Do you have life insurance? This is a prudent financial measure for those who have others depending on their income, and most people in this position have it if they are able, but this is not something people get excited about. Do you view your faith as life insurance? Crusades present the gospel in such a way that those who respond will have eternal life, but have you noticed that those who make no stronger response are about as excited with regard to their faith as they are about their life insurance? There is so much more available to you. Go ‘all-in’ with me and you will have an abundant life to be excited about. 

In the beginning there was a garden, and the man and the woman lived there, and there I met with them. You are familiar with the story and know that their behavior caused them to be expelled from the garden. Yet even then I declared a plan for redemption, and you have seen this plan unfold throughout history. With your salvation secured is it possible to return to the garden? You will be disappointed if you try to search for it in a particular geographic location, but if you are receptive to the idea you can find a spiritual place of refuge and sanctuary where you can walk with me in my presence and hear my voice and know that I hear yours. 

Do you pray? Do you believe that I hear your prayers? You normally talk to other people rather than talking to yourself. Yet you  can be talking to someone and realize that you are talking to yourself when you realize that they aren’t paying attention to you. Have you ever felt this way in prayer? I am with you always, but your awareness of this is subject to change. Do your prayers consist of a list of requests? Consider starting your prayer with the intent to cultivate your own awareness of my presence with you. This may cause you to change your list of requests, but when you are finished you will know that I have heard your prayer. 

Have you heard powerful and dynamic speakers and engaged with the emotional enthusiasm of their message, but realized later that there was more entertainment than substance in what they said? Has this ever happened to you in church or conference? It isn’t wrong to be excited, but excitement alone will only carry you so far. Those who shouted ‘Hosanna’ on my entry into Jerusalem didn’t see my visit through to the end. In some churches people exclaim ‘amen’ to affirm things they already understand. They are silent when they are being challenged and stretched, but this is where transformational growth takes place.