Presence and PowerSample

Presence and Power

Have you ever grappled with the choice between giving up and pressing on in the midst of disappointment? Nick Connolly knows this dilemma well. As a husband, father, non-profit leader, and business owner, Nick has learned the art of perseverance. His book, “Don’t Give Up Just Yet,” is a gold mine of encouragement on how to keep moving forward in faith in spite of resistance.

In this interview, Nick opens up about the spiritual practices that are working best for him right now.

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Doing what isn't work is a lot of work for me right now. I am still learning what recreates and restores me.

In fact, recently, I had a battle involving panic attacks. They came out of nowhere and sidelined me for a few months. What's interesting is I rested, practiced sabbath regularly, started each day with scriptures and time with God, exercised, and ate really well.

What I learned is that the right rituals and routines aren't always the silver bullet.

Recovery and rediscover are words I would use to describe this era in my life. In fact, my word of the year is rebuild. I believe there's a new way that's going to sustain the next years of my life. During a time of prayer, I sensed God say, "For the first forty years of your life, you had to grow up fast and become an adult. The next forty years are going to be about you learning how to be a kid."

I'm learning how to have fun. I'm learning how to read scripture and pray with fresh eyes. There seems to be a way my youngest kid approaches me and believes that I could make anything possible at any moment. I'm learning how to see God that way again.

Are routine and ritual helpful? Absolutely. But I am learning that they make for a horrible god. He is still Lord. He is Lord over the practice, and He is the Lord who can extend presence and power at any moment, in any way.

I say all that to encourage you to see Jesus as the restore and not the ritual/routine. But he does meet us powerfully in those things.

—Nick Connolly, founding pastor of Bright City Church, as told to Rapt Interviews

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