Brother Grady's Blog

Day 15 & 16 Reality

2012-02-29T10:37:00.000-05:00

Day 15 “Come and See!”

“They said to Him, ‘Rabbi . . . . where are you staying?’ ‘Come and you’ll see,’ He replied. So they went and saw where He was staying, and they stayed with Him that day.” John 1:38-39

There comes a time for each of us when merely talking about the Christian pilgrimage is not sufficient. We must actually set out on the journey! We can spend many hours debating and discussing issues related to the Christian life, but this means little if we never actually step out and follow Christ!

For generations the nation of Israel had pondered and predicted the coming of the Messiah. Perhaps no topic garnered more discussion among Jews than the nature and work of the Messiah. Andrew had listened to John the Baptist and had heard of the coming Messiah. Now suddenly he was face-to-face with the One he yearned to see! Andrew’s mind was filled with questions he longed to ask. Instead of entering into a theological dialogue with Andrew, however, Jesus turned and began to walk. Andrew’s questions would not be answered by discussion alone but by walking with Him.

Christianity is not a set of teachings to understand. It is a Person to follow. As he walked with Jesus, Andrew watched Him heal sick, teach God’s wisdom, and demonstrate God’s power. Andrew not only learned about God; he actually experienced Him!

Moments will come when you stand at a crossroads with your Lord. You will have a hundred questions for Him. Rather than answering the questions one by one, Jesus may say, “Put on your shoes, step out onto the road, and follow Me.” As you walk daily with Him, Jesus will answer your questions, and you will discover far more than you even knew to ask.

Day 16 Christ in You!

“God wanted to make known to those among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27

The heavenly Father’s plan from the beginning of time was to place His eternal Son in every believer. If you are a Christian, all the fullness of God dwells in you. Christ’s life becomes your life. When Christ lives in you, He brings every divine resource with Him. Every time you face a need, you meet it with the presence of the crucified, risen, and triumphant Lord of the universe inhabitating you. When God invites you to become involved in His work, He already placed His Son in you so that He can carry out His assignment through your life.

This has significant implications for your Christian life. Discipleship is more than acquiring head knowledge and memorizing Scripture verses. It is learning to give Jesus Christ total access to your life so He will live His life through you. Your greatest difficulty will be believing that your relationship with Christ is a t the heart of your Christian life. When others watch you face a crisis, do they see the risen Lord responding? Does your family see the difference Christ makes when you face a need? What difference does the presence of Jesus Christ make in your life?

God wants to reveal Himself to those around you by working mightily through you. He wants your family to see Christ in you each day. God wants to express His love through your life. There is a great difference between living the Christian life and allowing Christ to live His life through you.

Dr. Taylor

Reality Day 13 Plus Xtras

2012-02-28T09:46:00.002-05:00

Hi Everyone:

Someone has stepped forward to work the Welcome Table. Someone has stepped forward with eggs for Spring Fest and someone will donate hotdogs and buns. I would like to see 200 kids and adults here. So we need more donations. Are we praying for each other? Are we praying for ourselves? Will you step forward and serve? Help! We don’t have a “nest egg” to work with so we don’t have the capital to purchase some things we need. For example: We are starting series on Not A Fan. There is a wrist band that I would like to purchase for those who will make a commitment for Jesus. I think we need at least 100 maybe 150. I need someone to go online, search for the best prices, and order them and donate them. We need them by March 11. Another challenge is the study for Easter, 8 week small group on Life’s Healing Choices.” This is going to cost $400.00 up front. The books are $7 a piece. I need some donations to help with this ASAP so I can order it.

Today’s reading in Reality is life changing. Then enjoy a though from Rick Warren on what hinders growth in a church.

Day 13: Warfare or Discipline:

“The Lord disciplines the one He loves, and punishes every son who He receives.” Hebrews 12:6

There is a tendency among Christians to view anything unpleasant that happens to them as the result of spiritual warfare. When difficulty arises, many ask God to remove their distress. But their predicament may have nothing to do with Satan or with spiritual warfare. It may appear far more glorious for us to explain our hardships as Satan’s determined attacks against us rather than admit that we are merely reaping what we have sown and are being disciplined by our heavenly Father(Gal. 6:7).

What is often mistaken as Satan’s attack may actually be chastisement from our loving Father. If you have neglected your role as spiritual teacher to your children, God may allow them to fall into sin. If you have been dishonest at work, God may correct you by letting you face the consequences. It would be foolish to pray that God would ease your discomfort. God is disciplining you in order to gain your attention and bring necessary change to your life.

How tragic never to make the connection between your problems and God’s discipline. God’s discipline will not help you if you dismiss it as Satan’s doing or spiritual warfare. Not every hardship you face is the chastisement of God, but Scripture indicates that God will discipline you.

If you misunderstand God’s chastening, you may actually blame Him for not answering your prayers or for failing to protect you from Satan. Meanwhile, God is warning you of the danger you face because of your sin. Are there difficult circumstances in your life? Could it be the discipline of God? God, whose nature is perfect love, will correct you because He has your ultimate good in His heart.

Six Barriers That Hinder Small Group Growth

February 27, 2012 By Rick Warren 3 Comments

Did you know that you get a new skeleton every seven years? Your bone marrow is constantly creating new bone, and you’re sloughing off old cells so that your skeleton can grow with your body. For your church to keep growing, your structure also has to change constantly.

The only purpose of restructuring is to prepare your church for growth and to break through barriers. About 95 percent of all the churches in the world stop growing before they get to 300 people because they are structured to be at a size less than 300. It’s not the problem of the pastor or the people; it’s a problem of the structure.

We often ask the wrong question. The wrong question is, “What will help my church grow?” The right question is, “What is keeping my church from growing?” Growth is natural. All living things naturally grow. I don’t have to command my grandkids to grow; they just do it, if they’re healthy. If your church is healthy, then it is going to automatically grow.

A church becomes healthy by removing the barriers and balancing the purposes. There are 10 common barriers that keep our churches from growing. The first six are:

Members won’t bring their friends to church. You can’t grow a church without visitors. One of the reasons Christians won’t bring their friends to church is that they’re embarrassed or they think, “This is a church that meets my needs, but it’s not geared for my friend, an unbeliever, to understand it.” You have to create a service that is understandable but not watered-down.

People fear that growth will ruin the fellowship. Many churches say they are a loving church, but what they mean is that they are good at loving each other and not unbelievers. When members love their fellowship so much that they don’t want anyone new, then they’re not going to bring friends. The average member of a church knows 67 people, whether you have 67 people at your church or 6,000. If you only want to have a church of people you know, you’re only going to have about 67 people. The antidote to this barrier is affinity groups. The church must grow larger and smaller at the same time — larger through worship (weekend services) and smaller through fellowship (small groups).

Churches are driven by tradition rather than the purposes of God. Tradition is a good thing — as long as it works. Never confuse the message with the methods. The message must never change, but the methods have to change. If you don’t change methods from generation to generation, you are being unfaithful.

One of the most expensive and difficult things to do is keep a corpse from stinking. There are programs in your church that died a long time ago; you need to give them a decent burial. Periodically, you should go through everything you’re doing in your church and ask, “Should I reaffirm it, refine it, or do I need to replace it?” The hardest thing to give up is what worked before, but sometimes you have to stop it before it starts declining.

Churches are trying to appeal to everybody. Your church cannot be all things to all people. The moment you choose a style of music, you are going to turn someone off. You need to know whom your church can best reach in your community. Define that group of people, and then go after them.

Churches are program-oriented rather than process-oriented. A lot of churches think the goal is to keep the saints busy, and people are just worn out. Programs and events should not drive your church; they should fulfill the purposes. Where do you want to take your people in the next 10 years? Where do you want them to be different? You set your goal by determining your role — what God has called you to do. Once you know that, then you decide what programs best accomplish that goal.

Churches focus on meetings rather than ministry. When the number 1 qualifier in your church is attendance, then you are facing this barrier. It’s not all about the weekend; the weekend is simply the funnel by which you start the discipleship process. If Christianity is a life and not a religion, then it should focus on where we live our lives — at home, work, etc., and not at church. When you focus on meetings, you’re building a group of spectators. We don’t need more meetings; we need to meet more needs. You do that by turning every member into a minister.

Dr. Taylor

Reality 12

2012-02-27T10:18:00.002-05:00

Day 12 Believing God’s Love:

“We have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in Him.” 1Jn 4:16

The greatest truth in all of Scripture is this: God is love. Understanding this in its full dimensions will set you free to enjoy all that is yours as a Christian. But you must accept that God loves you. If you grew up experiencing unconditional love in your family, this may not be difficult for you. However, if your early years were void of love, this truth may be hard to accept. God loves you not because you deserve His love but because His nature is love. The only way He well ever relate to you is in love. His love for you gives you an inherent worth that nothing can diminish.

If you cannot accept the truth that God loves you, you will be limited in how you can relate to Him. When He disciplines you, you will not take it as an expression of His love. Rather, you may resent Him. When God says no to a request that is less than His best for you, you will conclude that He doesn’t care about you. Without a clear understanding and acceptance of God’s love for you, you will be disoriented to Him and to what He wants to do in your life. If you will accept God’s love, however, you will be able to return love to God as well as to others (1Jn 4:19).

Are you experiencing the profound sense of joy and security that comes from knowing you are dearly loved by God? Being assured of God’s love for you sets you free to enjoy the numerous expressions of love He showers upon you each day.

Not A Fan

2012-02-27T10:16:00.002-05:00

Hi Everyone:

What an awesome day we had yesterday. I want to express my appreciation to everyone involved in this ministry in any fashion. This is a great church because we have dedicated people who are serious about Jesus and enjoy serving Him by serving others. I had a “New Members” class yesterday with 8 in attendance. We are gaining some new folks. I want to especially say “thanks” to Stephanie, Maycee, Jessica, Wendy, Laura and Keith for watching our kids and feeding us snacks. You guys are my heroes. It’s obvious that you’ll are “not fans” of Jesus, but committed followers.

One correction on the News Letter we sent out. The movie, Courageous will be showing on March 23 (NOT 24) at 6:30 pm. On April 7, 11:00 am-2:00 pm we want to have a special day for the family before Easter Sunday. I need help and supplies. We want to have a “massive Easter Egg hunt.” I need 1,000 plastic eggs (donated and workers to hide eggs in different age groups). We need to make up 200 small bags for kids and youth with Easter candy and such (donated). We want to grill hotdogs-hamburgers, chips, drinks (donated). We need a crew to cook and set up. We want to do face painting, games for various ages (donated and workers). Who will help?

We have a bulletin board in the hall way between the church and fellowship hall. I need someone or a team to adopt this board and decorate it each month to match the season. Who will step up?

We need a team of greeters to serve in the morning greeting people and manning the welcome booth and putting together “guest” bags. Who will step up?

Summer and AWANA Challenges: Spring break is coming up for both counties (Eff. April 25, Chath. April11) and we would like to continue AWANA as normal. I realize some of you will be out of town, but the challenge we face is that Adults, children and youth will still be here. So may we continue business as usual? AWANA is scheduled to end on May 16^th. We would like to continue it to the end of May (30^th). Parents and teachers, what do you think?

Also, we would take a break from AWANA during June and July. Last year we tried to schedule a movie night during those months on Wednesday. It was not supported. We need to know if you are going to attend church during these “summer months” and to give our AWANA teachers a break, what ideas we have for those Wednesday nights. Remember, currently we have Adults in small groups, children in AWANA and Youth meeting. We had over 100 her last Wednesday. Ideas and thoughts please!

Here is an article I found from “New Life Community Church” on Assurance of Salvation. It’s lengthy, but it’s worth reading.

After a funeral a minister posted this notice on the church bulletin board: “Brother Peterson departed for heaven at 3:30 a.m.” The next day he found the following written below his announcement: “Heaven–8:00 p.m.: Mr. Peterson has not yet arrived. Great anxiety.”

What if that was your funeral notice? Would heaven be sending back a message that you hadn’t arrived? Can anyone know for sure that they are going to heaven or do we all just have to hope that we have done enough good deeds to get us in? Do we even get to heaven by doing good deeds?

Well, God wants you to know if you are going to heaven. He wants you to be sure! In fact, the Bible gives us 4 ways to know for sure if we have eternal life. It also mentions at least 5 ways that people are often deceived about their salvation.

The purpose of this teaching is to help you know if you are going to heaven. We hope that it will comfort the doubting and smash the hopes of those who are trusting in false assurances. As you read these Scriptures allow the Word of God to do the dividing between truth and error in your life (Hebrews 4:12).

Is Assurance of My Salvation Even Possible?

The apostle John wrote a letter to a group of people in Asia Minor and said, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). We can know if we are going to heaven. God wants us to know. Here are a few other passages which show that we can know if we are saved:

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you or do you fail the test? 2 Corinthians 13:5

My brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. 2 Peter 1:10

Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith. Hebrews 10:22

How Can I Know?

The Bible gives us four tests — four ways to know for sure if you are going to heaven. Check yourself out and see if you past the test. If you do, then believe what God has said. You can be sure of eternal life!

1. Have you repented and placed your faith in Jesus? If you have, then you have eternal life.

Here are some of God’s promises regarding repentance, faith, and salvation:

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life…Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son… Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him. John 3:14-16,18,36

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call.” Acts 2:37-39

Paul and Silas said to the jailer, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved–you and your household.” Acts 16:31

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” Romans 10:9

Other Scriptures which promise that if we believe, we will be saved: John 5:24; John 20:31; Romans 5:9-11; Galatians 3:6-9; 1 John 2:23-25; 1 John 4:15,16; 1 John 5:1a, 11-12.

What is faith? If we are saved through faith, then this is a very important question. Biblical “faith” is not simply believing certain facts about Jesus. This is intellectual faith, not Biblical faith. The demons intellectually believe all the right things about Jesus, but this doesn’t save them (James 2:19).

Also Biblical faith is not merely “fox hole” faith. Many people are willing to make a temporary commitment to God when they are in trouble. This kind of faith is a partial commitment that doesn’t last (Luke 8:13). Biblical faith = Placing your complete trust in Jesus alone, a total commitment of your life to Jesus, who alone can save you. That’s what faith is. If you have it, you are saved!

