Why Do You Follow Jesus?

Desperation Experience DEVO 6
We're going to continue with this theme that we've had for the last few days of examining our relationship with Jesus. Today, we're going to ask and hopefully answer the question, "Why do you follow Jesus?" Perhaps upon examination, the question may actually be, "Do I follow Jesus?" 

David Perkins is the founder of Desperation. If you've been watching the videos attached to these devos, you watch the Decade of Desperation video where you heard from David quite a bit. For today's devotional, I want you to watch his message from a previous Desperation Conference. It is a 40 minute video so GET READY and focus! 

[READ]
John 6:66-69

[WATCH]
http://vimeo.com/13632571

[PRAY]
Jesus, I will follow You. Everyday, every step, I will follow you no matter how uncomfortable or challenging it may get because I trust in You alone.

No One So Wonderful

Desperation Experience DEVO 5
Who do you say God is? Take a second before you go any further and think about that. Actually begin to speak some things. Redeemer, Solid Rock, Savior, Friend, Father, Comforter, Healer, Provider...who is God to you? 

I may not know a ton of things, but here is one thing I do know: If we do not take the time to establish in our hearts who God is to us then He will never be more than a topic of conversation for us. He will never be something more than what we occasionally talk about or hear about at church. But when we figure out who God is to us, how very real He is in our lives, our relationship with God goes to a new level. 

Isn't that what these 40 days leading up to Desperation is all about? Isn't that at the core of what we're seeking from the Desperation Experience? Each of us are looking for a new level with God. Something fresh and real.

God is real. God is alive. His Spirit is constantly refreshing. Tonight, take time and make a declaration. "My God is ____________________." 

[READ]
Psalm 62

[WATCH]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15cBVHxXIjo

[PRAY]
God, you are my God. There truly is no one so wonderful as You. Thank you God for being everything in every situation that I need. My hope is in You. Help me to set aside generic religious prayers and actions and become a Christ follower who lives knowing who You are, penetrating every area of my life. I love You, Jesus.

Join the Angels

Desperation Experience Devo 4
So often, things become about us. How do we feel? How does this help me? What can I get out of this? But we were created to worship. We were created for HIS glory. We were created in His image. 

When it becomes about us, we can quickly cross that dangerous line into religion where it's a burden to go to church, we don't sing or praise if we don't feel like it, we don't have time to pray or read our bibles. 

In Isaiah 6, Isaiah the prophet catches a glimpse of Heaven. He describes a scene where angels are surrounding the throne of God singing "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord." Think about what that'll be like! And here's the key, in our minds we think that'll get boring or repetitive or monotonous but when we begin to truly experience the presence of God there is nothing like it. There is nothing like being before the God of the ages and focusing on Him alone, lifting up His name, laying aside our agenda and fixing out eyes on Him. 

You were created to worship Him. 

Take time to get away and spend time in His presence. You should love being in His presence more than anything in this world. 

[READ]
Isaiah 6:1-6

[WATCH]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMy8G4sUU6Q

[PRAY]
Father, I want to live completely for You. I surrender my life to You. My wants, my dreams, my plans and I choose Your plan and Your way. May all that I do today bring glory to Your name.

Take Me to the River

Desperation Experience DEVO 3
Tonight's devotional is based off the video from the Desperation Band's worship leader, Jon Egan, talking about how the song "Take Me to the River" was written for their new album. 

In this video, Jon talks about his time as a high school students where they experienced, you guessed it, revival. He speaks of of worship services lasting hours. Conversations with countless friends that are all about Jesus. Having a constant longing to be in His presence. 

This is how we should live...longing to be in His presence where we truly come alive. 

What is it that you want God to do? You have not because you ask not. What do you want Him to do in your life? What are your expectations? What are you hopes? What are your desires? WHAT DO YOU LONG FOR? 

[READ]
Ezekiel 47:1-9

[WATCH]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGvFv9vZus0&feature=g-user-u

[PRAY]
Abba, I pray that our students are overwhelmed by a sense of discontent. I pray that they cannot quench the thirst that they have for You. I pray that their hearts physically ache because all they want is to be with You. Just as David said, better is one day in your courts, in your presence, than a thousand days anywhere else. I pray that this truly become each of our hearts. Take us to the river, Lord. 

Desperate Pursuit

Desperation Experience DEVO 2
The name "Desperation" is intriguing in itself. Desperation...to be desperate...what are you desperate for? I know most days, I am desperate for two things: Sleep and ice cream! But seriously, that's not desperation. What does it REALLY mean to be desperate? 

The phrase CRY OUT shows up in scripture over 200 times. Many people, such as David, Isaiah and Jeremiah all cried out in desperation to God. They prayed for intervention, provision, guidance, all praying and believing that God would and could do something huge to change their situation. 

What's going on in your life that you need God to change? What makes you cry out to Him? It's in these moments that we find ourselves to be desperate. The heart of Desperation is to see a generation of students become of movement of students in desperate pursuit of God. Those words just scream intensity to me. Desperate and pursuit. We need some desperate students. We need some students who will commit to pursue God no matter how difficult it may get. 

Are you desperate? Forget the negative connotation our society has given that word (i.e. being pathetic because you are so desperate for a boyfriend/girlfriend). God desires our desperation for Him. Let's embrace it and pursue it! 

[READ]
Psalm 84 in it's entirety.

"My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God."

The language David uses here is the very essence of what it means to be desperate! 

[WATCH]
A Decade of Desperation to help you better understand the heart behind the movement.

https://vimeo.com/25776016

[PRAY]
Ask God to make you desperate. Ask him to change your heart. 

This may mean stripping some things away. This may mean doing some hard work. This may mean revealing some things that are difficult to confront. God desires our desperation, our pursuit of Him. We must be willing to make those sacrifices.