The Five Pursuits of Calvary

• Pursuing God Passionately (today)

• Building an Authentic and Caring Community

• Influencing our World

• Celebrating Transformation

• Exploring Creativity

Teaching Learning Objectives

• We will become people who pursue God passionately – when we know we are forgiven. “We love much when we recognize we have been forgiven much”.

• We will become people who pursue God passionately – when we recognize that our passion for Christ comes out of Christ’s compassion for us.

We will become people who pursue God passionately - when we know we are forgiven. “We love much when we recognize we have been forgiven much”.

“Which one will more greatly love the person who forgave the debts?”

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

I John 1:8,9

Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all persons: We acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness, which we from time to time most grievously have committed, by thought, word, and deed, against your Divine Majesty.

We do earnestly repent, and are heartily sorry for these our misdoings. Have mercy on us, most merciful Father; for your Son our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake; Forgive us all that is past; and grant that we may ever hereafter serve and please you in newness of life, to the honor and glory of your name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

“Conviction makes us want to change; condemnation makes us believe we can’t.” Mark Driscoll

We will become people who pursue God passionately - when we recognize that our passion for Christ comes out of Christ’s compassion for us.

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

“Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! ... You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me;

I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.”

Augustine, 4th Century

We will become people who pursue God passionately - when we recognize that our passion for Christ comes out of Christ’s compassion for us.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.  All the believers were together and had everything in common.  They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Acts 2:42-47

“Take care to redeem some brief time from the world for reading and prayer. Try to rescue half an hour morning and evening. You must learn, too, to make good use of chance moments, when waiting for some one, when going form place to place, or when in society, where to be a good listener is all that is required.

One raises one’s heart for an instant to God, and renews one’s strength for further duties. The less time one has, the more important it is to husband it.

If you wait till you have regular and convenient hours at your disposal to fill with substantial duties, you run the risk of waiting too long...you must seize every chance moment...

....take half an hour in the morning and another half hour in the afternoon, to repair the inroads which the world makes; and, in the course of the day, make use of such thoughts as touch you most, to renew yourself in the presence of God.” Francios Fenelon 17th Century

If it is true that we become people who pursue God passionately – when we know we are forgiven – then seek forgiveness...

If it is true that our passion If it is true that our passion for Christ comes out of for Christ comes out of Christ’s compassion for Christ’s compassion for us...us...

Spiritual Pathways:Spiritual Pathways:

http://www.xaatuva.com/resources/discipleship/Sacred%20Pathways.pdfhttp://www.xaatuva.com/resources/discipleship/Sacred%20Pathways.pdf