Passion Church Tucson

I began a series last week using Psalm 91 to discuss God’s promises in this well-known Psalm. From a New Testament perspective, this Psalm describes the security believers can enjoy through faith in Christ. This psalm does not promise that believers will have a carefree existence. The function of Psalm 91 is rather to appeal to people to have complete trust in God.1 I was reminded last week of a v...

This psalm arguably brings together all the promises of protection found in the Bible. Isn’t it interesting that our emergency number is 911? I wonder if those who established our emergency call number had Psalm 91:1 in mind! Psalm 91 describes the security and confidence believers can enjoy through their faith in Christ. Psalm 91 is both a prayer and a declaration of trust in God and his promises...

History demonstrates that nearly every significant revival and awakening was initiated by individuals and ministries that earnestly sought God through prayer and fasting. Frequently, these movements of God were accompanied by signs, wonders, and the gifts of the Spirit. We are currently experiencing a history-making move among the nations! Fasting is an essential part of the process of seeing God’...

Before I begin teaching on fasting, let’s take a moment to reflect on where humanity stands as we start 2025. To claim that we are in an unprecedented period in human history is an understatement! First, we are in the age of grace because of what Jesus has done. God’s grace is enough to run the race! His grace does more than forgive us of our sins; it empowers us to accomplish great things in His...

But as we read in Luke’s gospel about the virgin birth, Elizabeth, by the Holy Spirit, could see and discern Mary was with child. Being empowered by the Spirit, she begins to prophesy about Jesus. Even John, in her womb, leaps as Mary enters—the Holy Spirit upon him as promised! In this part of the story of Christ’s birth, we see an example of how faith sees, or discerns, the unseen. In this case,...

Jesus is the author and perfecter of your faith (Hebrews 12:2), and the Christmas story reminds us of this truth. Jesus is our hope, our savior, and our confidence. Through His life and resurrection, we learn that with God, nothing is impossible. You can have God’s faith as you learn to keep your focus on Jesus. The moment you take your eyes off Him, you lose sight of the primary goal of your fait...

The short answer is yes! The Lord is our healer, and from the earliest accounts in the Bible, He reveals Himself as such. In Exodus 15, we read of the deliverance of the children of Israel from Pharaoh and Egypt. Nearly two million Israelites are in the desert under Moses’ leadership. They are thirsty and come to the bitter waters of Marah. The Lord directs Moses to throw a stick into the waters,...

Through faith in Christ, we are adopted into God’s family and become citizens of heaven. The core of our identity is to know as truth that we are loved, accepted, and added to God’s family. We are not striving to earn God’s love and acceptance! In Christ, we have the authority of His name, His Word, and authority as children of God and citizens of heaven. As citizens of heaven on earth, we are inv...

Understanding who you are in Christ, your rights as His child, and your citizenship in heaven empowers you to live according to God’s divine purpose and power! As I shared last week, heaven aids those who understand their identity and position in Christ. Knowing your citizenship and purpose affects your thinking and behavior. Confidence builds, and you pray with focus, which makes your prayers eff...

Abraham waited for the “city” (Heb. 11:10). His natural eyes couldn’t see it, but he could see with a spiritual eye what God had “revealed” to him—the heavenly Jerusalem. God prepared a heavenly country and city for Abraham and all of God’s people (vs. 16). According to Heb. 11:10, 16, we are already citizens of this city. It is so full of exciting and welcoming features that we should find it mys...

Faith lives from the invisible toward the visible. Abraham discovered trust in God’s promises anchored in an unseen realm. (Heb. 11:8-12, 13-16)  Abraham believed God existed, believed He loved us unconditionally, and sought Him earnestly (Hebrews 11:6). Result: he could believe and obey God’s promises when there was no evidence of realizing those promises.  Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as a firm co...

Know this: God is faithful, even when we are faithless! Abraham is the only person in the Bible who is called a friend of God (James 2:23). Although he was not perfect in his walk with God, scripture records him as God’s friend and his “friend forever” (2 Chr. 20:7). Faith is exemplified throughout his life. Even when Abraham was weak in faith, God saw him as a person of faith. From this “friend o...

