Burning Hearts | Pastor Tim Notz | 9/27/2026

Sep 27, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: When Hearts Burn on the Road

The resurrected Jesus walked with two disciples who didn’t recognize Him, yet their hearts burned as He unfolded Scripture. Their spiritual hunger met divine revelation in ordinary moments—a shared walk, broken bread. Fire ignites when truth collides with willing hearts, even when eyes struggle to see. What begins as confusion becomes awakening. The road to Emmaus proves God speaks through both Word and presence in life’s mundane journeys. [03:05]

“They said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?’”
(Luke 24:32, ESV)

Reflection: When did your heart last burn during a conversation about Scripture? What ordinary moment might Jesus use to reignite your passion this week?

Day 2: Lukewarm Soda and the God Who Vomits

Lukewarm faith repulses Christ—like flat soda or tepid coffee. Fireless believers blend into culture, offering no healing heat or refreshing cold. Jesus demands a faith that alters atmospheres: hot enough to purify, cold enough to awaken. Compromise creeps in when service becomes duty, worship becomes routine, and sin becomes tolerable. Spiritual apathy isn’t neutral—it’s rebellion against our purpose as change agents. [12:43]

“I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”
(Revelation 3:15-16, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you settled for blending in rather than disrupting darkness? What one compromise needs confronting to burn hot again?

Day 3: Fanning Flames in the Fueling Station

Fires die without tending. The Emmaus disciples’ blaze started when they invited the Stranger to stay—hospitality became revival. Daily disciplines are firepits: prayer as conversation, Scripture as kindling, worship as oxygen. Like campers guarding a harvest bonfire, believers must appoint themselves “fire tenders.” Yesterday’s zeal won’t warm today’s cold hands. Spiritual muscles atrophy without consistent training. [30:48]

“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”
(2 Timothy 1:6, ESV)

Reflection: What single habit could reignite your fire if practiced daily? How will you protect tomorrow’s flame today?

Day 4: Serving Enthusiastically, Not Exhaustedly

The difference between “have to” and “get to” determines spiritual temperature. Jesus served crowds until exhaustion but prioritized the Father’s presence. Serving without fueling leads to resentment; serving as worship fuels joy. Like spotting a weightlifter, the church supports, but personal discipline builds endurance. Every opened door, cleaned bathroom, or offered prayer becomes incense when done for unseen eyes. [55:16]

“Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.”
(Romans 12:11, ESV)

Reflection: What act of service feels burdensome? How might seeing it as direct worship to Jesus transform your perspective?

Day 5: Returning to the Heights of First Love

Ephesus excelled in doctrine and duty but abandoned the dizzying heights of early passion. Maturity isn’t measured by busyness but by burning love. The disciples’ post-resurrection sprint back to Jerusalem mirrors our call to reclaim abandoned wonder. Repentance isn’t punishment—it’s returning to the cliff’s edge where love first took your breath away. What began with heartburn must end with wildfire. [23:24]

“But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.”
(Revelation 2:4-5, ESV)

Reflection: When did you last feel awestruck by Jesus’ love? What practical step will you take this week to revisit that “first love” intensity?

Sermon Summary

Luke’s resurrection road shows two confused men walking away from Jerusalem while Jesus comes alongside them. Jesus opens the Scriptures, breaks bread, and suddenly opens their eyes. Their question becomes the question for every believer: “Didn’t our hearts burn within us?” The risen Christ is still the God of the impossible, able to heal, restore, and do beyond anything people can think or imagine.

Burning hearts are not supposed to belong only to brand-new believers. The fire that makes everything Jesus, prayer exciting, Scripture alive, worship real, and serving joyful must not be allowed to cool into ordinary routine. What begins with passion can become routine when singing becomes only singing, serving becomes inconvenient, and church becomes optional. The fire has to be tended.

Jesus’ warning to Laodicea makes clear that lukewarmness brings no change to the atmosphere. Hot and cold both affect something, but lukewarm water does nothing. A believer’s fire should carry enough of God’s presence that people can sense it, even before a word is spoken. Moses came down from being with God glowing, and what happens in the heart eventually shows on the face.

Jesus names love for God with all the heart, soul, and mind as the first and greatest commandment. Everything else flows out of that. The church in Ephesus had works, perseverance, discernment, and endurance, yet Jesus charged them with leaving their first love. Works for the kingdom cannot replace love for the King. Deep words, miracles, prophecy, and religious activity all miss the point when love for God and people is absent.

