PURPOSE

It is a lie of a lost world that life is about finding yourself. Life is about discovering who God designed and created you to be. 

#PURPOSE

LAB VS. LECTURE HALL

Some college classes are in a lecture hall.  Some are in a lab.  Some are a combination of both.  In the lecture hall, one person must come prepared to "do" something...in fact, everything which needs to be done.  That one person makes a presentation.  Everyone else sits and listens with the option of taking notes.

In the lab, however, YOU get to actually "do" something.  Most lab classes are science related.  You get to mix chemicals, dissect things, set things on fire, and maybe even blow something up.  In the lab, you are likely to be assigned to complete group projects where part of your grade may depend on your lab team.

Lab learning is hands-on learning which is very different from the sit-and listen-learning in the lecture hall.

In the western model of what we call church, we do a whole lot of lecture hall and not near enough lab work.  In our church lecture hall, the sanctuary, one or two individuals come prepared to "do".  Professional ministry providers are the only ones who are really required to be led by the Holy Spirit during the lecture.  We might describe our outreach ministry projects as our lab work in the church.  Again, lab learning is hands-on which is very different from the sit-and-listen learning in the lecture hall.

Simply reading the manual for your car will not make you a mechanic.  Neither will having that manual read to you by someone else.  At some point, you must get some tools and get under the hood.  After giving a lecture during a time-out, the coach does not then send the entire team to sit on the bench. Five at time make up the team on the floor.  If there is no team on the floor, there is no game.

Can I just tell ya something?  Jesus did not die on a cross so that His followers could only spend a lifetime warming a pew in the lecture hall.  

That looks a lot more like spiritual respite care waiting around on Heaven.  You won't find a calling from God for that in the Bible.  We were, in fact, created for a purpose.  God's Word tells us we were planned and designed even before the foundation of time.  We were created with a purpose in mind.  We were created in order that we might be in relationship with our Creator and that we might make His glory both our desire and purpose.  And, we might look to the ministry of Jesus for our own life application.  Jesus did conduct a preaching and teaching lecture hall type ministry.  But, He also spent a great deal of time in the lab.

Prayer - 
Father, forgive me for spending too much time in the lecture hall and not enough time in the lab.  Your Word says you created me for good works which You prepared in advance.  Give me the courage to step out in faith and the humility and surrender to follow the lead of your Holy Spirit within me.  Amen.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do. -- Ephesians 2:10 (CSB)

#Missions #Evident #MásDeTi

Got purpose?

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Philippians 4:8


What is the purpose of this life?  
What is our purpose?  
What are we supposed to be doing here? 
We’ve been given some time on Earth…why?  
What should we be doing with that time?

I believe those are some pretty good questions we ought to be asking ourselves.  Something to ponder.  Unfortunately, a lot of folks never give them a single thought....that is until some tragic comes along.

One place my mind nearly always ends up running through a similar list of questions and ponderings is when I am sitting through a funeral service.  What should I be doing with the time I have been given?  Am I doing it?

In the movie, "Castaway", the character Chuck, played by Tom Hanks, the man in charge of a FedEx office located in some European country, gives his staff a pep talk.  Chuck tells is team, "we live or die by the clock".  If you have seen the movie, you might remember that 26 minutes into the movie, Chuck's plane crashed into the ocean and he ends up spending 4 years stranded alone on a small island.  The movie makes the point that time is valuable and we only get so much of it.  Every second counts.

Hey, can I just tell ya something?  Here's the deal:  When it comes to time, we ALL get the same 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 52 week per year.  We all get the same.  But, boy oh boy, have you been as "busy" as I have?  It seems like every year is "busier" than the year before!  It seems like there is less TIME to get things done.  There just not enough time!  Yeah...about that.

So let’s consider how it is we use our time.  How are you doing when it comes to time?  Does God have any expectations about how we live our lives and use our time?

It sure seems to me that if God wants us to think about what is admirable then we ought to also DO what is admirable.  Doing what we want instead of what God wants is a sin.  It is rebellion.  Rebellion is simply saying no to God.  Does God have expectations of us and how we spend our time?  Absolutely.

He not only has expectations, He has a plan and purpose for us.  We were created for that purpose.  However, sometimes we rebel against that purpose.  And even though we may try to justify it, rebelling is rebelling is rebelling.  And rebelling against God is a sin.

It is not as though we do not have any examples to guide us.  How did it go for ole Jonah when he rebelled against God's plan for his life?  Jonah had some learning to do.  He WAS given a second chance but God also provided an opportunity for Jonah learn a powerful lesson in the process.  Jonah rebelled.  Rebelling against God is a sin.  There are consequences...learning opportunities...for sin.

And, can I just tell ya something?  The downward progression of rebelling...sin... always starts with a small disobedience.  But, that first small step in rebellion also always has the potential for leading to spiritual disaster.  A little bit here and a little bit there and the next thing you know, it is out of control.  

It can start with something small like blowing off our daily one-on-one time with God.  Move that from daily to every other day...then it is one time per week...then it is one time per month... then it is never.  Move from being a good student of God's Word to cracking open that Bible every other day, to once per week, and so on.  The next thing you know, you are walking that guilty distance from God and you are unable to make eye contact with God.  And you are well beyond  the boundaries and the expectations of your Creator and purpose He has created you.

How are you doing with the time you have been given?  Challenge:  Read Psalm 139.  Then read it again.  Then read it one more time.  Commit yourself to some quality one-on-one time with God.  Ask Him to reveal in your heart how best to use the time you have been given and to give you the courage to live it out.