I have Decided to Discover My Purpose

We are in week 3 of a message series titled, I have decided.

I don’t know about you, but after this week, I am looking forward to the 60’s. I loved the snow, but that was enough… for now.

We have been looking at decisions that are critical to your life. Decisions are important and we based this series on the song, I have decided.

We have been talking about Getting closer to Jesus. If you get closer to him it will fuel everything else in your life.

1. Being a follower. We discovered it’s more serious that we may have thought. Deny Self, Take up Cross, and follow Jesus

2. Finding Freedom - God wants you and I to be free… from hurts, hangups and strongholds in our lives. Maybe you are still carrying a wound from what someone said to you…

If you want to be free this year, you can.

Today I am asking if you are ready to live your life with focus… “I want to discover God’s purpose in my life and then live my life making a difference in people’s lives.” and I hope that you do as well.

You can measure whether or not you are living life with purpose buth spiritually and secularly. The highest level of living (Transcendent Living) It’s where your life impacts someone else. However, many people just don’t feel like they are making a difference because they have no purpose in life.

let me say this to you this morning…

We are not products of our circumstances or intentions, we are products of our decisions.

You are not what happens to you… you are also not a product of your intentions. We all have good intentions.

You are a product of your decisions… And when we decide to follow the Lord, we produce good things in our lives and the lives of those around us.

John 15:8 NLT

8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

God really likes it when you live your life on purpose and there is something to show for it in the end.

Now, we will all face God either when He comes back or when we die. We all will. He will ask you, what did you do with my son?

Then there is a question for those who get the first question right. What did you do with your life? What did you do with the gifts I gave you… the opportunities I gave you… the people who came into your lives…

When we can answer this question with results, we will have joy… Take a look at what Jesus said…

John 15:11 NLT

11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!

He wants you to be filled with His joy. When you are living with purpose that the Lord has for you, you can lay your head down at the end of the day and think, that’s how you live your life.

Today, we will look at another important decision. What on Earth am I doing here?

It’s kind of like a dog race…

ILL - dog trac. the dogs all chase the mechanical rabbit. One day, the rabbit exploded. Now the story goes that none of those dogs finished the race. On dog was so confused and disoriented that he ran through the railing and broke some of his ribs. Another one turned toward the crowd and began barking. The rest of them… just sat down.

That’s a picture of life. If you don’t have clarity of what you are chasing, you will hurt yourself or holler at everyone else or just lay down. If you look around, you see our world in disarray and confused, and it’s not just because they are not saved, it’s because so many people have not discovered their purpose. They don’t know what their purpose for tomorrow is… If that’s you, I believe that God has an answer for this.

One of the gifts we want to experience this year is clarity of purpose.

Look what proverbs says…

Proverbs 29:18 KJV 1900

18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: But he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

Some of you feel that way. You wonder why are we here? You may feel like your relationships are out of whack, and it’s not the other person’s fault or the last fight you had… it’s because you don’t have clarity of focus in that area of your life.

There is no rabbit for you to be chasing. Look at it in the NIV…

Proverbs 29:18 NIV84

18 Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law.

You make whatever decision you want, because it really doesn’t matter. Whatever… I don’t care. Too many people are in this kind of life.

What matters if I don’t know why I am on this planet. Life doesn’t matter.

The Hebrew word for revelation or vision means this…

Hebrew: Chazown (kjaw-zone) A dream, revelation, or vision

Pic of Calzone

This can only come from God. When you are locked into God’s purpose in each area of your life… your marriage… your money… your friends…

You know what to do that will cause tomorrow to make a difference in Heaven for eternity. When you are living at that level, you really live.

Maybe you have no vision for your marriage… you may end in divorce.

Maybe you don’t have a vision for your finances… you may even make a lot of money… but you don’t have any.

Some may not have a vision for their … fill in the blank

That’s the question we want to answer. Do you have a dream or vision for your life? When you know it, you know why you are here, why you go to work…

A clear purpose for life will bring focus

Most of us are not focused so we say yes to everything and no to nothing so we do a lot but don’t get much accomplished. If we do have a clear focus, we know what to say no to and what to say yes to.

have you ever run into people and said how is it going… And they go busy… just busy. Im tired. That’s because they are doing everything and not what their purpose is.

Listen, The Devil has a plan for your life just McDonalds has a plan for your body. Hollywood has a plan for your family. Telemarketers has a plan for your money and if you don’t have some focus, you will be on a slippery slope.

I hope that over these first 21 Days of 2025, that you have focused in on Jesus and what it means to follow Him.

A clear purpose for life will bring endurance

You will have bad days. Some might say, can’t you be more positive. OK, I am positive you will have bad days. Some give up because they don’t have a purpose for their life. We all need to see the goal line. In football they call it the red zone because the offense works harder to get it in the end zone because they can see it.

Running - When I used to run a lot of distance, I always broke the run or the race into bits. I had to see something ahead to run for, then I would locate something else. When I would be coming toward the finish line I would run hard because I could see it.

I needed to see the finish line or the goal line.

Do you have a goal line… something you are striving for?

Some of you have gone through some difficulties and it’s been hard and you may be ready to give up… don’t do that… the finish line is just ahead.

A clear purpose for life will bring fulfillment

Some have been looking for fulfillment in all the wrong places. Maybe you have tried some… money, fame, stuff. None of those will give you the fulfillment you are looking for. They are nice but they don’t bring fulfillment.

How do I find my purpose in life?

You need to go to the one who wrote the book of your life. You may be thinking that he’s not a good writer because my life has been a mess. Well, sometimes we write a few extra chapters in our book, but the great thing about our God is that last chapter will always fit. He takes all the bad and turns it into something good. No matter how many chapters you added, he takes and makes it fit to the last chapter of your life.

