The heartbeat of the Passion Movement is God’s glory, and God is most glorified in us when we live lives that are fully satisfied in Him. But what does that actually look like? Simple Pursuit contains 365 daily devotionals written by a collective of 18–25-year-olds from the Passion Movement for their peers. Each day of this yearlong journey will inspire you to perfect the pause, allowing God to break through the noise of this world with the truth of His Word. The overflow of your daily pursuit will lead you on to be winsome—living an irresistible life focused on the central purpose and mission of Jesus. With introductions by Louie Giglio, Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, and Matt Redman, Simple Pursuit was built on the declaration from Isaiah 26:8: “Yes Lord, walking in the way of your truth, we wait eagerly for you; for your name and your renown are the desire of our souls.” Through each day’s Scripture, reflection, and prayer, you will begin to see the big story Jesus is writing for your life and the great opportunity you have to be a part of something bigger than yourself—building His kingdom! Rooted in the confession of Isaiah 26:8, Passion exists to glorify God by uniting students in worship, prayer and justice for spiritual awakening in this generation. From its start in 1995, the Passion movement has had a singular mission – calling students from campuses across the nation and around the world to live for what matters most. For us, what matters most is the name and renown of Jesus. We believe in this generation and are watching God use them to change the climate of faith around the globe. Simple Pursuit A Heart After Jesus By Thomas Nelson Thomas Nelson Copyright © 2016 Passion Publishing All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-7180-8762-3 Contents Introduction by Louie Giglio, vii, The 268 Declaration, xi, STATEMENT 1: A Passion to Know God Above All Things, 1, STATEMENT 2: Love for the Local Expression of His Church, 75, STATEMENT 3: Unity Among Believers That Amplifies His Name, 151, STATEMENT 4: A Desire to See Christ Celebrated Where I Live, 225, STATEMENT 5: Willingness to Shine the Gospel to All People, 301, Contributing Writers, 379, Scripture Index, 383, CHAPTER 1 STATEMENT 1 A PASSION TO KNOW GOD ABOVE ALL THINGS Because I was created by God and for His glory, I desire to make knowing and enjoying God the passionate pursuit of my life. I was a teenager when I first started to think about knowing God. I began my journey of faith a little earlier than that, and to be clear, I knew quite a few things about God. But in my teenage years I started to understand that it was possible to go beyond just knowing about God and actually know Him. I think it started in the Psalms. I was fascinated by so much of the language in this songbook found right at the heart of the Bible. Sometimes the psalmist's angst shocked me — it felt so undiluted, raw, and real. But the thing that got my attention in these ancient songs was how these songwriters would talk about their hunger for God. They had such a passion to know Him: One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. (Psalm 27:4) And then I came across the apostle Paul saying something so similar in his writings: Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ. (Philippians 3:8 NLT) These are such strong and compelling words. Paul is saying that there's nothing better in the whole of this life than to know Christ; next to that, everything else just seems dull and uninspiring. Over the years I began to realize that knowing Christ is the most privileged and powerful pursuit a soul can ever set out on in this life. One of the best signs of how much someone really knows God is what level of reverence for Him they convey through their lives. Some claim to know God well, but when they speak about Him, they make Him out to be a tame, domesticated version of Himself. Yet when we truly draw near and know God, we will find Him to be more holy than we ever imagined — and more awesome than our hearts and souls can ever come to grips with. As we draw near to Him, our sense of His majesty always increases and never decreases. You and I are caught up in an unfathomable mystery. We can draw near to almighty, holy God, and He will draw near to us. We can know Him who logic tells us should be unknowable. It is a miracle of grace. May our defining passion in life be to know this Jesus. — MATT REDMAN DAY 1 WHO NEEDS A FIVE-YEAR PLAN? "I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will li