5. HABIT OF CALLING

<Your Life Sentence & Serving>

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE SENTENCE?

In his book, Doing Church as a Team, Pastor Wayne Cordeiro tells the story of a discouraged rabbi aimlessly wandering the frozen waste of Siberia. His ministry had not accomplished what he had hoped. 

The rabbi’s discouragement blinded him to warning signs and so he stumbled onto a Russian military compound, off limits to all civilians. The guard barked, “Who are you and what are you doing here?!”

The rabbi snapped out of his discouragement. He felt a surge of joy from sensing his life purpose. 

“How much do they pay you to work here,” asked the rabbi? “I will pay you the same sum if you will only ask me that same question every morning: Who are you and what are you doing here?”

Wouldn’t it be great to have someone ask you what is your life sentence every single day?

God made you with a purpose, and he put you on this planet to discover what that purpose is. You will find your life purpose through your relationship with Jesus and by being part of a church like Evergreen.

Jesus selected twelve men and gave them a life purpose. None of those men finished life where they started. In fact, their small group changed the world. They knew who they were and where they were going.

READ Matthew 10 (Consider how we find our calling.)

WRITE your SOAP journal first, and share with a friend.

WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

In my late 40s I sensed a need to recalibrate my life purpose. I took a long trip to talk to a dozen friends who had known me well for up to thirty years of my life. 

I asked each of my friends the same questions. I wrote down every word they spoke. It was surprising how consistent they were. I also asked the same questions of the Lord and of myself. 

At the end of that trip, I took quality time to reflect, pray, and to write out a mission statement and values for my life.

That trip eventually led me to become Senior Pastor of Evergreen Church. I discovered the next step of my life purpose.

“An unconsidered life is not one worth living,” said Socrates. Have you taken the time to discover your life sentence? God has a purpose for you!

Here is a list of questions that will help you to discover who you are and where you are going. 

Ask them of yourself. 

Ask others these questions about you. 

ASK OTHERS

  • What words describe the core of who I am?

  • What am I doing now that I need to stop doing?

  • What can you see me doing for the rest of my life? 

ASK YOURSELF

  • What work energizes me? 

  • When I was a kid, what did I DREAM  of becoming when I grew up?

  • What do people thank you for doing?

  • What skills, talents, gifts, or help do others seek from me most often?

  • What makes me angry? Reflect over your angers. What positive passions do they point to that motivate you?

  • What would I want friends to say about me at MY memorial service?

  • What BIBLE verses have guided my life?

Now read over your notes. From your thoughts, write these three conclusions:

1. MAKE A SHORT LIST OF WORDS THAT DEFINE THE CORE VALUES OF YOUR LIFE.

2. WRITE A LIFE SENTENCE THAT DEFINES WHAT GOD HAS CALLED YOU TO DO.

3. DEFINE SOME GOALS FOR THIS YEAR OR SEASON AHEAD THAT YOU FEEL THE LORD IS ASKING YOU TO DO FOR HIM.

VERSE OF THE WEEK

“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.” Matthew 10:8 

PRAYER

Father, I am the workmanship of a great Creator. You have remade me in Christ Jesus to do good works. Now introduce me to them so I may walk in them. Amen.

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