them know you.

I found Jesus again through relationships and by simply by opening up my eyes to see His handiwork displayed around me. Really know someone, struggle and fight for a relationship with God, and pray for the Lord to show you His creation.

There is something truly incredible about community. "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17). You want to re-light that spark inside of you for Jesus? Search for community!  Surround yourself with people who seek to truly and honestly know you, all the way down to the core. One's that are going to hold you accountable and seek God's guidance in the way that they love you. One's that really LOVE you. And be intentional. YOU do the same. Don't wait for someone to come around and do it first. We have been called to be warriors for the Kingdom of God. Warriors are not selfish and cowardly.. they are bold! We are called to be bold for the Lord. And we are called to love even when we are not loved back and to go love others even when we do not feel loved. It is important that we surround ourselves with community that will help to sharpen one another to walk in obedience and stand strongly and boldly for the Lord. 

SO, we have talked about truly loving others and also forming a community that with sharpen and strengthen you in your walk with Christ.. but what are we missing now?

Loving and Pursuing Jesus by Megan McGown

#LongDistanceSucks

If you were to creep on my instagram, this is a common hashtag. Why, you ask? Because I live a mere 1300 miles from my significant other… WOOOO! Sounds exciting, right?

While long-distance relationships (referred to from here on out as “LDR”s because that’s a lot to type) have their lessons and such, they aren’t nearly as fun as actually getting to spend more than a few days of each month together. For those of you who have never been in a LDR or around anyone in one, here’s a little insight. There’s a large amount of “wish you were here”s, frustration, scheduling conversations, appreciation for FaceTime, a scarce amount of actual quality time, and then binge quality time. You hear all about each other’s day and what is going on in life for one another, but you don’t get to experience it and be present with them. When you are finally together, it’s so refreshing and you feel so full. Then, when it’s time to leave again, you are fighting the desire to be present with each other all over again. (SOUNDS SO FUN, RIGHT?!) P.S. I promise I’m not throwing a virtual pity party, there IS a point to this madness.

Once upon a time, I was complaining about long-distance, and I heard Jesus say, did you know we’re in a long-distance relationship too? And it was then I realized, I was in TWO long-distance relationships… and one was suffering.

I feel as though my little rant describes how Jesus feels when we pull away from him. He is constant. He is committed. He is right. there. at ANY moment. Yet, we don’t pursue him like he pursues us. In my LDR with Jesus, he is telling me that he “wishes I was there”, in his presence. My relationship with Jesus doesn’t have to be long-distance. I don’t have to work around his schedule or him with mine. I can enter into conversation or spend quality time with him WHENEVER I want to. God hears all about my day, yet I don’t allow him to experience it with me or I with him. If I NEED something, I know he’s there, but do I spend QUALITY TIME with him? Do I just talk with him about life and enjoy his presence? Do I listen to him or am I always telling him my problems and asking for things?

And while I don’t have to FaceTime with Jesus, I am thankful that I can have Face Time with Jesus whenever I want (eh, eh… not working? Ok… I tried.)

The thing about being in an LDR with Jesus is that so often, I treat it like my relationship with my boyfriend. I only spend a few days of the month in QUALITY time with him. I take advantage of the fact that he is there ALL. THE. TIME. I don’t appreciate his pursuit of my life like I should. Sometimes, I spend binge time with Jesus as if it fuels me for the next while, but the truth is, I need to nurture our relationship every day. What if you lived super close to your significant other or with your spouse, yet you only spent quality time or talked with each other every once in a while? That would seem crazy! The same goes for our relationship with Christ. It doesn’t have to be long distance. There is no such thing as a tearful, rough goodbye because he is always there, pursuing us.

Love requires a beautiful balance, and so often, my love is lopsided. Let’s take a look at the passage about love in 1 Corinthians 13…

“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or clanging symbol. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I AM NOTHING. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but I do not have love, I GAIN NOTHING.”

This passage makes me think of a favorite quote of mine:

“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is to love and to be loved in return.”

As I read this quote, it sounds so simple. But, is it? Love can be equally the simplest and hardest task we ever accomplish. It is a constant choice and requires action because there are two sides to love. Love requires giving and reception, and it is a continual growing process.