Questions which Satan uses to cause doubt in this area:

“Does God really mean what He says?” — This was the question that Satan asked Eve (Genesis 3:1). Can you believe what God says? Numbers 23:19 gives a reply to this question: “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?” God can be trusted to fulfill everything He promises. If you believe in Jesus and God says you are saved, then “God said it and I believe it and that settles it for me.”

“But did I really believe when I … answered that altar call or… prayed the sinners prayer or… was baptized?” — Who cares. The important question is “Are you really believing now?”

The Sunday School Times carried a story of a man who feared he could never be saved. Approaching a minister of the Gospel, he exclaimed, “I’m such a helpless, miserable sinner. There’s no hope for me! I’ve prayed, resolved, and tried everything until I’m sick of all my useless efforts.” “Do you believe that Christ died for our sins and rose again?” was the reply. “Of course I do.” “Well,” said the preacher, “if He were here on earth so you could actually see Him, what would you do?” “Oh, I’d go to Him at once!” said the trembling seeker. “When you arrived, what would you say?” “I’d tell Him I’m a lost sinner.” “If He looked your way, would you request Him to do anything for you?” inquired his counselor. “I certainly would! I’d fall on my knees and beg Him to forgive and save me.” When asked what Christ would reply, the man became silent. The preacher turned to John 6:37 and read it slowly and emphatically. Then he asked again, “What would the Savior say if you asked Him to cleanse you from your sin?” At last a happy light came into the doubter’s eyes as he said with confidence, “He would answer, ‘I will!’” That moment he believed, his fears departed, and a new- found joy flooded his soul.

2. Do you have the Holy Spirit? If you do, then this guarantees you are going to heaven. If you don’t, then you are not going to heaven:

Here are some Scriptures that show the importance of the Holy Spirit in determining our salvation:

You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. Romans 8:9

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession–to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:13-14

We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 1 John 4:13

A wealthy man once called his faithful assistant into his office and said, “I’ve put your name in my will, and you will get $10,000 when I die. As it may be some time before you get that legacy, I want to make you happy by paying you each year the legal interest on that amount. Here is a check for $600 as a starter.” The clerk was doubly gratified. The prospect of the inheritance was good news, and the money he received in advance assured him of the reality of his joyous hope for the future. In a higher sense, this is the believer’s position. The Holy Spirit’s presence and the grace He imparts are the interest and promise of “a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” which the heavenly Bridegroom will one day share with the heirs of salvation (2 Corinthians 4:17). You can bank on it.

3. Do you have something in your inner being which cries out “Abba”? If you do, then you are God’s child and you are a co-heir with Christ.

Romans 8:15,16 says, For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

“Abba” is an Aramaic word. It was the most affectionate title that a child could use in addressing his father — something akin to “daddy” or “papa.” If there is something in your heart that cries “papa” to your heavenly Father, then you are a child of God destined for heaven.

Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir. Galatians 4:6

During the latter stages of World War II, General Douglas MacArthur kept a promise he had made to the people of the Philippines when he was forced to leave the islands in 1942. He returned with enough troops to help the Filipinos recapture their country. Grateful for his assistance when all had seemed lost, the government in Manila later directed its armies to begin a tradition of calling out MacArthur’s name at every parade roll call. Each company designated one officer who would respond by answering, “Present in spirit.” That symbolic gesture helped to ensure that the dedication and courage of the general would live on in the hearts of the soldiers long after MacArthur was gone.

The Holy Spirit does something like that in our hearts. The Holy Spirit cries “Papa” and proves that God is our Father and we are His children. If you have that cry, then you are on your way to heaven!

4. Is your character and lifestyle changing to become more like Jesus? If so, then you have eternal life.

The Bible teaches that when a person becomes a Christian they are changed — they become a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17)! And as they continue as a Christian, they continue to grow to become more like Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). They become more loving, more obedient, and more righteous. This growth is called “bearing fruit”:

Jesus said, “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” Luke 6:43-45

We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. 1 John 2:3-6

This change also involves growing in love: We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 1 John 3:14.

An aged woman who had accepted Christ was plagued with doubts about her eternal destiny. An elder went to counsel with her. After quoting several texts on assurance, he said, “Grandma, if you saw one group of people drinking, cursing, and singing vulgar songs, and right next door a gathering of joyful believers were singing gospel hymns and testifying of God’s saving grace, which company would attract you?” Without hesitation she replied, “Oh, I’d only feel at home with the saints of God.” Then he showed her 1 John 3:14. As she read it, a smile lit her face. By passing this “assurance test” she finally found peace.

Other Scriptures which teach that a true Christian will change and grow: 1 John 2:17,29; 1 John 3:4-6; 1 John 4:7,12; 1 John 5:18.

Questions which Satan uses to cause doubt in this area:

“What change?” — There are two things which we must keep in mind here. One is the time factor. The second is the comparison factor. First, the time factor. . . Most change takes time. In an instant society we are tempted to think that everything happens immediately. But changes in our character and lifestyle do not happen quickly. Change will happen in the life of a Christian, but don’t allow Satan to steal your peace by insisting on instant change. Jesus gave a parable about Christian fruit and patience in Luke 13:6-8. See what He has to say.

Secondly, change in comparison to what or to whom? Change should be measured in terms of what we used to be, not in comparison to others. C.S. Lewis in his book “Beyond Personality” writes:

If Christianity is true then it ought to follow. . .that any man who becomes a Christian will be nicer than he was before. Just in the same way, if the advertisements of Whitesmile’s toothpaste are true it ought to follow. . .that if anyone begins to use it his teeth will improve. But to point out that I, who use Whitesmile’s (and also have inherited bad teeth from both my parents), have not got as fine a set as some healthy young (person) who never used toothpaste at all, does not, by itself, prove that the advertisements are untrue. Christian Miss Bates may have an unkinder tongue than unbelieving Dick Firkin. That, by itself, doe not tell us whether Christianity works. The question is what Miss Bate’s tongue would be like if she were not a Christian and what Dick’s would be like if he became one.

“But you sinned yesterday, so you are no longer saved.” — There is a game called “Aggravation.” To win, you have to be the first to get your four marbles from start to finish, but if an opponent’s marble lands on a space occupied by one of yours, you have to go back to the beginning and start all over.That’s how some Christians view their relationship with God. They believe that they advance in their Christian life until they sin, then they have to start all over. Yet if that were true, we could never be secure in our relationship to Christ, for we all sin every day.

This “starting over” idea reveals a faulty concept of the biblical doctrine of justification. Paul presents justification as the act of God declaring a sinner righteous on the basis of Christ’s perfect righteousness, which is credited to a believer through faith in Christ (Romans 4:13-5:1). It is a once-for-all gift. It is not taken away each time we sin.

“What about your habitual sin or addiction?” — Sometimes there is a need to break strong bondages that are not easily broken by an act of the will. Some of these sinful habits have their roots in past hurts and relationships. The help of a caring and competent Christian counselor may be needed. There are also many good books available to help identify the causes of sinful habit patterns. Healing of Memories by David Seaman’s, Making Peace With Your Past by Norman Wright, or Pain and Pretending by Rich Bugler are good places to start. God gives power to overcome habitual sin, but sometimes overcoming requires digging deeply into the heart to understand the reason for habitual sin.

These are the four tests that the Bible gives for salvation: (1) Do you have faith in Jesus for your life? (2) Do you have the God’s Spirit living in you? (3) Do you have the “Abba” cry? (4) Are you changing to be more like Jesus?

Do you pass the test? If you do, then stop doubting and be assured of your eternal life with God.

If you don’t pass the test, perhaps you need to know more about what it means to be a Christian. Read the next section on False Assurances!

False Assurances

If I choose to step out upon a lake covered by thin ice, it matters not how much faith and assurance I have in the ice. If it is thin ice, I will fall in and possibly drown. In the same way, assurance of our salvation is useless if it is based upon a false foundation. The Bible mentions five false assurances:

1. “I’m involved in Christian service. I perform miracles. I have an effective ministry.”

Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Matthew 7:21-23.

Serving God is not the same as doing God’s will. There are plenty of people who do “successful” things for God, but don’t live for God. Their lives show no obedience to God’s will, no righteousness, little love, and no fruit of a changed life. And where there is no fruit, there is no root.

2. “I made a verbal profession of faith. I answered an altar call.”

So did Judas. A verbal or outward profession means nothing, unless it is accompanied by a change in the heart. Christ wants your ‘heart’, not just your head because The Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart 1 Samuel 16:7. It’s the mouth and the heart (see Romans 10:9).

3. “I joined a church. I fellowship with Christians.”

Salvation is in Jesus, not the church (Jeremiah 7:1-15). Joining a church does not make you a Christian any more than going into a garage makes you a Buick. Salvation is not contagious (1 Corinthians 10:1-12; Matthew 24:9-13).

4. “I live a good life.”

No one will be saved by their good life or their good deeds (Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16). Goodness is a result of being saved, not the method of being saved.

5. “I feel things are okay between me and God. God and I have an understanding.”

Truth is not based upon feelings, but facts. Who can really trust their own feelings. Feelings change from day to day. The prophet Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9. Many other people down through history thought that they were “okay” with God, but their thoughts were not based upon reality. For examples see Ezekiel 13:10-11; Matthew 24:37-39.

Remember, we love you guys and believe God has great things for you and your family.

Dr. Taylor

PS Remember to pray for Darren and his family. We miss them! Oh yea. We need a couple of “black lights” to do a mime scene with our drama team. Do you have some we could borrow?

Reality 9 -11

2012-02-25T01:44:00.002-05:00

Day 9 New Life

“If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.” 2 Cor. 5:17

You do not become a Christian by asking Jesus into your heart. You become a Christian when you are born again. Jesus said, “Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (Jn. 3:3). Saying a prayer or making a public commitment or signing a decision card will not save you. Only being born again will do that. The Apostle Paul said that when you are “in Christ,” the old things pass away. In the moment of your salvation, every sin you ever committed is forgiven. Healing for every hurt you have ever suffered is available. Love and acceptance are yours despite every failure you have ever experienced. Your past, no matter how difficult or painful, is completely and thoroughly provided for.

Some will seek to diminish the awesome reality of your spiritual rebirth. You will hear them say, “Even though you’re now a Christian, you must still undergo years of counseling to overcome the hurts you’ve experienced,” or, “You may be born again, but you’ll continue to struggle with your sin, and hopefully you will eventually gain victory in areas of your weakness.”

The problem is that we seek changes by our own will rather than by turning our lives over in faith to the One who has given us new life. The profound testimony of Scripture is that blood of Jesus Christ and the death of the Son of God is sufficient to completely free you from your sin. Satan will seek to convince you that it is not. Whom will you believe?

Day 10 God’s Design

“Those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren. And those He predestined, He also called; and those He called, He also justified; and those He justified, He also glorified.” Rom. 8:29-30

Your life is a part of God’s grand design. God has known about you and had a plan for your life since before time began. He knew everything about you before you were born (Jer. 1:5). God predetermined that you would become like His Son. Your life, therefore, has a destiny. Christ is the model upon which the Father is developing your life. You are meant to have a relationship with the Father that is as intimate as the relationship between Jesus and the Father (Jn. 17:21). Every event He allows into your life is designed to make you more like Christ.

God’s call came when He invited you to join Him in the process! His call was extremely personal, designed specifically for your response. How wonderful to realize that at a particular moment in history, almighty God spoke personally to you and invited you to become His child!

Because of your sin, you could never live blamelessly. But God forgave your sin and justified you, declaring you righteous. All the spiritual debt you carried with Him was forgiven, and you were freed to enjoy God and to serve Him for the rest of eternity. In biblical times the glory of God’s people was His presence. You, too, are glorified because the fullness of god now dwells within you, and you will one day be with Him (Col. 1:27; 2:9). He invites you to join Him in working out His will in your life—conforming you to His image (Phil. 2:12).

Day 11 Your Father Knows You

“Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him.” Matt. 6:8

Even before we call on Him, the Father has already begun to provide all that we need (Isa. 65:24). Jesus wanted His disciples to learn how intimately God knew and loved each of them. That is why He told them to pray. He assured them that even before they prayed, God knew all about their situation.

Prayer is not designed for us to inform God of our needs, for He already knows them. Why, then, should we pray? Prayer enables us to experience God more intimately. The more a child experiences the loving provision of a parent, the more convinced he becomes of his parent’s unrelenting love. Often a parent will anticipate a child’s need before the child recognizes it and be prepared in advance to provide for that need. Our heavenly Father knows exactly what we will face today and next week. He is eager for us to experience Him as He provides for us.

To our surprise, we often discover that God knows far better than we do what is best for us. At times we assume that we know what would benefit us. We can even be foolish enough to assume that we don’t require anything of God. Yet God wants us to go to Him in our need (Matt. 7:7).

He is ready to show His strength through our weakness. Our heavenly Father knows exactly what is best for us, and He is prepared to provide for every need if we will but ask (Phil. 4:13).

Reality 8

2012-02-24T13:43:00.002-05:00

RENTLESS LOVE DAY 8

“The Lord said to me, ‘Go again; show love to a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, just as the Lord loves the Israelites though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.’” Hosea 3:1

No human can comprehend God’s love for His children! Our limited experience of human love hinders us from understanding God’s unconditional love for us. We can see a picture of this love in the life of Hosea.

Hosea was a righteous man, but God told him to marry a sinful woman. Hosea obeyed and took Gomer as his wife. He cherished her and treated her with dignity and respect. Never before had Gomer experienced this kind of love, but she soon grew dissatisfied. She began giving her affections to other men. She became so involved in adulterous pursuits that finally she abandoned Hosea altogether. Other men used her until she had nothing left to give. Then they sold her into slavery. After this God gave Hosea an amazing command: Go and buy her back. Despite the intense pain and hurt that Gomer had inflicted on Hosea, God told him to forgive her and to pay any price to bring her back into him home.

