My life goal is to raise up Passionate People. It is not to have a great career or build a large church. It is simply to raise up people who are full of passion.
What do passionate people do? 2 years ago in January 2011 I gave a message about what I thought were 4 things passionate people did. I called it living a life of RISK. I talked and wrote about it for over a year.
R – Relationships (With God and Others)
I – Intercession (A Life of Submission to Him and His will)
S – Supernatural (For The Gifts and the Fruits of the Holy Spirit)
K– Kingdom (Bringing His Principles into the World)
But who are passionate people when they aren’t doing?
This January I want to talk about 3 things that characterize passionate people. You could call them 3P People. What are those 3 things?
A person filled with His presence, His perspective, walking in His power!
Can you imagine what it would be like to be a 3P Christian? If I could walk in these 3P’s I think I would be almost complete in what I need to be a mature Christian.
As a pastor I often ask, “How do I know if a person is healthy spiritually speaking?” In thinking about this question I want to propose that a 3P Person is a worthy goal.
Presence
His Presence is why you were created!
Moses asked God in Exodus 33:15, “What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”
What a question! Moses was asking what will be different about me and my people? I ask this question in my private thoughts? What is different about me from other people? What makes me special?
What makes us special? The amazing thing is God answered the question in Exodus 33:14. The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
We want His presence in us to Grow for us. This includes hearing His Voice and intimacy with Him. We also want His presence on us for others. His presence on us is the light and life the world needs.
Perspective
I want His perspective – this is His way of thinking, His way of living, His way of understanding.
To do this we value His principles and His values. It all starts with reading and understanding the Word of God. As we walk in His perspective blessings and progress happens. When we walk in our way of understanding the opposite happens. His perspective brings good fruit.
Power
We have got to have power. Otherwise Christianity becomes dull, rote, boring, and only the most disciplined among us even look like we are living it. There is no way to live a victorious Christian life without the power of the Holy Spirit. We need His power for Fruits of the Holy Spirit and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Ask for it regularly.
There you go – 3P People. Sounds like a good 2013 New Year’s Resolution. Actually it sounds like a great Life Resolution.
Happy New Year!
Craig Cooper 
I used to feel inadequate, insecure and like a failure because I would compare myself to other Christians that I felt were more Godly than I was. Several years ago, a good friend gave me a book called “Messy Spirituality” written by Michael Yaconelli. He wrote inside “This book set me and my wife free. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.” At the time, I just glanced at it and put it on my bookshelf where it stayed until recently. I just finished this book a few days ago just before I printed out your message to do my quiet time with. It always amazes me how God works right on time, when we need Him. I have been studying about being Spiritual and then you post this message about passionate people. I had printed it out without even reading it until I finished this book. As I was reading the book I started thinking about how I go through times where I spend alot of time reading and studying and then I go through times where I go for months without it. I think about God and his blessing alot but I don’t always study His word like I should. I was thinking about how I used to pray for my youngest son everyday, who was raised in Church but is far away from God now, so much so that he claims to be an atheist now. And I was thinking that I don’t even pray for him much anymore and I was feeling ashamed! Anyway, while reading the book, I was making notes and I wrote down the following: “When I fail, get tangled up in the world, or just get distracted from Him, He always draws me back into His arms. He doesn’t give up on me – He enters into my trouble and saves me from myself.” I had just written this down and picked up the book to read more when my coworker who is also a Christian came over and said to me, “I don’t know if this means anything to you but God has laid it on my heart to tell you He hasn’t forgotten you.” She said she had been trying to work on a project and couldn’t get anything done from feeling like she had to tell me that. I read to her what I had just written down and we both got teary eyed. God is Good! Anyway, I encourage anyone who has struggled with these same feelings to read this book. It has helped me to realize that my spiritual growth begins with my desire to know Him, and the passion I have for His love, and sometimes even the desperation I feel when I get myself into the messes I make trying to live without Him. It’s living daily, accepting that sometimes I will fail. Spiritual growth happens when I slow down and take notice of Jesus in my everyday life. All the decisions I have made in my life (good and bad) has helped me to grow Spiritually. Nothing can separate me from God’s love. In spite of my incompetence He is still there, loving me. I just had to share this with someone and you let me all this space to fill in…haha. Have a blessed day!
Thanks for sharing Tammy. I will look for the book!