Spiritual Passion

4

Church Staff

by Bill Kemp

from the book:

“Ezekiel’s Bones: Rekindling Your Congregation’s Spiritual Passion”

“One of our great allies at present is the Church

itself. Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as

we [the demons] see her, spread but through all time and space and

rooted in eternity, terrible as an army with

banners.”― C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

“A moderated religion is as good

for us as no religion at all - and more

amusing.”― C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

Spiritual Passion is the fuel that keeps a congregation active and excited

about the faith it has to share with the world. Just as the body is fueled by a nutritious diet, congregational life is

fueled by a healthy, passionate, spirituality.

1) SPIRITUAL

PASSION IS A

MEASURABLE

QUANTITY

WESLEY’S SMALL GROUP

QUESTION

How does

your soul

fare?

2) SPIRITUAL

PASSION IS NOT A

MATTER OF

THEOLOGY

SPIRITUAL PASSION IS

ABOUT RELEVANCE NOT

DOCTRINEScripture needs to be related to

daily life

Prayer must be related to results

Witness must be focused on

building real relationships with the

unchurched

Worship must be focused on our

relationship with God

3) SPIRITUAL

PASSION IS AN

ATTRIBUTE OF

THE SYSTEM

CHURCHES

ARE SELF-

REGULATIN

G SYSTEMS

THREE RULES

OF ALL SYSTEMS

1. The system is designed for the

results you are receiving

2. The longer you participate in the

system the more normal it feels

3. To implement lasting change you

must use a distributed strategy

Spiritual Passion is the fuel that keeps a congregation active and excited

about the faith it has to share with the world.

SPIRITUAL PASSION’S FOUR

LIFT POINTS

Prayer with

Expectation

Scripture with

Relevance

Witness with Joy

Worship with

Passion

PRAYER WITH EXPECTATION

SCRIPTURE

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for

teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in

righteousness, so that the [people] of God

may be thoroughly equipped for every good

work. - II Timothy 3:16-17

WITH

RELEVANCE

WITNESS WITH JOY

Nothing

goes without

saying

PASSIONATE

WORSHIP

When the emotional

tone of each

act of worship

helps convey the

meaning of what

is being said.

“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those

who mourn.” (Romans 12:15)

WORSHIP WITH

PASSION

The minister gave out his text and droned along monotonously through an argument that was so prosy that many a head by and by began to nod—and yet it was an argument that dealt in limitless fire and brimstone and thinned the predestined elect down to a company so small as to be hardly worth the saving.

—Mark Twain,

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

PLOT: EVERY SCENE OF A NOVEL HAS BOTH

CONTENT AND INTENSITY

3 QUESTIONS - ONE

ANSWER

What makes a church different

from a social club?

What guarantees diversity in the

church?

What determines the lifespan of a

congregation?

THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE AVERAGE

CONGREGATION CAN BE CHARTED AS THE

RISE AND FALL OF SPIRITUAL PASSION.

Spiritual

Passion

Time

THREE PLACES WHERE A CHURCH CAN STOP BEING

NORMAL

1. Young congregations can continue to be passionate

witnesses for Christ

2. Stable congregations can choose the present over

the past

3. Declining congregations can choose to be born again

1

3

2

Spiritual

passion

GETTING OFF THE BEATEN PATH

WILL REQUIRE SPIRITUAL PASSION

Books by

Bill Kemp

What does a bride wear?

•Something Old - what is left behind

•Something New - what is to be accepted & anticipated

•Something Borrowed -remembering our indebtedness to past

•Something Blue - naming what is makes us sad