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- NEW SERIES – Simple theme – Make Every Day Matter.
- Stop living on autopilot. Start living with purpose.
Series Outline
- May 10 Mother’s Day: When You Feel Like You’re Not Enough
- May 17 Running on Empty – Filled for a Purpose – serving from God’s strength.
- May 24 Busy… but Not Building Anything – Jesus teaches us how to build a life that lasts.
- May 31 The Cost of Coasting – Grow Up. Go Out. – purpose moves outward into mission.
30 Day Purpose Plan
- We need a plan! Scan to download.
- One simple step each day: Scripture, thought, action step, prayer.
- Three minutes a day.
- This series is not just something to hear. It is something to live.
I have reached the end of my day and thought:
I was busy all day, but what did I actually live for?
- I got things done:
- Answered messages
- Handled problems
- Made decisions
- Showed up
- Checked things off the list
- But underneath:
- Is this it?
- Is this what my life is supposed to be?
- Shows up:
- Driving home tired
- Scrolling and losing another hour
- Full calendar, empty heart
- Life looks fine outside, but inside you are not ok.
- This series – not just busyness… stress… bad habits…
We are going after the deeper question:
Why Am I Even Here? – Made for More
We know this question.
- Wake up behind. Move through day reacting:
- Phone rings
- Text comes in
- Meeting gets added
- Bill is due
- Kid needs help
- Deadline moves closer
- Schedule changes
- Problem cannot wait
How we describe this…
“I’m just putting out fires.”
- Some fires have to be put out.
- If all we ever do is put out fires, we never build anything that lasts.
- If all we do is survive the week, we never ask:
- What kind of life am I actually building?
- Most of us are not rebellious.
- We are not shaking our fist at God.
- We are busy, tired, distracted, and unsure how to get from the life we have to the life we were made for.
This Is a Widespread Problem
- 57% of Americans wonder at least monthly, “How can I find more meaning and purpose in my life?” More than 1 in 5 wonder that every day. (Lifeway Research)
- 89% of employees want purpose in their lives, but only 18% feel like work gives them the purpose they are looking for. (McKinsey)
- Only 59.2% of U.S. adults expected high-quality lives five years from now, the lowest level Gallup has measured in nearly two decades.
- CDC reports depression rose from 8.2% to 13.1% over about a 10-year span. Among adolescents ages 12-19, the rate was 19.2%.
- We are so focused on Achievement.
- Achievement is not bad. But achievement is not the same thing as purpose.
- Adults chasing achievement and unsure the future will be good.
- Young people looking at the same race and wondering if it is worth running.
- Maybe the problem is not that we need to achieve more.
- Maybe we have been chasing achievement without purpose.
- Deeper question: not “How do I get more done?” but “Why am I even here?”
Why Am I Even Here? – Made for More
- That is why I named today’s message Why Am I Even Here?
- But the answer is: You were made for more.
- If we want to know why something exists, ask the One who made it.
Ephesians 2:10: For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
- This verse answers: What was I made for?
God’s Purpose Timeline
Present tense – “You are God’s Handiwork
- Right now.
- Before you prove, perform, or produce.
- You are crafted by God.
- You are given – Giftings, strengths, personality, compassion, creativity, wisdom, encouragement, resilience, influence.
- God designed you!
- Everyone is a 10 at something.
- FIND THAT THING – It is your purpose.
- God put that thing in you.
- Past tense: Created in Christ Jesus.
- Not self-improvement.
- Not try harder.
- New creation.
- Already done. It is finished.
- God has already restored your purpose.
- Future: Good works prepared in advance.
- God created you and has designed your future.
- Before God created you, He created good work for you to do.
- Purpose is not:
- What do I want to do?
- What will I decide to do?
- Purpose is:
- What did God create me to do?
- Purpose is not invented. Purpose is discovered.
- When what God placed in you meets what God prepared for you, purpose comes alive.
- Past, present, future. 360-degree purpose in every direction.
- We should know what Jesus says about purpose.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
- Matthew 6: Jesus talks about worry, food, drink, clothes, tomorrow.
- Stuff we chase, stress over, and think will secure us.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
- Kingdom is not empty religion:
- Not denominationalism
- Not rule-keeping
- Not sitting in a church building Trying to keep all the religious rules
The kingdom is God’s reign in real life.
