Purpose Driven Life
It's in Christ that we find out who w are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ, ... he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.
Ephesians 1:11 (Msg)
Okay I think that this is important so I am writing this.. in here to make the point of the 40 days
Your Next 40 days
Today the Average life span is 25,550 days. That's how long you will live if you are typical. Don't you thnk it would be a wise use of time to set aside 40 of those days to figure out what God wants you to do with the rest of them? The Bible is clear that God considers 40 days a spiritually significant time period. Whenever God wanted to prepare someone for his purposes, he took 40 days:
- Noah's life's transformed by 40 days of rain
- Moses was transformed by 40 days in the Promised land
- David was transformed by Goliath's 40 Day Challenge
- Elijah was transformed when God gave him 40 Days of strength from a single meal
- The entire city of Nineveh was transformed when God gave the people 40 days to change
- Jesus was empowered by 40 days in the wilderness
- the disciples were transformed by 40 days with Jesus after his resurrection.
The next 40 days will transform your life
it is divided in 40 brief chapters
There are 4 features to help you
- Point to ponder(PTP) - this is a nugget of truth that summarizes a principle of purpose-driven living that you can reflect on throughout your day...
- A verse to remember (VTR) -this is a Bible verse that teaches truth from that chapter
- A Question to Consider (QTC) these questions will help you think about the implications of what you have read and how it applies to you personally.
- Discussion Questions (DQ)
I strongly urge you to get one or more friends to join you in reading this bood during the next 40 days. a jouney is always better when it is shared with a partner or a small reading group you can discuss what you read and bounce ideas off each other. This will help you grow stronger and deeper spiritually. Real spiritual growth is never an isolated, individualistic pursuit. Maturity is produced through relationships and community.
On the convenant page.. and I often do not sign them but I did this.. and will do it this time as well ... it says .. with God's help, I commit the next 40 days of my life to discovering God's purpose for my life.
_______________(partners names)
Rick Warren
"Two are better off than one, because together they can work more effectively. If one of them falls down, the other can help him up... Two people can resist an attack that would defeat one person alone. a rope made of three cords is hard to break." Ecclesiastes 4:9 (TEV)
You may be wondering, "Why 40 days? What's so special about that time frame?" The Bible is clear that God considers 40 days to be a spiritually significant time period. Whenever God wanted to prepare someone for his purposes, he took 40 days:
ReplyDeleteNoah's life was transformed by 40 days of rain.
Moses was transformed by 40 days on Mount Sinai.
The spies were transformed by 40 days in the Promised Land.
David was transformed by Goliath's 40-day challenge.
Elijah was transformed when God gave him 40 days of strength from a single meal.
The entire city of Nineveh was transformed when God gave them 40 days to change.
Jesus was empowered by 40 days in the wilderness.
The disciples were transformed by 40 days with Jesus after his resurrection.
It's not just the duration, however, but the direction of 40 Days of Purpose that changes lives. This emphasis is designed to help your members answer the most basic question of life: What on earth am I here for? During 40 days, your members will rediscover God's five eternal purposes for our lives:
WORSHIP: We were planned for God's pleasure!
FELLOWSHIP: We were formed for God's family!
DISCIPLESHIP: We were created to become like Christ!
MINISTRY: We were shaped for serving God!
EVANGELISM: We were made for a mission!
Every part of 40 Days of Purpose is designed to help people...
1. CENTER their lives on God, not themselves, and live a lifestyle of worship for the glory of God, because we were planned for God's pleasure. This begins with complete surrender of our lives to Christ.
2. CONNECT with other believers who experience real fellowship, because we were formed for God's family. This includes identifying with other believers through baptism, joining a local church family and participating in some kind of small group fellowship.
3. CULTIVATE spiritual maturity and godly character, because we were created to become like Christ. This includes developing the habits necessary for spiritual growth.
4. CONTRIBUTE something back by using their talents in ministry because we were shaped for serving God. This includes discovering your SHAPE for ministry and finding a place of service in your church.
5. COMMUNICATE God's love to others and develop a heart for the world, because we were made for a mission. This includes learning to share your faith and participating in some kind of mission activity.
Day 1 --It All Starts With God
ReplyDeleteThe search for the purpose of life has puzzled people for thousands of years. That's because we typically begin at the wrong starting point...ourselves. But focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life's purpose. The Bible says, "It is God who directs the lives of his creatures; everyone's life is in his power."
Many people try to use God for their own self-actualization, but that is a reversal of nature and is doomed to failure. You were made for God, not vice versa, and life is about letting God use you for his purposes, not using him for your own purpose.
Andrei Bitov, a Russian novelist, grew up under an atheistic Communist regime. But God got his attention one dreary day. He recalls, "In my twenty-seventh year, while riding the metro in Leningrad I was overcome with a despair so great that life seemed to stop at once, preempting the future entirely, let alone any meaning. Suddenly, all by itself, a phrase appeared: Without God life makes no sense. Repeating it in astonishment, I rode the phrase up like a moving staircase, got out of the metro and walked into God's light."
You may have felt in the dark about your purpose in life. Congratulations, you're about to walk into the light.