Passion_Parallels.pdf

Devotional

Day 1: Obedience Means Disappointing Others for God’s Sake

True obedience to God often means walking a path that others—even those closest to us—may not understand or support. Paul and Jesus both faced loving friends and family who tried to dissuade them from following God’s call, out of concern or misunderstanding. Yet, their passion for God’s purpose led them to choose obedience over the comfort of others’ approval.
As followers of Jesus, we are sometimes called to make decisions that go against the expectations or desires of those around us. This is not about being stubborn or dismissive, but about having a heart that is first and foremost surrendered to God’s will. It takes courage and discernment to know when God is leading us in a direction that may not make sense to others, and humility to walk that path with love and grace, even when it costs us relational comfort.

Acts 21:13-14 (ESV):
Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.”

Reflection:
Is there a decision you sense God calling you to make that might disappoint someone you care about? What would it look like to lovingly choose obedience to God over the approval of others today?

Day 2: Testing Our Desires Against God’s Character

It is easy to mistake our own strong desires for God’s voice, especially when we want something deeply. Mature faith requires us to pause and honestly examine whether what we sense is truly from God or simply our own preference dressed in spiritual language.
God’s voice is always consistent with His character and the message of Scripture. True obedience is marked by humility—a willingness to be corrected, to wait, and to seek confirmation in community and the Word. Instead of rushing ahead, we are invited to ask: Does this align with who God is? Am I open to being redirected? This posture protects us from self-deception and keeps our passion rooted in God’s truth, not just our own ambitions.

Jeremiah 17:9-10 (ESV):
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

Reflection:
Think of a desire or prompting you’ve recently felt. Have you honestly tested it against God’s character and Scripture, and are you open to God redirecting you if needed?

Day 3: Bringing God’s Peace Without Losing Conviction

Both Paul and Jesus entered into cultures and relationships that were different from their own, not to blend in or compromise, but to bring the peace of God. They engaged with people where they were, building bridges without diluting the truth.
As followers of Jesus, we are called to be peacemakers in our workplaces, neighborhoods, and families. This does not mean we must agree with or endorse everything around us, but that we can love and interact with those who differ from us, trusting that God’s peace is powerful enough to transform. Engagement is not the same as compromise; it is an act of faith that God’s truth and love can shine through us, even in challenging contexts.

1 Peter 3:15-16 (ESV):
…but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

Reflection:
Where is God inviting you to bring His peace into a relationship or environment this week, and how can you do so without compromising your convictions?

Day 4: Embracing the Hard Path of Obedience

Obedience to God is not always easy or comfortable. The journey of faith often leads through seasons of hardship, misunderstanding, and even suffering. Yet, God’s boundaries and calls to holiness are not meant to restrict us, but to protect and provide for us—leading us into true life and abundance.
Both Paul and Jesus show us that the cost of obedience is real, but so is the reward. When we trust God enough to walk the hard road, we discover that His purposes are always for our good, even when we cannot see the outcome. The pilgrimage of faith is not about avoiding pain, but about trusting that God is with us and for us, shaping us through every step.

Hebrews 12:10-11 (ESV):
For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Reflection:
Is there a difficult step of obedience God is asking you to take right now? What would it look like to trust His love and goodness in the midst of that challenge?

Day 5: Surrendering Our Passion to God’s Greater Story

Our deepest passion as believers is meant to be anchored in God’s will, not our own comfort or ambition. When we surrender our desires and plans to God—especially when it is costly—we become part of His greater story of redemption.
This surrender is not passive resignation, but an active trust that God’s purposes are better than our own. Carrying our cross may be hard, but it is also the path that leads to true life, both for us and for those around us. As we root our passion in God’s purpose, we become living witnesses to His love and faithfulness, inviting others to experience the abundance that only He can give.

2 Corinthians 4:10-12 (ESV):
…always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.

Reflection:
What is one area of your life where your own ambitions or comfort are competing with God’s purpose? How can you surrender this area to Him today, trusting that His story is greater?

Sermon Summary

of the Sermon**

Today’s sermon explored the theme of “Purposed Passion” as seen in Acts 21:1-26, drawing deep parallels between the journeys of Paul and Jesus toward Jerusalem. We considered how true passion for God is not about following our own desires, but about surrendering to God’s will, even when it leads us into difficulty, misunderstanding, or suffering. The sermon highlighted three key “Passion Parallels”: being pointed by God’s Spirit toward His purposes (even when others push back), presenting peace in our context without compromising our faith, and embracing the pilgrimage of obedience, which often includes hardship but leads to life. Through stories, scripture, and honest reflection, we were challenged to discern God’s voice, to engage our world with peace, and to trust that God’s boundaries and calls to obedience are acts of love, not restriction. Ultimately, we were invited to be a people whose passion is rooted in God’s greater purpose, willing to say, “Not my will, but yours be done.”