- God’s will and purpose as ruling the force in you:
- Love
- Hope
- Peace
- Plan
- Purpose
- When forgiveness beats bitterness – that is kingdom.
- When generosity beats greed – that is kingdom.
- When service beats selfishness – that is kingdom.
- When obedience beats excuses – that is kingdom.
- When love beats fear – that is kingdom.
- When you fulfill what God made you to do – that is kingdom.
- Seek first. Not leftovers. First.
- All these things will be given.
- Not earned.
- Given.
- Grace.
- World: Achieve first, then maybe you matter.
- Jesus: Seek first the kingdom, and let God take care of the rest.
- Jar, big rocks, small rocks.
- Small rocks first – big rocks do not fit.
- Big rocks first – small rocks settle around them.
- That is Matthew 6:33. Seek first.
- Big rock – Purpose
- Faith
- Parenting
- Marriage
- Health
- Calling
- Career aligned with purpose
- Small stones crowd out the big rocks:
- Achievement chasing
- Distractions
- Errands
- Notifications
- Noise
- Pressure
- Small demands
- Decide what the big rocks are.
- Place purposeful things first.
So what do you do with this?
3 Steps Toward Purpose
1. Realize you have a purpose
- We dismiss ourselves too quickly:
- Not talented enough…
- Not spiritual
- Not experienced
- Not outgoing
- Too old
- Too young
- Too many mistakes
- Do not know enough
Ephesians 2:10 does not say you are God’s handiwork if you feel impressive.
- It says YOU ARE God’s handiwork.
- Stop dismissing what God designed.
- You were not created to do someone else’s good works.
- Everyone is a 10 at something.
- Find that thing and use it for God.
2. Notice your design
- Culture: You can be anything. You can achieve anything.
- Love the confidence, but not completely true.
- You were designed to be something specific and unique.
- LeBron: obvious basketball giftings – height, strength, coordination, durability.
- He could be anything he wants… not true!
- World champion horse jockey? That would be ignoring his design.
- Sometimes we ignore what God placed in us because we chase what looks impressive in someone else.
Ask better questions.
- Want to find your purpose… as these questions.
- What comes naturally to me that helps others?
- What breaks my heart or moves me?
- What do people come to me for?
- What gives me joy when I do it?
- ?? Encourager, hospitable, organized, creative, good with kids, good with people, compassionate toward hurting people – that can be purpose.
- Purpose is using what God placed in you to bless who God placed around you.
3. Prioritize your purpose
- Purpose cannot stay a nice idea.
- It has to become first priority.
- Jesus said, Seek first.
- Not leftovers, someday, or after everything else.
DO NOT JUST PRIORITIZE GETTING THINGS DONE – PRIORITIZE YOUR SPECIFIC PURPOSE
- Church:
- We need things done.
- We do not want to plug you into a hole because something needs doing.
- We want to help you find what God created you to do.
Find Jesus. Follow Purpose. Go Change the World.
- You may work in an office to pay bills. That matters.
- But where are you finding and fulfilling your purpose?
- Life is easier, more enjoyable, and more fruitful when operating in strengths.
- Easier because you are no longer fighting your design.
- Tools can help:
- StrengthsFinder
- Personality assessments
- Spiritual gift assessments
- Prayer
- Conversation
- Serving
- Paying attention to joy
- People who know you
3. Prioritize your purpose
- Prioritize it. Make space. Talk about it. Pray about it. Try something. Take the next step.
Imagine if we lived on purpose.
- Imagine if we were not the 57% wondering every month how to find meaning and purpose.
- Imagine if we could say:
- I know God made me.
- I know God placed gifts in me.
- I know God has good work for me to do.
- Imagine if we stopped chasing disappointing achievements and started walking in God-designed purpose.
- Imagine if families asked: What did God put in us, and how can we use it?
- Imagine if work became a place to carry kingdom purpose, not just pay bills.
- Church stops being something we attend. It becomes something God does through us.
LIVE ON PURPOSE
1. Pray
- God, show me what You placed in me.
- What good works have You prepared?
- Where do You want me to take one step?
2. Start the 30-Day Purpose Plan
- Scan QR code.
- Download.
- Start today.
- Scripture, thought, action step, prayer.
- Three minutes a day.
- Space for what matters.
3. Start a Purpose Conversation
- Connection card: Purpose conversation.
- Online: leave a comment – Purpose conversation.
- We will follow up, pray with you, dream with you, and help you take a next step.
