The Life of Purpose Part 1

How you doing? Are you ready?

'Cause it's been about 6 weeks already, and so I'm hoping by now you might be ready for our two part conclusion.

For the last 6 weeks we have been rediscovering some powerful principles found in Scripture. This principles set the foundation for the life that we as believers are called to live.

We started with the question, Is this all there is? Is this the life we were meant to live? Is it simply, Monday through Sunday, you do your best to some how make it through the week only to wake up again on Monday and do it all over again? You endure the struggles. You cope with the stresses. You deal with the disappointments. You celebrate the joys. And you live the semi-content life that we Americanized-Christians are caught up in.

We work. We scratch out a living that somewhat supports the life we think we should live. We find a few friends with the hopes of having someone to connect with, but we are so busy chasing the neighbors down the street with the new car, the newly remodel kitchen and the 2 week vacation to Disney with their 2.5 kids, that experiencing any true joy in this life is next to impossible.

You wake. You work. You taxi the kids around. You eat. You sleep. And tomorrow you'll do it again.

Is this really the life you were meant to live?

Now, don't get more wrong. I'm not condemning the routines of life. After all, we in the Higham house  contend with much of the same busyness of life. I work a full 40 hour job Monday through Friday. Amy watches a number of kids from our home. We have five kids. Each one has his or her own schedule. School. Homework. Sports. Friends. Youth Groups. Life is full of busyness and chaos. Just spend one afternoon and evening in our house, if your life isn't crazy enough, get a glimpse of how others live. So I'm not condemning the busy life. But what I'm asking is, Is this the full life that Jesus talks about in John 10:10? Are we living the life that we were created to live?

Jesus said, "10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." - John 10:10.

Do you know what busyness leads to? Busyness. Do you know what happens when you're busy? You miss out on the life God created you to live.

So what does that look like? What is this life that we were created for? What is it that God created us for? Why are we here?

Enter the five Biblical principles.
Worship - You were created to worship God. You worship God as you love God. A love that consumes you. A love that comes from every part of you. It's a love that comes from how you live your life. A love that comes by living the life He created you to live.

Fellowship - You were created to belong, to have connection, to be part of something greater. You were created for family. You were made to find a home in the family of God; joined by faith with others who share in your belief's, celebrate life with you, mourn in loss with you, and encourage you to live for God.

Discipleship - You were created to be like Jesus. God desire for you is that you resemble his son, Jesus. So as you grow, you are being taught, shaped, molded, sculpted, to be like Jesus. Discipleship is the process in which you are learning and grow, maturing in knowledge and wisdom. A disciple commits to the teaching of the teacher. They submerse themselves into the the lifestyle of the teach, modeling the principles, teachings, and life choices of the One they are learning from.

Ministry - You were created for ministry. You. Who you are, your personality, you gifts, your talents, your passions, your interests, everything that makes you you has all been given to you for the purpose of ministry. In the church we call your ministry you service. It's the work that you were made for as you take your place among the followers of Jesus. Have you ever considered taking that one thing that you do really well and doing for God, within the life of the church? 

Mission - You were created to complete a mission. Ministry is your service within the church to the body of Christ. You mission is your work for those not yet in the family of the God. What is your mission? Introduce people to Jesus. You were created to tell people about the love of God, the love that changes lives, the love that changed your life.


Worship. Fellowship. Discipleship. Ministry. And Missions. These five principles define for us the kind of life that God wants us to live. They are the life that God created us to live.

How do we know?

Matthew 22:37-40
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Matthew 28:19-20
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."


- jay

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