Day 40

Living with purpose

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

Most people struggle with identity, importance and impact

Once you know what God wants you to do, the blessing comes in actually doing it

Life purpose statement ... Summarises God's purpose in your life ...points the direction of your life ...defines success for you ..clarifies your roles ...expresses your shape

5 greatest questions ....

What will be the centre of my life? .... Worship ...who are you going to live for?

What will be the character of my life? ..discipleship ..what kind of person will you be? What character qualities do you need to work on?

What will be the contribution of my life? ...service? Ministry ..how will you make a difference? Who can you best help?

What will be the communication of my life? ..mission to unbelievers? Life lessons to share?

What will be the community of my life? ..fellowship ..commitment to family of God

Focus on God's purposes, not your plans

David served God's purpose in his generation ..a man after my own heart ...neither past more future generations can serve God in this generation

Paul ... For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain

William Carey ...the future is as bright as the promises of God

Day 39

Balancing your life

Blessed are the balanced, they will outlast everyone ..your life a pentathlon of 5 purposes ...

Love a God with all your heart

Love your neighbour

Go make disciples 

Baptise them unto ..identify with his church through fellowship

Teach them to do all things ..to be a disciple and grow to maturity

Keep your life in balance ...talk it through with spiritual partner or small group ...

Give yourself regular spiritual check up (5 vital signs worship, fellowship, growth in character, ministry and mission   

Write down progress in a journal ..Dawson Trotman ...thoughts disentangle themselves when they pass through your fingertips ..record doubts, fears, struggles ..David did ..problems force you to focus on God

Pass on what you know to others ..knowledge increases responsibility

Jesus taught disciples to live for God's purposes ..love God (worship), love each other (fellowship), gave them the word so they could grow (discipleship), showed them how to serve (ministry) and sent them to tell others (mission) ....he wants us to live out his purposes and help others to do the same

Day 38

Becoming a World-Class Christian

You will either be a world class Christian or a worldly one ..not a me first faith that focuses on needs, blessings and happiness ..want God for their purposes

World class are saved to serve and made for a mission ..the only fully alive people on the planet ...accept the invitation to participate in the greatest, largest, most diverse and most significant cause in history ..His kingdom ..the only barrier is the way we think

Shift from self centred thinking to other-centred thinking ...mature! Need spirit to help ..see spiritual needs of others ..silent breath prayers for them

Shift from local to global thinking ..prayer makes you a partner with others around the world ..the great commission

Shift from here and now thinking to eternal thinking ...don't trade your life for temporary things ..invest ahead in people going there

Shift from excuses to creative ways to fulfill your commission..ask God if he wants you to serve on mission ...many Christians never ask this

If you want to be like Jesus you must have a heart for the whole world

Day 37

Sharing your life message

God has given you a life message to share.... Your testimony, life lessons, godly passions and good news

Testimony ...how Christ has made a difference in your life ..personal experiences ..witness is not expected to argue the case ..just report what happened ..shared stories build a relational bridge ..bypasses intellectual defences  ..... Life before Jesus, how I realised. I needed him ...how I committed my life ..difference Jesus has made

Life lessons ....truths God has taught you ..wise to learn from others

Your Godly passions .....he will give you a passion..be a spokesperson

Good news .....God makes people right with himself ..must learn to love people the way God does ...the salvation of one soul more important than anything else you might achieve in life ..you only have a short time

Day 36

Made for a mission

God wants you to join him in his work ... Your mission ..your service to unbelievers ..ministry is to believers

5 purposes .... Love him ..be part of his family ... Become like him ... Serve him .... Tell others 

Continuation of Jesus' mission

Your mission is a wonderful privilege ..working with God and representing him

Telling others about eternal life the greatest thing you can do for them

Eternal significance

Gives meaning to your life ..William James .. The best use of your life is to spend it for something that outlasts it

History's conclusion is connected to it ..Satan would rather you do anything else 

Need to abandon your agenda ..stop praying God bless what I do and prayGod help me do what you are blessing ...one more for Jesus ..you must care about what God cares about ..redemption of the people he has made ..the lost, found

Day 35

God's power in your weakness

God loves weak people

....usually we deny, defend, hide our weakness ..he wants to use our weakness for his glory ...God has never been impressed with strength or self sufficiency ...blessed are the poor in spirit

A weakness is any limitation you are powerless to change ..physical, emotional, talent or intellectual limitation ..God is never limited by our weaknesses

Admit your weaknesses ...be honest with yourself and with others ...only human

Be content with your weaknesses ..they cause us to depend on God ...help prevent arrogance ..encourages fellowship ...weakness increases our capacity for sympathy and ministry

Honestly share your weaknesses ...ministry begins with vulnerability ...Paul shared failures, feelings, frustrations and fears

Vulnerability is emotionally liberating, relives stress ..humility is being honest about your weaknesses

Strengths create competition, weaknesses create community

.... Do we want to impress or influence? Leadership requires credibility

Glory in your weakness... God can turn weakness into strength  ..my power is made perfect in your weakness

Day 34

Thinking like a servant

Service starts in the mind ..mental shift ... God is more interested in why we do something than what we do

Servants think more about others than themselves ..true humility ..not thinking less of ourselves but thinking of ourselves less ...this what it means to loose your like ..forgetting self in the service of others.

If we stop focusing on our needs we become aware if the needs of others ...much service us self serving ...manipulation not ministry ..bargaining tool with God ..self denial is the core

Servants think like stewards, not owners ..God owns it all, just trusted to manage his estate... You cannot serve God and money ..money serves you, not money as your master ..ministry not money

Servants think about their work, not what others are doing ...don't compare, criticise or compete ..too busy doing the work God has given them ..they don't complain of unfairness ...just trust God and keep serving ..not our job to evaluate the other servants ..not our job to defend against criticism  ..the world does not understand what God values

Servants base their identity in Christ ..accept jobs insecure people would consider beneath them ..washing feet ..this task did not threaten his self image ..insecure people worry how they appear to others

Henri Nouwen ... We have to give up measuring our meaning and value with the yard stick of others

Servants think of ministry as opportunity not an obligation ..they enjoy helping people, meeting needs and doing ministry ..serve the Lord with gladness

Albert Schweitzer ..the only really happy people are those who have learned how to serve