God’s message is clear: When we reject Him and turn our devotion elsewhere, our rejection carries the same pain as an adulterous betrayal. After all God has done for us, it is incomprehensible that we should reject Him. It is even harder to fathom that God cold love us even after we have rejected, ignored, and disobeyed Him. Yet God’s love is completely different from ours. His love follows us to the depths of our sinfulness until He has reclaimed us. His love is undaunted when we run from Him, and He continues to pursue us. What incredible love He has demonstrated to us!

DAY 6 REALITY

2012-02-23T08:05:00.002-05:00

GOD’S WAYS ARE NOT OUR WAYS! DAY 6

“’My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways,’ This is the Lord’s declaration, ‘For as heaven is higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways.’” Isa. 55:8-9

Rarely does God do something exactly as we think He will. We try to second-guess God saying, “Oh, now I know what God is planning to do!” Moses experienced this as he learned how God was going to deliver the Hebrews out of Egypt. God told him He would harden Pharaoh’s heart. Yet, the result was not what Moses anticipated. Rather than allowing the Hebrews to leave, Pharaoh increased their hardship. Rather than becoming a hero among the Hebrews, Moses returned to the Lord and asked, “Lord, why have You caused trouble for this people? And why did You ever send me?” (Ex. 5:22). Much of the frustration we experience as Christians has nothing to do with what God does or doesn’t do. It has everything to do, rather, with the false assumptions we make about how we think God will and should act.

Have you ever done the will of God and then things seemed to become worse? Moses completely misunderstood what the results of His obedience to God would be. When things did not turn out as he anticipated, Moses became discouraged. God had told Moses what to do, but He had not told Moses what the consequences would be.

It is foolish to attempt to do God’s work using your own “common sense.” God does not eliminate your common sense, He consecrates it. He gives you His wisdom so you can understand His ways.

As you look back on God’s activity in your life, you will recognize the supreme wisdom in how He has led you. As you look forward to what God may do, be careful you do not try to predict what He will do next. You may find yourself completely off the mark.

Reality Day 5

2012-02-22T15:59:00.002-05:00

Life's Seasons!

“There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven.” Eccl. 3:1

The beauty in the way God designed the four seasons is that, though each one is distinct, they all work together to bring life and growth. Spring is a period of freshness and new life. Summer sees growth and productivity. Autumn is a time for harvesting the rewards of past labors. Winter is the season of dormancy and closure. Each season has its own unique beauty and makes a significant contribution to life.

Just as God planned seasons in nature, He planned seasons in life as well. Life has its springtime, when we begin new things and look excitedly toward the future. Summer comes, and we work diligently in the heat of the day at all that God has assigned to us. With autumn comes the fruition of things begun at an earlier time in our lives. Winter brings an end to a particular period in our lives. Sometimes winter brings hardship, but we remain hopeful, for another spring is just around the corner!

In God’s perfect design for our lives, He has planned for times of fruitfulness and activity. He will also build in times of quiet and rest. There will be times when He asks us to remain faithful doing the same work day after day. But there will also be periods of excitement and new beginnings.

By God’s grace, we will enjoy seasons of harvesting the fruit of our faithfulness. By God’s grace we will also overcome the cold winters of heartache and grief, for without winter there would be no spring. Just as it is with the seasons of nature, these seasons in our lives work together to bring about God’s perfect will for each of us.

Reality Day 4

2012-02-21T08:35:00.000-05:00

DAY 4 AN EXCHANGED LIFE

“I have been crucified with Christ; and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Gal. 2:19-20 The Christian life is an exchanged life.

Jesus’ life for your life. When Christ takes control, your life takes on dimensions you would never have known apart from Him. When you are weak, then Christ demonstrates His strength in your life (2Cor. 12:9-10). When you face situations that are beyond your understanding, you have only to ask, and the infinite wisdom of God is available to you (Jam. 1:5). When you are faced with humanly impossible situations, God does the impossible (Luke 18:27). When you encounter people whom you find difficult to love, God expresses His unconditional love through you (1Jn.4:7). When you are at a loss as to what you should pray for someone, Holy Spirit will guide you in your prayer life (Rom. 8:16). When Christ takes up residence in the life of a believer, “all the fullness of God” is available to that person (Eph. 3:19).

It is marvelously freeing to know that God controls your life and knows what it can become. Rather than constantly worrying about what you will face, your great challenge is to continually release every area of your life to God’s control. The temptation will be to try to do by yourself what only God can do.

Our assignment is to “abide in the vine” and to allow God to do in and through us what only He can do (Jn. 15:5). Only God can be God. Allow Him to live out His divine life through you. He is the only One who can.

God Looks For Clay

2012-02-20T09:21:00.003-05:00

Hi Everyone:

We have a new member-Cathy Williamson (Nicole Smith's Mother). Praise the Lord. Sunday was a great day. We had some rain that we desperately needed. We missed a lot of you. I hope you are OK. Please let us know i f we can help!

Here is a devotion thought from "Reality" our adult bible study focus.

Day 3 God looks For Clay

“’House of Israel, can I not treat you as this potter treats his clay”—this is the LORD’s declaration. ‘Just like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, house of Israel!’” Jere.18:6

God knows how to bring salvation to your family, your friends, your community, and your world. Accordingly, He looks for those who will allow Him to shape them into the instruments He requires to do His divine work. Clay has no plans of its own, no aspirations for service, no reluctance to perform its given task. It is just clay. Moldable, pliable, totally submissive to the will of its master.

At times we excitedly announce to God: “I’ve discovered my strengths and gifts, and now I know how I can best serve You!” At other times we inform Him, “I am aware of what me weaknesses are, so I know which tasks I’m not capable of doing for You.” Yet this is not characteristic of clay. God is not limited to working with our strengths (2Cor. 12:9-10). He can mold us into whatever kind of instrument He requires. When God’s assignment demands humility, he finds a servant willing to be humbled with His Spirit. When His work requires zeal, He looks for someone He can fill with His Spirit. God uses holy vessels, so He finds those who will allow Him to remove their impurities. It is not a noble task, being clay. There is no glamour to it, nothing boast worthy, except that it is exactly what almighty God is looking for. Compliant, moldable, yielded clay.

If your tendency is to tell the Father what you can and cannot do for Him, submit to His agenda and allow Him to shape you into the person He wants you to be. Like clay.

Dr. Taylor

DAY 2 REALITY

2012-02-16T09:33:00.002-05:00

DAY 2 MAKING A DIFFERENCE

“Daniel determined that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or with the wine he drank.” Daniel 1:8

Could you dare to believe that God, who called you to Himself and equipped you with His Spirit, could work mightily through you? Have you made the connection between the time and place in which you live and God’s call upon you? World events never catch God by surprise. He placed you precisely where you are for a purpose.

Daniel did not let the temptations of his day interfere with his relationship to the Lord. He knew that to make his life useful to God he must be obedient in all things. Regardless of what the most powerful king in the world commanded, Daniel refused to compromise what he knew God required of him.

History is replete with examples of Christian men and women who believed that God would work through them to make a significant difference for His kingdom. God placed Esther strategically in the king’s court at a crucial time when she could save the lives of God’s people (Esth. 4:14). God placed Joseph strategically to become the most powerful adviser to pharaoh in Egypt and to save Jacob and his family from a devastating drought (Gen. 41:39-40).

Are you allowing your surroundings to determine how you invest your life? Or are you letting God use you to make a difference in your generation? Ask God to reveal His purposes for you and His will for your life today.

Reality Day 1

2012-02-15T08:50:00.003-05:00

Reality is our new study in all of our small groups and there is a daily devotion with the resource i thought I would share with you. Don't miss this study-it's gooooood!

REALITY DAY 1 YOUR LORD PRECEDES YOU

After I have been resurrected, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” Mark 14:28

God never sends you into a situation alone. He always goes before His children, as He did with the children of Israel when He led them with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. You do not serve as His advance troops in a foreign and hostile situation. He always precedes you in any situation you encounter. God is never caught by surprise by your experience; He had already been there. He is prepared to meet every need because He has gone before you and knows exactly what you will need for your pilgrimage (Deut. 31:8).

Not only does God go before you, but He also stands beside you and behind you, to provide protection and comfort (Ps. 139:7-12). Jesus knew His disciples would be totally bewildered by His crucifixion, so He assured them in advance that no matter what happened, no matter where they went, they could go in confidence that He had already gone before them. Paul, too, experienced this assurance (Acts 18:9, 23:11). IN the most bewildering circumstances, his Lord was there!

If you are going through a difficult or confusing time, know that your Lord has gone before you and He is present with you. He is fully aware of what you are facing, and He is actively responding to your need. There is nowhere you can go that you will not find Christ waiting for you to join Him. Even when you face death, you can be assured that He has gone before you in triumph. As a child of God, rest in the knowledge that your Savior preceded you, and He will walk with you through each experience of your life.

Good Morning Morningstar!

2012-02-13T09:25:00.000-05:00

Hi Guys and Gals:

Sunday, we announced that Darren, Lara, Emma, and Aiden Harrison, our Minister of Music and family, will begin a Sabbatical. This simply means they will step out of the mainstream of leading us in worship for a short time, 6 – 12 weeks. In ministry, we experience the pressure of always being on call, always being here at the church, always preparing and planning, and always engaging in spiritual warfare. Therefore, they are taking some time off and away from the leadership roles they have. We will see them throughout this time off worshipping with us. I want you to join me in expressing our love to them by email. Now it’s important that during this time off we “don’t” ask them to do anything, we don’t complain to them about anything, we don’t expect anything from them. We simple “love” them and pray for their physical, spiritual, and emotional health to return and await their return. (Pray for the team Darren has led as they step in and lead us to the throne of grace). Here are their email addresses: larahharrison@comcast.net or darrenharrison@comcast.net

Yesterday we had a “guest” interrupt my preaching and really upset the flow of things. We had him removed from the service. Many people are asking why we tolerated the disturbance so long. My response: “Thank God there is some life in this church.” Welcome back Lee and little Mac. You should have seen the grin on Brad’s face, now that was distracting.

I wanted to remind you to pray for one another. Sitting next to you are people in deep pain, facing great challenges. Our God cares for them and may want to use you to be a blessing in their life. We really had great day yesterday. I missed you. Where were you? Oh yea. The Soul Winning class, taught by Jason Wilson, has been rescheduled to March 4, at 6: oo PM.

This Wednesday night I will be starting a new small group study entitled “Reality, 7 Truths from experiencing God.” This study will help us to recognize God at work around us and His voice so we can join Him. AWANA is going great But we really need a “leader” of this Bible club. It’s the best ministry we got for children in our church. It fuels our workers as they lead other ministries to our children. I want to express my appreciation to all of you who serve in any capacity in this ministry. Thanks for serving.

New Members Class, “Connect” will be on Sunday, February 26, 2:30 pm – 5:00 PM. Sign up today by contacting me at 912-748-5757 or brogrady@aol.com.

I came across this article on Bible translations. It’s kind of long but really good stuff. Check it out.

For the unenlightened Bible shopper going into a LifeWay Christian Store to select a Bible, it is a bit like going to a Walmart superstore to pick a box of cereal – with the huge selection, where do you even start? by Michael Duduit

A few years ago, you’d just go to the store, ask for “a Bible,” and they’d hand you a copy of the King James Version (KJV) – for centuries “the Bible” for English-speaking audiences. But the last few decades have produced many Bible translations.

Three categories

There are three major categories that represent different approaches to expressing the biblical revelation (originally recorded in Hebrew and Greek) into English.

1. Formal Equivalence

A Formal Equivalence translation takes a word-for-word approach – that is, for each Hebrew or Greek word in the biblical text, the translators have sought an equivalent English word that will communicate the same idea.

The beloved King James Version (KJV) is such a translation, as is the Revised Standard Version (RSV). In more recent years, the New American Standard Bible (NASB) has become a popular study Bible because of its very literal rendering of the original languages. But because of the emphasis on word-for-word accuracy, the NASB (which is at an 11th grade reading level) doesn’t read as smoothly as many other translations.

That makes it a great study Bible but not ideal for public or devotional reading.

A recent Bible translation that has grown quickly in popularity is the English Standard Version (ESV), first published in 2001. The ESV seeks to combine word-for-word accuracy with literary beauty and readability. It also retains many classic theological terms that some other modern translations avoid.

2. Dynamic Equivalence

Unlike the word-for-word translation philosophy of the first group, this category seeks to takes a middle road between a literal translation and a thought-for-thought approach to translating the biblical text.

That is, rather than trying to find an equivalent word or words for each word in the original biblical text, the translators have tried to stay close to the literal meaning of the words while also seeking to capture the ideas of the biblical authors with equivalent language to capture those thoughts in the English text. The best-known Bible in this category is the New International Version (NIV), which for many years has been the top-selling translation among evangelicals. The NIV is a very readable translation (aimed at a 7th grade reading level). This translation approach means that there are points where the English text reflects an interpretation of the biblical text rather than a literal.

For example, where the biblical text may specify a specific cost (100 denarii), the NIV might substitute the value in other terms (four months of a worker’s wages) to make the cost more understandable for the reader. The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) is a bit of a hybrid version, in that it uses a translation philosophy called “Optimal Equivalence.” That means the HCSB switches between word-for-word and thought-for-thought depending on the translation team’s views on a particular passage. The HCSB is also an original translation from Greek and Hebrew texts, as contrasted with those that grew out of KJV tradition, such as RSV.

3. Paraphrases

A paraphrase is a very free rendering of the biblical text in thought-for-thought approach.

In other words, the paraphrase is less concerned with translating the actual words of the text than with capturing the ideas of the biblical author and expressing those in contemporary language.

The first well-known paraphrase for many evangelicals was The Living Bible, in which Kenneth Taylor took an English translation and rephrased it into modern American speech so that anyone (even a child) could understand the message.

The New Living Translation was developed by a team of scholars and published as a revision of the LB to enhance the accuracy of the text while retaining the readability of the paraphrase.

The most popular paraphrase of recent years is The Message by Eugene Peterson. It uses contemporary American idioms to keep the language of Scripture fresh and understandable. While not designed for serious study, it’s a common choice for devotional reading.

Bottom line

Don’t let the variety of options discourage you from choosing a Bible for yourself or as a gift for someone else. Whichever one you choose, God’s Word will still make a difference in your life.

