Matthew 28:18-20 KJV — And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Take a moment to read this blog post written by Dr. Tony Evans titled Are You Living On Purpose?

Today I challenge you to examine yourself. Are you presenting a living testimony? Are you living on purpose? Are you making disciples?

Let’s pray. Dear Heavenly Father, open my eyes and ears to see and hear Your purpose for me. Guide my thoughts as I explore ways to fulfill Your purpose for my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

@biblegateway @youversion

Matthew 28:18-20 MSG — Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”

The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren does not spell out what vocation you should pursue. However, the book does encourage us to live life focused on Heaven. As I shared a couple weeks ago, Warren even challenges the reader to ask yourself if anyone will be in Heaven because of you. Wow! That truly puts our purpose in perspective. No matter what your vocation is, you are called by your Creator to “go and make disciples” and as a result others will be in Heaven because of you. Let that sink in. Will anyone be in Heaven because of you? Are you taking your purpose as a Christian seriously? Are you living in a way that is reflective of the difference Jesus has made in your life? Are you focused on Heaven? You do not have to go overseas to “go and make disciples.” Pray about ways you can witness to others. It could be as simple as wearing a T-shirt with a scripture or Christian phrase on it, sharing scripture or Christian quotes on your Facebook page, or even listening to a Christian radio station when others are riding in the car with you. Be ready to answer questions or share your testimony when others see your “living testimony” and want to know more. And be sure your words and actions back up the shirt, Facebook post and radio station. Your daily routines and habits will become your living testimony that will “make disciples.”

Let’s pray. Dear Heavenly Father, open my eyes and ears to see and hear Your purpose for me. Guide my thoughts as I explore ways to fulfill Your purpose for my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

@biblegateway @youversion

Matthew 28:18-20 ESV — And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

When searching for purpose in life, I recommend turning to the Bible. There we find this week’s featured scripture which is our supreme calling in life. This directive is called The Great Commission. Commission means an instruction, command, or duty given to a person or a group of people, or a group of people officially charged with a particular function. So you can think of it as you and I have been commissioned to serve God and our task is to “go and make disciples.” Does that mean all of us are called to go overseas as a missionary? Simply put, no. However it does mean we should actively live in a way that is a testimony to our life with Jesus Christ. Everything you say and do is being watched by others. Others are always looking and listening to see what it means to be a Christian. St Francis of Assisi once said, “Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary use words.” In other words live your life in such a way that what others see is preaching the Gospel and if necessary use words to tell them the Gospel.

What are you doing to intentionally fulfill your purpose of making disciples? How can you “preach the gospel at all times?”

Let’s pray. Dear Heavenly Father, open my eyes and ears to see and hear Your purpose for me. Guide my thoughts as I explore ways to fulfill Your purpose for my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

@biblegateway @youversion

Matthew 28:18-20 NIV — Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Why am I here? Why was I born? What does God want me to do with my life? What direction should I go? How many of you have ever asked one of these questions? I imagine at some point we all have. Years ago I participated in a study on the book The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. While many of us would have liked it if the book had spelled out the right vocation for us it in fact helped to define our real purpose in life. If you haven’t read the book I highly recommend it.

This week we will explore God’s purpose for each of us. I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts as you read. May God give you a new resolve for His purpose for your life.

Let’s pray. Dear Heavenly Father, open my eyes and ears to see and hear Your purpose for me. Guide my thoughts as I explore ways to fulfill Your purpose for my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

@biblegateway @youversion

Take time to read and meditate on the featured scripture for this week about purpose.

Matthew 28:18-20 NIV — Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20 ESV — And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20 MSG — Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20 KJV — And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen

@biblegateway @youversion

This week we will ponder and define our purpose. Let’s begin our week listening to Place In This World recorded live by For King and Country and Michael W. Smith.

Proverbs 22:6 NIV — Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

Proverbs 22:6 MSG — Point your kids in the right direction — when they’re old they won’t be lost.

This week’s blog theme has been about fishing for people who do not know Christ. Today I share with you pictures of one of my fishing focuses — my 2 year old granddaughter, Ellie. God has laid on my heart an urgency to introduce Ellie to worship and to begin to lay the foundation for a relationship with Jesus. Of course with a 2 year old, the first goal is to teach her to be quiet and not disruptive in a worship service. Therefore, we bring with us a bag of tricks which includes quiet toys, things to color or draw on, picture books, and even a small container with pretzels or goldfish for snacking. The first picture is a picture from a few weeks ago as she quietly entertains herself during the sermon. The second picture is a screenshot taken from a video of her listening to and enjoying a song by the praise team. She bobbed her head to the beat and later lifted my daughter’s phone to video. I am savoring — delighting in and enjoying —  our time with Ellie as she learns and grows in church.

Who is your fishing focus? Are you able to savor your fishing time with them?

@biblegateway @youversion