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Key Takeaways

1. Obedience Over Opinion: Both Paul and Jesus faced pushback from those closest to them when they followed God’s leading. True passion for God means being willing to disappoint others’ expectations in order to obey God’s call. This requires discernment—testing whether what we sense aligns with God’s character and the message of scripture, rather than simply following our own desires or using “God told me” as a shield for personal preference.
2. Discerning God’s Voice: It’s easy to confuse our own passions with God’s will, especially when we deeply want something. The mature believer learns to pause and reflect: Is this prompting consistent with the character and message of God? Am I open to correction, or am I using spiritual language to justify my own path? True obedience is humble, willing to wait, and seeks confirmation in community and scripture.
3. Peace Without Compromise: Paul and Jesus both engaged with people and cultures different from their own, not to compromise the truth, but to present the peace of God. As followers of Jesus, we are called to enter our workplaces, neighborhoods, and relationships as peacemakers, not separatists. Engagement does not equal endorsement; we can love and interact with those who differ from us without diluting our convictions, trusting that God’s peace is powerful enough to transform.
4. The Cost and Reward of Obedience: The pilgrimage of faith is not a path of ease—obedience to God often leads through hardship, misunderstanding, and even suffering. Yet, as both Paul and Jesus show, this path is not void of purpose. God’s boundaries and calls to holiness are not meant to restrict our joy, but to protect and provide for us, leading us into true life and abundance that sin can never offer.
5. Passion Rooted in God’s Purpose: Our deepest passion as believers should be anchored in God’s will, not our own ambitions or comfort. When we surrender our will—especially when it’s hard or costly—we participate in God’s greater story of redemption. The journey may include carrying a cross, but it is also the path that brings life, both to us and to those around us, as we become living witnesses to the love and faithfulness of God.

Bible Study Guide

**Bible Study Discussion Guide: Purposed Passion (Acts 21:1-26)**

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### Bible Reading

- **Acts 21:1-26** (Paul’s journey to Jerusalem and his obedience to God’s call)
- **Luke 22:41-42** (“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”)
- **Romans 12:18** (“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”)

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### Observation Questions

In Acts 21:1-14, what kinds of responses did Paul receive from his friends and fellow believers when he shared his intention to go to Jerusalem?
According to Luke 22:41-42, how did Jesus respond to the difficulty of following God’s will, and what did he pray?
In Acts 21:17-26, what steps did Paul take to present peace to the Jewish believers in Jerusalem, and why did he do this?
What does Romans 12:18 say about our responsibility in living at peace with others?

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### Interpretation Questions

Why do you think both Paul and Jesus faced pushback from people who cared about them when they chose to obey God’s leading? What does this reveal about the challenges of obedience?
The sermon talked about the danger of confusing our own desires with God’s will. What are some ways believers can discern if a prompting is truly from God and not just personal preference?
Paul chose to participate in purification rituals even though he knew he was free in Christ. What does this teach about engaging with people who have different backgrounds or convictions without compromising the gospel?
The sermon said that God’s boundaries and calls to obedience are acts of love, not restriction. How does this perspective change the way we view God’s commands, especially when they are hard or costly?

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### Application Questions

Can you think of a time when following God’s call meant disappointing someone else’s expectations? How did you handle it, and what did you learn from that experience?
The sermon challenged us to pause and reflect before saying, “God told me…” about a decision. What practical steps can you take to test whether a prompting is truly from God? Who in your life can help you with this kind of discernment?
Are there places in your life—work, family, neighborhood—where you are tempted to avoid engagement out of fear of compromise? What would it look like to enter those spaces as a peacemaker without watering down your faith?
The sermon mentioned that engagement does not equal endorsement. Is there a person or group you’ve been avoiding because you fear it might look like you’re agreeing with them? How might God be inviting you to bring peace to that relationship?
When you think about God’s commands or boundaries, do you tend to see them as loving protection or as restrictions? How does your view affect your willingness to obey, especially when it’s hard?
The journey of obedience often includes hardship, misunderstanding, or even suffering. Is there an area in your life right now where obedience to God feels costly? How can the group pray for you or support you in that?
The sermon ended with the invitation to say, “Not my will, but yours be done.” What is one area of your life where you sense God is asking you to surrender your will to his? What’s holding you back, and what step could you take this week to move forward in obedience?

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Sermon Quotes

Passion is practiced for a purpose: obedience to the will of God. Not my will, but your will be done. If we desire to posture passion in our faith, it’s about surrendering our will so we can walk in God’s will.

Sometimes our obedience will disappoint others’ opinions. God may place a calling or direction on your life that not everyone will agree with or approve of, but obedience to God’s plan is what matters most.

It’s possible to be passionate or speak for God in ways that aren’t actually from Him. We must discern if what we feel is truly from God or just our own desires offered in His name.

If we feel called by God, have we taken the time to seek and discern that this calling is consistent with the way and character of God? If confirmed, we remain committed, even if others push back.

Obedience to the call of God looks like this: God, it might not be my way or my will, but if this movement is from you, then your will be done.

Mature faith learns to say, “The will of the Lord be done,” even when it’s not what we would choose. Sometimes obedience comes with a cost, but it’s the path of following Christ.

Engagement doesn’t equate to compromise. Jesus engaged with people from all walks of life without compromising His message. We can engage our culture while remaining committed to our faith.

The fear of potential compromise can distract us from the direction we are called to as disciples. If fear becomes our passion, peace becomes passive, and we miss opportunities to present the message of the Gospel.

God’s call for obedience isn’t to keep us from enjoying life, but to protect us from harm and lead us to a life of abundance. His boundaries are acts of love, designed for us to enjoy life to the fullest.

The way of Jesus will at times bring hardship and suffering, but it will never bring destruction and devastation. That’s the difference—destruction is the path of sin, but life is the offer of Jesus.

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