Day 40:  Living with Purpose

Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

• Living on purpose is the only way to really live.  Everything else is just existing.
• Most people struggle with three basic issues in life: identity, importance, and impact.
• Goals are temporary, purposes are eternal.
• When God’s at the center, you worship.  When he’s not, you worry.  Worry is the warning light that God has been shoved to the sideline.
• God is far more interested in what you are than what you do.
• Make a list of the character qualities you want to work on and develop in your life.
• Don’t get discouraged and give up when you stumble. it takes a lifetime to build Christlike character.
• If you are a parent, part of your mission is to raise your children to know Christ, to help them understand his purposes for their lives, and to sen them out on their mission in the world.
• Before most unbelievers accept the Bible as cedilla they want to now that we are credible.
• Focus on god’s purposes for your life, not your plans, since that’s what will last forever.
• At the end of your life it isn’t going to matter at all what other people say about you.  The only thing that will matter is what God says about you.
• God is still looking for people to use.
• When fulfilling your purposes seems tough, don’t give in to discouragement.  Remember your reward, which will last forever.

Question to Consider:  When will I take the time to write down my answers to life’s five great questions?  When will I put my purpose on paper?

Do you have The Purpose Driven Life book?  If not, click the picture below to purchase a copy.

Shakeema Hughes

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Day 39:  Balancing Your Life

Don’t let the errors of evil people lead you down the worn path and make you lose your balance.

• Blessed ar the balanced; they shall outlast everyone.
• Love God with all your heart, love your neighbor as yourself, go and make disciples, baptize them into, teach them to do all things.
• But you can keep your life balanced and on track by joining a small group for accountability, by regularly evaluating your spiritual health, by recording your progress in a personal journal, and by passing on what you learn to  others.
• Our minds are sharpened and our convictions are deepened through conversation.
• Remember, we are not meant to grow together, not separately.
• The best way to balance the five purposes in your life is to evaluate yourself periodically.
• Every problem is purpose driven.
• The more you know, the more God expects you to use that knowledge to help others.
• Knowledge increases responsibility.
• Not only does he want us to live out his purposes, he also wants us to help others do the same.
• Regardless of your age, the rest of your life can be the best of your ice, and you can start living on purpose today.

Question to Consider:  Which of the four activities will i begin in order to stay on track and balance God’s five purposes for my life

Do you have The Purpose Driven Life book?  If not, click the picture below to purchase a copy.

Shakeema Hughes

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Day 38:  Become a World-Class Christian

Jesus said to his followers, “Go everywhere in the world, and tell the Good News to everyone.”

• Worldly Christians look to God primarily for personal fulfillment.
• It’s  a “me first” faith:  How can God make my life more comfortable?  They want to use God for their purposes instead of being used for his purposes.
• World Class Christians know they were saved to serve and mad for a mission.
• God invites you to participate in the greatest, largest, most diverse, and most significant cause in history–his kingdom.
• Your goal is to figure out where others are in their spiritual journey and then do whatever will bring them a step closer to knowing Christ.
• Prayer is the most important tool for your mission in the world.
• People are most receptive to God when they are under tension or in transition.
• Shift from “here and now” thinking to eternal thinking.
• Don’t trade your life for temporary things.
• Shift from thinking of excused to thinking of creative ways to fulfill your commission.

Question to Consider:  What steps can I take to prepare to go on a short term missions experience in the new year?

Do you have The Purpose Driven Life book?  If not, click the picture below to purchase a copy.

Shakeema Hughes

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Day 37:  Sharing Your Life Message

Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony of God in them.

• God has given you a Life Message to share.
• Your life message has four parts to it:  Your testimony, your life lessons, your godly passion, and the good news.
• Actually, your personal testimony is more effective than a sermon, because unbelievers see pastors as professional salesmen, but see you as a “satisfied customer,” so they give you more credibility.
• While it is wise to learn from experience, it is wiser to learn from the experiences of others.
• Imagine how much needless frustration could be avoided if we learned from each other’s life lessons.
• God is a passionate God.  He passionately loves some things and passionately hates other things.
• God gives us different passions so that everything he wants done in the world will get done.  You should no expect everyone else to be passionate about your passion.  Instead, we must listen to and value each other’s life message because nobody can say it all.
• The Good News is that when we trust God’s grace to save us through what Jesus did, our sims are forgiven , we get a purpose for living, and we are promised a future home in heaven.
• As long as you know one person who doesn’t know Christ, you must keep praying for them, serving them in love, and sharing the Good News.
• The eternal salvation of a single soul is more important than anything else you will ever achieve in life.

Question to Consider:  As I reflect on my personal story, who does God want me to share it with?

Do you have The Purpose Driven Life book?  If not, click the picture below to purchase a copy.

Shakeema Hughes

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Day 36:  Made for a Mission

The most important thing is that I complete my mission, the work that the Lord Jesus gave me.

• You were made for a mission.
• Your ministry is your service to believers, and your mission is your service to unbelievers.
• What is the mission?  Introducing people to God!
• 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.
• Telling others how they can have eternal life is the greatest thing you can do for them.
• The consequences of your mission will last forever; the consequences of your job will not.  Nothing else you do will eve matter as much as helping people establish and eternal relationship with God.
• Jesus will not return until everyone God wants to hear the Good News has heard it.
• But the moment you become serious about your mission, expect the Devil to throw all kinds of diversions at you.
• If you want to be used by God, you must care about what God cares about; what he cares about most is the redemption of the people he made.

