Prayers for God’s People: A Life Worth Living

The Lord appeared to us in the past saying, I have loved you with an everlasting love. I have drawn you to myself in loving kindness. (Jer 31:3)

Congratulations on choosing a great new leaders. We’ve been praying for Pastor Next for a long time without a name. Now, we can call him Pastor Andrew. Well done, search team and membership. It was hard for me personally to be absent during the last couple of weeks, but I heartily endorse your selection. You have my best wishes and more importantly my prayers as you head into the next transition.

Oh, you thought your transition was over? Think again. Your real transition is yet to begin.

When we set out on a journey, we need to rely on consistent navigation. That’s where we want to spend some time today. On making sure that we have the right destination and direction.

I am not a great navigator. Without Siri, I would be forever lost. Actually, not lost, just finding new ways to get where I need to be. I told my son that one element I want added to my funeral is for the funeral coach to lead the procession into a dead end where the whole procession would have to back up and restart from scratch at reassembling.

For me, life is about the journey rather than the destination. But as much as that pleases my personality, it can damage my whole life if I let it. I also must live with purpose.

Sometimes purpose comes to us, but most of the time, we must discover the breadcrumbs along the way.

"The great tragedy would be to live your life waiting for that moment to come instead of living your life preparing for when that moment comes." Erwin McManus, The Last Arrow

I’ve been thinking about purpose lately. I didn’t choose this passage based on that, but it has been a helpful passage for me as we think about the future.

Today, you’ll see a little more personal side to this message. I’ve been trying to teach and preach this series with some “best practices” for us to follow. I am not perfect, but my own prayer life has been shaped by the purpose God has given to me. You’ll see that reflected in this message. My goal is not that anyone follow my plan. I have worked on my plan for many, many years and it reflects my own unique personality and strengths. But there may be some elements that you find worth bringing into your own life. If that’s the case, reach out and we can talk about helping you with your own life of following after Christ.

This passage represents elements of that purpose. If we are to be honest, this parallels the message that Andrew preached last week.

It comes from the heart of Paul, who deeply loved the people at Colossae.

This is my pastor’s heart for the people of Branchline.

Colossians 1:9–14 NIV

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Intro: live a life worthy AND please him in every way

knowing God’s will

through wisdom

and understanding

from the Spirit

so that...

you may live a life worthy of the Lord

and please him in every way

Prayer and Purpose:

Mission Statements

Ezra: “devoted himself to study…to observe…to teach the law”

Paul: “Christ we preach – warning and teaching to present every person mature in Him”

Branchline: “connecting people to a growing relationship with Jesus.”

My Morning Prayer of Focus and Purpose

Holy Father, Author of all things, I live and delight in your love this day. Allow me to walk humbly with you as I love you with my heart, soul, strength and mind.

Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior, I want to know you this day and to learn from you and to share your love and message with those around me.

Holy Spirit, Presence and Power of God, fill me with yourself and display your fruit in my life today: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Blessed Trinity, who binds all things together, bind me to yourself today so that I may live in your presence and peace.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

4 Compass Points that will lead us towards our destination

1. Bear Fruit

we want to be about the business of bearing fruit.

Quantity - making more disciples

Matthew 9:37–38 NIV

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Andrew spoke powerfully to this last weekend. He wants to be part of a church that is part of this community and is sharing Christ with people.

Many churches focus on budgets and buildings. But if we are making the budget but not making disciples, we have the wrong goal in mind.

Quality - making better disciples

John 15:4 NIV

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

Galatians 5:22–23 NIV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Andrew focused on the importance of love for one another and love for our neighbors. This is certainly God’s plan for his people.

2. Knowing God

Growing in knowing. Direction rather than perfection.

Philippians 3:10–11 NIV

I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

For Paul, knowing God went hand in hand with the experience of suffering. I wonder, in my own life, if I haven’t known God more deeply because I have chosen comfort and familiarity over suffering.

Randy: “For I am a poem being written by the hand of Jesus Christ, to live in unending discovery of him and his plan to share his love and message with those around me.”

3. Enduring Patiently

covid-19: Are you tired of this already? I am.

Waiting for a new pastor? its been a long wait.

closer to home...Expecting news from a lab report or recent doctor visit?

Praying every day for someone you love to come (back) to Christ?

God calls for us to live with patient endurance.

Hebrews 12:1–2 NIV

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

ps 37 7 a

Psalm 37:7 (NIV)

7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him...

4. Giving Thanks

Colossians 1:12–14 NIV

and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

ending each day with a few questions day builds a great habit.

Where did I see God today?

Where did I find joy?

What am I thankful for?

I am personally so glad and joyfully giving thanks for Branchline.

Thanking God for Branchline.

staff, board, search team, leaders, volunteers, guests and visitors.

God does not disappoint. He is good.