Christian Truth Publishing

Revival or Routine?

Rekindling Passion

in a Tired Church

By Gregory Blogett 

 

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On any given Sunday, millions of believers file into sanctuaries across the world. The lights come up. The worship team begins. The message is preached. The service ends. People leave. Repeat. Week after week. And while attendance may be steady and the rhythms predictable, many in the pews—and even in the pulpits—are quietly wondering: Have we traded fire for familiarity? Are we going through the motions while our hearts long for more?

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The truth is, routine can be a double-edged sword in the Church. On one hand, rhythm and consistency are deeply biblical. God is a God of order, not chaos. Spiritual disciplines, faithful gathering, and regular worship are all pillars of a thriving faith community. But when the structure becomes the substance—when form replaces fire—we can begin to drift into dangerous territory: a faith of habit rather than hunger.

This is where many churches find themselves today. The songs are polished, the sermons are solid, the programs are running—but the Spirit feels distant. Not because He isn’t present, but because we’ve grown too comfortable with routine. We’ve learned to “do church” without ever truly encountering the presence of God.

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The modern Church, particularly in the West, has become masterful at strategy. We know how to plant, grow, brand, and scale ministries. We know how to create experiences that draw crowds. But have we forgotten how to wait? How to linger? How to tremble? Revival doesn’t erupt in a system—it breaks out in surrendered hearts. And too often, we’ve settled for sanitized spirituality, afraid that a true move of God might disrupt our schedule, our image, or our control.

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But the undercurrent is rising. Quietly, deeply, there is a longing. In coffee shop conversations, behind closed staff meetings, and even from the pulpit, more and more believers are asking the same question: Is this all there is? And it’s in this honest place of holy discontent that God begins to stir.

Rekindling passion in a tired church doesn’t start with flash—it starts with repentance. Not just personal, but corporate. Repentance for the ways we’ve idolized growth over depth, performance over presence, strategy over surrender. Revival begins when we stop trying to control the move of God and start creating space for it.

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It begins in prayer meetings where nothing happens... until something does. It begins when pastors preach not just polished series, but prophetic truth—unfiltered, unedited, and Spirit-led. It begins when worship becomes less about artistry and more about abandonment. When we stop watching the clock and start waiting on God.

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We’ve seen glimmers of this across the country and around the world—small churches in rural towns experiencing supernatural healing, student gatherings marked by weeping and worship, Sunday services interrupted by spontaneous testimonies and altar calls. These are not accidents. They are the fruit of people who decided they could no longer settle for business-as-usual Christianity.

But revival is not just an event—it’s a lifestyle. It must be nurtured, protected, and prioritized. Churches that are rekindling the fire are returning to the basics: fasting, intercession, radical generosity, unflinching obedience. They are teaching their people to listen to the Holy Spirit, not just follow a schedule. They are breaking down the wall between stage and seats, reminding everyone that ministry is not a show—it’s the mission of the whole Church.

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Leaders in tired churches must be brave enough to ask hard questions. Not just “how many attended?” but “did we meet with God today?” Not “how was the worship set?” but “did we worship in Spirit and in truth?” Not “did the message land?” but “was Jesus exalted?”

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The difference between routine and revival is not always dramatic on the outside. Sometimes it looks like the same Sunday gathering—but with hearts that are fully engaged, postured in surrender, and burning with love for Jesus. Passion doesn’t always roar—it often whispers. But it never stays silent.

The tired church doesn’t need reinvention. It needs reawakening. And the invitation is open—not just to pastors and leaders, but to every believer who dares to believe that God is still writing Acts 29 through our lives today. The fire hasn’t died—it’s just waiting for fresh kindling.

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So if you’ve felt the dryness, if you’ve sat through services and wondered where the wonder went, you’re not alone. And you’re not stuck. Revival begins in you. Not with a mic in your hand, but with your knees on the floor. Not with louder songs, but with deeper hunger.

It’s time to trade routine for revival. Not in theory. In reality.

The Spirit is willing. Are we?