Dr. Taylor

Summary of New Small Group Study With “All” Our Small Groups>

Seven Realities of Experiencing God

1. God is always at work around you.

2. God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal.

3. God invites you to become involved with Him in His work.

4. God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways.

5. God's invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action.

6. You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing.

7. You come to know God by experience as you obey Him and He accomplishes His work through you.

Day 40 Purpose Driven Life

2012-02-09T05:00:00.001-05:00

Hi Guys: What an incredible experience this study and devotion has been. I trust God has changed you forever since you now know "You were made for a purpose." I have included the appendix studies for your growth. Thank you for joining us on this 40 Day adventure. Dr. Taylor

Living with Purpose

Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21 (NIV) For David ... served the purpose of God in his own generation. Acts 13:36 (NASB)

Living on purpose is the only way to really live. Everything else is just existing.

Most people struggle with three basic issues in life. The first is identity: "Who am I?" The second is importance: "Do I matter?" The third is impact: "What is my place in life?" The answers to all three questions are found in God's five purposes for you.

In the Upper Room, as Jesus was concluding his last day of ministry with his disciples, he washed their feet as an example and said, "Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." Once you know what God wants you to do, the blessing comes in actually doing it. As the come to the end of our forty-day journey together, now that you know God's purposes for your life, you will be blessed if you do them!

This probably means you will have to stop doing some other things. There are many "good" things you can do with your life, but God's purposes are the five essentials you must do. Unfortunately, it's easy to get distracted and forget what is most important. It's easy to drift away from what matters most and slowly get off course. To prevent this, you should develop a purpose statement for your life and then review it regularly.

WHAT IS A LIFE PURPOSE STATEMENT?

It's a statement that summarizes God's purposes for your life. In your own words you affirm your commitment to God's five purposes for your life. A purpose statement is not a list of goals. Goals are temporary; purposes are eternal. The Bible says, "His plans endure forever; his purposes last eternally."

It's a statement that points the direction of your life. Writing down your purposes on paper will force you to think specifically about the path of your life. The Bible says, "Know where you are headed, and you will stay on solid ground." A life purpose statement not only spells out what you intend to do with your time, life, and money, but also implies what you aren't going to do. Proverbs says, "An intelligent person aims at wise action, but a fool starts off in many directions."

It's a statement that defines "success" for you. It states what you believe is important, not what the world says is important. It clarifies your values. Paul said, "I want you to understand what really matters.'

It's a statement that clarifies your roles. You will have different roles at different stages in life, but your purposes will never change. They are greater than any role you will have.

It's a statement that expresses your shape. It reflects the unique ways God made you to serve him.

Take your time writing out your life purpose statement. Don't try to complete it in a single setting, and don't aim for perfection in your first draft; just write down your thoughts as fast as they come to you. It is always easier to edit than to create. Here are five questions you should consider as you prepare your statement:

LIFE'S FIVE GREATEST QUESTIONS

What will be the center of my life? This is the question of worship. Who are you going to live for? What are you going to build your life around? You can center your life around your career, your family, a sport or hobby, money, having fun, or many other activities. These are all good things, but they don't belong at the center of your life. None is strong enough to hold you together when life starts breaking apart. You need an unshakable center.

King Asa told the people of Judah to "center their lives in God.' Actually, whatever is at the center of your life is your god. When you committed your life to Christ, he moved into the center, but you must keep him there through worship. Paul says, "I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts."

How do you know when God is at the center of your life? When God's at the center, you worship. When he's not, you worry. Worry is the warning light that God has been shoved to the sideline. The moment you put him back at the center, you will have peace again. The Bible says, "A sense of God's wholeness ... will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."

What will be the character of my life? This is the question of discipleship. What kind of person will you be? God is far more interested in what you are than what you do. Remember, you will take your character into eternity, but not your career. Make a list of the character qualities you want to work on and develop in your life. You might begin with the fruit of the Spirit or the Beatitudes.

Peter said, "Don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love." Don't get discouraged and give up when you stumble. It takes a lifetime to build Christ-like character. Paul told Timothy, "Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching. Don't be diverted. Just keep at it."

What will be the contribution of my life? This is the question of service. What will be your ministry in the Body of Christ? Knowing your combination of spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences (SHAPE), what would be your best role in the family of God? How can you make a difference? Is there a specific group in the Body that I am shaped to serve? Paul pointed out two wonderful benefits when you fulfill your ministry: "This service you perform not only meets the needs of God's people, but also produces an outpouring of gratitude to God."

While you are shaped to serve others, even Jesus didn't meet the needs of everyone while on earth. You have to choose whom you can best help, based on your shape. You need to ask, "Who do I have a desire to help most?" Jesus said, "I commissioned you to go out and to bear fruit, fruit that will last." Each of us bears different fruit.

What will be the communication of my life? This is the question of your mission to unbelievers. Your mission statement is a part of your life purpose statement. It should include your commitment to share your testimony and the Good News with others. You should also list the life lessons and godly passions you feel God has given you to share with the world. As you grow in Christ, God may give you a special target group of people to focus on reaching. Be sure to add this to your statement.

If you are a parent, part of your mission is to raise your children to know Christ, to help them understand his purposes for their lives, and to send them out on their mission in the world. You might include Joshua's statement in yours: "As for me and my family, we will serve the LORD."

When God's at the center of your life,

you worship. When he's not, you worry.

Of course, our lives must support and validate the message we communicate. Before most unbelievers accept the Bible as credible they want to know that we are credible. That is why the Bible says. `Be sure that you live in a way that brings honor to the Good News of Christ."

What will be the community of my life? This is the question of fellowship. How will you demonstrate your commitment to other believers and connection to the family of God? Where will you practice the "one another" commands with other Christians? To which church family will you be joined as a functioning member? The more you mature, the more you will love the Body of Christ and want to sacrifice for it. The Bible says, "Christ loved the church and gave his life for it." You should include an expression of your love for God's church in your statement.

As you consider your answers to these questions, include any Scriptures that speak to you about each of these purposes. There are many in this book. It may take you weeks or months to craft your life purpose statement just the way you want it. Pray, think about it, talk with close friends, and reflect on Scripture. You may go through several rewrites before you get to your final form. Even then, you will probably make minor changes as time goes by and God gives you more insight into your own shape. If you would like to see some examples from other people, just email me (see appendix 2).

In addition to writing a detailed life purpose statement, it is also helpful to have a shorter statement or slogan that summarizes the five purposes for your life in a way that's memorable and inspires you. Then you can remind yourself daily. Solomon advised, "It will be good to keep these things in mind so that you are ready to repeat them." Here are a few examples:

• "My life purpose is to worship Christ with my heart, serve him with my shape, fellowship with his family, grow like him in character, and fulfill his mission in the world so he receives glory."

• "My life purpose is to be a member of Christ's family, a model of his character, a minister of his grace, a messenger of his word, and a magnifier of his glory."

• "My life purpose is to love Christ, grow in Christ, share Christ, and serve Christ through his church, and to lead my family and others to do the same.

• "My life purpose is to make a great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission."

• "My goal is Christlikeness; my family is the church; my ministry is___________; my mission is__________; my motive is the glory of God."

You may wonder, "What about God's will for my job or marriage or where I'm supposed to live or go to school?" Honestly, these are secondary issues in your life, and there may be multiple possibilities that would all be in God's will for you. What matters most is that you fulfill God's eternal purposes regardless of where you live or work or whom you marry. Those decisions should support your purposes. The Bible says, "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD'S purpose that prevails."

Focus on God's purposes for your life, not your plans, since that's what will last forever.

I once heard the suggestion that you develop your life purpose statement based on what you would like other people to say about you at your funeral. Imagine your perfect eulogy, then build your statement on that. Frankly, that's a bad plan. At the end of your life it isn't going to matter at all what other people say about you. The only thing that will matter is what God says about you. The Bible says, "Our purpose is to please God, not people."

One day God will review your answers to these life questions. Did you put Jesus at the center of your life? Did you develop his character? Did you devote your life to serving others? Did you communicate his message and fulfill his mission? Did you love and participate in his family? These are the only issues that will count. As Paul said, "Our goal is to measure up to God's plan for us."

GOD WANTS TO USE YOU

About thirty years ago, I noticed a little phrase in Acts 13:36 that forever altered the direction of my life. It was only seven words but, like the stamp of a searing hot branding iron, my life was permanently marked by these words: "David served God's purpose in his generation." Now I understood why God called David "a man after my own heart." David dedicated his life to fulfilling God's purposes on earth.

There is no greater epitaph than that statement! Imagine it chiseled on your tombstone: That you served God's purpose in your generation. My prayer is that people will be able to say that about me when I die. It is also my prayer that people will say it about you, too. That is why I wrote this book for you.

This phrase is the ultimate definition of a life well lived. You do the eternal and timeless (God's purpose) in a contemporary and timely way (in your generation). That is what the purpose-driven life is all about. Neither past nor future generations can serve God's purpose in this generation. Only we can. Like Esther, God created you `for such a time as this."

God is still looking for people to use. The Bible says, "The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." Will you be a person God can use for his purposes? Will you serve God's purpose in your generation?

Paul lived a purpose-driven life. He said, "I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step." His only reason for living was to fulfill the purposes God had for him. He said, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Paul was not afraid of either living or dying. Either way, he would fulfill God's purposes. He couldn't lose!

One day history will come to a close, but eternity will go on forever. William Carey said, "The future is as bright as the promises of God." When fulfilling your purposes seems tough, don't give in to discouragement. Remember your reward, which will last forever. The Bible says, "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all."

Imagine what it is going to be like one day, with all of us standing before the throne of God presenting our lives in deep gratitude and praise to Christ. Together we will say, "Worthy, Oh Master! Yes, our God! Take the glory! the honor! the power! You created it all; It was created because you wanted it!" We will praise him for his plan and live for his purposes forever!

DAY FORTY THINKING ABOUT MY PURPOSE

Point to Ponder: Living with purpose is the only way to really live.

Verse to Remember: "For David ... served the purpose of God in his own generation." Acts 13:36 (NASB)

Question to Consider: When will I take the time to write down my answers to life's five great questions? When will I put my purpose on paper?

Appendix 1:

DISCUSSION

QUESTIONS

In addition to the questions at the end of each chapter, you can use these discussion questions in your small group or Sunday school class setting.

WHAT ON EARTH AM I HERE FOR?

• What do you think are implications of the first sentence of this book, "It's not about you"?

• What do you feel most people's lives are driven by? What has been the driving force in your life?

• Up to this point, what image or metaphor has best described your life? A race, a circus, something else?

• If everyone understood that life on earth is really preparation for eternity, how would we act differently?

• What do people get attached to on earth that keeps them from living for God's purposes?

• What have you been attached to that could keep you from living for God's purposes?

YOU WERE PLANNED FOR GOD'S PLEASURE

• How is "living your whole life for God's pleasure" different from the way most people understand "worship"?

• How is a friendship with God similar to any other friendship, and how is it different?

• Share something you learned from a time when God seemed distant.

• Which is easier for you-public or private worship? In which do you usually feel closer to God?

• When is it appropriate to express anger to God?

• What fears surface when you think of surrendering your complete life to Christ?

YOU WERE FORMED FOR GOD'S FAMILY

• How is "being as committed to each other as we are to Jesus Christ" different from the way most people understand "fellowship"?

• What are the barriers that keep us from loving and caring for other believers?

• What would make it easier for you to be able to share your needs, hurts, fears, and hopes with others?

• What are the most common excuses people give for not joining a church, and how would you answer them?

• What could our group do to protect and promote the unity in our church?

• Is there someone you need to restore a relationship with that we could pray for you about?

YOU WERE CREATED TO BECOME LIKE CHRIST

• How is "becoming like Jesus Christ" different from the way most people understand "discipleship"?

• What are some of the changes you have seen in your life since you became a believer? What have others noticed?

• A year from now, how would you like to be more Christlike? What can you do today to move toward that goal?

• Where in your spiritual growth are you having to be patient because there seems to be little progress?

• How has God used pain or trouble to help you grow?

• When are you most vulnerable to temptation? Which of the steps to defeating temptation could help you most?

YOU WERE SHAPED FOR SERVING GOD

• How is "using your shape to serve others" different from the way most people understand "ministry"?

• What do you love to do that you could use to serve others in the family of God?

• Think of a painful experience you have gone through that God could use to help others who are going through the same kind of situation.

• How does comparing ourselves with others keep us from fully developing our unique shape?

• How have you seen God's power demonstrated through you when you felt weak?

• How can we help every member of our small group or class find a place of ministry? What can our group do to serve our church family?

YOU WERE MADE FOR A MISSION

• What are some typical fears and stereotypes that people have when they hear the word "evangelism"? What keeps you from sharing the Good News with others?

• What do you feel might be a part of the Life Message that God has given you to share with the world?

• Share the name of a unbelieving friend that everyone in your group can begin praying for.

• What can our group do together to help fulfill the Great Commission?

• How has reading through this book together refocused or redirected your life purpose? What have been some of the most helpful insights to you?

• Who does God bring to mind that you could share the life changing message of this book with?

• What are we going to study next? (See appendix 2 for suggestions.)

Email us the story of your group: stories@@purposedrivenlife.com

Appendix 2:

RESOURCES

RESOURCES FOR THE PURPOSE-DRIVEN® LIFE

At your bookstore or www purposedrivenlife.com:

1. The Purpose-Driven Life Journal. The companion to this book. (Zondervan/Inspirio)

2. The Purpose-Driven Life Scripture Keepers Plus. 40 Scripture and daily affirmation cards that match the book. Mahogany holder included. (Zondervan/Inspirio)

3. The Purpose-Driven Life Album. Twelve new songs about God's purposes, by top Christian artists. (Maranatha Music)

4. The Purpose-Driven Life Video Curriculum. Six sessions taught by Rick Warren and used in churches during a 40 Days of Purpose spiritual growth emphasis. Study guides available.

