Dear Loving EChurch Family,
I need to know how many of you are doing the Purpose Driven Life book in
your Church. The reason is that I'm hearing mixed things. Some people are
telling me that there is a work book that one can get to go with it, and
others are telling me that there is no work book, but there is a Journal. I
don't know what to think. I'm getting the Journal put in text format, so if
anyone wants it, I can email it to them.
Please let me know what you think of the book if you have red it.
Is anyone interested in starting a group here on this list with the Purpose
Driven Life book?
Here's just a sample of the first seven days in the Journal below my name.
Love and Blessings
Pat Ferguson
A JOURNEY WITH PURPOSE (JOURNAL)
Before you were born, God planned this moment in your life. It is no
accident that you have chosen to read The Purpose-Driven Life. God longs
for you to discover the life he created you to live---here on earth, and
forever in eternity.
As I wrote Purpose-Driven Life, I prayed you would experience the
incredible joy that comes from knowing God's purposes for your life. I
admire you for your interest in this book. It shows you want to know
your purpose, and God loves that. You'll learn the big picture--how all
the pieces of the puzzle fit together. This perspective on life will
reduce your stress, increase your satisfaction, help you make better
decisions, and most importantly, prepare you for eternity.
I invite you to join me in a life-defining 40-day spiritual journey that
answers life's most important question: What on earth am I here for? 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. We remember what
we record. Writing helps clarify what God is doing in your life.
If you're serious about fulfilling your life's purpose you can't be in a
hurry. God isn't. So slow down and take the time to reflect, discuss
what you read each day, and then journal. Allow the Scripture to speak to
you.
Your life is a journey and a journey deserves a journal. You owe it to
future generations to preserve the testimony of how God helped you to
fulfill his purposes on earth. It is a witness that will continue long
after you are in heaven. -----Rick Warren.
Write down for the coming generation
what the LORD has done,
So that people not yet born will praise him.
Psalm 102:1
DAY ONE
IT ALL STARTS WITH GOD " For everything, absolutely everything, above
and below, visible and invisible,...everything got started in him and
finds its purpose in him." Colossians 1:16
POINT TO PONDER; It's not about me.
QUESTION TO CONSIDER: How can I remind myself today that life is
really about living for God, not myself?
The purpose of your life is far greater that your own personal
fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It's far greater
than your family, your careet, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions.
There is an alternative to speculation about the meaning and purpose of
life. It's revelation. We can turn to what God has revealed about life
in his Word. The easiest way to discover the purpose of an invention is
to ask the creator of it. The same is true for discovering your life's
purpose: ask God.
God's wisdom...goes deep into the interior of his purposes.
It's not the latest message, but more like the oldest--
what God determined as the way to bring out his best in us.
1 Corinthians 2:7
PRAYER
Father, As I begin this journey, help me to realize that building my life
around myself instead of you will only lead to emptiness and
meaninglessness. I was made by you and for you, and I want to discover my
purpose in you.
DAY TWO
YOU ARE NOT AN ACCIDENT
" I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born." says
the LORD. Isaiah 44:2
POINT TO PONDER: I am not an accident.
QUESTION TO CONSIDER: Knowing that God created me for a purpose, what
areas of my personality, background, and appearance do I need to accept?
Long before you were conceived by your parents you were conceived in the
mind of God. It is not fate, nor chance, nor luck, nor coincidence that
you are breathing at this very moment. You are alive because God wanted
to create you!
" O LORD, You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my
life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!"
Psalm 139:16
God made you to love you and you are His special creation.
God was thinking of you even before he made the world! In fact, that's
why he created it! God designed this planet's environment just so we
could live in it. We are the focus of his love, and the most valuable of
all his creaton.
"Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had
settled on us as the focus of his love" . Ephesians 1:4
If there was no God, then we'd all be "accidents," the result of
astronomical random chance in the universe. But there is a God, he made
you for a reason, and your life has profound meaning! We discover that
meaning and purpose only when we make God the refernece point of our
lives.
"God dosen't play dice." Albert Einstein
PRAYER
God, your plan is amazing. Thank you that I was custom-made for a reason.
Help me to trust your wisdom in choosing my parents, race, background,
gifts, and appearance.
DAY THREE
WHAT DRIVES YOUR LIFE?
