| Fervent The Bible uses lots of different ways
to describe followers of God, but one of the most interesting ones is “fervent.” What do you
think of when you hear that word? One definition is “having a passionate
intensity.” Does that describe you in your Christian life? As we consider
where the Bible shows us the zeal that God wants us to have in serving Him,
ask yourself, how can I be fervent?
Fervent in Spirit 1.) We are
encouraged to have a fervent spirit (Rom. 12:2) a. Apollos is a great example (Acts 18:24,
1 Cor. 1:12) b. Others in the New
Testament showed the excitement of what Jesus can do (Mark 1:40-45,
7:31-37) 2.) Thinking about what
Jesus has done increases our fervor
a. Those in New Testament times saw physical things b. We know the spiritual blessings (Eph.
1:3) Fervent in Prayer 1.) Paul certainly believed in fervent
prayer (Col.4:12) 2.) James writes
about the power of passionate, fervent prayer (James 5:16) Fervent in Love 1.) While love is talked about all through
the Word of God, Peter teaches about the degree of that love (1 Peter 1:22,
4:7-8) a. Love for each other helps
our relationships b. Jesus teaches
us to be known for our fervent love (John 13:34) 2.) God Himself leads us as the ultimate
example of fervent love (John 3:16-17)
a. Think of how God has shown us this love (Romans 5:6-8) b. How must we demonstrate this type of
fervent love? We can be a powerful
influence and resource for God when we live fervently. Remember the blessings
of God and how He has affected your life. Encourage others and commit to a
life of passionate service, one that will glorify God and build up your
brethren. |
