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30 Days of Purpose – Make Every Day Matter
There’s a quote often attributed to Mark Twain that says:
The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you discover why.
I’ve thought about that a lot as a pastor.
Some of the hardest phone calls I take are from people who need something.
They need rent money.
They need a bill paid.
They need help with a crisis.
They need a relationship fixed.
They need a door to open.
And I want to help. I have helped.
But one painful thing I’ve seen over and over is this:
Often they get the thing they asked for… but they are still empty.
We don’t just need something to get through the week. We need a reason to live.
The money helped, but it did not heal them.
The object solved a problem, but it did not give them purpose.
The relationship brought comfort for a moment, but it did not become a reason to live.
Are You Running on Empty or Filled for a Purpose?
Welcome-
3rd week of our series 30 Days of Purpose.
I have a counterintuitive thought for us today.
Meaning grows when your life flows outward.
We assume more money, more comfort, more entertainment, more attention, and more convenience would make us more alive.
But we are one of the most comfortable, entertained, wealthy cultures in human history… and we are still falling apart.
Anxiety is rising.
Depression is rising.
Loneliness is rising.
Meaninglessness is rising.
More comfort does not always mean more peace.
More entertainment does not always mean more joy.
More connection online does not always mean more belonging in real life.
Maybe the problem is not that we lack more.
Maybe the problem is that too much of life only flows inward.
Instead of giving you more statistics and studies for a minute… let me show you one of the most fascinating geographical places on earth.
It’s a place where almost nothing lives.
No fish.
No plant life.
Almost nothing survives there.
And what’s strange is…
it’s not small.
It’s not dry.
Water constantly flows into it.
It is called the Dead Sea.
The Dead Sea only flows in. Nothing flows out.
The Jordan River flows into the Dead Sea… but nothing flows out.
The Dead Sea sits over 1,400 feet below sea level, making it one of the lowest land formations on earth.
Water flows in continually… but because it has no outlet, the water evaporates and leaves massive amounts of salt behind.
The salt concentration becomes so extreme that almost nothing can survive there.
That is why it is called the Dead Sea.
It receives… but it never releases.
There is a lesson here:
What only flows inward eventually becomes lifeless.
If life becomes consume, comfort me, entertain me, protect me, serve me, and bless me, eventually something starts dying inside of us.
And honestly, church can become that too.
If church becomes consume, comfort me, entertain me, protect me, serve me, and bless me, eventually something starts dying inside of us.
Nothing that God created to live and flourish can survive
We were created to let life flow outward.
This is exactly what Jesus taught us.
John 7:37-38
37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.
38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
Jesus does not give us a pond, pool, or puddle.
He gives rivers.
Jesus fills you with life, so life can flow through you.
He does not fill us so we can become spiritual Dead Seas.
Mark 10:45:
“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve…”
Jesus did not come to be served… We see Jesus serve others constantly.
Followers of Jesus hear me… we are not here to be served, but to serve.
The fullest life ever lived was a poured-out life.
Jesus healed.
Jesus served.
Jesus fed the hungry.
Jesus protected the abused.
Jesus washed feet.
Jesus carried the cross.
Jesus poured Himself out for us.
Every day of his life his life was poured out for others.
On the cross water & blood poured from his side.
The life of Jesus is known today because he poured himself out for others.
Not known for looks, riches, family name…
Meaning grows when your life flows outward.
What does this mean for you?
Even if you are not known for your looks…
Even if you are not known for trophies…
Even if you are not known for fancy riches…
You can be known and meaningful because you are refusing to just receive but to release.
Let the life of Jesus flow!
Where does your life need to flow outward?
- Start small. Serve someone.
Everybody can do this.
Encourage someone.
Pray for someone.
Help someone.
Show up for someone.
- Start bigger. Start something.
Maybe God is calling you to do more than one moment of kindness.
Maybe there is something in your heart that needs to begin.
A small study.
A prayer group.
A ministry idea.
A community outreach.
A way to help people.
A place where lonely people belong.
Don’t wait until you feel fully ready.
Purpose often starts small, but it has a habit of growing when you start flowing.
- Start huge. Lead something that outlives you.
This is where purpose gets powerful.
Not just:
“What can I accomplish?”
But:
“What can continue blessing people after me?”
Lead a ministry.
Disciple people.
Build something meaningful.
Raise up others.
Invest in kids.
Develop leaders.
Create something that keeps flowing long after you are gone.
That’s living water.
That’s purpose.
Jesus has FILLED you for a purpose, but you must let that purpose FLOW.
And let’s be honest about what Jesus is talking about here.
When Jesus said: “Rivers of living water will flow from within them…”
He was talking about the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit of God living in people.
The Spirit of God flowing through people.
Some people have had an experience with God… but nothing has flowed in years.
Some people believe in Jesus… but they are spiritually stagnant.
Jesus did not say: “Barely survive spiritually.”
He said rivers.
Flow.
Movement.
Life.
Power.
We do not just need the Spirit around us.
We need the Spirit flowing through us.
Spirit Flow… into our homes.
…into our prayers.
…into our serving.
…into our conversations.
…into our leadership.
…through our church.
We want to be a church full of the Spirit of God and flowing with the Spirit of God.
So let’s be that kind of Church.
Let’s be those kind of Christians.
Come Grow, Come Flow
Step 1 – Repent & refuse the world’s pattern
Repent of the Dead Sea way of life.
Repent of living only to consume.
More for me.
More comfort.
More entertainment.
More attention.
More control.
Repent of that and ask Jesus to help you flow.
Step 2 – Make a commitment
Start small. Serve someone.
Start bigger. Start something.
Start huge. Lead something that outlives you.
Make a commitment to starting something.
Step 3 – Take a faith-filled step
Maybe you really need prayer?
Maybe you need to come and receive
Maybe you need to fill out a connection card with your prayer need and next steps.
Maybe you need to ask God to fill you with His Spirit and surrender yourself to worship.
And maybe for some of you… this may be your first real step toward Jesus.
Your first faith-filled moment.
Jesus is still inviting thirsty people to come and drink.
So don’t stay stagnant. Come.