Notice what this passage says… Without love, I AM nothing and I GAIN nothing: give and take. This is where I have discovered it is easy to fall out of relationship with Christ. Many times in life, I forget how to love like Jesus. I become so involved with my own world that I forget to have a RELATIONSHIP with Jesus and learn from him and grow closer to him. What if you never called your boyfriend or girlfriend, or husband or wife? Things would probably go downhill pretty fast. Heck, I know people who get mad when their significant other doesn’t text back within a certain amount of time. Think about how often we forget to include God in our lives and tell him what’s going on for us. Jesus so desires a relationship with us. God so strongly desires for us to see how great his love for us is and to give him as much love as we are capable of in return. However, in order to love like Jesus, we have to see ourselves how Jesus sees us. This is the “be loved in return” part. So often, we cannot fathom that we are worthy of such love. It seems too good to be true. When we cannot love ourselves and accept that we have been made whole and perfect in God’s eyes, it is impossible to fathom Jesus’ love because we simply cannot see ourselves as He does. In order to fall in love with Jesus, we must love Him and allow ourselves to be loved in return. We need real, pure, genuine, Jesus love to be full and feel whole.

In today’s world, love is so commercialized and romanticized. We have Pinterest dates and #relationshipgoals, and while these things aren’t all bad, our standard and concept of love has been skewed towards a material, fantastical lens. We care more about tweeting about a “romantic gesture” than the quality of a relationship. (Let’s be real, 90% of the time, things look 100000x cooler on social media than they actually were… #aesthetic)

Love should be romantic and love IS romantic, but not in the way we so often think of it. Love is romantic because of what love is. It is the driving force behind our very purpose in life. Without it, we ARE nothing and GAIN nothing.

Christ invites us to walk in a relationship with him that has pure, undivided love. If we really, truly look at love, it is not a simple task. It is a difficult journey that is bound to be tested and fought for, but THAT is what is so romantic about love. It comes at a price and it comes with sacrifice. REAL LOVE is romantic within itself and physically manifests through our actions.

REAL LOVE:

“Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. LOVE NEVER FAILS.”

I love Christ because Christ loves me and pulled off the most romantic gesture anyone could ever pull off. Christ said, “I know you aren’t perfect, I still want you. I know it’s hard to trust me. I know this is going to be tough, but I love you and I want you. I am willing to do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING for you, and that’s what I did and what I’m going to do.”

I MEAN, COME ON. Throw in an acoustic song, some rain and Ryan Gosling, and you’d probably pass out… #aesthetic #relationshipgoals. (Guys who are reading this… sorry, keep reading.) Yet, Jesus is saying this to our SOULS… if we really look at who Jesus is as a person, he’s the perfect man (hehe, literally…) BUT HE IS. He gives the purest love, he is unrelenting, he is committed to eternity, he is funny (Just read some scriptures), he cares deeply about his friends and family, he loved children (come on girls, we know we like that)… like for real… stop asking your best friend for dating advice, just ask ya’ boy Jesus. And GUYS, imagine YOURSELF doing this to the heart of a woman. I know it’s weird to think of Christ “romancing you”, but think of it from the perspective of a friend who would do ANYTHING for you and it all still applies. Christ knew what was up… He was like, “Girls, I love you and will pursue you forever (cue The Notebook). Bros, I’ll die for you man (cue Saving Private Ryan).”

But on a serious note, Jesus’ life is the personification of love. Jesus truly is the ultimate romantic, and all it takes to fall back in love with him and stop doing “long-distance” is to acknowledge that you are loved, and with gratefulness, return that love to Him through spending time with him and loving others as he loves you.

Life doesn't always go our way, I think we can all attest to that. Sometimes loving other people is hard! But the kicker is this: the kind of love that we're called to isn't selfish. It involves caring about the desires of someone else's heart way more then the desires of our own hearts. That's the way it is with Jesus too! Love is is a two way street. So why are we expecting this abundant love and for blessings to pour out on us, and a fire to rage within us when we're not pouring out any love on Him? Now, although Jesus is right there ready to love each and every one of us at all times.. He never wants to force our love or to take away our free will. So He stands right there next to you, just waiting for you to come to Him so that He can shower you with His love. But it takes us making that first step towards Him for that glorious and extraordinary love to be flowing within us.

So how do we show that love to Jesus? How do we make that first step?

WALKING IN OBEDIENCE & ACCEPTING GRACE by D.P. Lambert

What does it mean to “fall back in love with Jesus?” 

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, therefore I will hope in him.’ The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” – Lamentations 3:22-25 

Falling back in love with Jesus is a choice we get to make every single day when you know Him. It is because of His GRACE we are saved, and are able to seek Him day after day, at any time.