Paul’s call to Timothy is to fan into flame the gift of God. The altar fire in Leviticus was never to go out, and the fire of the Holy Spirit within believers needs the same constant attention. Yesterday’s manna and yesterday’s fire are not enough for today. Sin can smother that fire, but so can laziness, distraction, and simply drifting away from the presence of God.

Prayer, fasting, worship, seeking God’s face, reading Scripture, serving, and generosity become practical ways to tend the fire. Prayer is communication with God. Fasting declares hunger for the Bread of Life. Seeking God’s face means wanting God Himself, not merely His hand and His gifts. Serving and generosity break selfishness, while Scripture rewires the mind around what God says. The call is not condemnation for a low flame, but a real commitment to turn the logs, fan the coals, and burn again for Jesus.

Key Takeaways

1. Do not settle for lukewarm faith. Lukewarmness is not harmless because it brings no real change to the atmosphere. A life close to Jesus carries something people can sense: peace, joy, love, and a willingness to speak His name. The question is not whether activity is happening, but whether the fire of God is actually showing up through that activity. [13:57]
2. Works cannot replace first love. The Ephesian church had endurance, discernment, and hard work, yet Jesus still called them back to their first love. Religious effort can look impressive while the heart grows distant from the King. Love for Jesus must remain the source of every act of service, not an afterthought beneath a pile of ministry work. [24:48]
3. Yesterday’s fire cannot fuel today. Spiritual fire needs constant tending because it slowly cools when it is ignored. Prayer, Scripture, worship, and time with God cannot become leftovers from a previous season. Jesus Himself made space to be with the Father, showing that a busy life is not an excuse for an unfueled soul. [18:37]
4. Seek God’s face, not only His hand. Seeking God’s hand asks Him to fix problems, provide needs, and give help. Seeking His face says, “God, I want to know You,” even when nothing is being requested. Intimacy with God changes the heart because it brings a person into awe, humility, and real relationship with Him. [45:50]
5. Serve with fire in the belly. Serving becomes draining when it is done merely because somebody has to do it. Service becomes joyful when it is offered unto Jesus, whether it is opening a door, cleaning a room, helping a need, or giving generously. The kingdom does not need reluctant box-checking; it calls for people who know they get to serve the King.

## [54:54]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:22] - The Road to Emmaus
[02:11] - Jesus, God of the Impossible
[03:05] - Burning Hearts
[07:48] - When Passion Becomes Routine
[11:56] - The Danger of Lukewarmness
[16:22] - Signs the Fire Is Cooling
[22:46] - Returning to First Love
[30:48] - Fan Into Flame God’s Gift
[34:29] - Tending the Fire Daily
[38:34] - Prayer and Fasting
[43:44] - Worship and Seeking God’s Face
[50:13] - Scripture, Service, and Generosity
[56:06] - Stoke the Flame Again

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Luke 24:32
“They said to each other, 'Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” [03:05]

Revelation 3:15-16
“I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” [12:17]

Revelation 2:4-5
“But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” [23:22]

Observation questions

In Luke 24:32, what had Jesus been doing with the two travelers before they recognized Him, and what did they notice happening in their hearts? [03:05]
What are the differences described between hot, cold, and lukewarm faith in Revelation 3:15–16? [12:17]
What strengths did Jesus recognize in the church at Ephesus before confronting them about leaving their first love? [22:50]
What signs were named that may show a believer’s spiritual fire is cooling, even when they are still around church activity? [16:28]

Interpretation questions

Why is it significant that the travelers’ hearts were burning before they fully understood that Jesus was walking with them? What does this suggest about the way Jesus uses Scripture to awaken faith?
In Revelation 3, why is lukewarmness pictured as more serious than simply being weak or tired? What might it mean for a believer’s life to bring change to the atmosphere around them? [12:59]
The Ephesian church had hard work, endurance, and discernment, yet it had left its first love. How can religious activity continue while a believer’s love for Jesus grows distant? [24:14]
The call to “fan into flame” the gift of God assumes that spiritual fire needs attention. What does this reveal about the difference between having a past encounter with God and maintaining a present relationship with Him? [30:48]