(www.purposedrivenlife. com)

5. The Purpose-Driven® Church. This award-winning book shows how your church can help people live God's five purposes for our lives. Available in book and DVD in 20 languages. Millions of people have studied this in churches and groups. (Zondervan and Purpose Driven Ministries)

6. Foundations: 11 Core Truths to Build Your Life on. A popular Saddleback Church curriculum on the biblical foundation of purpose-driven living. This 24-week study for small groups or adult classes includes extensive teachings notes, teacher's guide, learner's guide, small-group discussion questions, and PowerPoint slides. (Zondervan)

7. Doing Life Together. A 30-week small group curriculum that focuses on applying God's purposes to your life. (Zondervan)

8. Planned for God's Pleasure. This beautiful book and inspirational music CD take the groundbreaking message of The PurposeDriven Life and apply it in a way that encourages every one to find meaning and significance through reflection on God's purposes for one's life. (Zondervan/Inspirio)

FOR PEOPLE IN FULL-TIME MINISTRY

Email toolbox@pastors.com for a free subscription to Rick Warren's Ministry Toolbox, a weekly email newsletter for pastors and others in fulltime ministry.

For information on the many different Purpose Driven Seminars, contact Purpose Driven, 1 Saddleback Parkway, Lake Forest, CA 92630. Telephone: (800) 633-8876.

FREE RESOURCES

Email devotional@purposedrivenlife.com for a free subscription to the weekly Purpose-Driven Life Devotional.

Let us know which of these free items you would like by writing free@purposedrivenlife. com.

Your First Steps for Spiritual Growth booklet

A personal daily Bible reading plan

A list of recommended books on each purpose How to pray for missionaries

The Purpose-Driven® Life Health Assessment Information on Celebrate Recovery

Information on Kingdom Builders

Information on 40 Days of Purpose, a spiritual growth emphasis for your church

Appendix 3:

WHY USE SO MANY TRANSLATIONS?

This book contains nearly a thousand quotations from Scripture. I have intentionally varied the Bible translations used for two important reasons. First, no matter how wonderful a translation is, it has limitations. The Bible was originally written using 11,280 Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek words, but the typical English translation uses only around 6,000 words. Obviously, nuances and shades of meaning can be missed, so it is always helpful to compare translations.

Second, and even more important, is the fact that we often miss the full impact of familiar Bible verses, not because of poor translating, but simply because they have become so familiar! We think we know what a verse says because we have read it or heard it so many times. Then when we find it quoted in a book, we skim over it and miss the full meaning. Therefore I have deliberately used paraphrases in order to help you see God's truth in new, fresh ways. English-speaking people should thank God that we have so many different versions to use for devotional reading.

Also, since the verse divisions and number were not included in the Bible until 1560 A.D., I haven't always quoted the entire verse, but rather focused on the phrase that was appropriate. My model for this is Jesus and how he and the apostles quoted the Old Testament. They often just quoted a phrase to make a point.

AMP The Amplified Bible

Grand Rapids: Zondervan (1965)

CEV Contemporary English Version

New York: American Bible Society (1995)

GWT God's Word Translation

Grand Rapids: World Publishing, Inc. (1995) KJV King James Version

LB Living Bible

Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers (1979)

Msg The Message

Colorado Springs: Navpress (1993)

NAB New American Bible

Chicago: Catholic Press (1970)

NASB New American Standard Bible Anaheim, CA: Foundation Press (1973)

NCV New Century Version Dallas: Word Bibles (1991)

NIV New International Version

Colorado Springs: International Bible Society (1978,1984)

NIB New Jerusalem Bible

Garden City, NY: Doubleday (1985)

NLT New Living Translation

Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers (1996)

NRSV New Revised Standard Version Grand Rapids: Zondervan (1990)

Ph New Testament in Modern English by J. B. Phillips New York: Macmillan (1958 )

TEV Today's English Version

New York: American Bible Society (1992) (Also called Good News Translation)

Day 39 Purpose Driven Life

2012-02-08T06:00:00.002-05:00

39
Balancing Your Life
Live life with a due sense of responsibility, not as those who do not know the meaning of life but as those who do.
Ephesians 5:15 (Ph)
Don't let the errors of evil people
lead you down the wrong path
and make you lose your balance.
2 Peter 3:17 (CEV)
Blessed are the balanced; they shall outlast everyone. One
Your life is a pentathlon of five purposes, which you must keep in balance. These purposes were practiced by the first Christians in Acts 2, explained by Paul in Ephesians 4, and modeled by Jesus in John 17, but they are summarized in the Great Commandment and the Great Commission of Jesus. These two statements sum up what this book is all about-God's five purposes for your life:
of the events in the summer Olympics is the pentathlon. It is composed of five events: pistol shooting, fencing, horseback riding, running, and swimming. The pentathlete's goal is to succeed in all five areas, not just one or two. 1. "Love God with all your heart"
: You were planned for God's pleasure, so your purpose is to love God through worship. 2. "Love your neighbor as yourself':
You were shaped for serving, so your purpose is to show love for others through ministry. 3. "Go and make disciples":
You were made for a mission, so your purpose is to share God's message through evangelism. 4. "baptize them into . . .":
You were formed for God's family, so your purpose is to identify with his church through fellowship. 5. "teach them to do all things ...":
You were created to become like Christ, so your purpose is to grow to maturity through discipleship.
A great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission will make you a great Christian.
Keeping these five purposes in balance is not easy. We all tend to overemphasize the purposes we feel most passionate about and neglect the others. Churches do the same thing. But you can keep your life balanced and on track by joining a small group for accountability, by regularly evaluating your spiritual health, by recording your progress in a personal journal, and by passing on what you learn to others. These are four important activities for purpose-driven living. If you are serious about staying on track, you will need to develop these habits.
Talk it through with a spiritual partner or small group.
The best way to internalize the principles in this book is to discuss them with others in a small-group setting. The Bible says, "As iron sharpens iron, so people can improve each other." We learn best in community. Our minds are sharpened and our convictions are deepened through conversation. I strongly
A small reading group provides many benefits that a book by itself cannot. You can give and receive feedback about what you're learning. You can discuss real-life examples. You can pray for, encourage, and support each other as you begin to live out these purposes. Remember, we are meant to grow together, not separately. The Bible says,
I also encourage you to do personal Bible study. I have footnoted over a thousand Scriptures used in this book for you to study in their context. Please read appendix 3, which explains why this book uses so many different translations and paraphrases. To keep these chapters to a size for daily reading, I was unable to explain the fascinating context of most of the verses used. But the Bible is intended to be studied by paragraphs, chapters, and even entire books. My book
urge you to gather a small group of friends and form a Purpose-Driven Life Reading Group to review these chapters on a weekly basis. Discuss the implications and the applications of each chapter. Ask "So what?" and "What now?" What does this mean for me, my family, and our church? What am I going to do about it? Paul said, "Put into practice what you learned." In appendix 1, I have prepared a list of discussion questions for your small group or Sunday school class to use. "Encourage each other and give each other strength." After you have gone through this book together as a group, you might consider studying other purpose-driven life studies that are available for classes and groups (see appendix 2). Personal Bible Study Methods can show you how to do inductive studies. Give yourself a regular spiritual check-up.
A commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission will make you a great Christian.
The best way to balance the five purposes in your life is to evaluate yourself periodically. God places a high value on the habit of self-evaluation. At least five times in Scripture we are told to test and examine our own spiritual health. The Bible says, "Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don't drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups.... Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it."
To maintain your physical health, you need regular check-ups with a doctor who can assess your vital signs-blood pressure, temperature, weight, and so on. For your spiritual health you need to regularly check the five vital signs of worship, fellowship, growth in character, ministry, and mission. Jeremiah advised,
"Let's take a good look at the way we're living and reorder our lives under God."
At Saddleback Church we have developed a simple personal evaluation tool that has helped thousands of people stay on-purpose for God. If you would like a copy of this purpose-driven life spiritual health assessment, you can email me (see appendix 2). You will be amazed at how much this little tool will help you balance your life for health and growth. Paul urged,
"Let your enthusiastic idea at the start be equaled by your realistic action now." Write down your progress in
Writing helps clarify what God is doing in your life. Dawson Trotman used to say, "Thoughts disentangle themselves when they pass through your fingertips." The Bible has several examples of God telling people to keep a spiritual journal. It says,
a journal. The best way to reinforce your progress in fulfilling God's purposes for your life is to keep a spiritual journal. This is not a diary of events, but a record of the life lessons you don't want to forget. The Bible says, "It's crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we've heard so that we don't drift off." We remember what we record. "At the LORD'S direction, Moses kept a written record of their progress."
Aren't you glad Moses obeyed God's command to record Israel's spiritual journey? If he had been lazy, we would be robbed of the powerful life lessons of the Exodus.
While it's unlikely that your spiritual journal will be as widely read as Moses' was, yours is still important. The New International Version says,
Don't just write down the pleasant things. As David did, record your doubts, fears, and struggles with God. Our greatest lessons come out of pain, and the Bible says God keeps a record of our tears. Whenever problems occur, remember that God uses them to fulfill
In the middle of a painful experience, the psalmist wrote,
It is a witness that will continue to speak long after you're in heaven.
"Moses recorded the stages in their journey.' Your life is a journey, and a journey deserves a journal. I hope you will write about the stages of your spiritual journey in living a purpose-driven life. all five purposes in your life: Problems force you to focus on God, draw you closer to others in fellowship, build Christ-like character, provide you with a ministry, and give you a testimony. Every problem is purpose-driven. "Write down for the coming generation what the LORD has done, so that people not yet born will praise him." You owe it to future generations to preserve the testimony of how God helped you fulfill his purposes on earth. Pass on what you know to others.
Now that you understand the purpose of life, it is your responsibility to carry the message to others. God is calling you to be his messenger. Paul said,
You probably know hundreds of people who do not know the purpose of life. Share these truths with your children, your friends, your neighbors, and those you work with. If you give this book to a friend, add your personal note on the dedication page.
The more you know, the more God expects you to use that knowledge to help others. James said,
You owe it to future generations to preserve the testimony of how God helped you fulfill his purposes on earth.
If you want to keep growing, the best way to learn more is to pass on what you have already learned. Proverbs tells us, "The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped." Those who pass along insights get more from God. "Now I want you to tell these same things to followers who can be trusted to tell others." In this book I have passed on to you what others taught me about the purpose of life; now it's your duty to pass that on to others. "Anyone who knows the right thing to do, but does not do it, is sinning.' Knowledge increases responsibility. But passing along the purpose of life is more than an obligation; it's one of life's greatest privileges. Imagine how different the world would be if everyone knew their purpose. Paul said, "If you teach these things to other followers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus."
IT'S ALL FOR GOD
The reason we pass on what we learn is for the glory of God and the growth of his kingdom. The night before he was crucified, Jesus reported to his Father,
earth by completing the work you gave me to do.
Jesus told his Father what he had been doing for the last three years: preparing his disciples
to live for God's purposes. He helped them to know and love God (worship), taught them to love each other (fellowship), gave them the Word so they could grow to maturity (discipleship), showed them how to serve (ministry), and sent them out to tell others (mission). Jesus modeled a purpose-driven life, and he taught others how to live it, too. That was the "work" that brought glory to God.
Today God calls each of us to the same work. Not only does he want us to live out his purposes, he also wants us to help others do the same. God wants us to introduce people to Christ, bring them into his fellowship, help them grow to maturity and discover their place of service, and then send them out to reach others, too.
This is what purpose-driven living is all about. Regardless of your age, the rest of your life can be the best of your life, and you can start living on purpose today.
'S GLORY "I have brought you glory on 116 When Jesus prayed these words, he had not yet died for our sins, so what "work" had he completed? In this instance he was referring to something other than the atonement. The answer lies in what he said in the next twenty verses of his prayer." DAY THIRTY-NINE THINKING ABOUT MY PURPOSE
Point to Ponder:
Blessed are the balanced. Verse to Remember:
"Live life with a due sense of responsibility, not as those who do not know the meaning of life but as those who do." Ephesians 5:15 (Ph) Question to Consider: Which of the four activities will I begin in order to stay on track and balance God's five purposes for my life? 　