"You, LORD, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and
put their trust in you." Isaiah 26:3
POINT TO PONDER: Living on purpose is the path to peace.
QUESTION TO CONSIDER: What would my family and friends say is the driving
force of my life? What do I want it to be?
Everyone's life is driven by something. Most dictionaries define the verb
drive as "to guide, to control, or to direct." Whether you are driving a
car, a nail, or a golf ball, you are guiding, controlling, and directing
it at that moment. What is the driving force in your life?
Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters." Matthew 6:24
Many people are driven by guilt, resentment and anger, fear, materialism,
or the expectations of others. This journal will help you to live a
purpose driven life--guided, controlled and directed by God's purposes.
Nothing matters more than knowing God's purposes for your life.
We are all products of our past but we don't have to be prisoners of it.
God's purpose is not limited by your past. He can turn a murderer (Moses)
into a leader, a coward (Gideon) into a courageous hero, and he can do
amazing things with the rest of your life.
There are five great benefits of living a purpose-driven life:
* Knowing your purpose gives your life meaning.
* Knowing your purpose simplifies you life.
* Knowing your purpose focuses your life.
* Knowing your purpose motivates your life, and......
* Fulfilling your purpose will create an eternal legacy.
Everyone wants to be remembered when they're gone. Ultimately, what
matters most will not be what others say about your life but what God says
about you. How will you answer God when he asks, "What did you do with
my Son, Jesus Christ?" and "What did you do with what I gave you?"
Remember, each of us will stand personally before the judgment seat
of God. Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to God.
Romans 14:10, 12.
PRAYER
Father, I don't want my life to be driven by anything but love for you.
Help me to center my life on your plan and purpose for me, and not worry
about the expectations of others.
DAY FOUR
MADE TO LAST FOREVER
This world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you
do the will of God, you will live forever. I John 2:17
POINT TO PONDER: There is more to life than just here and now.
QUESTION TO CONSIDER: Since everything has eternal consequences, what is
one thing I should stop doing and one thing I should start doing today?
You have an inborn instinct that longs for immortality. This is because
God designed you, in his image, to live for eternity . The reason we feel
we should live forever is because God wired our brains with that desire!
God has planted eternity in the human heart ( Ecclesiastes
Surely God would not have created such a being as man to exist
only for a day! No, no, man was made for immortality. Abraham
Lincoln.
How you relate to God now on earth will determine where you spend
eternity. If you develop a relationship of love and trust in God through
his Son Jesus Christ you'll spend the rest of eternity with him. When you
live in light of eternity, your values change. You use your time and
money more wisely. You place a higher premium on relationships and
character instead of fame or wealth or achievements, or even fun. Your
priorities are reordered. Keeping up with trends, fashions, and popular
values, just doesn't matter as much anymore.
Paul wrote, "I once thought all these things were so very important,
but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done."
Philippians 3:7.
God's plans endure forever; his purposes last eternally.Psalm 33:11
God has a purpose for your life on earth but it dosen't end here. His
plan involves far more than the few decades you'll spend on this planet.
It's more than "the opportunity of a lifetime", God offers you an
opportunity beyond your lifetime.
PRAYER
God open my eyes to see that there are eternal consequences in even the
smallest choices of my life. Remind me to look past what is temporary and
focus on what will last forever. Teach me to live in light of eternity.
DAY FIVE
SEEING LIFE FROM GOD'S VIEW
Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won't be faithful in large
ones. Luke 16:10
POINT TO PONDER: Life is a test and a trust.
QUESTION TO CONSIDER: What has happened to me recently that I now realize
was a test from God? What are the greatest trust s God has entrusted to
me?
The Bible says life is a test, life is a trust, and life is a temporary
assignment. These ideas are the foundation of purpose driven living. To
fulfill the purposes God created you for, you'll have to challenge
conventional wisdom and replace it with the biblical metaphors of life.
Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God
transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will
be able to know the will of God. Romans 12:2
When you understand that life is a test, you realize that nothing is
insignificant in your life. Even the smallest incident has significance
for your character. Every day is an important day, and every second is a
growth opportunioty to develop character, to demonstrate love, or to
depend on God. Some tests seem enormous and overwhelming while others you
don't even notice. But all of them have eternal implications.
"Blessed are those who endure when they are tested. When they pass
the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to
those who love him." James 1 :12.
