A few of the final sessions of Passion 2010 are still online for Playback, but today is the day we begin to “work out” what God has done in our lives during our time in Atlanta.  It was so powerful during the last session as thousands stood to voice their own personal awakening during these days.  Many stood first to say that they had awakened to a relationship with Jesus Christ for he very first time, seeing Him as the giver of life, forgiveness and hope forever.

Others stood awakening to…
Christ as everything…supreme and sufficient.
Grace-I cant but He can.
Healing-so many stood to say healing had come to their wounds during these days.
Glory-awakening to the massive God story that is going on around us and our desire to make our lives count for His fame.
Justice-to see those with no voice lifted in His love.

Our team is completely tanked and so, so grateful for all He has done.  We are humbled to serve your generation and praying for you as Passion 2010 begins….right now!

More later…
LG

It’s way too soon for me to try to write about the last four days in a few sentences…but suffice to say if I could do a “heart dump” there would be about a 124,443,786 word Blog in front of you right now.

22,000+ people are headed out of downtown as Passion 2010 takes to the streets and we find out what these days were really made of.  I have a feeling there are going to be ripples from these days that turn into massive waves and reach every spot of earth fr the fame of the one who has set us free!

Thank you to our amazing team of leaders, a tireless staff team and 1100 of the most phenomenal volunteers you have ever seen.  And thank you to all of you who gave us the huge honor of serving you in these days.

Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.  Psalm 57:8-11

More to come….
LG

Now.

During the next few hours many of you will be arriving in Atlanta. But Passion doesn’t start when you get here, Passion begins the instant you become intoxicated by the grace of God and determine to make every breath about the Savior who brought you back to life again.  Shake off the fog of lies that suffocate…and cling to the voice of the Spirit.  In Christ, you are prized, free, alive, new, washed, clean, able.  You are Passion.  And Passion is now!

If you’re on the way to Passion 2010, we’ll see you soon!  If not, know we feel your prayers from a far and will see you by the miracle of technology once the first session is streamed sometime Saturday night/Sunday morning.

So now we pray…
Father, what more can we say?  16 days.  So many words.
We need You more than ever.  You are everything.  Be happy at Passion 2010.  It’s all for You, Jesus.  Amen

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God.” 1 Corinthians 2:12

Day 16.  Details.

Passion 2010 is beautifully coming to life as hundreds of volunteers and staff work tirelessly to prepare the way.  This morning (the morning after New Year’s Eve), it was humbling to see dozens of volunteers checking in before 8 AM!  Everywhere you look, amazing people are doing all kinds of things big and small.  And God is here, in it all.

We shouldn’t be surprised to know that God is part of every aspect of our lives. He’s not too busy (He doesn’t sleep), uninterested (He’s here with us), high and mighty (He’s a servant-King), overloaded (He knows the names of all the stars) or ambivalent (He gave His best for us) to be connected to the small stuff.  While He is a “big picture God,” He’s “intimately acquainted with all our ways.” Psalm 139:3.

God is specific (check out all the genealogies and lists in the Bible).  He is into microscopic things.  He first split the atom.  And there is no detail in your life today too small for Him to know and care about.

That’s good news for us as so many little pieces are assembled into Passion 2010!  God is not waiting until January 2nd to show up.  He is here in the details, too.

Things to pray about and be grateful for:
We survived yesterday, and all the Hokies and Volunteers (Va Tech and Tennessee) have departed after the Chick-fil-A bowl that happened last night next door.
Thousands of resources are being organized into an amazing 268 Store.
The coolest Do Something Now area is coming to life, a place where we will engage global and local causes for His fame.
Kneel, our interactive prayer journey, is taking shape and ready to welcome you.
People are buying towels and socks right now at Walmarts across the nation.
22,000 registration packets are being put together, all with various wristbands, maps, etc..
Our production crew is finishing the GWCC Arena today. They will have to wait until after today’s basketball game to start Philips Arena load in sometime during the night.
We will pack Philips Arena 48 hours after two Widespread Panic shows!
The weather has turned cold…but mostly things are dry.
19 Community Group settings are being brought to life.
Over 40 Team Leaders are cranking at full speed.
Over 1000 other volunteers are coming for the four days.
People are registering!  We are closing in on 22,000!  Come on!
17 Brazilians have hit a snag in Sao Paulo, arriving at the airport yesterday to find they had been sold bogus tickets by a shady broker.  We are working to find solutions and praying them here right now.
A car load of people are halfway here from Montana.  They hit a deer in Wyoming, but are OK.  Apparently, the deer passed away.
Our first of many all-day sound checks is going on.  Here’s to Kristian Stanfill and his band for an early arrival.