Day 38 Purpose Driven Life

2012-02-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

38
Becoming a
World- Class Christian
Jesus said to his followers, "Go everywhere in the world, and tell the Good News to everyone."
Mark 16:15
Send us around the world with the news of your saving power and your eternal plan for all mankind.
(NCV)
Psalm 67:2 (LB)
The Great Commission is your commission.
You have a choice to make. You will be either a
Worldly Christians look to God primarily for personal fulfillment. They are saved, but self-centered. They love to attend concerts and enrichment seminars, but you would never find them at a missions conference because they aren't interested. Their prayers focus on their own needs, blessings, and happiness. It's a "me-first" faith: How can God make
In contrast, world-class Christians know they were saved to serve and made for a mission. They are eager to receive a personal assignment and excited about the privilege of being used by God. World-class Christians are the only
God invites you to participate in the greatest, largest, most diverse, and most significant cause in history-his kingdom. History is
you to experience a little of what heaven will be like
world-class Christian or a worldly Christian. my life more comfortable? They want to use God for their purposes instead of being used for his purposes. fully alive people on the planet. Their joy, confidence, and enthusiasm are contagious because they know they're making a difference. They wake up each morning expecting God to work through them in fresh ways. Which type of Christian do you want to be? his story. He's building his family for eternity. Nothing matters more, and nothing will last as long. From the book of Revelation we know that God's global mission will be accomplished. Someday the Great Commission will be the Great Completion. In heaven an enormous crowd of people from "every race, tribe, nation, and language" will one day stand before Jesus Christ to worship him. Getting involved as a world-class Christian will allow in advance.
When Jesus told his followers to
Today we have airplanes, ships, trains, buses, and automobiles. It's a small world after all, and it's shrinking daily. You can fly across the ocean in a matter of
Now, with the Internet, the world has gotten even smaller. In addition to phones and faxes, any believer with Internet access can personally communicate with people in virtually every country on earth. The whole world is at your fingertips!
Even many remote villages get email, so you can now carry on
HOW TO THINK LIKE A WORLD-CLASS CHRISTIAN
`Bo everywhere in the world, and tell the Good News to everyone," that small band of poor, Middle Eastern disciples were overwhelmed. Were they supposed to walk or ride slow animals? That's all they had for transportation, and there were no ocean-crossing ships, so there were real physical barriers to going to the whole world. hours and be home the next day if you need to be. The opportunities for normal, everyday Christians to become involved in short-term international missions are now literally limitless. Every corner of the world is available to you-just ask the travel industry. We have no excuse not to spread the Good News. "e-vangelistic" conversations with people on the other side of the world, without even leaving your home! It has never been easier in history to fulfill your commission to go to the whole world. The great barriers are no longer distance, cost, or transportation. The only barrier is the way we think. To be a world-class Christian you must make some mental shifts. Your perspective and attitudes must change. Shift from self-centered thinking to other-centered thinking.
The Bible says, "My friends, stop thinking like children. Think like mature people." This is the first step to becoming a world-class Christian. Children only think of themselves; grownups think of others. God commands, "Don't think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too."
Of course, this is a difficult mental shift because we're naturally self-absorbed and almost all advertising encourages us to think of ourselves. The only way we can make this paradigm switch is by a moment-by-moment dependence on God. Fortunately he doesn't leave us to struggle on our own.
"God has given us his Spirit. That's why we don't think the same way that the people of this world think."
Begin asking the Holy Spirit to help you to think of the spiritual need of unbelievers whenever you talk to them. With practice you can develop the habit of praying silent "breath prayers" for those you encounter. Say, "Father, help me to understand what is keeping this person from knowing you."
It has never been easier in history to fulfill your commission to go to the whole world.
Your goal is to figure out where others are in their spiritual journey and then do whatever will bring them a step closer to knowing Christ. You can learn how to do this by adopting the mind-set of Paul, who said,
good for many people so that they might be saved.'
"I don't think about what would be good for me but about what would be Shift from local thinking to global thinking.
God is a global God. He has always cared about the entire world. "God so loved the world...."' From the beginning he has wanted family members from every nation he created. The Bible says, "From one person God made all nations who live on earth, and he decided when and where every nation would be. God has done all this, so that we will look for him and reach out and find him."
Much of the world already thinks globally. The largest media and business conglomerates are all multinational. Our lives are increasingly intertwined with those in other nations as we share fashions, entertainment, music, sports, and even fast food.
Probably most of the clothes you are wearing and much of what you ate today were produced in another country. We are more connected than we realize.
These are exciting days to be alive. There are more Christians on earth right now than ever before. Paul was right:
"This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is changing lives everywhere, just as it changed yours."
The first way to start thinking globally is to begin praying for specific countries. World-class Christians pray for the world. Get a globe or map and pray for nations by name. The Bible says,
"If you ask me, I will give you the nations; all the people on earth will be yours.'
Prayer is the most important tool for your mission in the world. People may refuse our love or reject our message, but they are defenseless against our prayers. Like an intercontinental missile, you can aim a prayer at a person's heart whether you are ten feet or 10,000 miles away.
What should you pray for? The Bible tells us to pray for opportunities to witness," for courage to speak up, for those who will believe, for the rapid spread of the message, and for more workers. Prayer makes you a partner with others around the world. You should also pray for missionaries and everyone else involved in the global harvest. Paul told his prayer partners,
Another way to develop global thinking is to read and watch the news with
"You are also joining to help us when you pray for us." If you would like suggestions for praying intelligently for the world and Christian workers, see appendix 2. "Great Commission eyes.' Wherever there is change or conflict, you can be sure that God will use it to bring people to him. People are most receptive to God when they are under tension or in transition. Because the rate of change is increasing in our world, more people are open to hearing the Good News now than ever before.
The best way to switch to global thinking is to just get up and go on a short-term mission project to another country! There's simply no substitute for hands-on, real life experience in another culture. Quit studying and discussing your mission and just do it! I dare you to dive into the deep end. In Acts 1:8 Jesus gave us a pattern for involvement:
"You will tell everyone about me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the world." His followers were to reach out to their community (Jerusalem), to their country (Judea), to other cultures (Samaria), and to other nations (everywhere in the world). Note that our commission is simultaneous, not sequential. While not everyone has the missionary gift, every Christian is called to be on a mission to all four groups in some way. Are you an Acts 1:8 Christian?
Set a goal to participate in a mission project to each of these four targets. I urge you to save and
do whatever it takes to participate in a short-term mission trip overseas
as soon as possible. Nearly every mission agency can help you do this. It will enlarge your heart, expand your vision, stretch your faith, deepen your compassion, and fill you with a kind of joy you have never experienced. It could be the turning point in your life. Shift from "here and now" thinking to eternal thinking. To
So much of what we waste our energy on will not matter even a year from now, much less for eternity. Don't trade your life for temporary things. Jesus said,
make the most of your time on earth, you must maintain an eternal perspective. This will keep you from majoring on minor issues and help you distinguish between what's urgent and what's ultimate. Paul said, "We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. " "Anyone who lets himself be distracted from the work 1 plan for him is not fit for the Kingdom of God." Paul warned, "Deal as sparingly as possible with the things the world thrusts on you. This world as you see it is on its way out."
What are you allowing to stand in the way of your mission? What's keeping you from being a world-class Christian? Whatever it is, let it go.
"Let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back."
Jesus told us to
You've probably heard the expression "You can't take it with you"-but the Bible says
"store up your treasures in heaven." How can we do this? In one of his most misunderstood statements Jesus said, "I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings." Jesus did not mean for you to "buy" friends with money. What he meant was that you should use the money God gives you to bring people to Christ. They will then be friends for eternity who will welcome you when you get to heaven! It's the best financial investment you'll ever make. you can send it on ahead by investing in people who are going there! The Bible says, `By doing this they will be storing up real treasure for themselves in heaven-it is the only safe investment for eternity! And they will be living a fruitful Christian life down here as well." Shift from thinking of excuses to thinking of creative ways to fulfill your commission.
•
　
•
•
Whether it was Sarah claiming she was too old to be used by God or Jeremiah claiming he was too young, God rejected their excuses.
If you are willing, there is always a way to do it, and there are agencies that will help you. Here are some common excuses: "I only speak English." This is actually an advantage in many countries where millions of people want to learn English and are eager to practice it. "I don't have anything to offer' Yes, you do. Every ability and experience in your shape can be used somewhere. "I'm too old (or too young).' Most mission agencies have age-appropriate short term projects. "Don't say that,' the LORD replied, for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don't be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and take care of you.'"
Maybe you have believed that you needed a special "call" from God, and you've been waiting for some supernatural feeling or experience. But God has already stated his call repeatedly. We are
Many Christians have missed God's plan for their lives because they have never even
all called to fulfill God's five purposes for our lives: to worship, to fellowship, to grow like Christ, to serve, and to be on mission with God in the world. God doesn't want to use just some of his people; he wants to use all of his people. We are all called to be on-mission for God. He wants his whole church to take the whole gospel to the whole world. asked God if he wanted them to serve as a missionary somewhere. Whether out of fear or ignorance, they have automatically closed their minds to the possibility of serving as a resident missionary in a cross-cultural location. If you are tempted to say no, you ought to check out all the different ways and possibilities that are now available (this will surprise you), and you ought to seriously pray and ask God what he wants from you in the years ahead. Untold thousands of resident missionaries are desperately needed at this critical point in history, when so many doors are opening wide like never before. If
you want to be like Jesus, you must have a heart for the whole world. You can't be satisfied with just your family and friends coming to Christ. There are over 6 billion people on earth, and Jesus wants all his lost children found. Jesus said, "Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live!" The Great Commission is your commission, and doing your part is the secret to living a life of significance. DAY THIRTY-EIGHT THINKING ABOUT MY PURPOSE
Point to Ponder:
The Great Commission is my commission. Verse to Remember:
"Send us around the world with the news of your saving power and your eternal plan for all mankind." Psalm 67:2 (LB) Question to Consider: What steps can I take to prepare to go on a short-term missions experience in the next year?

Day 37 Purpose Driven Life

2012-02-06T06:00:00.001-05:00

37
Sharing Your Life Message
Those who believe in the son of God have the testimony of God in them.
Your lives are echoing the Master's word ....The news of your faith in God is out. We don't even have to say anything anymore -you're the message!
God has given you a Life Message to share.
When you became a believer, you also became God's messenger. God wants to speak to the world through you. Paul said,
1John 5:10a (GWT) 1Thessalonians 1:8 (Msg) "We speak the truth before God, as messengers of God."
You may feel you don't have anything to share, but that's the Devil trying to keep you silent. You have a storehouse of experiences that God wants to use to bring others into his family. The Bible says,
• Your
• Your
• Your
• The
"Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony of God in them." Your Life Message has four parts to it: testimony: the story of how you began a relationship with Jesus life lessons: the most important lessons God has taught you godly passions: the issues God shaped you to care about most Good News: the message of salvation Your Life Message includes your testimony.
Jesus said,
Personal stories are also easier to relate to than principles, and people love to hear them. They capture our attention, and we remember them longer. Unbelievers would probably lose interest if you started quoting theologians, but they have a natural curiosity about experiences they've never had. Shared stories build a relational bridge that Jesus can walk across from your heart to theirs.
Another value of your testimony is that it bypasses intellectual defenses. Many people who won't accept the authority of the Bible will listen to a humble, personal story. That is why on six different occasions Paul used his testimony to share the gospel instead of quoting Scripture.'
The Bible says,
1. What my life was like before I met Jesus
2. How I realized I needed Jesus
3. How I committed my life to Jesus
4. The difference Jesus has made in my life
Of course, you have many other testimonies besides your salvation story. You have a story for
Your testimony is the story of how Christ has made a difference in your life. Peter tells us that we were chosen by God "to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you." This is the essence of witnessing-simply sharing your personal experiences regarding the Lord. In a courtroom, a witness isn't expected to argue the case, prove the truth, or press for a verdict; that is the job of attorneys. Witnesses simply report what happened to them or what they saw. "You will be my witnesses," not "You will be my attorney." He wants you to share your story with others. Sharing your testimony is an essential part of your mission on earth because it is unique. There is no other story just like yours, so only you can share it. If you don't share it, it will be lost forever. You may not be a Bible scholar, but you are the authority on your life, and it's hard to argue with personal experience. Actually, your personal testimony is more effective than a sermon, because unbelievers see pastors as professional salesmen, but see you as a "satisfied customer," so they give you more credibility. `Be ready at all times to answer anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you, but do it with gentleness and respect." The best way to "be ready" is to write out your testimony and then memorize the main points. Divide it into four parts: every experience in which God has helped you. You should make a list of all the problems, circumstances, and crises that God has brought you through. Then be sensitive and use the story that your unbelieving friend will relate to best. Different situations call for different testimonies. Your Life Message includes your life lessons.
While it is wise to learn from experience, it is
Shared stories build a relational bridge that Jesus can walk across from your heart to others.
The second part of your life message is the truths that God has taught you from experiences with him. These are lessons and insights you have learned about God, relationships, problems, temptations, and other aspects of life. David prayed, "God, teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course." Sadly, we never learn from a lot that happens to us. Of the Israelites, the Bible says, "Over and over God rescued them, but they never learned-until finally their sins destroyed them." You have probably met people like that. wiser to learn from the experiences of others. There isn't enough time to learn everything in life by trial and error. We must learn from the life lessons of one another. The Bible says, "A warning given by an experienced person to someone willing to listen is more valuable than ... jewelry made of the finest gold."
Write down the major life lessons you have learned so you can share them with others. We should be grateful Solomon did this, because it gave us the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, which are filled with practical lessons on living. Imagine how much needless frustration could be avoided if we learned from each other's life lessons.
Mature people develop the habit of extracting lessons from everyday experiences. I urge you to make a list of your life lessons. You haven't really thought about them unless you have written them down. Here are a few questions to jog your memory and get your started:
• What has God taught me from failure?
• What has God taught me from a lack of money?
• What has God taught me from pain or sorrow or depression?
• What has God taught me through waiting?
• What has God taught me through illness?
• What has God taught me from disappointment?
• What have I learned from my family, my church, my relationships, my small group, and my critics?
Your Life Message includes sharing your godly passions.
You cannot keep yourself from talking about what you care about most. Jesus said,
God gives some people a godly passion to champion a cause. It's often a problem they personally experienced such as abuse, addiction, infertility, depression, a disease, or some other difficulty. Sometimes God gives people a passion to speak up for a group of others who can't speak for themselves: the unborn, the persecuted, the poor, the imprisoned, the mistreated, the disadvantaged, and those who are denied justice. The Bible is filled with commands to defend the defenseless.
God uses passionate people to further his kingdom. He may give you a godly passion for starting new churches, strengthening families, funding Bible translations, or training Christian leaders. You may be given a godly passion for reaching a particular group of people with the gospel: businessmen, teenagers, foreign exchange students, young mothers, or those with a
particular hobby or sport. If you ask God, he will burden your heart for a specific country or ethnic group that desperately needs a strong Christian witness.
God gives us different passions so that everything he wants done in the world will get done. You should not expect everyone else to be passionate about your passion. Instead, we must listen to and value each other's life message because nobody can say it all. Never belittle someone else's godly passion. The Bible says,
God is a passionate God. He passionately loves some things and passionately hates other things. As you grow closer to him, he will give you a passion for something he cares about deeply so you can be a spokesman for him in the world. It may be a passion about a problem, a purpose, a principle, or a group of people. Whatever it is, you will feel compelled to speak up about it and do what you can to make a difference. "A man's heart determines his speech." Two examples are David, who said, "My zeal for God and his work burns hot within me," and Jeremiah, who said, "Your message burns in my heart and bones, and I cannot keep silent." "It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good." God gives us different passions so that everything he wants done in the world will get done.
Your Life Message includes the Good
There are hundreds of great books on how to share the Good News. I can provide a list of books that have been helpful to me (see appendix 2). But all the training in the world won't motivate you to witness for Christ until you internalize the eight convictions covered in the previous chapter. Most important, you must learn to love lost people the way God does.
God has never made a person he didn't love. Everybody matters to him. When Jesus stretched his arms out wide on the cross, he was saying, "I love you
We must care about unbelievers because God does. Love leaves no choice. The Bible says,
The Bible says,
hearts and lives."
The church that doesn't want to grow is saying to the world, "You can go to hell."
What are
News. What is the Good News? "The Good News shows how God makes people right with himself-that it begins and ends with faith." "For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others." The Good News is that when we trust God's grace to save us through what Jesus did, our sins are forgiven, we get a purpose for living, and we are promised a future home in heaven. this much!" The Bible says, "For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all." Whenever you feel apathetic about your mission in the world, spend some time thinking about what Jesus did for you on the cross. "There is no fear in love; perfect love drives out all fear." A parent will run into a burning building to save a child because their love for that child is greater than their fear. If you've been afraid to share the Good News with those around you, ask God to fill your heart with his love for them. "[God] does not want anyone to be lost, but he wants all people to change their As long as you know one person who doesn't know Christ, you must keep praying for them, serving them in love, and sharing the Good News. And as long as there is one person in your community who isn't in the family of God, your church must keep reaching out. you willing to do so that the people you know will go to heaven? Invite them to church? Share your story? Give them this book? Take them a meal? Pray for them every day until they are saved? Your mission field is all around you. Don't miss the opportunities God is giving you. The Bible says, "Make the most of your chances to tell others the Good News. Be wise in all your contacts with them."
Is anyone going to be in heaven because of you? Will anyone in heaven be able to say to you, "I want to thank you. I'm here because you cared enough to share the Good News with me"? Imagine the joy of greeting people in heaven whom you helped get there. The eternal salvation of a single soul is more important than anything else you will ever achieve in life. Only people are going to last forever.
In this book you have learned God's five purposes for your life on earth: He made you to be a
member of his family, a model of his character, a magnifier of his glory, a minister of his grace, and a messenger of his Good News to others. Of these five purposes, the fifth can only be done on earth. The other four you will keep doing in eternity in some way. That's why spreading the Good News is so important; you only have a short time to share your life message and fulfill your mission. DAY THIRTY-SEVEN THINKING ABOUT MY PURPOSE
Point to Ponder:
God wants to say something to the world through me. Verse to Remember:
`Be ready at all times to answer anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you, but do it with gentleness and respect."
1 Peter 3:15b-16 (TEV)
Question to Consider: As I reflect on my personal story, who does God want me to share it with?