Never forget that everything in your life really belongs to God: your
home, children, job---everything. You're just a caretaker, a trustee, a
steward of it all. It's your privilege to enjoy it but it's also your
responsibility to faithfully use it the way God wants it used.
Our culture says, "If you don't own it, you won't take care of it". But
Christians live by a higher standard: "Because God owns it, I must take
the best care of it that I can."
"Those who are trusted with something valuable must show they are
worthy of that trust." I Corinthians 4:2
At the end of your life on earth you'll be evaluated and rewarded
according to how well you handled what God entrusted to you. That means
everything you do, even simple daily chores, has eternal implications. If
you treat everything as a trust, God promised three rewards in eternity.
First, you'll be given God's affirmation: He'll say, "Good job! Well
done!" Next, you'll receive a promotion and be given greater
responsibility in eternity: "I will put you in charge of many things."
Then, you'll be honored with a celebration: "Come and share your Master's
happiness."
PRAYER
Gracious God, give me the wisdom to see life as you see it. Help me to
pass the test of character you place before me and to treat everything you
give me as a sacred trust. You own it all; I just get to use it while I'm
on earth.
DAY SIX
LIFE IS A TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT
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 4:18
POINT TO PONDER: This world is not my home.
QUESTION TO CONSIDER: Since life on earth is just a temporary assignment,
how should that change the way I live today?
To mnake the best use of your life you must never forget two truths:
First, compared to eternity, life is brief. Second, earth is only a
temporary residence for you. You won't be here long, so don't get too
attached. Ask God to help you see life on earth as he sees it. With all
the fascinating attractions, mesmerizing media, and enjoyable experiences
available today, it's easy to forget that the pursuit of happiness is not
what life is about. Only as we remember that life is a test, a trust, and
a temporary assignment will the appeal of these things lose their grip on
our lives.
"The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things
we can't see now will last forever." 2 Corinthians 4:18
In God's eyes, the greatest heroes of faith are not those who achieve
prosperity, success, and power in this life, but those who treat this life
as a temporary assignment and serve faithfully expecting their promised
reward in eternity.
"This world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if
you do the will of God, you will live forever." I John 2:17
"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
4:18
When life gets tough, when you're overwhelmed with doubt, when you see
evil prospering, or when you wonder if living for Christ is worth the
effort, remember that you are not home yet. At death you won't leave
home--you'll go home.
PRAYER
Lord, help me remember that there is more to life than just here and now.
Remind me to live like a temporary resident, not getting too attached to
the things of this world because they are not what is going to last.
DAY SEVEN
THE REASON FOR EVERYTHING
"For everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by his power ,
and everything is for his glory." Romans 11:36
POINT TO PONDER: It's all for Him
QUESTION TO CONSIDER: How in my daily routine could I become more aware
of God's glory around me?
The ultimate goal of the universe is to show the glory of God. It is the
reason for everthing that exists, including you. God made it all for his
glory. Living for God's glory is the greatest achievement you can
accomplish with your life. God says, "They are my own people, and I
created them to bring my glory" (Isaiah 43:7, so it ought to be the
supreme goal of our lives.
Jesus honored God by fulfilling his purpose on earth. We bring God glory
the same way.
There are many ways to bring glory to God but they can be summarized in
God's five purposes for your life.
We bring God glory by worshiping him.
We bring God glory by loving other believers.
We bring God glory by becoming like Christ.
We bring God glory by serving others with our gifts.
We bring God glory by telling others about him.
There are three secrets about the glory of God that most people miss.
First, when you trust Christ with your life, God puts his glory in you!
The second secret is that the more you focus on living for God's glory,
the more you will be filled with joy! The third secret is that if you've
committed your life to Jesus, one day you are going to share in God's
glory! God repeatedly promises that if we live for his glory on earth,
we'll share his glory for eternity!
Will you live for our own goals, comfort, and pleasure, or will you live
the rest of your life for God's glory, knowing that he's promised eternal
rewards? You may hesitate, wondering if you'll have strength to live for
God. Don't worry. Jesus will give you everything you need to live for
him if you'll just make the choice to do it.
"Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously
given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who
invited us to God." 2 Peter 1:3
PRAYER
Wonderful God, it is my deepest desire to bring you glory. Help me to see
your glory all around me today. Nothing would exist without you. It's
all for your glory!
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