Abraham is the only person in the Bible who is called a friend of God (James 2:23), perhaps the highest honor anyone can receive. Although he was not perfect in his walk with God, scripture records him as God’s friend and his “friend forever” (2 Chr. 20:7). Abraham is the father of faith and the faithful. Faith is exemplified throughout his life. Even when Abraham was weak in faith, God saw him as...

In Genesis, we read that God promised Abraham’s descendants that all the families of the earth would be blessed. However, twenty-four years have passed since the Lord first spoke to Abraham and Sarah about having a son, and their faith has weakened. God, however, appears to them in Genesis 18 and tells them that Sarah will conceive and have a son by the set time next year. “Is anything too hard fo...

Pastor Dr. Bob Sawvelle Genesis 22 presents a pivotal moment in Abraham’s walk with God, during which faith is not just professed but tested and demonstrated. Abraham, a man of faith and a friend of God, is called to a supreme test. Have you discovered faith is a journey of trust even when we don’t understand God’s leading and ways? In Proverbs three, we are given vital insights into faith and tru...

I continue this week’s study of Abraham and Sarah’s journey of faith. We pick up our story in Genesis 17 when God renews His covenant and promises to Abraham. It’s been about 23 years since the Lord first spoke to Abraham in Genesis 12, telling him to leave his country, family, and father’s house for a land God would show him. God also promised to make Abraham a great nation and bless all the fami...

Godly patience is a character quality that sustains us—a virtue. However, many of us grow impatient when waiting upon God for a promise to be fulfilled. In the delay we can become discouraged if the season is long. In the book of Proverbs, we read, Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. Prov. 13:12 NKJV Only hope anchored firmly in God and His promises...

I will start a four-week series about Abram (Abraham) and Sarai (Sarah) today. This series is about God’s faithfulness to us, even when we make mistakes or struggle with faith in His promises. I’ll also underscore the importance of trust, patience, and prophetic fulfillment in this series. This faith-filled couple would impact all our lives, yet they were less than perfect. In fact, they created s...

This is the last article in the series Overcoming a Grasshopper Complex. The series is about our new identity in Christ and how to overcome wrong beliefs and thinking, using the passage in Numbers 13 about 12 spies. It is adapted from my book, Fulfill Your Dreams. Twelve leaders were sent and found the land productive, just as God had promised. But ten of the twelve leaders were shaken with negati...

I started this series two weeks ago using Numbers 13, which describes the twelve leaders sent to spy on the Promised Land. The story reveals that wrong identity, fear, and unbelief affected ten leaders, which affected an entire generation, prohibiting them from receiving what God had already promised. Many today struggle with a false identity and a misunderstanding of who they are in Christ. I wan...

In this series, I am examining the importance of understanding our identity in Christ and ways to overcome wrong identity beliefs. Awareness of our new identity in Christ is foundational to living an abundant life and as an overcomer. His victory has become our victory! Paul stated in Colossians: For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Col. 3:3 NKJV As believers, our life is now...

Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll examine passages in Numbers 13 about the children of Israel to understand more about how important identity is in our lives. In short, Moses was leading them to enter the land of Canaan, the land God promised them. The Lord directs Moses to send twelve spies into the land to observe it and come back and give a report on the land and the inhabitants. The spies sa...

Assuming this to be true, can I ask a simple question, “Is Jesus enough in your life?” Sure, we need tangible things to survive. But at the root of our existence and eternal life is Jesus. He must be foremost and enough through all of life’s highs and lows. Jesus’ disciples walked with Him, heard Him teach, and witnessed Him perform amazing miracles. Yet, as His time on earth was ending, they were...

Physicist Albert Einstein once said, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” True. Every day, all around us, God’s supernatural, miraculous workings are evident. As Paul states in Romans 1, even creation declares God’s glory and workmanship. Jesus is the exact representation of our heavenly Father. Jesus ex...

Mark Pederson