Day 36 Purpose Driven Life

2012-02-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

36
Made for a Mission
In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world.
John 17:18 (Msg) The most important thing is that I complete my mission, the work that the Lord Jesus gave me.
Acts
20:24 (NCV)
You were made for a mission.
God is at work in the world, and he wants you to join him. This assignment is called your
Your life mission is both
Our English word
mission. God wants you to have both a ministry in the Body of Christ and a mission in the world. Your ministry is your service to believers,' and your mission is your service to unbelievers. Fulfilling your mission in the world is God's fifth purpose for your life. shared and specific. One part of it is a responsibility you share with every other Christian, and the other part is an assignment that is unique to you. We will look at both parts in the chapters ahead. mission comes from the Latin word for "sending." Being a Christian includes being sent into the world as a representative of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."
Jesus clearly understood his life mission on earth. At age twelve he said,
The mission Jesus had while on earth is now
mission? Introducing people to God! The Bible says,
"I must be about my Father's business," and twenty-one years later, dying on the cross, he said, "It is finished." Like bookends, these two statements frame a well-lived, purpose driven life. Jesus completed the mission the Father gave him. our mission because we are the Body of Christ. What he did in his physical body we are to continue as his spiritual body, the church. What is that "Christ changed us from enemies into his friends and gave us the task of making others his friends also."
God wants to redeem human beings from Satan and reconcile them to himself so we can fulfill the five purposes he created us for: to love him, to be a part of his family, to become like him, to serve him, and to tell others about him. Once we are his, God uses us to reach others. He saves us and then sends us out. The Bible says,
THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR MISSION
Fulfilling your life mission on earth is an essential part of living for God's glory. The Bible gives several reasons why your mission is so important.
'We have been sent to speak for Christ." We are the messengers of God's love and purposes to the world. Your mission is a continuation of Jesus' mission on earth.
As his followers, we are to continue what Jesus started. Jesus calls us not only to
In the Great Commission Jesus said,
You may have been unaware that God holds you responsible for the unbelievers who live around you. The Bible says,
come to him, but to go for him. Your mission is so significant that Jesus repeated it five times, in five different ways, in five different books of the Bible. It is as if he was saying, "I really want you to get this!" Study these five commissions of Jesus and you will learn the details of your mission on earth-the when, where, why, and how. "Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you." This commission was given to every follower of Jesus, not to pastors and missionaries alone. This is your commission from Jesus, and it is not optional. These words of Jesus are not the Great Suggestion. If you are a part of God's family, your mission is mandatory. To ignore it would be disobedience. "You must warn them so they may live. If you don't speak out to warn the wicked to stop their evil ways, they will die in their sin. But I will hold you responsible for their death." You are the only Christian some people will ever know, and your mission is to share Jesus with them. Your mission is a wonderful privilege.
Although it is a big responsibility, it is also an incredible honor to be used by God. Paul said, "God has given us the privilege of urging everyone to come into his favor and be reconciled to him." Your mission involves two great privileges: working with God and representing him. We get to partner with God in the building of his kingdom. Paul calls us "co-laborers" and says, "We are workers together with God."
Jesus has secured our salvation, put us in his family, given us his Spirit, and then made us his agents in the world. What a privilege! The Bible says,
"We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them. We're speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God." Telling others how they can have eternal life is the greatest thing you can do for them.
If your neighbor had cancer or AIDS and you knew the cure, it would be criminal to withhold that lifesaving information. Even worse is to keep secret the way to forgiveness, purpose, peace, and eternal life. We have the greatest news in the world, and sharing it is the greatest kindness you can show to anyone. Jesus calls us not only to come to him, but to go for him.
One problem long-term Christians have is that they forget how hopeless it felt to be without Christ. We must remember that no matter how contented or successful people
appear to be, without Christ they are hopelessly lost and headed for eternal separation from God. The Bible says, `Jesus is the only One who can save people." Everybody needs Jesus. Your mission has eternal significance.
The consequences of your mission will last forever; the consequences of your job will not. Nothing else you do will ever matter as much as helping people establish an eternal relationship with God.
This is why we must be urgent about our mission. Jesus said,
This does not mean you should quit your job to become a fulltime evangelist. God wants you to share the Good News where you are. As a student, mother, preschool teacher, salesman, or manager or whatever you do, you should continually look for people God places in your path with whom you can share the gospel.
It will impact the eternal destiny of other people, so it's more important than any job, achievement, or goal you will reach during your life on earth. "All of us must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent me, because there is little time left before the night falls and all work comes to an end. "14 The clock is ticking down on your life mission, so don't delay another day. Get started on your mission of reaching out to others now! We will have all of eternity to celebrate with those we have brought to Jesus, but we only have our lifetime in which to reach them. Your mission gives your life meaning.
If you fail to fulfill your God-given mission on earth, you will have wasted the life God gave you. Paul said,
William James said, "The best use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts it." The truth is, only the kingdom of God is going to last. Everything else will eventually vanish. That is why we must live purpose driven lives-lives committed to worship, fellowship, spiritual growth, ministry, and fulfilling our mission on earth. The results of these activities will last-forever! "My life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus-the work of telling others the Good News about God's wonderful kindness and love." There are people on this planet whom only you will be able to reach, because of where you live and what God has made you to be. If just one person will be in heaven because of you, your life will have made a difference for eternity. Start looking around at your personal mission field and pray, "God, who have you put in my life for me to tell about Jesus?" The Great Commission was given to every follower of Jesus.
God's timetable for history's conclusion is connected to the completion of our commission.
same question, and his response was quite revealing. He said,
When the disciples wanted to talk about prophecy, Jesus quickly switched the conversation to evangelism. He wanted them to concentrate on their mission in the world. He said in essence, "The details of my return are none of your business. What
Speculating on the exact timing of Christ's return is futile, because Jesus said,
Today there's a growing interest in the second coming of Christ and the end of the world. When will it happen? Just before Jesus ascended to heaven the disciples asked him this "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." is your business is the mission I've given you. Focus on that!" "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." Since Jesus said he didn't know the day or hour, why should you try to figure it out? What we do know for sure is this: Jesus will not return until everyone God wants to hear the Good News has heard it. Jesus said, "The Good News about God's kingdom will be preached in all the world, to every nation. Then the end will come." If you want Jesus to come back sooner, focus on fulfilling your mission, not figuring out prophecy. It is easy to get distracted, because Satan would rather have you do anything besides sharing your faith.
It is easy to get distracted and sidetracked from your mission because Satan would rather have you do anything besides sharing your faith. He will let you do all kinds
of good things as long as you don't take anyone to heaven with you. But the moment you become serious about your mission, expect the Devil to throw all kinds of diversions at you. When that happens, remember the words of Jesus: "Anyone who lets himself be distracted from the work I plan for him is not fit for the Kingdom of God."
WHAT IT COSTS TO FULFILL YOUR MISSION
To
fulfill your mission will require that you abandon your agenda and accept God's agenda for your life. You can't just "tack it on" to all the other things you'd like to do with your life. You must say, like Jesus, "Father, ... I want your will, not mine." You yield your rights, expectations, dreams, plans, and ambitions to him. You stop praying selfish prayers like "God bless what I want to do." Instead you pray, "God help me to do what you're blessing!" You hand God a blank sheet with your name signed at the bottom and tell him to fill in the details. The Bible says, "Give yourselves completely to God-every part of you ... to be tools in the hands of God, to be used for his good purposes."
If you will commit to fulfilling your mission in life no matter what it costs, you will experience the blessing
of God in ways that few people ever experience. There is almost nothing God won't do for the man or woman who is committed to serving the kingdom of God. Jesus has promised, "[God] will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern."
ONE MORE FOR JESUS
My father was a minister for over fifty years, serving mostly in small, rural churches. He was a simple preacher, but he was a man with a mission. His favorite activity was taking teams
In 1999, my father died
One night near the end, while my wife, my niece, and I were by his side, Dad suddenly became very active and tried to get out
During the next hour, he said the phrase probably a hundred times. "Got to save one more for Jesus!" As I sat by his bed with tears flowing down my cheeks, I bowed my head to thank God for my dad's faith. At that moment Dad reached out and placed his frail hand on my head and said, as if commissioning me, "Save one more for Jesus! Save one more for Jesus!"
I intend for that to be the theme of the rest of my life. I invite you to consider it as a focus for your life, too, because
of volunteers overseas to build church buildings for small congregations. In his lifetime, Dad built over 150 churches around the world. of cancer. In the final week of his life the disease kept him awake in a semi-conscious state nearly twenty-four hours a day. As he dreamed, he'd talk out loud about what he was dreaming. Sitting by his bedside, I learned a lot about my dad by just listening to his dreams. He relived one church building project after another. of bed. Of course, he was too weak, and my wife insisted he lay back down. But he persisted in trying to get out of bed, so my wife finally asked, "Jimmy, what are you trying to do?" He replied, "Got to save one more for Jesus! Got to save one more for Jesus! Got to save one more for Jesus!" He began to repeat that phrase over and over. nothing will make a greater difference for eternity. If you want to be used by God, you must care about what God cares about; what he cares about most is the redemption of the people he made. He wants his lost children found! Nothing matters more to God; the Cross proves that. I pray that you will always be on the lookout to reach "one more for Jesus" so that when you stand before God one day, you can say, "Mission accomplished!" DAY THIRTY-SIX THINKING ABOUT MY PURPOSE
Point to Ponder:
I was made for a mission. Verse to Remember:
"Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)
Question to Consider: What fears have kept me from fulfilling the mission God made me to accomplish? What keeps me from telling others the Good News?

