I love a great campfire. Seriously. It’s one of my favorite things in the world. I love the smell of the burning wood. I love the sound of the crackling embers as the fire begins to consume the heart of the log. For me, even the meals cooked over a campfire seem better than other foods. Whether they are s’mores, hot dogs, or hobo meals (Seriously, Google it. So tasty!), I love a great campfire.

But when it comes to making a great campfire, it doesn’t matter how much wood, oxygen, or kerosene you have, unless you have a spark, it will never catch fire.

That idea is what drives one of the core values of our student ministry. The River Youth exists to Ignite a passion in students to love God and love others and Fuel it by serving the world. We want to ignite a passion in students to fall in love with Jesus and love others through our passion for Jesus.

However, this article isn’t about students or our student ministry. It’s about you. So let me ask you a quick question. How are you igniting your passion for Jesus and others in 2019? What kind of fire are you blazing in 2019? Is it a roaring fire that is on the verge of going wild? Or are you just a few embers burning just before your fire goes out? 

Well wherever you are, I want to give you some tips/tricks to help you ignite and fuel your fire for 2019. 

Loving God

• Pray but don’t just submit requests. When we pray we have an opportunity to draw near to the God of the universe in a personal way. This is the God who shaped and forged the foundation of the earth and set the stars in the sky. It’s pretty cool that he wants time with you as a Heavenly Father. Approach him and just spend time with him. Tell him about your day. Cast your concerns on him and let him comfort you. Make your prayer life special in 2019.
• Learn Deeper. Don’t just read your Bible out of obligation but rather explore it. One challenge I gave to students recently was to go to the table of contents and read through the books of the Bible. When you see one you didn’t know was even a book of the Bible, go there and read that book. Dig deeper into the Scripture and let it change you this year.

Loving Others

• Be kind to others. One great thing I heard in a sermon in 2018 was that if you are not speaking life into others, you are speaking death. As a sharp tongued and sarcastic person, it can be so easy for me to put down others. My advice for you in 2019 is to make a stronger effort to be kinder to people. Sounds easy until they get under your skin but my prayer for us is that people will see Jesus through the way that we treat them this year. 
• Serve others. Whether at work, out and about, or even through opportunities given to you here at The River Church, be open to the idea of serving others in the name of Jesus. Get involved with others lives and see how you can serve them. Don’t be afraid to give up some of your resources to bless others. By doing so, you will experience the love of Jesus in some really cool ways.

These are just my tips. There are plenty of ways you can either ignite that fire or throw some more wood into it. I pray in 2019, you are able to do some amazing things for the Kingdom of God and experience more of God because you ignited and fueled your passion for Jesus.