Jonni Nicole Parsons - The Ignited Workbook: A Guided Journey to Pursuing a Faith on Fire for God

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The Ignited Workbook: A Guided Journey to Pursuing a Faith on Fire for God

Copyright 2022 by Jonni Nicole Parsons. All rights reserved.

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ISBN 978-1-4964-6114-8

ISBN 978-1-4964-6116-2 (ePub); ISBN 978-1-4964-6115-5 (Kindle); ISBN 978-1-4964-6117-9 (Apple)

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Do you pray for a passion for God? Do you hope to miraculously develop the traits of consistency and faithfulness? Do you wish that God would hand you a blueprint on how to stay in right relationship with Him? Do you often question, If God is truly good, why isnt He good enough to fulfill this sincere desire that I have... to stay head over heels in love with Him?

Ive been there.

Ive been praying a desperate prayer for years. Ive begged God for one thing time and time again: that I would learn how to stay on fire and remain in communion with Him, all the time. Not just when things were going the way I want them to go, but during hard seasons as well. I so badly wanted to be consistent. But it seemed as if consistency never wanted me.

Out of all the thirty-day challenges I started, I never completed one. Every time I began a read the Bible in a year plan, I never kept up. The only thing consistent about me was failure. I would always give up on day four or five and feel paralyzed by shame.

One day, I decided Id had enough. I didnt want to be led by my emotions anymore. I didnt want to be defined by my circumstances any longer. I didnt want to be lukewarm.

But somehow, I couldnt break the cycle.

On my good days, when Id start my day with quiet time and a worship song, I felt like I was rocking my Christian identity like a pro. But on my less-than-good days? When a snarky remark would slip out of my mouth to my husband? I would crumble and literally doubt if I was saved in the first place.

Are you lukewarm like I was? Heres a list of lukewarm traits that described me back in the day:

• Lukewarm Christians tend to choose what is popular rather than whats right. They care more about what people think than what God thinks.
• Lukewarm Christians do not really want to stop sinning. They want only to be saved from the penalty of their sins.
• Lukewarm Christians do not believe that new life in Christ is better than their old sinful life.
• Lukewarm Christians say they love Jesus and that Jesus is a part of their lives. But only a part. They give Him a portion of their time, their money, and their thoughts, but they dont want Him to control their lives.
• Lukewarm Christians love God, but they do not love Him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. They reassure themselves by thinking total devotion is not possible for the average person its only possible for radicals.

If you relate to anything on this list, you may in fact be lukewarm. But dont hang your head in despair just yet. Youre in good hands His hands. Gods got you. If you can recognize your spiritual state as less than ideal, God is proud of you. If you have the desire to be better, God is proud of you. If you are in a place of desperation for His presence, God is proud of you.

Youre in a perfect place for God to show off just how powerful He really is.

The apostle Paul warned the church against spiritual apathy. In Romans 12:11, he wrote, Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Jesus echoed this sentiment in Revelation 3:15-16, 19: I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.... As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent ( NKJV ).

My accompanying book, Ignited, and this workbook study are deeply personal to me. I didnt write them as guides on how to make us feel better about ourselves, but on how to get water into our parched souls. They are guides to a whole new way of life. There comes a time when conviction just isnt enough. Its about time we had a heart change.

And Im so glad youre here to study with me.

Each time you finish reading a chapter from Ignited, you can open this workbook and go through the section that corresponds to that chapter. My deepest desire is that the Word of God will come alive to you and that you will learn how to have an ignited faith for God but most importantly, how to stay ignited for God.

As you journey through this workbook, recognize that the tension you may begin to feel between your flesh and spirit is actually a good thing. God is bringing you into a new season. As you get further outside your comfort zone, just remember that God is at work in your life.

You will be investing time in this workbook, so know that long-term relationships are all about endurance. The more you invest, the closer you get to a person. Thats how you must treat your relationship with the Lord, which is the most important relationship you will ever invest in. Most things that give us immediate gratification are short-lived and temporary. A relationship with the Father is much more valuable than anything else on this earth.