Passion 2026: A Call to Transform Brokenness into Purpose
At the heart of the Passion 2026 conference, Pastor Louie Giglio delivered a stirring message to over 45,000 young adults and college students, emphasizing that the gathering’s true aim is to empower individuals to live for “the glory of God,” particularly those who feel burdened by personal struggles.
“[Passion] is all about Isaiah 26:8,” Giglio shared with the crowd at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. “This has been our theme for 29 years: ‘Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.’”
The 67-year-old pastor explained the essence of “renown” as fame that never diminishes, contrasting it with the fleeting fame sought by many in today’s world. “There’s only one fame that won’t fade, and that’s the fame of Jesus,” he insisted.
Having founded the Passion Conferences in 1997 with his wife, Shelley, Giglio reiterated that the movement inspires students to embrace a mission beyond self-promotion. “I want to help you trade little fame for the fame that never ends, so that when your life is over on this Earth, your life can live on forever, because your life was a part of His renown,” he stated.
Giglio stressed that Passion’s vision is not about filling stadiums but about launching individuals into various life arenas. “We want to launch you like an arrow for the glory of God into whatever segment of finance God puts you in, arrows flung for the glory of God,” he elaborated.
However, he acknowledged that many may feel unprepared or “broken” due to personal challenges. Drawing from Luke 8, Giglio discussed how Jesus transformed a demon-possessed man, likening the man’s transformation to being “launched like an arrow.”
Giglio revealed how personal experiences with anxiety and depression led him to understand the gravity of such struggles. “I was diagnosed with something called the fear of death syndrome,” he recounted, explaining his journey to recovery through faith.
The pastor emphasized that healing is possible and can manifest in various forms, whether immediate, gradual, or eventual in Heaven. “But what I want to say to you is this story is about two things. […] It’s about the past, and it’s about the future,” he noted, urging attendees to look beyond their pasts toward a future with God.
Giglio also highlighted the significance of focusing on Christ’s sacrifice as a pathway to healing. “We don’t get healed by looking deeper and deeper into our wounds,” he told the audience. “We get healed by looking more and more into the wounds of our Savior, Jesus Christ, because by His wounds, we are healed.”
In closing, he invited attendees to find strength in their faith and to recognize that their brokenness doesn’t preclude them from being part of God’s plan. “I’d like to invite you just to stand into this prayer,” Giglio concluded. “Just so that you can say to yourself today and proclaim, into the spiritual world, ‘I’m stronger than the devil wants me to believe I am.’”
The event, held from Jan. 1-3, featured speakers such as Cliffe Knechtle, Jackie Hill Perry, and Earl McClellan, with music by artists like Brooke Ligertwood.
Reflecting on the event, Giglio wrote on Instagram: “We prayed for Jesus to meet us here… on this field… during these days, and He did. We are so grateful for what He did in the lives of thousands of students at Passion 2026. This generation has a fire on the inside that won’t burn out as they go back to their campus, work, families, and to the ends of the earth. We are arrows being sent out by the power of God for the glory of God. Thank you, Jesus.”
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