Day 35 Purpose Driven Life

2012-02-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

35
God's Power in Your Weakness
We are weak ... yet by God's power we will live with him to serve you.
2 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV) I am with you; that is all you need. My power shows up best in weak people.
God loves to use weak people.
Everyone has weaknesses. In fact, you have a
God has a different perspective on your weaknesses. He says,
The Bible says,
God has never been impressed with strength or self-sufficiency. In fact, he is drawn to people who are weak and admit it. Jesus regarded this recognition of our need as being
The Bible is filled with examples
A weakness, or
low energy, or a disability. It may be an
When you think of the limitation in your life, you may be tempted to conclude, "God could never use me." But God is never limited by our limitations. In fact, he enjoys putting his great power into ordinary containers. The Bible says,
2 Corinthians 12:9a (LB) bundle of flaws and imperfections: physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. You may also have uncontrollable circumstances that weaken you, such as financial or relational limitations. The more important issue is what you do with these. Usually we deny our weaknesses, defend them, excuse them, hide them, and resent them. This prevents God from using them the way he desires. "My thoughts and my ways are higher than yours," so he often acts in ways that are the exact opposite of what we expect. We think that God only wants to use our strengths, but he also wants to use our weaknesses for his glory. "God purposely chose ... what the world considers weak in order to shame the powerful." Your weaknesses are not an accident. God deliberately allowed them in your life for the purpose of demonstrating his power through you. "poor in spirit." It's the number one attitude he blesses. of how God loves to use imperfect, ordinary people to do extraordinary things in spite of their weaknesses. If God only used perfect people, nothing would ever get done, because none of us is flawless. That God uses imperfect people is encouraging news for all of us. "thorn" as Paul called it, is not a sin or a vice or a character defect that you can change, such as overeating or impatience. A weakness is any limitation that you inherited or have no power to change. It may be a physical limitation, like a handicap, a chronic illness, naturally emotional limitation, such as a trauma scar, a hurtful memory, a personality quirk, or a hereditary disposition. Or it may be a talent or intellectual limitation. We're not all super bright or talented. "We are like clay jars in which this treasure is stored. The real power comes from God and not from us." Like common pottery, we are fragile and flawed and break easily. But God will use us if we allow him to work through our weaknesses. For that to happen, we must follow the model of Paul. Admit your weaknesses.
Own up to your imperfections. Stop pretending to have it all together, and be honest about yourself. If God only used perfect people, nothing would ever get done.
Instead of living in denial or making excuses, take the time to identify your personal weaknesses. You might make a list of them.
Two great confessions in the New Testament illustrate what we need for healthy living. The first was Peter's, who said to Jesus,
"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." The second confession was Paul's, who said to an idolizing crowd, "We are only human beings like you." If you want God to use you, you must know who God is and know who you are. Many Christians, especially leaders, forget the second truth: We're only human! If it takes a crisis to get you to admit this, God won't hesitate to allow it, because he loves you. Be content with your weaknesses.
Paul gives us several reasons to be content with our inborn weaknesses. First, they cause us to depend on God. Referring to his own weakness, which God refused to take away, Paul said, "I
Our weaknesses also prevent arrogance. They keep us humble. Paul said,
When Gideon recruited an army of 32,000 to fight the Midianites, God whittled it down to just 300, making the odds 450 to 1 as they went out to fight 135,000 enemy troops. It
Our weaknesses also encourage fellowship between believers. While strength breeds an independent spirit ("I don't need anyone else"), our limitations show how much we need each other. When we weave the weak strands of our lives together, a rope of great strength is created.
Vance Havner quipped, "Christians, like snowflakes, are frail, but when they stick together they can stop traffic."
Most of all, our weaknesses increase our capacity for sympathy and ministry. We are far more likely to be compassionate and considerate of the weaknesses of others. God wants you to have a Christlike ministry on earth. That means other people are going to find healing in your wounds. Your greatest life messages and your most effective ministry will come out of your deepest hurts. The things you're most embarrassed about, most ashamed of, and most reluctant to share are the very tools God can use most powerfully to heal others.
The great missionary Hudson Taylor said, "All God's giants were weak people." Moses' weakness was his temper. It caused him to murder an Egyptian, strike the rock he was supposed to speak to, and break the tablets of the Ten Commandments. Yet God transformed Moses into
Paul said, "I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me. Since I know it is all for Christ's good, I am quite content with my weaknesses." At first this doesn't make sense. We want to be freed from our weaknesses, not be content with them! But contentment is an expression of faith in the goodness of God. It says, "God, I believe you love me and know what's best for me." am quite happy about `the thorn,'. .. for when I am weak, then I am strong-the less I have, the more I depend on him." Whenever you feel weak, God is reminding you to depend on him. "So I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations." God often attaches a major weakness to a major strength to keep our egos in check. A limitation can act as a governor to keep us from going too fast and running ahead of God. appeared to be a recipe for disaster, but God did it so Israel would know it was God's power, not their own strength, that saved them. "the humblest man on earth."
Gideon's weakness was low self-esteem and deep insecurities, but God transformed him into a
The list could go on and on.
"mighty man of valor." Abraham's weakness was fear. Not once, but twice, he claimed his wife was his sister to protect himself. But God transformed Abraham into "the father of those who have faith." Impulsive, weak-willed Peter became "a rock," the adulterer David became "a man after my own heart,"' and John, one of the arrogant "Sons of Thunder," became the "Apostle of Love." "It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of... Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets.... their weakness was turned to strength." God specializes in turning weaknesses into strengths. He wants to take your greatest weakness and transform it. Honestly share your weaknesses.
Paul modeled vulnerability in all his letters. He openly shared
Ministry begins with vulnerability. The more you let down your guard, take off your mask, and share your struggles, the more God will be able to use you in serving others.
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His failures: "When I want to do good, I don't, and when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway."
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• His frustrations:
His feelings: "I have told you all my feelings." "We were crushed and completely overwhelmed, and we thought we would never live through it."
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His fears: "When I came to you, I was weak and fearful and trembling."
Of course, vulnerability is risky. It can be scary to lower your defenses and open up your life to others. When you reveal your failures, feelings, frustrations, and fears, you risk rejection. But the benefits are worth the risk. Vulnerability is emotionally liberating.
Opening up relieves stress, defuses your fears, and is the first step to freedom.
We have already seen that God
humble people.
Pretentiousness repels but authenticity attracts, and vulnerability is the pathway to intimacy.
This is why God wants to use your weaknesses, not just your strengths. If all people see are your strengths, they get discouraged and think, "Well, good for her, but I'll never be able to do that." But when they see God using you in spite of your weaknesses, it encourages them to think, "Maybe God can use me!" Our strengths create competition, but our weaknesses create community.
At some point in your life you must decide whether you want to
leadership is not perfection, but credibility. People must be able to trust you, or they won't follow you. How do you build credibility? Not by pretending to be perfect, but by being honest.
`gives grace to the humble," but many misunderstand humility. Humility is not putting yourself down or denying your strengths; rather, it is being honest about your weaknesses. The more honest you are, the more of God's grace you get. You will also receive grace from others. Vulnerability is an endearing quality; we are naturally drawn to impress people or influence people. You can impress people from a distance, but you must get close to influence them, and when you do that, they will be able to see your flaws. That's okay. The most essential quality for Glory in your weaknesses.
Paul said, "I am going to boast only about how weak I am and how great God is to use such weakness for his glory." Instead of posing as self-confident and invincible, see yourself as a trophy of grace. When Satan points out your weaknesses, agree with him and fill your heart with praise for Jesus, who "understands every weakness of ours," and for the Holy Spirit, who "helps us in our weakness."
Sometimes, however, God turns a strength into a weakness in order to use us even more. Jacob was a manipulator who spent his life scheming and then running from the consequences. One night he wrestled with God and said, "I'm not letting go until you bless me." God said, "All right," but then he grabbed Jacob's thigh and dislocated his hip. What is the significance of that?
God touched Jacob's strength (the thigh muscle is the strongest in the body) and turned it into a weakness. From that day forward, Jacob walked with a limp so he could never run away again. It forced him to lean on God whether he liked it or not. If you want God to bless you and use you greatly, you must be willing to walk with a limp the rest of your life, because God uses weak people.
DAY THIRTY-FIVE THINKING ABOUT MY PURPOSE
Point to Ponder:
God works best when I admit my weakness. Verse to Remember:
"My Brace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness."
2 Corinthians 12:9a (NIV)
Question to Consider: Am I limiting God's power in my life by trying to hide my weaknesses? What do I need to be honest about in order to help others?

Day 34 Purpose Driven Life

2012-02-03T06:00:00.001-05:00

34
Thinking Like a Servant
My servant Caleb thinks differently and follows me completely.
Numbers 14:24 (NCV) Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself.
Service starts in your mind.
To be a servant requires a mental shift, a change in your attitudes. God is always more interested in
Philippians. 2:5 (Msg) why we do something than in what we do. Attitudes count more than achievements. King Amaziah lost God's favor because "he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, yet not with a true heart." Real servants serve God with a mindset of five attitudes. Servants think more about others than about themselves.
Servants focus on others, not themselves. This is true humility: not thinking less of ourselves but thinking of ourselves less. They are self-forgetful. Paul said, "Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand." This is what it means to "lose your life" forgetting yourself in service to others. When we stop focusing on our own needs, we become aware of the needs around us. Real servants don't try to use
God for their purposes. They let
God use them for his purposes.
Jesus
Unfortunately, a lot of our service is often self-serving. We serve to get others to like us, to be
admired, or to achieve our own goals. That is manipulation, not ministry. The whole time we're really thinking about ourselves and how noble and wonderful we are. Some people try to use service as a bargaining tool with God: "I'll do this for you God, if you'll do something for me." Real servants don't try to use God for their purposes. They let God use them for
The quality of self-forgetfulness, like faithfulness, is extremely rare. Out of all the people Paul knew, Timothy was the only example he could point to. Thinking like a servant is difficult because it challenges the basic problem of my life: I am, by nature, selfish. I think most about me. That's why humility is a daily struggle, a lesson I must relearn over and over. The opportunity to be a servant confronts me dozens of times a day, in which I'm given the choice to decide between meeting my needs or the needs of others. Self-denial is the core of servanthood.
We can measure our servant's heart by how we respond when others treat us like servants. How do you react when you're taken for granted, bossed around, or treated as an inferior? The Bible says,
"emptied himself by taking on the form of a servant." When was the last time you emptied yourself for someone else's benefit? You can't be a servant if you're full of yourself. It's only when we forget ourselves that we do the things that deserve to be remembered. his purposes. "If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life." Servants think like stewards, not owners.
To become a real servant you are going to have to settle the issue of money in your life. Jesus said,
Money has the greatest potential to replace God in your life. More people are sidetracked from serving by materialism than by anything else. They say, "After I achieve my financial goals, I'm going to serve God." That is a foolish decision they will regret for eternity. When Jesus is your Master, money serves you, but if money is your master, you become its slave. Wealth is certainly not a sin, but failing to use it for God's glory is. Servants of God are always more concerned about ministry than money.
The Bible is very clear: God uses money to test your faithfulness as a servant. That is why Jesus talked more about money than he did about either heaven or hell. He said,
In chapter 31, I mentioned two kinds of people: Kingdom Builders and Wealth Builders. Both are gifted at making a business grow, making deals or sales, and making a profit. Wealth Builders continue to amass wealth for themselves no matter how much they make, but Kingdom Builders change the rules of the game. They still try to make as much money as they can, but they do it in order to give it away. They use the wealth to fund God's church and its mission in the world.
At Saddleback Church, we have a group of CEOs and business owners who are trying to make
as much as they can so they can give as much as they can to further the kingdom of God. I encourage you to talk with your pastor and begin a Kingdom Builders' group in your church. For help see appendix 2.
Servants remember that God owns it all. In the Bible, a steward was a servant entrusted to manage an estate. Joseph was this kind of servant as a prisoner in Egypt. Potiphar entrusted Joseph with his home. Then the jailer entrusted Joseph with his jail. Eventually Pharaoh entrusted the entire nation to him. Servanthood and stewardship go together, since God expects us to be trustworthy in both. The Bible says, "The one thing required of such servants is that they be faithful to their master." How are you handling the resources God has entrusted to you? "No servant can serve two masters.... You cannot serve both God and Money." 8 He didn't say, "You should not," but "You cannot." It is impossible. Living for ministry and living for money are mutually exclusive goals. Which one will you choose? If you're a servant of God, you can't moonlight for yourself. All your time belongs to God. He insists on exclusive allegiance, not part-time faithfulness. "If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?"9 How you manage your money affects how much God can bless your life. Servants think about their work, not what others are doing.
Competition between God's servants is illogical for many reasons: We're all on the same team; our goal is to make God look good, not ourselves; we've been given different assignments; and we're all uniquely shaped. Paul said,
They don't compare, criticize, or compete with other servants or ministries. They're too busy doing the work God has given them. "We will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original. "
There's no place for petty jealousy between servants. When you're busy serving, you don't have time to be critical. Any time spent criticizing others is time that could be spent ministering. When Martha complained to Jesus that Mary was not helping with the work, she lost her servant's heart. Real servants don't complain of unfairness, don't have pity-parties, and don't resent those not serving. They just trust God and keep serving.
It is not our job to evaluate the Master's other servants. The Bible says,
"Who are you to criticize someone else's servant? The Lord will determine whether his servant has been successful. "11 It is also not our job to defend ourselves against criticism. Let your Master handle it. Follow the example of Moses, who showed true humility in the face of opposition, as did Nehemiah, whose response to critics was simply, "My work is too important to stop now and ... visit with you."
If you serve like Jesus, you can expect to be criticized. The world, and even much of the church, does not understand what God values. One of the most beautiful acts of love shown to Jesus was criticized by the disciples. Mary took the most valuable thing she owned, expensive perfume, and poured it over Jesus. Her lavish service was called
"a waste" by the disciples, but Jesus called it "significant,"' and that's all that mattered. Your service for Christ is never wasted regardless of what others say. Servants base their identity in Christ.
Because they remember they are loved and accepted by grace, servants don't have to prove their worth. They willingly accept jobs that insecure people would consider "beneath" them. One of the most profound examples of serving from a secure self-image is Jesus' washing the feet of his disciples. Washing feet was the equivalent of being a shoeshine boy, a job devoid of status. But Jesus knew who he was, so the task didn't threaten his self-image. The Bible says, `Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God ... so begot up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist."
If you're going to be a servant, you must settle your identity in Christ. Only secure people can serve. Insecure people are always worrying about how they appear to others. They fear exposure of their weaknesses and hide beneath layers of protective pride and pretensions. The more insecure you are, the more you will want people to serve you, and the more you will need their approval.
Henri Nouwen said, "In order to be of service to others we have to die to them; that is, we have to give up measuring our meaning and value with the yardstick of others.... thus we become free to be compassionate." When you base your worth and identity on your relationship to Christ, you are freed from the expectations of others, and that allows you to really serve them best.
Servants don't need to cover their walls with plaques and awards to validate their work. They don't insist on being addressed by titles, and they don't wrap themselves in robes of superiority. Servants find status symbols unnecessary, and they don't measure their worth by their achievements. Paul said,
"You may brag about yourself, but the only approval that counts is the Lord's approval."
If anyone had the chance of a lifetime to flaunt his connections and "name-drop," it was James, the half-brother of Jesus. He had the credentials of growing up with Jesus as his brother. Yet, in introducing his letter, he simply referred to himself as
"a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ." The closer you get to Jesus, the less you need to promote yourself. Servants think of ministry as an opportunity, not an obligation.
Imagine what could happen if just 10 percent of all Christians in the world got serious about their role as real servants. Imagine all the good that could be done. Are you willing to be one of those people? It doesn't matter what your age is, God will use you if you will begin to act and think like a servant. Albert Schweitzer said, "The only really happy people are those who have learned how to serve."
They enjoy helping people, meeting needs, and doing ministry. They "serve the LORD with gladness." Why do they serve with gladness? Because they love the Lord, they're grateful for his grace, they know serving is the highest use of life, and they know God has promised a reward. Jesus promised, "The Father will honor and reward anyone who serves me." Paul said, "He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other Christians." DAY THIRTY-FOUR THINKING ABOUT MY PURPOSE
Point to Ponder:
To be a servant I must think like a servant. Verse to Remember:
"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." Philippians 2:5 (NIV) Question to Consider: Am I usually more concerned about being served or finding ways to serve others?