Reviving Passionate Faith: A Call to Wholehearted Christianity

So often, we are drawn to the idea of a faith that costs us little—a “six-pack in six weeks” version of Christianity that promises heaven with minimal inconvenience. But the call of Jesus is not to fit Him around our lives, but to let His life transform us from the inside out. It’s easy to hedge our bets, say a quick prayer, and then carry on with our priorities—paying bills, raising kids, pursuing comfort, and blending in with the crowd. Yet, this is not the life God intends for us. When we are born again, God’s own Spirit comes to dwell within us, igniting a fire that cannot be contained by convenience or comfort.

The story of my own journey—being radically saved, wrestling with the disconnect between passionate faith and lukewarm Christianity, and receiving a prophetic word to never let anemic faith pull me down—reminds me that God’s life in us is meant to be vibrant and powerful. We are not called to be respectable, comfortable, or merely “good” Christians. We are called to be wholehearted, like Caleb, who at 85 was still hungry for God’s promises and ready to take on giants because he trusted in God’s power, not his own strength.

Normal Christianity is not about blending in or seeking the approval of others. It is about being set apart, living as temples of the Holy Spirit, and honoring God with our whole lives. The world does not need more anemic, half-hearted believers; it needs people who are ablaze with the love and power of God, willing to lay down everything for Him. This is the heartbeat of our church—not to be a comfortable option, but to be a place of revival, where the lost and the passionately surrendered are welcome, and where the fire of God is fanned into flame.

If you sense your spirit has grown cold, now is the time to open your heart and ask God to rekindle that fire. God is eager to pour out His Spirit on all who hunger for Him. Let’s repent of comfort-based Christianity and ask for a fresh visitation of the Holy Spirit, so that our lives would burn with love for Jesus and display the reality of His kingdom to the world.

Key Takeaways

• 1. True faith is not about minimal inconvenience, but wholehearted surrender. The temptation to fit God around our priorities leads to a diluted, powerless Christianity. When we try to blend in and avoid standing out, we miss the radical call of Jesus to follow Him with everything we are. [01:58]
• 2. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is a supernatural reality that changes everything. When God’s Spirit comes to live within us, we become new creations—no longer living by our own strength or desires, but by the power and love of God. This inner fire is meant to grow, not diminish, as we walk with Him. [13:56]
• 3. Passion for God is not just for the young or the zealous; it is the normal Christian life. Caleb’s example at 85 years old challenges us to keep growing in faith and courage, never settling for a tame or retiring spirituality. God’s promises and purposes are for every season of life, and He calls us to pursue them with undiminished zeal. [25:07]
• 4. Anemic Christianity—faith without power or passion—robs both believers and the world of the witness of Christ. When we form alliances with the world or seek comfort above obedience, we stifle the Spirit’s work in us. God calls us to repentance and to a life that is marked by His presence, power, and love. [34:28]
• 5. Revival begins with personal hunger and repentance. When we recognize our need and open our hearts to God, He is faithful to pour out His Spirit afresh. The fire of the Holy Spirit is not a one-time experience but an ongoing reality for those who ask, seek, and knock, desiring to live fully for Jesus. [37:38]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:50] - The Illusion of Convenient Christianity
• [01:58] - Fitting Faith Around “Real Life”
• [03:00] - Blending In and Avoiding Commitment
• [05:43] - Why The Point Church Is Different
• [07:00] - My Story: From Rugby to Radical Faith
• [11:35] - A Prophetic Encounter and the Call to Real Faith
• [13:07] - The New Birth: Spirit, Soul, and Body
• [15:38] - Passionate Faith in University Days
• [18:08] - New Creations: Living as Temples of the Spirit
• [22:47] - Caleb’s Example: Wholehearted to the End
• [24:13] - Facing Giants with God’s Promises
• [28:13] - The True Goal: Revival, Not Respectability
• [32:48] - Anemia in the Body of Christ
• [34:28] - Woe to Plans Without the Spirit
• [37:38] - Rekindling the Fire: A Call to Repentance and Renewal
• [40:50] - Prayer for a Fresh Outpouring of the Spirit

Bible Reading

1. Romans 10:9-10 (ESV) — > “Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

2. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ESV) — > “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

3. Joshua 14:10-12 (ESV) — > “And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me. My strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. So now give me this hill country of which the LORD spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the LORD said.”

Observation Questions

1. According to Romans 10:9-10, what is required for salvation? How does this compare to the “hedge your bets” approach described in the sermon? [00:50]
2. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, what does Paul say about our bodies and the Holy Spirit? What does it mean that we are “not our own”? [19:13]
3. What stands out to you about Caleb’s attitude and faith at 85 years old in Joshua 14:10-12? [24:13]
4. The sermon described “anemic Christianity” as faith without power or passion. What examples did the pastor give of this kind of faith? [11:35]

Interpretation Questions

1. The sermon warns against fitting God around our priorities and living for comfort. Why is this approach described as “diluted, powerless Christianity”? [01:58]
2. What does it look like, practically, to live as a “temple of the Holy Spirit” and honor God with your whole life? [19:13]
3. Caleb’s story is used as an example of wholehearted faith. What does his example teach us about pursuing God’s promises at every stage of life? [24:13]
4. The pastor shared about receiving a prophetic word to not let “anemic faith” pull him down. How can the faith of those around us affect our own spiritual passion? [11:35]

Application Questions

1. The sermon challenged the idea of “convenient Christianity.” Are there areas in your life where you have tried to fit God around your own plans or comfort? What would it look like to surrender those areas more fully to Him? [01:58]
2. The pastor described times when he felt his spirit had grown cold. Have you ever experienced a season like that? What helped you (or could help you) rekindle your passion for God? [37:38]
3. Caleb was still hungry for God’s promises at 85. What is one area where you feel God is calling you to step out in faith, even if it feels uncomfortable or risky? [24:13]
4. The sermon talked about “blending in” with the crowd and avoiding standing out as a Christian. Are there situations where you have felt pressure to hide your faith? How can you be more bold or authentic in those moments? [01:58]
5. The pastor said, “The world does not need more anemic, half-hearted believers; it needs people who are ablaze with the love and power of God.” What is one practical step you can take this week to let God’s fire burn more brightly in your life? [13:56]
6. The call to repentance and a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit was a key part of the message. Is there anything you need to repent of—such as comfort-based Christianity or alliances with the world? How can your group support you in seeking a fresh move of the Spirit? [37:38]
7. The pastor described the church’s vision as a place of revival, not just respectability. What would it look like for our small group to pursue revival together, rather than just being a “comfortable option”? [28:13]