The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
Lots of content here, so splitting these last 5 days into 2 blogs…
Purpose 5: You were made for a mission
Day 36: You were made for a mission
- 1 part is shared with other Christians – share the name of Jesus
- 1 part is unique to each of us – using our specific traits to serve this purpose
- The Bible gives several reasons why this is so important:
- It is a continuation of what Jesus started when He came to earth
- It’s our job to share with unbelievers, not just pastors and missionaries
- It’s our privilege:
- Working with God
- Representing Him
- It has eternal significance – no matter how happy unbelievers may seem on the surface, there is emptiness inside and are heading for a life of eternity without Christ
- It gives our life meaning
- What it costs to fulfill your mission:
- Requires you to abandon your agenda and follows God’s plan
- Turn over everything to Him
- All selfish desires are now meaningless
- Ending:
- I was made for a purpose
- Matt 28:19-20
- What fears have kept me from fulfilling the mission God made me to accomplish? What keeps me from telling others the good news?
Day 37: Sharing your life message
- Your life message has 4 parts to it:
- Your testimony – when you gave your life to Christ
- We are Christ witnesses, and we are told to share it
- Each is unique and has its own purpose
- Bypasses intellectual defenses
- Divide it into 4 parts:
- What your life was like before you met Jesus
- How you realized you needed Jesus
- How you committed your life to Jesus
- The difference Jesus has made in your life
- Life lessons – what God has taught you
- Wise to learn from experience, but wiser to learn from others
- Ask yourself some questions:
- What has God taught me from failure?
- What has God taught me from a lack of money?
- What has God taught me from pain/sorrow/depression?
- What has God taught me through waiting?
- What has God taught me through illness?
- What has God taught me through disappointment?
- What have I learned from my family/church/relationships/small group/critics?
- Life passions – what God has shaped you to care about most
- May be a passion about a:
- Problem – abuse, addiction, depression, disease, etc
- Purpose – starting new church, strengthening families, training Christian leaders, etc
- Principle – defending theology, God’s commands, etc
- People group – young mothers, business leaders, unborn, persecuted, the defenseless, etc
- May be a passion about a:
- The Good News – the message of salvation
- Need to have a passion for the lost
- What are you willing to do for those that don’t know the Good News?
- Who will greet you in heaven because of you sharing with them?
- Your testimony – when you gave your life to Christ
- Ending:
- God wants to say something to the world through me.
- 1 Pet 3:15b-16
- As I reflect on my personal story; who does God want me to share it with?