Application questions

If you honestly considered your current spiritual fire on a scale from 1 to 10, where would you place yourself? What specific signs in your prayer, worship, Scripture reading, service, or attitudes led you to that answer? [56:21]
Has anything that once felt joyful in your relationship with Jesus become routine—such as singing, serving, attending church, or reading the Bible? What could help that area become an act of love again rather than a box to check? [07:48]
Is there a place where you have been doing work for God’s kingdom but have lost sight of doing it for the King? What would it look like to serve Jesus with a “get to” attitude this week? [54:54]
What is one realistic daily moment when you could make space to pray and be present with God—before work, during a break, on a walk, or at the end of the day? What might make that time more consistent? [38:34]
When you come to God, do your prayers mostly focus on asking for His help, or do they also make room simply to know Him? What could seeking God’s face look like in a practical way this week? [45:50]
Is there a distraction, neglected habit, unresolved sin, or pattern of drifting that has been smothering your spiritual fire? What is one honest step you can take to bring that into the light and turn back toward Jesus? [25:45]

Sermon Clips

43s

#KeepThePassion

“But here's the thing. What what began with passion can become routine. It really can't. It can become routine. It can become routine. If you're a newer believer in here, watch yourself because it can become routine. What seems very exciting right now can become very routine. When you first started dating your spouse, the phone would ring. You know, it just you're on the phone for three hours. You're on the phone for three hours. Can you imagine talking to Jesus for three hours right now? Some of you are like, oh, I don't I don't think I could do that. I don't think I could do that.”

52s

#ChosenToServe

“We don't have to, we get to. We get to serve in the kingdom. We get to serve the king of kings. We get to serve his people. We get to we get to be a representative of the kingdom, an ambassador of Christ. That's a that's a big deal. It's a really big deal that God chose you before you chose him. He chose you. He loves you that much. He chose you. Not the person next to you, he chose you. I mean, you gotta let you kinda have to let that sink in like, wow. He chose me. He didn't have to. He wanted to. He he picked you out.”

38s

#KeepTheFireBurning

“But typically, he whispers. It's in that stillness that we can hear God's voice. But you've gotta come to him, you gotta come to the fire, you gotta be drawing yourself close to him if you wanna hear him. And listen, you cannot think that you're going to run on yesterday's manna. Yesterday's fire is not good enough for today. I've learned that, man. It does not take long for the fire to start to go out. It just doesn't. It doesn't take long at all. Matthew”

58s

#SeekHisFace

“Very few people understand how to seek his face because there's a difference between seeking God's hand and seeking his face. Most Christians know how to seek his hand. God, would you give me this? God, would you help me with that? God, there's a problem over here. God, I need more money. God, God help me. Seeking his face is just wanting to know him. It's wanting to become intimate with him. Again, if I'm if I'm talking with Tina, she noticed just yesterday. Just yesterday, she goes, you're not looking me in the eye. And we were talking. It's looking Jesus in the eyes. It's saying, God, I want to know you. I don't want anything from you. I just want to know you. It's pulling the chair up to the table and having dinner with him, having lunch with him and just talking. God, I just want to know you.”

45s

#PrayerIsPower

“How do you think you're gonna get through life with strength and with power and you're not plugged into the power source? You never stop, you never plug in. Sunday morning's not enough. I plug in my phone every I do it in the morning. I plug in my phone every single morning because I know it'll be dead by the end of the day if I don't or at least a day and a half. It'll be dead. And yet we come on a Sunday morning and we think, oh, that's good enough. I'm gonna go all week on that word. No, you're not. No, you're not. It will not last. We have to make prayer a priority.”

40s

#LoveGodFirst

“If this is the first and greatest commandment that God would give us. Why do we neglect it so easily? I mean, think about it. This is the first one. This is the most important one. That you love God with every part of your being. That it never stops, that you keep the fire burning, you love him. That's the most important thing that you could ever do because everything else comes flowing out of that.”

43s

#BeyondTheWorks

“So remember the heights from which you have fallen. Now wait a minute, man, because they were doing all these great things. They he said, I know your deeds, your hard work, your perseverance. You don't tolerate wicked people. You persevere. You're you're getting in there and you're judging whether or not they're apostles, you've endured hardships for my name, and you haven't grown weary. Those are amazing things. Yet, he says, got one other thing though that that seems to be slipping, and you've fallen from this great place that you once were at. See, it's more than works.”

49s

#TendTheFlame

“What that means is that your fire, my fire requires constant attention. It requires constant tending. I've said that already. Constant tending. Leviticus six, they don't have that. But if you if you go to Leviticus six, what you'll see there is you'll see God instructing the priest to constantly have the fire on the altar burning. It should never go out, he said. Never should it go out. Night, day, the fire on the altar should continue to burn. That's you and I. That's you and I. Bring that in to under the new covenant. That's the Holy Spirit burning within us. Never going out. Never quitting. Never being never being quenched. Never never allowing water to be poured on it.”

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