29 October 2009

Live a Life in a Purpose

By Bro. Glenn Detruz of Young Adults Ministry
Church
of God - Dasmarinas

Reminder on how to live in a purpose:

  • Know your Destination

The North Star - symbol which the Wise Men guided them to the birth of Jesus Christ.

  • Follow the Compass - it guides the direction.

The Difference of Map and Compas:

Compass - has four directions only - North, South, East and West.

Map – has many directions – Country, Cities, Towns, streets, roads, etc.

There are Crossroads along the Journey:

Life is full of choices.

Check if your plans are linked to God’s plan.

In Isaiah 29:15 says:

“What sorrow awaits those who try to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their evil deeds in the dark! ‘The LORD can’t see us,” they say. ‘He doesn’t know what’s going on!’”

  • A. Know God’s Purpose

Salvation to all Nations. (Our common purpose.)

In Galatians 3:13-14 (NIV) says:

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘ Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’ He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit."

  • B. Obey God’s Purpose

Spread the Word of God. (Salvation to all Nations.)

In Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV) says:

“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

  • Be glad when your life is interrupted.

The more obstacles you have, the more opportunities there are for God to do something.

  • Always use the tool for the journey.

In Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) says:

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


Resources: http://www.blueletterbible.org and Young Adults Fellowship Church of God -Dasmarinas World Missions Philippines

Healing Choices: Don’t Give Temptation Power


By Rick Warren | Thursday, October 22, 2009
From PurposeDriven.com

Pastor Rick Warren discusses the Bible passages that inspire him the most. And this is from:

“Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace” (2 Timothy 2:22 NLT).

Have you ever watched a food advertisement on television and suddenly felt you were hungry? Have you ever heard someone cough and immediately felt the need to clear your throat? Ever watched someone release a big yawn and felt the urge to yawn yourself?

This is the power of suggestion working within your mind. We naturally move toward whatever our attention is focused on. The more you think about something, the stronger it takes hold of you, which is why the Bible teaches that we should, “Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace” (2 Timothy 2:22 NLT).

That is why repeating, “I must stop eating too much . . . or stop smoking . . . or stop lusting” is a self-defeating strategy. It keeps you focused on what you don’t want. It’s like announcing, “I’m never going to do what my mom did.” You are setting yourself up to repeat it.

Temptation begins by capturing your attention. What gets your attention arouses your emotions. Then your emotions activate your behavior, and you act on what you feel. The more you focus on “I don’t want to do this,” the stronger temptation draws you into its web.

Ignoring a temptation is far more effective than fighting it. Once your mind is on something else, the temptation loses its power. So when temptation calls you on the phone, don’t argue with it, just hang up!

Sometimes this means physically leaving a tempting situation. This is one time it is okay to run away. Get up and turn off the television set. Walk away from a group that is gossiping. Leave the theater in the middle of the movie.

To avoid being stung, stay away from the bees!

You can learn more about what God wants for you by reading The Purpose Driven Life.


Source: http://www.purposedriven.com/article.do?method=articlePage&contentId=201997