Look at what Paul said,

Ephesians 1:11–12 MSG

11 It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, 12 part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.

Psalm 16:5–11 NIV84

5 Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.

We have been given a portion. I don’t have to worry about other people’s portion or ministry. God has given me a ministry… and he has a portion for you too. look at what the Psalmist wrote…

Psalm 16:5–11 NIV84

6 The boundary lines (ministry he has given us) have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. 7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. 8 I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure,

Maybe you can’t rest well. God is saying that when you find your portion, and accept your portion, you can rest well.

Psalm 16:5–11 NIV84

10 because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. 11 You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

When we walk in the presence of the Lord, we can have eternal pleasures…

Paul said,

Ephesians 5:8–18 NLT

8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!

Make your life about being lit up. Light up your life.

Wake up those with no purpose… wake up those with no vision…

Understand God’s purpose for your life.

Ephesians 5:8–18 NLT

9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. 10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

It’s time to wake up or 2025 will just be another year. We need to wake up and live in the light from the Lord… to live to please the Lord.

Ephesians 5:8–18 NLT

15 So be careful how you live. (Paul warns us to be careful) Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every (window of) opportunity in these evil days. 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.

Now look at how he finishes…

Ephesians 5:18 NIV

18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.

Debauchery - sexual immorality on steroids much like we see today with the LGTBQ stuff.

Don’t let anything but God control your life… not your feelings… appetites… lusts. Instead be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 5:18 NIV

Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

You won’t find your purpose anywhere else, be cause He is the one who created you. You have to come to God to find your meaning and purpose.

Matthew Emmens in the rifle competition in Olympics. All he had to do was hit the target anywhere and he had the gold metal. He lines up and shoots… bulls eye on the wrong target. 1st place to 8th place no medal.

How many people are trying to go through life and they hit the bulls eye but the wrong target. You tried in all these other places looking for purpose and fulfillment and you keep coming up empty.

Good news. God has a wonderful plan for your life and he wants to reveal it to you. We want to get you into a life of fulfillment. I believe God wants everyone saved, restored, redeemed, & Fulfilled. We say it like this. We want you to Know God, Find Freedom, Discover your Purpose, and Make a difference.

If you do this, it will change everything. It will even make your current problems smaller because when you have something in your life bigger than your problems, they don’t seem so big anymore.

Here are some practical things that Paul put in here.

1. What am I doing that I should not be doing?

All of us, if we are honest are doing something we should not be doing. Some know you are living a life you never intended to live and you have given up on your vision. Listen, we serve a God who is the ultimate change agent.

This is the time to expose the deeds of the darkness in your life and say, they are not coming with me into 2025. Hiding behind all that is God’s purpose for your life, all you have to do is to move all that junk out of the way.

Romans 12:2 NLT

2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Get out of the worldly junk.

… then… you will be able to know God’s will for your life.

You have to expose it and get rid of it. This is the year you need to stop letting the internet bring sin into your life… to get out of that harmful relationship… not going to let my senses tell me what to do this year.

Proverbs 4:25–27 NLT

25 Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. 26 Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. 27 Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.

You will find your purpose hiding behind all the junk in your life.

2. What am I not doing that I should be doing?

That’s a good question.

We want to give you opportunities this year. Read bible every day… pray… tithe… small group… serve in a ministry (kids, Youth, greeter, usher, tech, security, tweens, outreach)

James the half brother of Jesus said

James 4:17 NLT

17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

Sin - harmatea… you missed the mark. You didn’t do enough.

IOW, You don’t need me to tell you what you are not doing… you know. You don’t need me to tell you what you should not be doing… you know because the Holy Spirit has been telling you already. He is saying don’t you think it’s time you got this out of your life…

Maybe for you … something needs to come out of your life that distracts you from God’s purpose… stop trying to control everything… smoking… eating the wrong stuff… looking at stuff you shouldn’t.

Some of you need to get up earlier tomorrow and do the first 15. Some of you need to say, I’ll get in a group. For others, it’s time for you to lead a group. If you want to grow, lead a group. We will train you. You will pray better, study better and live better.

Jesus said this…

Matthew 6:34 The Message

34 “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

What am I doing that I should not be doing? What am I not doing that I need to do? It will change your life.

One Year Challenge

Invite Jesus to be the Lord of my life.

You have to do this… Stop trying to be in control of everything and give Him control of everything. Surrender your life to Jesus.

Be water baptized.

Check that on your connection cards if you haven’t done this.

Develop a daily walk with God.

Listen, what would your life look like of you never missed a 15 minute time with God. You know it would be better. OYB…

Spend time in worship and prayer.

Attend church every week.

What would it be like if you had a never miss year at church? My mom and dad… we didn’t miss church. Make that commitment for 2025 and see how it works for you.

Come to Mid-Week at River Church

Build Relationships…

Complete the Growth Track

Plug into the church…

Join a small group

Freedom Group …

Join the Dream Team

You need to serve… to volunteer at something. Greeters… Kids Team… Faithful Feeders… Ushers… Worship Team… Tech Team… Fuel the Future… Prison - Rivarde… Outreach…

Attend Special Events

Valentines Event…

Invite friends or family to church

There is no better feeling than helping someone cone to faith in Christ.

3. Why not do it today?

Why not put it on your connection card today? I want to help with… I want to lead…

2 Corinthians 6:2 NLT

2 For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

Today is the day!

2004 7 inches of rain fell in death valley… Pic of before and after. It shoul dbe called dormant valley because just beneath the cracks, was life that just needed to be watered.

Right beneath the surface of our lives are seeds waiting for resurrection

You are not dead… you are dormant and what has been dormant is about to bloom.

Prayer -

Salvation prayer -