Why Your Faith Feels Cold | How to Reignite the Fire

Have you ever felt like your faith used to be stronger than it is today? In this episode of the Intentional Grounding Godcast, we dive into Luke 24:32 and the powerful moment when the disciples on the road to Emmaus realized Jesus had been walking beside them all along. Their hearts burned with holy fire as Christ opened the Scriptures and revealed truth.

If you've been feeling spiritually dry, distant from God, or wondering where your passion for faith went, this message is for you. Discover how Jesus reignites a cold heart, why Scripture fuels spiritual fire, and practical steps you can take today to draw closer to God and experience renewed passion in your walk with Christ.

Transcript

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Have you ever really wondered why your faith feels cold today when there was a time like you couldn't stop talking about Jesus? Maybe you've been to church, maybe you've read your Bible, maybe you've prayed, but if you're honest, something feels different. The fire isn't gone, but it doesn't feel like it used to. Well, what happened? Well, today we're gonna talk about what it means to have a heart that burns with holy fire. Not emotional hype, not temporary excitement, but the kind of fire that Jesus himself ignites inside of a believer. And we're gonna discover why that fire fades, how it gets reignited, and what happens when Christ becomes real to us again. Welcome to the Intentional Grounding Godcast. Letters to Isaiah. I'm your faith strategist, Coach Dombrowski, and I'm here to help you live out your walk, not just believe it. So the resurrection has happened, the tomb is empty, and many followers of Jesus are confused, they're discouraged, and they're uncertain. Two disciples, they're walking on the road to Emmaus, discussing everything that has happened. They thought Jesus would save Israel. They watched him die. And now they're trying to make sense of all of it, right? And then the stranger joins them. And what they don't realize is that stranger is Jesus himself. So Luke 24, 32, it says, were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the scriptures to us. The phrase burning within us, it describes a spiritual awakening. It wasn't an emotional manipulation. There, there was the presence of Christ revealing truth. And as Jesus opened scripture, something happened deep inside them. Truth ignited the passion. Understanding ignited faith. Jesus ignited their hearts. Sometimes the fire doesn't come because life gets easier. Sometimes it comes because Jesus becomes clearer. All right. Now, this fire, it starts with Jesus, right? Notice something important here. The disciples, they didn't create the fire. Jesus created it. They didn't motivate themselves, they didn't attend a seminar, right? They encountered Christ. Many people, they try to manufacture passion, but passion that comes from self-effort, y'all, it burns out. Passion that comes from Christ, it burns on. Okay. And if you're feeling spiritually cold, don't chase feelings. Chase Jesus. Now, this holy fire that we're talking about here is fueled by scripture. All right. The disciples said their hearts burned while Jesus opened the scriptures. The fire wasn't coming from circumstances, it wasn't coming from comfort, it came from the truth. And I think one reason that many believers feel spiritually dry is because they're consuming more news than scripture, right? More social than scripture, more opinions than scripture. The word of God, it remains the fuel source for spiritual fire. Now, the fire, believe it, produces movement. When the disciples realized they had seen Jesus, they immediately got up and went back to Jerusalem. They moved, right? That fire produces action. A believer on fire, it begins serving, all right, begins encouraging, begins forgiving, begins trusting, begins sharing their faith. This fire is never meant to stay contained. It was always to help us move towards obedience. Now, I don't know, ask yourself, you know, what has replaced your fire lately? Was it disappointment, busyness, comfort? Maybe it was fear or bitterness, or maybe you were just distracted. You know, Jesus didn't condemn these disciples for being confused, did he? No. He walked alongside them. And you know what, friends? He does this today. And somebody listening right now remembers what it felt like when they first came to Christ. You couldn't wait to pray. You couldn't wait to worship, you couldn't wait to learn. But today feels different, doesn't it? Well, here's the good news the same Jesus who set your heart on fire the first time can do it again. You have not drifted beyond his reach, you haven't cooled beyond his ability to reignite, right? No more, how do I get that feeling back? No. Ask, how do I get closer to Jesus? The goal was never the feeling, the goal was always the savior. When you produce pursue him, that fire is gonna follow. Okay. And the easiest way to make that happen, well, there's a couple of ways. Open up your Bible every day, even if it's for 10 minutes. You know, ask God to reveal himself, you know, not just information, but transformation. And you know what? You gotta start somewhere. Remove a major distraction. Okay, create room for God to speak in your life and serve somebody, you know, serve somebody this week. Fire grows when faith is exercised. Get in front of somebody, have a conversation, pray together, you know, and at the end of the day, honestly, remember what God has already done. That gratitude is gonna rekindle with the discouragement, extinguishes, you know, and if you continue pursuing Christ consistently, your faith, it's not gonna become perfect, but it will become deeper, right? Your trust is gonna grow, your discernment's gonna sharpen, your joy will increase, and little by little you'll discover the fire was never completely gone, right? It was just waiting for fresh fuel, you know. So, like tomorrow morning, before you clock in on social, you know, before you check the email, before you turn on the news, open up God's word, ask one question. Jesus, what do you want me to see today? And then listen. Man, y'all, the fire often starts with a little single spark, you know. I mean, the world offers a ton of fire, right? Ambition, anger, political outrage, the fire of political or personal success. All of these things, they fade. A holy fire, though, is different. It doesn't depend on circumstances. It survives storms, it survives disappointments, it survives different seasons of waiting, right? Because it's the source, right? Its source is not the world, its source is Christ. The disciples uh on the road, they discovered something every believer has to learn. Jesus was walking beside them long before they recognized him. And a lot of times in our lives, that's exactly what's happening. We think God's not there. We think he's silent, he's distant. Meanwhile, he's walking right beside us. He's teaching us, he's strengthening us, he's preparing us for moments when our eyes finally open and our hearts start burning again. A cold heart doesn't always mean a lost faith. Sometimes it just means it's time to get back near the fire. And Jesus is still inviting you closer. To my grandson Isaiah, there are going to be seasons in life where your faith feels strong and the season that feel weak. Never confuse a difficult season with God's absence. Stay close to him, stay close to his word, keep praying, keep trusting that same Savior who lit the fire in your heart once before. You know, I think about those two disciples. They walked away discouraged, and Jesus walked beside them. That is powerful. He opened up the scriptures, man, and suddenly their hearts burned with the fire again. So today, like our next step, it's simple. Spend intentional time with Jesus in the Word. You know, the fire that you're looking for may be one conversation with God away from being reignited. I mean, if there's ever been a season in your life when your felt, your faith felt like it felt like it was on fire, or maybe you're praying for God to reignite that fire. Now, I don't know. Like drop me a comment, send me some fan mail. I'd love to know. If this message encouraged you, please share it out with somebody who needs their faith rekindled today. Listen, I appreciate you all joining me. Uh, if you haven't already, get over to my YouTube channel, Coach Dombrowski, and subscribe there. Follow along for shorts and messages and times where we can just grow together in faith. Until next time, Coach Dombrowski out. I'll be praying for you.