When Hearts Burn: Rediscovering a Passion for the Presence of God

There is a difference between knowing about someone and actually knowing them.
You can read someone's biography.
Study their accomplishments.
Memorize important details about their life.
And still never meet them.
The same can happen in our relationship with God.
We can know Bible verses.
Attend church.
Listen to sermons.
Understand theology.
And yet somewhere along the journey, we can lose the wonder of simply being with Him.
But Christianity was never meant to be merely information about God.
It is an invitation to know Him.

When Jesus Walked Beside Them
In Luke 24, two disciples were walking along the road to Emmaus.
They were discouraged.
Confused.
Trying to understand everything that had happened surrounding the death of Jesus.
Then a stranger began walking beside them.
They didn't recognize Him.
But as they walked, He opened the Scriptures and explained how everything pointed to the Messiah.
Later, their eyes were opened.
The stranger was Jesus.
And after He disappeared from their sight, they said something remarkable:

"Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?"
(Luke 24:32 NKJV)

Their circumstances hadn't changed while they walked.
But something inside them had.
Their hearts began to burn.

Information Can Never Replace Encounter
The disciples on the Emmaus road knew the facts.
They knew about Jesus.
They knew about the crucifixion.
They had even heard reports about the empty tomb.
But something changed when Jesus Himself drew near.
This is the invitation of the Christian life.
We don't simply want to know more facts about God.
We want to know Him.
We want His Word to become alive.
We want His presence to transform us.
We want our hearts to burn again.

Moses Turned Aside
Centuries earlier, another man encountered God in an unexpected place.
Moses was tending sheep in the wilderness when he saw something unusual.
A bush was burning.
Yet it wasn't consumed.
Scripture tells us,

"Then Moses said, 'I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.'" (Exodus 3:3 NKJV)

Then something powerful happened.

"So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush." (Exodus 3:4 NKJV)

Moses had to make a decision.
He had to turn aside.
He could have kept walking.
He could have remained focused on the sheep.
He could have decided he was too busy.
But he stopped.
He turned.
He looked.
And that moment changed his life.

What If God Is Waiting for Us to Turn Aside?
Our lives are incredibly busy.
Schedules.
Responsibilities.
Phones.
Notifications.
Deadlines.
Even good things can fill every available moment.
And sometimes we become so busy doing things for God that we forget how to simply be with God.
Maybe the invitation isn't complicated.
Maybe we simply need to turn aside again.
Turn off the noise.
Put down the phone.
Open the Bible.
Sit quietly.
Worship.
Listen.
Make room.
Because sometimes the difference between an ordinary day and a holy encounter is simply our willingness to stop and look.

Holy Ground Can Appear in Ordinary Places
Moses wasn't in a temple.
He wasn't attending a conference.
He wasn't standing in a church service.
He was at work.
Watching sheep.
In the wilderness.
Yet when God revealed His presence, ordinary ground became holy ground.
That means God can meet you anywhere.
At your kitchen table.
In your car.
During your morning walk.
In your office.
Beside your bed.
The presence of God isn't confined to a building.
When God draws near, ordinary places become sacred.

Don't Settle for Yesterday's Fire
One of the dangers of the Christian life is learning to live on memories of what God once did.
We remember a powerful church service.
A moment when God spoke clearly.
A season when our faith felt alive.
An encounter that changed everything.
Those moments are worth remembering.
But yesterday's encounter was never meant to replace today's relationship.
God isn't simply the God who was.
He is the great I AM.
He is present.
Now.
Today.
And He still invites us to draw near.

Protect the Fire
A fire doesn't remain strong accidentally.
It must be tended.
The same is true spiritually.
Our hearts can become crowded.
Distracted.
Cold.
Not because we stopped believing in God.
But because other things slowly became more important.
Paul told Timothy,

"Stir up the gift of God which is in you." (2 Timothy 1:6 NKJV)

Sometimes we have to stir the fire.
Return to prayer.
Return to worship.
Return to Scripture.
Return to the secret place.
Not out of religious obligation.
But because we remember:
Nothing compares to His presence.

Your Next Step
Sometime this week, intentionally create space for God.
Not because you need something.
Not because you have a prayer list.
Not because you're trying to accomplish a spiritual task.
Simply because you want to be with Him.
Turn aside.
Open your Bible.
Put on worship music.
Sit quietly.
And pray:

"Holy Spirit, I am here. Help me see Jesus. Awaken my heart again. Let my heart burn with love for You."

Then stay.
Listen.
Wait.
You don't have to manufacture an experience.
You simply have to make room.

Summit Focus
Holy Spirit Encounters + Reading Your Bible Every Day

At The Summit, we believe we were created to know God, not simply know about Him.
We value His Word.

We value His presence.

And we believe the Holy Spirit still draws people into life-changing encounters with Jesus.

Our desire is to create a safe place where people can turn aside from the noise of life and enter into the presence of God.

Because when we encounter Him, something changes.
Our perspective changes.
Our desires change.
Our priorities change.
Our hearts begin to burn.
And then we carry that fire into every area of our lives.

At The Summit Dover, we believe there is always more of God to discover.

Whether you've followed Jesus for decades, you're returning after years away, or you're simply searching for answers, there's a place for you here.

Come hungry.
Come expectant.
Come as you are.
Our desire isn't simply to have another church service.

Our desire is to create a place where people can encounter the presence of God.

Because sometimes all it takes is one moment in His presence...

One encounter...

One glimpse...

And an ordinary life catches fire.

Come and turn aside with us.