Without a clear purpose you have no foundation on which you base decisions, allocate your time, and use your resources. You will tend to make choices based on circumstances, pressures, and your mood at that moment. People who don’t know their purpose try to do too much — and that causes stress, fatigue, and conflict.” The mission Jesus had while on earth is now our mission because we are the Body of Christ. What he did in his physical body we are to continue as his spiritual body, the church. What is that mission? Introducing people to God!“ In heaven God is going to openly reward some of his most obscure and unknown servants — people we have never heard of on earth, who taught emotionally disturbed children, cleaned up after incontinent elderly, nursed AIDS patients, and served in thousands of other unnoticed ways.” What is something unpleasant that you can commit to being more honest with God about? (For example, you’re angry that you didn’t get a promotion you wanted, or you feel that your chronic illness is unfair.) It’s a statement that clarifies your roles. You will have different roles at different stages in life, but your purposes will never change. They are greater than any role you will have.”

Authenticity: Worship that’s emotionless or insincere doesn’t please God. He wants you to express your worship with passion and authenticity. Many people think they should engage in traditional worship, but this leads to many believers just going through the motions. Instead, show your love for God in a way that feels good to you—the Bible suggests varied forms of worship including song, dance, confession, playing instruments, and shouting. Your identity is in eternity, and your homeland is heaven. When you grasp this truth, you will stop worrying about ‘having it all’ on earth.” Describe an experience of sympathy in your fellowship. (For example, a member expressed that she was having some trouble in her marriage. Instead of ignoring the issue or saying, “It’s probably not so bad,” your group offered support and validated her feelings.) The Holy Spirit’s power doesn’t come to you in grand moments—it appears in small moments where you choose the right thing to do. On Vocation, True Self, & the Inner Journey: “Let Your Life Speak” by Parker J. Palmer (Book Summary)The best way to discover your gifts and abilities is to experiment with different areas of service.”

Donadio, Rachel (2004-11-28). "Faith-Based Publishing". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved 2016-02-11. Ray Lewis tweets strange thing about Michael Phelps' medal count, deletes it". baltimoresun.com. Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on 2016-09-13 . Retrieved 2016-09-09. What do you think is the main motivator driving your life? (For example, “I think that I’m driven by approval-seeking and pressure to be the best at work—I always feel that I should be doing more somehow, to stand out or get recognition.”) God wants to redeem human beings from Satan and reconcile them to himself so we can fulfill the five purposes he created us for: to love him, to be a part of his family, to become like him, to serve him, and to tell others about him.”For Michael Phelps, all that gold couldn't glitter until he found God". aleteia.com. 11 August 2016. Archived from the original on 7 September 2019 . Retrieved 6 December 2019. In living the purpose-driven life, you’ll start to find meaning in every moment of your life. You’ll learn to see the glory of God everywhere, deepen your love for others, find the unique service you were made for, and prepare your character for the promise of eternal life. The Five Purposes Every new generation must rediscover God’s purposes for themselves. But God also adds that the older generation is responsible to pass on what they have learned ‘so that each generation can set its hope anew on God’ (Psalm 78:7 NLT).” Nothing shapes your life more than the commitments you choose to make. Your commitments can develop you or they can destroy you, but either way, they will define you. Tell me what you are committed to, and I’ll tell you what you will be in twenty years. We become whatever we are committed to.“

Today the average life span is 25,550 days. That’s how long you will live if you are typical. Don’t you think 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?” Here you’ll find exercises for each of the five purposes—as well as exercises to introduce and conclude your study. Introduction: Think About What’s Driving Your Life Preparing you for these two questions is the goal of this book. The first question will determine where you spend eternity. The second question will determine what you do in eternity. By the end of this book you will be ready to answer both questions.”

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God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God.” Whenever God gives us an assignment, he always equips us with what we need to accomplish it. This custom combination of capabilities is called your SHAPE.”