Colossians 1:16b
"Everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him."
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It's not about you. It's all about Him.
This past week, Kay and I started rereading "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren. As many of you know, we got the chance to attend Pastor Warren's Saddleback Church in the LA area when we were on our family vacation in California last month. After that visit, I was reminded how impactful that book was to my faith life, and I felt led to reread it. I often tell people that The Purpose Driven Life is the 2nd most important book in my faith life, and it is truly that important to me. I also found an inexpensive Kindle version of the book that includes chapter videos from Pastor Warren, and is also updated "for a new generation" as Pastor Warren describes. I will probably share other highlights of the book over the next 40 days as Kay and I make our way through the text.
The book starts off with the question, "What on earth am I here for?" The first section's chapters cover the topics of "You are not an accident", "What drives your life?", "Made to last forever", "Seeing life from God's view", "Life is a temporary assignment", "The reason for everything", and today's topic "It all starts with God".
As with any creation or invention, if you want to know why something was created, you need to go to the creator! In contrast, our culture today is very "me-centered". We are all about what makes me happy, how I can be fulfilled in life, my rights, my things, and so on. Even the thousands of books written to show you a better, more successful, more satisfying and happy life, are very self-centered. But God's word (Matt 16:25 MSG) says "Self-help is no help at all, self-sacrifice is the way." We can have incredible wealth, and be extremely successful in the world's eyes, but still never find and fulfill the purpose that God created you for.
My hope for you is that you will seek out the purpose that God has destined for you. Go to his word and pray that God will reveal his design and purpose for your life. Read "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren (only about $13 in paperback and kindle). Listen to Pastor Warren's complete sermon series on the book here: http://www.purposedriven.com/day1/ . Or seek out a spiritual mentor or talk to your pastor to help guide you. God designed the plan and purpose for your life long before you were even conceived and brought to this earth. And God not only has a plan for your life on earth, but he has "planted eternity in your heart" (Ecclesiastes 3 NLT) and is preparing you to spend it with him in heaven.
...and don't forget to love God with all your heart, love others as He does, and use every minute for His will and to His glory!
Previous Bible Trivia: Both Kay and Hannah found the chapter (Chapter 4) in Proverbs that talks about being careful with your eyes. Great job guys and be careful with your eyes everyone!
Bible Trivia: In the closing paragraph above, I made a reference to God placing the yearning for eternity in our hearts. Read Ecclesiastes 3 and see if you can find the verse where this truth is revealed. As a bonus, tell me the 60s hit song that was based almost solely on Ecclesiastes 3 (You guys who grew up in the 50s and 60s better get this one!)
And a special Happy Birthday today to Scott for being the best brother a guy could ever have!
"Everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him."
----------------------------------
It's not about you. It's all about Him.
This past week, Kay and I started rereading "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren. As many of you know, we got the chance to attend Pastor Warren's Saddleback Church in the LA area when we were on our family vacation in California last month. After that visit, I was reminded how impactful that book was to my faith life, and I felt led to reread it. I often tell people that The Purpose Driven Life is the 2nd most important book in my faith life, and it is truly that important to me. I also found an inexpensive Kindle version of the book that includes chapter videos from Pastor Warren, and is also updated "for a new generation" as Pastor Warren describes. I will probably share other highlights of the book over the next 40 days as Kay and I make our way through the text.
The book starts off with the question, "What on earth am I here for?" The first section's chapters cover the topics of "You are not an accident", "What drives your life?", "Made to last forever", "Seeing life from God's view", "Life is a temporary assignment", "The reason for everything", and today's topic "It all starts with God".
As with any creation or invention, if you want to know why something was created, you need to go to the creator! In contrast, our culture today is very "me-centered". We are all about what makes me happy, how I can be fulfilled in life, my rights, my things, and so on. Even the thousands of books written to show you a better, more successful, more satisfying and happy life, are very self-centered. But God's word (Matt 16:25 MSG) says "Self-help is no help at all, self-sacrifice is the way." We can have incredible wealth, and be extremely successful in the world's eyes, but still never find and fulfill the purpose that God created you for.
My hope for you is that you will seek out the purpose that God has destined for you. Go to his word and pray that God will reveal his design and purpose for your life. Read "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren (only about $13 in paperback and kindle). Listen to Pastor Warren's complete sermon series on the book here: http://www.purposedriven.com/day1/ . Or seek out a spiritual mentor or talk to your pastor to help guide you. God designed the plan and purpose for your life long before you were even conceived and brought to this earth. And God not only has a plan for your life on earth, but he has "planted eternity in your heart" (Ecclesiastes 3 NLT) and is preparing you to spend it with him in heaven.
...and don't forget to love God with all your heart, love others as He does, and use every minute for His will and to His glory!
Previous Bible Trivia: Both Kay and Hannah found the chapter (Chapter 4) in Proverbs that talks about being careful with your eyes. Great job guys and be careful with your eyes everyone!
Bible Trivia: In the closing paragraph above, I made a reference to God placing the yearning for eternity in our hearts. Read Ecclesiastes 3 and see if you can find the verse where this truth is revealed. As a bonus, tell me the 60s hit song that was based almost solely on Ecclesiastes 3 (You guys who grew up in the 50s and 60s better get this one!)
And a special Happy Birthday today to Scott for being the best brother a guy could ever have!
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