WEBVTT 00:04.640 --> 00:08.124 [SPEAKER_00]: as we continue our week on living and abundant life. 00:08.825 --> 00:14.411 [SPEAKER_00]: Today we'll explore the topic of pursuing Jesus passionately in our daily lives. 00:15.332 --> 00:24.102 [SPEAKER_00]: As we discussed the past couple days, abundant life is a gift, but that doesn't mean it comes without a choice on our part to receive. 00:25.210 --> 00:32.397 [SPEAKER_00]: Open your heart to the Father today and allow your mind to be renewed to the good life he has for you. 00:33.158 --> 00:35.400 [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to the first 15 podcast. 01:03.814 --> 01:08.617 [SPEAKER_00]: Our Scripture for today comes from Psalm 27 verse 8. 01:09.597 --> 01:13.799 [SPEAKER_00]: Scripture says, You have said, seek my face. 01:14.940 --> 01:19.042 [SPEAKER_00]: My heart says to you, your face Lord, do I seek? 01:21.744 --> 01:27.607 [SPEAKER_00]: The key to abundant life here on earth is the passionate pursuit of Jesus. 01:29.093 --> 01:34.416 [SPEAKER_00]: I doubt there will be a single believer who ever hears these words that will doubt that statement. 01:35.357 --> 01:41.021 [SPEAKER_00]: But I also know that we often fail to truly believe that statement in our hearts. 01:42.161 --> 01:52.148 [SPEAKER_00]: If we truly believed that the key to abundant life was passionately pursuing Jesus, most of our lives would look drastically different. 01:52.788 --> 01:55.190 [SPEAKER_00]: My life would look drastically different. 01:56.400 --> 02:05.061 [SPEAKER_00]: If we truly believed that passionately pursuing Jesus would bring us abundant life, the way we spend our time would drastically change. 02:06.147 --> 02:10.909 [SPEAKER_00]: We would choose pursuing the presence of God over entertainment more often. 02:11.709 --> 02:15.231 [SPEAKER_00]: We would structure most of our worship services differently. 02:16.251 --> 02:23.394 [SPEAKER_00]: We would cease working for the opinion of man and start living for the good pleasure of our creator. 02:24.575 --> 02:32.618 [SPEAKER_00]: And our lives would look simpler, more joyful, more peaceful, and more like the life of Jesus. 02:34.204 --> 02:39.088 [SPEAKER_00]: The good news for you and me is that there is grace for us today. 02:40.509 --> 02:47.275 [SPEAKER_00]: Isaiah 55 verses 6 through 7 says, seek the Lord while he may be found. 02:48.236 --> 02:50.538 [SPEAKER_00]: Call upon him while he is near. 02:51.578 --> 02:56.563 [SPEAKER_00]: Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts. 02:57.676 --> 03:06.844 [SPEAKER_00]: Let him return to the Lord that he may have compassion on him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon. 03:09.166 --> 03:14.731 [SPEAKER_00]: It's time for the people of God to wake up to the true purpose for our lives. 03:15.952 --> 03:22.178 [SPEAKER_00]: It's time that we stop seeking the things of the world and give our lives to the total and 03:25.797 --> 03:30.982 [SPEAKER_00]: and there is grace from on high that God belongs to give us today to do so. 03:32.564 --> 03:35.967 [SPEAKER_00]: The Lord is saying to you and me, seek my face. 03:37.168 --> 03:43.935 [SPEAKER_00]: And we need to reply as David by saying, my heart says to you, your face, Lord, do I seek? 03:45.871 --> 03:57.655 [SPEAKER_00]: All that stands between you and a radical life transformation is turning away from the cares and pursuits of the world and giving your heart to your Heavenly Father. 03:59.095 --> 04:08.218 [SPEAKER_00]: We have a daily opportunity to live in total communion with our Creator, receiving and giving love in everything we do. 04:09.577 --> 04:17.399 [SPEAKER_00]: Jesus paid the ultimate price for you and me to live with a tangible knowledge of God's love for us. 04:18.499 --> 04:31.901 [SPEAKER_00]: But we also have the opportunity every day to live marginal lives, where we experience and commune with God part of the time, and live for the fleeting and unsatisfying ways of the world, the other. 