Didn't Our Hearts Burn | Part Four

Part Four | Hearts Ablaze for Jesus

Key Thought | A burning heart is not produced by religion, but by a real encounter with Jesus.

Key Scripture | “They said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?’” —Luke 24:32 (ESV)

They had religion. They had heard of Him. By all accounts, they had even spent time with Him, yet they still didn’t truly know who He was.

I feel this is true for many who frequent church today. We can become so familiar with religion that we miss Him. I don’t say that in condemnation, but from a place of conviction. As a pastor, it is far easier to give people religion than relationship, much easier to teach a system of practices than to encourage encounters with a holy God.

But when religion fades and no longer satisfies, we’re left wondering what is real and what is not.

Let me be crystal clear: the only One who can create a burning heart is Jesus. We are desperately in need of a fresh revelation of who He is, one not filtered through culture or religion, but the genuine Jesus. A revelation not shaped by past perceptions or future expectations, but one that is face to face. Not through another person, but through communion with Him.

We need the scales to fall from our eyes so we can look deeply into the eyes of our Savior and see His burning passion for us.

When you come into contact with real love—not fleeting love, not situational love, but love that is true, pure, and holy—there is only one response: to love in return.

“We love Him because He first loved us.” —1 John 4:19 (NKJV)

Lauren’s prayer and mine—for our elders, our team, and for you—is simple: that you would know how deeply He loves you, and that knowing would leave you with no other response than to fall in love with Him.

As you prepare your heart, ask Jesus to move you beyond familiarity and into a fresh encounter. Let Him replace routine with revelation. When we truly see Him for who He is, our hearts cannot reflect anything less than holy fire.

Prayer | Jesus, open my eyes to see You as You truly are. Strip away what is familiar but lifeless, and awaken my heart again with Your love. Let my faith be fueled by encounter, not habit. Amen.

Reflection

• Where might familiarity have replaced wonder in your walk with Jesus?
• What would it look like to seek Him again without filters or expectations?

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