Called to be loved - Rick Warren

CALLED TO BE LOVED

Live Your Calling: What On Earth Am I Here For? – Part 2

Rick Warren

January 26-27, 2013

“Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure.”

Ephesians 1:4-5 (NLT)

• THE FIRST PURPOSE OF MY LIFE IS TO BE LOVED BY GOD

“This letter is from Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James. I am writing to all who are CALLED TO LIVE IN THE LOVE OF GOD the Father and in the CARE of Jesus Christ.” Jude 1:1 (NLT)

• MY FIRST CALLING IS TO ENJOY A RELATIONSHIP WITH

GOD

“Dear friends in Rome. God loves you dearly, and he has CALLED you to be his very own people.” Romans 1:7 (NLT)

• THAT RELATIONSHIP IS TO BE HIS SON OR DAUGHTER

“What an incredible quality of love the Father has shown to us, that we should be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are!” 1 John 3:1 (Amp)

“I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how WIDE, how LONG, how HIGH, and how DEEP his love really is. May you EXPERIENCE the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.” Ephesians 3:17-19 (NLT)

• WIDE ENOUGH TO BE EVERYWHERE

• LONG ENOUGH TO LAST FOREVER

• DEEP ENOUGH TO HANDLE ANYTHING

• HIGH ENOUGH TO OVERLOOK MISTAKES

WHAT CHANGES HAPPEN IF I STAY AWARE OF GOD’S

CONSTANT LOVE FOR ME?

1. I FEEL ACCEPTED RATHER THAN ASHAMED

“By faith we have been made acceptable to God. And now, because of our Lord Jesus Christ, we live at peace with God.” Romans 5:1 (CEV)

“If God says his chosen ones are acceptable to him, can anyone bring charges against them? Or can anyone condemn them? No indeed!”

Romans 8:33-34 (CEV)

2. I’M BOLD IN BRINGING MY NEEDS TO GOD

“All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God! So, you should not be like cowering, fearful slaves. You should behave instead like God's very own children, adopted into his family—calling him ‘Father, dear Father.’ ...And since we are his children, we will share his treasures—for everything God gives to his Son, Christ, is ours, too.” Romans 8:14-15, 17 (NLT)

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)

3. I HAVE PEACE IN PAIN I DON’T UNDERSTAND

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 (NIV)

4. I GAIN THE COURAGE TO TAKE RISKS

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.” 1 John 4:18 (NIV)

5. I WORSHIP INSTEAD OF WORRY

“So don't worry about having enough food or drink or clothing. He will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern. So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today.”

Matthew 6:33-34 (NLT)

“Give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life.”

Romans 6:13b (NLT)

“To all who believed him and accepted him, Jesus gave the right to become children of God...” John 1:12 (NLT)