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” – 2 Corinthians 10:8

For us as broken people, the only way we can fall back in love with Jesus is giving up the sinful desires of our flesh and accepting the free gift of grace given to us. The only way this battle against the flesh is won or even able to happen is the Spirit of living God inside of us. This only way to win is through believing God sent his Son to become flesh and die on our behalf. Then we can receive grace.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” – John 1:14

So what does it look like to actually fall back in love with Jesus? How do we receive grace and fight the sinful desires of our flesh? Obeying the Word of God, and doing what He has called us to do during our short time here in this place trumps any of our own desires.

“But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” –James 1:22

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your Word.” –Psalm 119:9

“But he said, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and keep it!’” – Luke 11:28

“This God – his way is perfect; the Word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.” – Psalm 18:30

 

What we do after we believe: let the grace of God take control of our lives. We are not saved by anything we ever do, but rather by what He did. After we believe what He did in our heart, any good works we do is a result of our faith in Him.

“For it is by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not of your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” – Ephesians 2:8-9

Now, falling back in love with Jesus everyday does not mean life is going to exactly how WE desire it to be, but more so how the Lord desires it to be in order to glorify Him and not us. He will put us through many different circumstances that will make us fall back in love with Him. Through failures, mistakes, and wrong turns, He will continue to guide His sheep back on the path He has set out for us, as long as we trust Him. Our hearts must be open to receive His grace and strength to get us through these seasons. At the same time, when we encounter successes, achievements, and victories, we should continue to praise His name and receive His grace to further His glory all the more. As Paul tells the church at Philippi, we are content in Christ, no matter the circumstance we are currently in.

“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.” – Philippians 4:11-12

As a college student, I often hear that college is the best four years of your life. I would disagree with that statement. A friend of mine named Matt Barnes said it this way, “Life doesn’t peak at college [or at any time] when you’re following the Lord and loving people.” It can’t peak when we have the opportunity to love the God who made us and is continuing to make us new every single day.

My last encouragement is to keep fighting for the Lord. Go live life with a smile on your face and leave an impact on everyone you come across because you have the joy of the Lord! Wake up everyday with a burning desire to see what He has in store for your life. Continue to let God sanctify you by abiding in His Word and knowing the truth that will set us free! Fall back in love with Jesus people, no matter what is going on. It’s the best and only thing for us to do to be fully satisfied. In doing so, realize that believing in Jesus allows us to have an eternal mindset. Eternal life begins immediately, in a partially realized but significant way, when one believes in Jesus. Those who believe can face the last judgment with confidence.

All that to say, GO TELL THE WORLD ABOUT THIS LOVE! Do so in the way you live your life, a way honoring to the Lord. Pray He uses you to further His glory and build His kingdom. He will answer, I promise. Maybe not how you expected it, but He will.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:19-20

He is with us always, what an incredible promise that is. Although we will all stumble along the way in this journey, we will not stay on the ground because we have the power and the Spirit of the living and active God in us. We are able to stand firm because we know God. Knowing God produces genuine faith. Genuine faith produces abundant life. The best part is that He is coming back to get us to live in heaven together forever, let that motivate us to press on. Let’s go.

If any of this stuff is not making sense or if you just wanna shoot the breeze about it, I would love if you reached out to me if necessary at 972-523-1144. Thank you, Sydney, for stepping out in faith to make this happen. It has been a joy to write this and it has helped me grow in my walk with Christ. I pray that God will do immeasurably more! Go out and go hard, people. Much love.

Accepting Jesus' grace means that we accept His love! Let's face it.. we're human! We all screw up. We all fall short of the glory of God. We all may have things that we wish we could take back or have never done. We all also have desires for things that do not line up with what Jesus Christ tells us is ok. But hear me when I say this..

JESUS LOVES US ANYWAYS

No matter where you are, no matter what you're involved in, no matter how much you think you've royally screwed up.. Jesus loves you. And by His wonderful and beautiful Grace we are saved through FAITH. But that's what it takes.. Faith. Faith that no matter what the situation is, that Jesus is there taking care of it. And no matter what you're going through, He is there standing mightily before you, ready to take on your battles, IF WE JUST LET HIM. You are so beautiful and wonderful and treasured in our Savior's eyes. He is so delighted by you and your existence and wants to spoil you with His love.

Now, if there is anything that I could share with you in this blog about how to get that spark back with Jesus, it would be this.

