A New Purpose
Living without purpose is not really living at all. When you find new life in Christ, you can then find a new purpose—an investment of your life that makes sense and brings glory to God. If someone asked, “What is your purpose in life?” how would you respond? Those of us connected to Jesus can have a ready and meaningful answer to that question. The specific answers may vary slightly. But nothing should stop us from living life on purpose.
Discussion Questions
Let’s start with a big question: What is your purpose in life? How did you arrive at that purpose?
Atheist, Bertrand Russell said, “Unless you assume a God, the question of life’s purpose is meaningless.” Why does the question of life’s purpose presuppose the existence of God?
Describe your life prior to your faith in Jesus. What does it mean for the unbeliever to be “without hope and without God in the world”? (see Ephesians 2:12) How does faith in Jesus give you a new purpose?
Notice the priority of a singular focus toward God in the following verses: Matthew 6:33, Philippians 3:8, 13, John 8:29, 2 Corinthians 5:9. How does your purpose include the necessity of a life ordered around the person of Jesus Christ? In what practical ways is that priority demonstrated?
It’s clear that God will ultimately accomplish His purposes on earth. Read Job 42:2 and Proverbs 19:21. How do you think your purpose and God’s purpose work in tandem? True or false: God’s purposes will be accomplished with or without you.
In his book, Renovation of the Heart, Dallas Willard describes the importance of “abandoning outcomes” to God. How might knowing you can’t control outcomes relieve pressure in your life? What is God asking you to do instead of trying to control outcomes? (see 1 Corinthians 4:2)
Further Reading
A New Covenant
God reminds us in the Bible that He gave an Old Covenant and a New Covenant. Confuse the two and you’re in for a confusing and inconsistent attempt at living for Jesus. It’s not an exaggeration to suggest that the church across the world is mired in legalistic...
New Direction
When we find ourselves moving in a certain direction and focused on our goals, it can be jarring to feel like God suddenly is taking us in a new direction. It's hard to consider that what we are currently building is no longer necessary or worse, futile all along. We...
New Community
We all identify with communities in some ways. Even the most isolated individuals acknowledge some basic common ground with other people groups. From sports teams to political parties to hometowns, communities unite us around common ideas. But when we run into...
A New Heaven and A New Earth
God makes all things new. He is about taking the brokenness brought on by sin and offering a new reality. God’s plans for a believer’s eternity are staggering in immensity and joy. We will exist forever on a new earth—a reality more alive than our present existence....
New Habits
Habits can have a profound impact on our lives in both good and bad ways. And often, we’re unaware of how much we do in our lives simply by force of habit. We’ll discuss how modern behavioral science is catching up to what the church has known for thousands of years...