On other fronts:
Urbana (a giant four-day student missions conference) just ended in St. Louis with over 16,000 people. (Lots more details there!)
Campus Crusade Conferences are going on across the nation right now with thousands more students! (More details!)

So together we pray…

Father, thank You for being here today, and not just showing up for the “big moments.”  Give us grace to see You in every detail and each little thing.  We believe they all add up to something amazing.  We rejoice with Urbana, Campus Crusade and the other student conferences happening around the world today.  You are great, working everywhere at once to bring Your Kingdom here.  All of our hope is in You!  In Jesus name.  Amen.

“All this said David: the LORD made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, all the details of this pattern. Then David said to his son Solomon, Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished.” 1 Chronicles 28:19-20

Day 15.  Stand.

Without going into great detail, there is a lot of spiritual headwind facing Passion 2010 today.  We are not surprised.  We know the days ahead will change lives forever.  And we know we are in a fight.

Most likely, many of you are also feeling the wind in your face as you make your final preparations for Atlanta.  Today, united all across the globe, we simply stand…confident that God is greater than whatever opposes us…confident that something greater than all our struggles is just over the horizon.

Stand.
Hope.
Believe.
Endure.
See.

“You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.  Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD.”  2 Chronicles 20:17-18.

So together we pray…

Father, give us an enduring spirit today.  We have come to expect a fight on the brink of something large and life-changing, but we are too tired and too small to fight for ourselves.  Our hearts are waiting on You.  Fight for us.  Win the day.  Bring us through.  Crush the darkness.  Bolster our faith.  Be sure ground under our feet.  Fill our mouths with praise.  Fix our gaze on You.  Lift our expectations.

What foe can stand in Your Way?  You are our God and there is none like You!  In Jesus’ name!  Amen

Things to know if you’re headed to Atlanta to Passion 2010:

A schedule of the Breakout sessions for January 3/4 is now online under Latest Details at the Passion 2010 site.   Check out the great daily offerings as you plan your time at Passion 2010.

Towels and Socks.  Yep, we need every person (student, leader, volunteer) coming to 2010 to bring a like new or new towel and a package of socks for a men, women or children.  Together we are going to stock the homeless shelters of the city with enough towels and socks to communicate the love of God to countless people who will never hear about Passion 2010.  After all, if 21,000+ people who love Jesus show up in any city shouldn’t the less-fortunate of that city know the Kingdom of God was near?  We say “yes,” and with your help we can spread His love in a tangible way throughout the year.

Do Something Now. In addition to Towels & Socks there will be lots of causes at the heart of Passion 2010. Maybe you will want to contribute to a small business loan for a woman in Haiti, or help build a border outpost in Nepal to intercept women being trafficked as sex slaves into India.  Check out the Do Something Now area of the website before you arrive and come prepared to invest in the lives of people around the globe.

The Road To 2010 Arrival Podcast is online now.  A little travel companion, this is A MUST LISTEN for everyone coming to 2010.  The idea is that you download and listen to the podcast AS you are making the trip to Atlanta, not before.  If you are coming as a group, burn the podcast to a CD so you can listen together on the way.

Speaking of arriving, people are still registering as we type.  There is still room for you!

Things you need to know if you are not coming to Atlanta:

We will be updating our twitter [@Passion 268] throughout the event.  As well, we will be Playing Back the main sessions during the four days on the Passion 2010 website so you can join us from wherever you are.  The sessions will be delayed by a few hours and each session will remain online for a 24 hour period.

Join us in reaching our Do Something Now goals by clicking the link on the Passion 2010 Playback page (where we will be posting the sessions during Passion 2010)!  You are a part of this Movement, so we wanted you to be able to give, as well.  Please help us touch the world!

Please keep praying and covering us from the four corners of the world!