PASSION 2013
Holly Hunt
Passion 2013 was such a great experience and an awesome way to start out the new year. There are no words to describe what it is like to be in the Georgia Dome with over 60,000 college students all worshipping the same God. At conferences like this, it can be easy to sometimes get lost in all the hype about the well-known speakers and musicians, but they came to worship too, and they made that known. Lecrae spoke for a few minutes between two of his songs, explaining that he is not a celebrity, nor did he want to be. He stated that he is just a servant whose job is to point to the real Celebrity. This is just one example of authenticity that was shown that week.
My favorite speaker at Passion was Francis Chan. The main point of his message was from 2 Timothy 2:11-13. When we are faithless, God remains faithful. Chan used the story of Hosea and Gomer as an example to demonstrate God’s unfailing love and faithfulness. Even though Gomer runs from Hosea and returns to her former lovers, Hosea wants her back and fights for her because he loves Gomer, and love never gives up. This story is a picture of God and the church. We are unfaithful daily, but the Lord always wants us back. He doesn’t need us, He wants us. This is a truth that has been told to many Christians from birth. The first Christian song many learn is “Jesus Loves Me.” I have known that Jesus loves me for a long time, but before this sermon, the degree of that love had never been so clear to me.
Lindsay Tomer
Walking into the Georgia Dome, on January 1, I was stoked for Passion 2013! What I grasped from the conference were pictures of God’s heart, which have greatlyimpacted my perspective and spiritual walk with Him. First, the number of believers under one roof was overwhelming. I’ve never been surrounded by so many passionate, college-aged Christ followers! Worshipping
together as a body was my favorite part of the Passion experience. I was among 60,000 believers whose lives shined with the light of Christ. All the believers lifting up His name created this spiritual light which shined brighter than any light I have ever seen. The words people sang were not just words, but truths believed down in their souls. Here on earth, it is difficult to grasp what Heaven will be like someday, but Passion gave me a small glimpse of that glorious day of perfect community in Heaven.
Second, all of God’s promises, both good and bad, reflect the integrity and character of God. What God says He’ll do, He’ll do. Francis Chan spoke about God’s promises, and this truth has translated into my thoughts on the topic of slavery and human trafficking. The raw numbers of how prevalent slavery is around the world overwhelms, devastates, and seems impossible to stop. In high school, when I first learned about trafficking, I was appalled that such an industry would even exist. Since then, my passion for pursuing Intercultural Studies and ministry has been so that I can be another pair of hands to serve and rescue the slaves of the world. Although the numbers shared at Passion were depressing, the truth of God’s unfailing promises provides hope in even the darkest of circumstances. We live in the light of Christ, and can look at the immense industry of slavery with hope, because our God is in control and has already defeated the powers of darkness. Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” We were challenged to imagine the impossible. Abolishing slavery completely seems like an impossible notion, but for God, anything is possible. As a firm believer in God’s promises, I want to strive for the impossible. And who knows — if we actually strive for the impossible, God just might choose to make what seems impossible, possible.
Kali Miller
It is hard to explain what happened at Passion 2013. Hearts were changed, our generation opened their eyes, and people found Christ. We connected with seven other people from around the world and gained other perspectives on life. We shined a light and donated money for a cause. Our freedom is for freedom. We have been given freedom, and we must fight for freedom.
I had the great pleasure of listening to John Piper speak about suffering. This was something that all 60,000 of us in the Dome could relate to. We have all suffered in one way or another. He started his message with explaining that adoration is the greatest pleasure of the human soul. Jesus is most glorified when we are satisfied with Him. Jesus provides us liberation from Satan’s wicked kingdom. We should not only endure suffering, but walk into it. Hebrews 10:32 begins to tells us that if we follow Jesus, we will suffer for Him. We need to embrace suffering in the path of love. We need to love our enemies. It is not selfish to love the reward of loving others; it is a desire to include others in that reward. For me, this became relevant with my friendships. In the past year I have made changes so that my life will glorify Christ. In doing that, friendships that I truly cared about were broken down into nothing. This was suffering for me. Christ loves us. Yes, we will suffer for Him, but He suffered for us. We cannot say that we walked through suffering, but that we were carried by Christ.
When I decided to attend Passion 2013 I did something different from Passion 2012. I went in with an open heart. I desired to hear truth and for my eyes to be opened. We as a campus have a chance to do something great with others across the globe. We have the means to end modern-day slavery. This includes both the sex trafficking and labor trafficking. It amazes me that children as young as four have been brought into the sex trade. Our generation has the chance to change our world. We should want people to look back on this time and not ask, “Where were God’s people?” but to say, “Yes, God’s people were there.” Check out enditmovement.com to learn more and pledge to end slavery.
