First Notes: Passion Rekindled

Dear First Baptist Family, 

One of my heroes of the faith early in ministry was a youth consultant named Mike Yanconelli. He was a passionate, tireless advocate for a vibrant, risky faith. His speaking took him around the world and into some unusual situations.

Once he was asked to speak to a group of toastmasters - those who hone their skills in inspired talks, introductions, and announcements. He showed up thinking it would be an easy audience. 

But when he arrived, he realized that he wasn’t speaking to a group of toastmasters, but postmasters! He only had a few minutes to think about what to say. This wasn’t a raucous, energy-filled room, but a quiet, listless audience (no offense to any postal workers reading this!).

So what did Yanconelli do? He didn’t pretend to have anything prepared for the group. Instead, he simply and honestly talked about something that everyone experiences.
 
As Yaconelli recalled,

“On my way up to the podium, I decided to talk about something I frequently talk about: the loss of passion. It was one of the most rewarding experiences I ever had. Halfway through my talk, people were crying throughout the audience. When I was done, they rose to their feet to underscore my call to rediscover passion. They were expecting a lecture on stamp regulations, and I was expecting to talk about using voice inflection and gestures, but just under the surface, a group of postmasters got in touch with their longings for passion again.”

Passion is what moves people. Passion ignites the soul and motivates people to action. Nothing great — no great architecture, literature, legal representation, art, teaching, or business venture — happens without passion. 

My prayer today is that your heart will be moved for what really matters. How can you give your best, pursue your purpose, and invest in the eternal?

It all starts with passion. 

Passion for Worship

Shout out to Richard Buerkle, our amazing choir, actors, instrumentalists, stage team and tech team for a beautiful production of A Christmas Prayer! 

I could tell that lots of people were moved by the storyline. Coming home is a theme almost everyone can relate to, and many people have a broken relationship in their past or present circumstances. 

Richard brings his best every week and it shows. He’s surrounded by a host of contemporary musicians, vocalists, tech assistants, video production helpers, and of course, the talented Rhonda Carpenter and Jing Fang-Huang. 

I’m looking forward to worshiping this Sunday as we accentuate the theme of joy through a children’s readers' theater. Next Sunday our senior adult choir, Golden Notes, will lead us. Then we will gather on Christmas Eve by candlelight to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Don't wait for these opportunities to worship. You can worship today. Wherever you are, whether at home, in the car, or at work, you can pause right now and give thanks and praise for who God is and what God has done. 

Passion for Purpose

Purpose always produces passion. Nothing creates energy like a clear purpose. 

On the other hand, passion vanishes when you lack a purpose. Just getting out of bed becomes a major chore. One person observed that, “It is usually meaningless work, not overwork, that wears us down, saps our strength, and robs our joy.”

You were made for a purpose. Some people are built to be encouragers and that carries through everything they do. Others are healers. Others are teachers. Others equip the church. But all of us have been called to a purpose in Christ. 

Are you living your purpose? If not, ask the Lord to renew your purpose and help you live it every day with passion. If you don’t know your purpose, I would love to have a conversation with you so I can hear how I could be prayerful and helpful in discovering your purpose. You can email me at bmcdougal@fbcknox.org. 

Passion for Pilgrimage

Lastly, I wanted to mention one amazing way for you to rekindle your passion. Join me and others from our church on a Holy Land pilgrimage next year. We will be in Israel from May 30 to June 12, visiting such sites as the rock of Calvary, the sea of Galilee, the Dead Sea, the Jordan River, and Nazareth. 

While some people have ongoing safety concerns about Israel, I have heard from various contacts within the country about the safety of Jerusalem and other holy sites we will visit. I would not be leading a journey unless I believed it would be secure. 

Additionally, I have experienced the power of this pilgrimage. It is a life-changing, faith-building journey and I would love for you to join me. You can learn more at footsteps-experience.com for a full itinerary.

Psalm 84:5 (NLT) says, “What joy for those whose strength comes from the LORD, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.”

Let’s be passionate about serving Jesus. Let’s practice passion when it comes to inviting others to know Him. Let’s be passionate in worship and seek Him.

With love,

Pastor Brent McDougal