Question to Consider:  What fears have kept me from fulfilling the mission god made me to accomplish?  What keeps me from telling others the Good News?

Do you have The Purpose Driven Life book?  If not, click the picture below to purchase a copy.

Shakeema Hughes

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Day 35:  God’s Power in Your Weakness

We are weak…yet by God’s power we will live with him to serve you.

• God love to use weak people.
• We think that God only wants to use our strengths, but he also wants to use our weaknesses for his glory.
• The Bible is filled with examples of how God loves to use imperfect, ordinary people to do extraordinary things in spite of their weaknesses.
• A weakness is any limitation that you inherited or have no power to change.
• But containment is an expression of faith in the goodness of God.  It says, ” God, i believe you love me and know what’s best for me.”
• Our weaknesses also prevent arrogance.  They keep us humble.
• Our weaknesses also encourage fellowship between believers.  While strength breeds an independent spirit ( I don’t need anyone else), our limitations show how much we need each other.
• Your greatest life messages and your most effective ministry will come out of your deepest hurts.
• God specializes in turning weaknesses into strengths.
• Humility is not putting yourself down or denying your strengths; rather, it is being honest about your weaknesses.
• Pretentiousness repels but authenticity attracts, and vulnerability is the pathway to intimacy.
• If all people see are your strengths, they get discouraged and think, “well good for her but ill never be able to do that.” but when they see God using you in spite of your weaknesses, it encourages them to think, “maybe God can use me!”
• Our strengths create competition, but our weaknesses create community.
• At some point in your life you must decide whether you want to impress people or influence people. You can impress people from a distance, but you must get close to influence them, and when you do that, they will be able to see your flaws. That’s okay.
• How do you build credibility? Not by pretending to be perfect, but by being honest.

Question to Consider:  Am I limiting God’s power in my life by trying to hide my weaknesses?  What do I need to be honest about in order to help others?

Do you have The Purpose Driven Life book?  If not, click the picture below to purchase a copy.

Shakeema Hughes

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Day 34:  Thinking Like a Servant

My servant Caleb thinks differently and follows me completely.

• Service starts in your mind.
• God is always more interested in why we do something than in what we do.  Attitudes count more than achievements.
• Servants focus on others, not themselves.  This is true humility.
• How are you handling the resources God has entrusted to you?
• Wealth is certainly not a sin, but failing to use it for God’s glory is.
• Real servants don’t complain of unfairness, don’t have pity parties, and don’t resent those not serving.  They just trust God and keep serving.
• It is also not our job to defend ourselves against criticism.

Question to Consider:  Am I usually more concerned about being served or finding ways to serve others?

Do you have The Purpose Driven Life book?  If not, click the picture below to purchase a copy.

Shakeema Hughes

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Day 33: How Real Servants Act

You can tell what they are by what they do.

• We serve God by serving others
• Your primary ministry should be in the area of your shape, but your secondary service is wherever you’re needed at the moment.
• Your shape reveals your ministry, but your servant’s heart will reveal for maturity.
• Are you available to God anytime? Can he mess up your plans without you becoming resentful?
• Great opportunities often disguise themselves in small tasks.
• Faithfulness has always been a rare quality.  Most people don’t know the meaning of commitment.
• Unfortunately, many leaders today start off as servants but end up as celebrities.  They become addicted to attention, unaware that always being in the spotlight blinds you.

Question to Consider: Which of the six characteristics of real servants offer the greatest challenge to me?

Do you have The Purpose Driven Life book?  If not, click the picture below to purchase a copy.

Shakeema Hughes

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Day 32: Using What God Gave You

What you are is God’s gift to you; what you do with yourself is your gift to God.

• God deserves your best.
• The best way to discover your gifts and abilities is to experiment with different areas of service.
• Until you’re actually involved in serving, you’re not going to know what you’re good at.
• Your shape was sovereignly determined by god for his purpose, so you shouldn’t resent it or reject it.
• You will find that people who do not understand your shape for ministry will criticize you and try to get you to conform to what they think you should be doing.  Ignore them.
• We are to cultivate our gifts and abilities, keep our hearts aflame, grow our character and personality, and broaden our experiences so we will be increasingly more effective in our service.
• If you don’t exercise your muscles, they weaken and atrophy.  In the same way, if you don’t utilize the abilities and skills God has given you, you will lose them.
• Take advantage of every training opportunity to develop your shape and sharpen your serving skills.

Question to Consider:  How can I make the best use of what God has given me?

Do you have The Purpose Driven Life book?  If not, click the picture below to purchase a copy.

Shakeema Hughes

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Day 31: Understanding Your Shape

You shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb.

• Only you can be you.
• If you don’t make your unique contribution to the Body of Christ, it won’t be made.
• Even abilities used to sin are God-given; they are just being misused or abused.
• To discover God’s will for your life, you should seriously examine what you are good at doing and what you’re not good at.
• God doesn’t waste abilities; he matches our calling and our capabilities.
• There never has been, and never will be, anybody exactly like you.
• The very experiences that you have resented or regretted most in life-the ones you’ve wanted to hide and forget-are the experiences God wants to use to help others.

Question to Consider: What God-given ability or personal experience can I offer go my church?

Do you have The Purpose Driven Life book?  If not, click the picture below to purchase a copy.

Shakeema Hughes

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