04:33.062 --> 04:34.682 [SPEAKER_00]: The choice is yours today. 04:35.842 --> 04:51.862 [SPEAKER_00]: will you passionately pursue relationship with Jesus or will you allow the ways of this world to crowd out parts of your life like weed to blocking you from the refreshing life-giving presence of the living God? 04:53.868 --> 05:06.820 [SPEAKER_00]: take time and guided prayer to listen to your father, meditate on his promise of abundant life, and chase after whole-hearted relationship with Jesus at all costs. 05:08.102 --> 05:14.188 [SPEAKER_00]: May you experience to new levels today the abundant life Jesus died to give you. 05:43.287 --> 06:00.496 [SPEAKER_00]: as we begin, meditate on the importance of passionately pursuing relationship with Jesus above all else, allow scripture to fill you with the will to choose God over the things of the world today. 06:02.177 --> 06:04.278 [SPEAKER_00]: Jeremiah 29 verses 12 through 14 says, 06:07.470 --> 06:12.836 [SPEAKER_00]: Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will hear you. 06:14.017 --> 06:19.123 [SPEAKER_00]: You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 06:20.524 --> 06:23.287 [SPEAKER_00]: I will be found by you to clear the Lord. 06:24.270 --> 06:38.307 [SPEAKER_00]: and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you to clear the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. 07:21.974 --> 07:22.334 [SPEAKER_00]: next. 07:23.695 --> 07:27.697 [SPEAKER_00]: What have you been pursuing above relationship with Jesus? 07:29.297 --> 07:34.940 [SPEAKER_00]: What has been holding you back from seeking whole-hearted relationship with God above all else? 08:16.658 --> 08:21.421 [SPEAKER_00]: And last, ask the Lord to help you live for Him alone today. 08:22.681 --> 08:28.624 [SPEAKER_00]: Take time to receive His presence, and receive His incredible grace filled love for you. 08:30.025 --> 08:36.589 [SPEAKER_00]: Enjoy His presence, and allow it to lay a foundation on which you seek the Lord whole 08:38.670 --> 08:47.115 [SPEAKER_00]: First Chronicle 1611 says, seek the Lord and his strength, seek his presence continually. 09:27.870 --> 09:34.435 [SPEAKER_00]: true passion for God is always kindled as a response to the catalytic love of God. 09:35.776 --> 09:43.602 [SPEAKER_00]: His passion for us, His pursuit of us, ignites a flame in our hearts that the world can't put out. 09:45.123 --> 09:53.389 [SPEAKER_00]: If you begin to feel passionless, Luke warm in your faith, ask God for a fresh experience with his love. 09:54.725 --> 10:08.251 [SPEAKER_00]: Ask him to remind you of his goodness, his provision, his pursuit, and allow his love to reignite the flame of your heart that you would live with whole hearted devotion to him. 10:09.832 --> 10:19.977 [SPEAKER_00]: May you discover new passion for God in your life today, as your eyes are opened to all the incredible ways he's at work in you and around you. 10:36.849 --> 10:39.530 [SPEAKER_00]: Thanks so much for listening to today's podcast. 10:39.950 --> 10:41.611 [SPEAKER_00]: I'm Josh Miller with First 15. 10:42.552 --> 10:53.617 [SPEAKER_00]: As a way to get further resolution on letting go of something hindering your relationship with God, take a moment to write down on a sheet of paper whatever came to mind as you prayed. 10:54.317 --> 10:56.218 [SPEAKER_00]: And crumple it up, throw it away. 10:57.366 --> 11:04.013 [SPEAKER_00]: Physical acts like this are powerful reminders of decisions we've made in sins that have been forgiven. 11:04.574 --> 11:08.798 [SPEAKER_00]: And can be really helpful in moving forward into a more abundant life. 11:09.960 --> 11:14.585 [SPEAKER_00]: Have a wonderful rest of your day today and may God bless you as you see him.