THE LIVING WORD by Gavin McDaniel

Falling in love with Jesus is such a fun feeling. But I must say staying in love with Jesus is much better than having an annual “rekindling”. Recently I’ve been actually trying to make my own efforts to meet God on a daily basis. God doesn’t just want to touch you in some other country, or at church, or a conference, or a camp. He wants to touch you right in your own home; right in your bedroom or back porch or wherever where you praise him and call out to him on your knees all alone. Don’t get me wrong I love experiencing God at church or camp or missions and all of that and he loves those things too-- but what I am saying is that cannot be all you do to build your relationship with God. Luke 9:23 instructs you to take up your cross daily, unfortunately it is not “take up your cross on Sunday and during mission trips and follow me”. God wants your efforts daily in this relationship.

God showed me in a conference (another reminder I still love conferences) that there were some things I needed to change in my life and I repented and gave it up to him (by the way this is step one in turning to God. Repent from your sin and give it to Jesus. Just lay it down.) Well anyway that was the beginning and by doing that I opened myself up to be touched by God and so during worship at church that Sunday wow did he touch me. I think he actually ran me over with a small truck and it was incredible. If you asked me what it was like to fall back in love with Jesus I would point to that moment. Now I knew it was time to take my relationship into my own hands. I had to get into the word of God and take time out of my day to worship him and pray to him. When you are in the Bible consistently everything gets easier, you can set up your own little experiment on that because it always works for me. But this is because the word of God is living and active. It is not just words on a page it is GOD BREATHED! It is centuries old but it is more relevant to your life today than any other writing in the world because it is alive and because God is timeless.

Hewbrews 4:12

"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

We live in a world today that doesn’t touch users manuals because we like to figure things out on our own but the Bible is the users manual to your relationship with God and the users manual of a righteous successful life. I am telling you if you want to fall in love with Jesus you have to draw nearer to him and if you want to draw nearer to him you have to pick up the word of God and with that talk to God and turn on some worship music and worship and praise him. He is constantly trying to be closer to you but you have to contribute some time of your own in order to get closer to him. God wants to date you intimately he doesn’t want to be your side chick. So don’t go making God your side chick!

You have to set a specific time and be intentional. If I have a math class at 12:30 I am going to be there at 12:30 ready for math because it was scheduled and I am expected to. So schedule a time to go be with Jesus that same way. It’s on you. When I make a time for Jesus what do you know, I am ready for it, and when I’m doing that consistently, what do you know life just somehow gets a little easier because he starts looking out for me.

Psalm 119:105

"Your word is a Lamp for my feet, a Light on my path."

Just as a disclosure I am not some pro at this, and I haven’t read my Bible everyday of my life. I too am constantly trying to get better and more consistent and as of recently I’ve made strides and what it has done in my life has been awesome.

Now the Bible is a big book and it can be intimidating or confusing and you may not know where to start. From my experience the best way to get started in your Bible is order a book called “The Purple Book” by Rice Broocks. It takes you through different parts of the Bible showing you what it means and looks like to be a Christian. After that I like a little thing called the SOAP method. You read a Scripture and find a part that stood out to you, write your Observation of what that section means and teaches about God or people, and then write how it Applies to your life today then lastly write a Prayer in context of that scripture. This is great for going deeper into the word rather than reading and possibly not getting anything from it. These things have helped tremendously in my walk with God and I hope they can do the same for you.

It's time to open up our bibles people!! I know we hear it all the time, and I know that many people may even be rolling their eyes as they read this.. BUT IT'S TRUE. When you take the time to open up your bible and learn about and spend time with the only one who loves us fully and unconditionally.. HE WILL SHOW UP. It might not be the first time, it might not be the second. But we have to WANT Him. We have to SEEK Him. We actually have to give an effort. THAT is how we rekindle our spark with Jesus again. By showing Him that we love Him. By choosing Him just as He chose us. By making our relationship with Jesus a two-way street rather than just one. All we have to do is work to love Him! And I say work because it's not always going to be easy and sometimes you're going to have to take time out of your day or adjust things about yourself. Because any kind of real love, any kind of Godly love is a love that you have to work towards.. because you're constantly trying to run after the other person's heart rather than your own. It may not always be natural, it may take some time. You may have to be persistent during a time of not initially receiving results.. But it's time to love Jesus, guys.

All we have to do is work to love Him, and do all the things that love entails. We wont be perfect and sometimes we're going to mess up. But God is going to show up radically in your life! And He will set a fire within you that is so powerful and so wonderful that you're not even going to be able to contain your love and your desire for Him.

Go after Him, guys. It's time.