Well this week has been a great week in that I got a new computer.  It has been a frustrating week because I got a new computer.  I like all the things about this new computer except I can't send email from the Church for some reason.  So I am writing this at work and waiting till I get home to send it.  

It is amazing that something that is new can be both frustrating and exciting all at the same time.  When we are new believers in Christ this new relationship is both exciting and frustrating.  It is exciting in that we view the world in a whole new way.  The values that we once held we know some of them are wrong and others where twisted and still others were our own invention to protect ourselves from the truth.  It is such an exciting process to have the veil removed from our eyes to see differently.   It is frustrating because now we know that we need to change and want to change but old habits die hard.  We can honestly say with Paul the good that I would do I don't do and the bad that I don't want to do I do.  Exciting that we know the difference but frustrating that we can't live immediately differently.  It take a long time to change some things and others come immediately.   On the new computer some things are so much better and other things are just way over my head.  Give me another few months with it and I will understand more.  The longer you walk with Christ the more you will obey and the more you obey the more you want to obey. 

The truth is that I will eventually have to ask my friend for help with the email.  I am being stubborn and thinking that I can solve this "after all it is a Mac and what does the PC guy know about Mac's?"  He will tease me and I will feel dumb.  Yet I know that I will not solve this problem on my own.  Is that not the case with coming to God with problems?  We think that we can get there with a little bit more effort and show God how smart we are.   Then when it gets really really bad we ask for help.  Plus we know that God never teases us he just loves us.  If you are struggling with something maybe it is time to keep a spiritual journal on the emotions and the way God changes you over the next weeks and months.  So that you can really praise him for what he does.  

Let me refocus you on the passion thought for the week.  It comes to us from a great book called The Unchurched Next Door: "Over 91% of the formerly unchurched said that doctrine was important, the highest ranking of all Issues."  and "It was really sad to go to churches that thought they were relevant when they were really just being worldly.  I got  out of those churches as quickly as I could."  

Passionate churches and passionate followers of Christ  are not ashamed of Jesus and believing that he is the only means of salvation.  The unchurched need us to be passionate about what we believe about him.  They expect us to believe something.  When we don't believe anything and just try to be cool or relevant they know within minutes and avoid us like the plague. 

Live passionately with Jesus as the focus of your life fall in love with him over and over again day after day until he is all you want and serving is your passion.  You will never regret it for one moment.