A Purpose Driven Life ….. Starts With God A Purpose Driven Life ….. For by him all things were...

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Transcript of A Purpose Driven Life ….. Starts With God A Purpose Driven Life ….. For by him all things were...

Page 1: A Purpose Driven Life ….. Starts With God A Purpose Driven Life ….. For by him all things were made, in heaven and on earth, things seen and things.
Page 2: A Purpose Driven Life ….. Starts With God A Purpose Driven Life ….. For by him all things were made, in heaven and on earth, things seen and things.
Page 3: A Purpose Driven Life ….. Starts With God A Purpose Driven Life ….. For by him all things were made, in heaven and on earth, things seen and things.

A Purpose Driven Life …..

StartsWith God

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A Purpose Driven Life …..

For by him all things were made, in heaven and on earth, things

seen and things unseen, authorities, lords, rulers, and

powers; all things were made by him and for him; (Colossians

1:16)

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The Purpose of your life is greater than your own personal fulfillment

Your peace of mind

Even your happiness

Its far greater than your family, career, or your greatest ambitions

It’s Not about you……

A Purpose Driven Life …..

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If you want to know why you were placed on this planet –

A Purpose Driven Life …..

You must begin with God

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How do we discover our purpose for living

TWO OPTIONS:

SPECULATION – GUESS

PsychologySelf-Help booksPhilosophyCulture

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How do we discover our purpose for living

TWO OPTIONS:

SPECULATION – GUESS

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TWO OPTIONS:

How do we discover our purpose for living

SPECULATION – GUESSREVELATION – ASK GOD

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How do we discover our purpose for living

No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" -- but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. (1 Corinthians 2:7-10 NIV)

APOSTLES

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How do we discover our purpose for living

Not from PsychologyNot in Self-Help booksNot from Philosophy

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (Romans 8:28-30 NIV)

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What is Driving Your Life?

Many are driven by GUILTMany are driven by RESENTMENT & ANGERMany are driven by FEARMany are driven by MATERIAL THINGSMany are driven by the need for APPROVALMany are driven by PLEASURE

These forces lead to a dead endUnused potentialUnnecessary stressUnfulfilled life

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Life without knowing God’s PurposeIs motion without meaningActivity without directionA series of events without reasonIs trivial, pointless, and vain

"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. (Ecclesiastes 1:2-8 NIV)

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Benefits of Letting God’s Purpose Drive your Life

Gives meaning to lifeSimplifies your lifeFocuses your lifeMotivates your lifePrepares you for eternity

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God purposes that we be with him forever

Earth life is not all there is …

God has … planted eternity in the human heart (Ecc 3:11)

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Life on earth is:

The dress rehearsal before the real productionThe staging areaThe preschoolThe tryoutThe workout before the actual gameThis life is the preparation for the next

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For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from

God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan,

longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven; inasmuch as we, having put it on, shall not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed

up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit

as a pledge. (2 Corinthians 5:1-5 NASB)

We get our HOUSE in the next lifeOn earth we have a tent …

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When you begin to realize this life is preparation for eternity:You begin to live

differently inYour relationshipsYour tasksYour goalsYour circumstances

Some activities, goals, and problems that once took all your time and energy will appear trivial, petty, and even unworthy of your attention

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The Closer you live to God,

The smaller everything else appears

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, (Philippians 3:7-8 NASB)

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When you begin to realize this life is preparation for eternity:You begin to live

differently inYour relationshipsYour tasksYour goalsYour circumstances

Routine activities take on new meaning – because every activity is dedicated to GodAnd whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. (Colossians 3:17 NASB)

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The way you see your life, shapes your life

How you define life determines your destiny

What Metaphor do you use to define your life?

Roller Coaster

Circus

Journey

Minefield

Game of Cards

Marathon

Party In Christ

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The Bible offers 3 Metaphors

Life is a testLife is a trustLife is a temporary assignment

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Life on earth is a test!

These words occur over 200 times in the Bible

TrialsTemptationsRefiningtesting

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Life on earth is a test!

These words occur over 200 times in the Bible

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:6-9)

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Life on earth is a test!

Character is both developed and revealed by tests

People problemsConflictSuccessIllnessDisappointmentDelayed promisesTragedy

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Character is both developed and revealed by tests

Faith is tested by problemsHope is tested by possessionsLove is tested by people

From personal Experience I have learned the following:

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Every day is an important day and every event can be used by God to develop your character

Sometimes we don’t FEEL that God is close to us

And even in the matter of the envoys of the rulers of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone only to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart. (2 Chronicles 32:31 NASB) (see 2 Kings 20:12-21)

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Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (James 1:12 NASB)

The Good News is …

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13 NASB)

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The Bible offers 3 Metaphors

Life is a testLife is a trust

Lesson from a dishonest Servant (Luke 16)

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The Bible offers 3 Metaphors

Life is a testLife is a trustLife is a temporary assignment

"LORD, make me to know my end, And what is the extent of my days, Let me know how transient I am. (Psalms 39:4 NASB)

"For we are only of yesterday and know nothing, Because our days on earth are as a shadow. (Job 8:9 NASB)

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This Earth is not our home!

I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Thy commandments from me. (Psalms 119:19 NASB)

AliensPilgrimsForeignersStrangers

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This Earth is not our home!

AliensPilgrimsForeignersStrangers

Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. (1 Peter 1:17 NIV)

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This Earth is not our home!

AliensPilgrimsForeignersStrangers

Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, (Philippians 3:19-20 NIV)

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This Earth is not our home!

AliensPilgrimsForeignersStrangers

You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. (James 4:4 NIV)

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This Earth is not our home!

AliensPilgrimsForeignersStrangers

Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. (1 Peter 2:11 NIV)

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The Bible offers 3 Metaphors

Life is a testLife is a trustLife is a temporary assignment

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So 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. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NIV)

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Is a fish happy living on land?Is an eagle happy if he can not fly?We were made for another world – we were not meant to live here permanently

We will never be completely happy here because we are not supposed to be

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A Purpose Driven Life …..All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country-- a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:13-16 NIV)

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