Welcome to the InTouch Podcast with Charles Stanley for Wednesday, December 7th.

Do you need help pushing aside lesser things and maintaining a passion for God?

Today's podcast discusses that journey with a passion to know him.

When you hear the word passion today and most of the time,

we relate that to some sensual, a sexual idea.

But the word passion means an overwhelming, intense, strong desire towards something of someone else.

Passion is not to be limited to something that is sensual.

But passion can also be directed towards something that is spiritual,

that is a passion to know God, a passion for God.

And that is exactly what I want to talk about in this message.

And I want to begin a series today about that very theme title.

And that is a passion for God and the title of this message, a passion to know him.

A strong, intense, overwhelming, emotional desire to know God in Christ Jesus.

Now, if you'll turn to Philippians chapter 3 because probably of all the text and the Bible,

this is the one that best describes and expresses the passion of the Apostle Paul to know the Lord Jesus Christ.

And if you'll recall also that in this book, all through this epistle,

he's talking about rejoicing and praising the Lord, though he's writing this from a prison.

And in the third chapter, he has just made the statement,

in the last part of that third verse, put no confidence in the flesh,

that is, don't depend upon our own self-achievments and accomplishments for anything spiritual.

And then he begins by verse 4 saying, although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh.

If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I'll far more.

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