Purpose? Yes, Purpose!!!

How You Can Know the Will of God
Jack Graham
PowerPoint Ministries
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A few months ago I stumbled across a very interesting study. The goal of the survey was to determine what the most common questions Americans were asking today, and do you know what the study found was the most asked question?

I'll give you a couple of hints. It wasn't "Does God exist?" and it wasn't "Is there life after death?". Above all others, the study found that the question most Americans are asking is a simple one:

What is the meaning of my life here on earth?

Even bigger than their concern for the existence of God or the uncertainty of death is a desire for meaning… for purpose!

I want to tell you that every human being has that desire. How else can you explain the fact that when my friend Rick Warren published his book, The Purpose Driven Life, it quickly became one of the best-selling hardback books in history?

The reason why so many people are asking what is the meaning of life is simple. You and I and everyone else are all hardwired to believe in God. As much as we need food to eat and air to breath, we need faith to live by!

So God has fused into our DNA a deep desire to know our purpose… a deep desire to know that there is something greater than ourselves. We are born with an instinct to seek him and his purpose for us!

God has given a very clear purpose for our time here on earth, and that's to glorify him. The problem is that we are given such a short time to do it! I remember when Billy Graham was once asked the question, "What's your biggest surprise in life?" In his heavy North Carolina accent he responded, "The brevity of it."

You know, I completely agree with Billy. My wife, Deb, and I celebrated 40 years of marriage in May. But it seems like just yesterday that I saw her for the first time at Hardin-Simmons University. Life has a way of flying by before you can even stop to take a breath!

In this short time that you and I are given on earth, God wants to use us for something great! He wants you to magnify the name of Jesus with every day that he gives you. As the apostle Paul tells us in Romans 12:1,

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."

This is the clear mandate for your life: to present yourself to God as a sacrifice… to glorify and honor him in everything you do!

So the question you should be asking is even bigger than "What's the meaning of my life?" That's already been answered for you! The bigger question… the one that you should really be concerned with… is "Am I going to honor God with my life?". That's the first thought that should enter your head when you're wondering what God's will is for your life. Will he be glorified?

Sometimes people ask me, "Pastor, should I do this or that?" And I ask them, "Have you prayed about it?" I ask this because there is no reason they should come to me before they go to God!

But many people are afraid to pray and I think I know why. They are scared of the response they might get. It's one thing to know the will of God. It's another to actually do it! So here's the ultimate principle when it comes to the will of God… surrender to it!

Trust God because he knows what's best for you. Allow him to guide you through the sometimes muddy waters of life. When you do this, you can have every bit of confidence that he is in control!

So what is God's will for your life? Here it is: to honor him in all you do, to seek his guidance in times of difficult decisions, and to surrender to his will when he answers you. That's his will for your life!

PowerPoint® Ministries is the radio and television broadcast ministry of Dr. Jack Graham in Plano, Texas. Dr. Graham is the pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church, one of the nation's largest, most dynamic congregations. Dr. Graham has served two terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Read or sign up to receive Dr. Jack Graham's PowerPoint devotionals through Crosswalk.com.

Publication date: October 15, 2010


Find this article at: http://www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/11639581/

Loss

Dear friends, Some of you may not have heard yet. Devere went to be with the Lord last night around 10PM. He had a lot of complications, infections and he was not improving in his health. The doctors took a blockage out that was cancerous and they took about 2 feet out of his intestines. There were many other things that were not going right with his body and therefore he was in critical condition for over a week. God obviously had planned for him to be going home sooner than we thought. I understand he was 75 years old. He had a lot of love for all of us and we are going to miss him greatly. Good news, he is with Jesus right now and he will not have to experience anymore pain. There will be a memorial service at the Evangelical Church here in Sweet Home on Friday morning at 10AM. Sharon has indicated to me that all of Hillside is invited and our worship team will be involved in the service as well. Please pray for the family as they deal with the loss of a wonderful man of God. Peace, Pastor Matt

VBS 2010 Day 2

VBS 2010 Day 2

VBS Video Day 1

Five Functions of the Church

Five Functions of the Church

Pastor John Stumbo (A Miracle)

John Stumbo May 30, 2010 from Salem Alliance Video on Vimeo.

Been Thinking About » Faith and Fear

Been Thinking About » Faith and Fear

everybody, somebody, anybody, and nobody

Once upon a time
There were four men named
Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.
There was an important job to be done
And Everybody was asked to do it.
But Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.
Anybody could have done it.
But Nobody did it.
Somebody got angry about it
Because it was Everybody’s job.
Everybody thought that Anybody could do it
And Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it.
It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody
And Nobody did the job
That Anybody could have done in the first place. (Author unknown)

Fav 5

Who are the important people in your life? Maybe your friend from college. maybe your sister or brother. Maybe it is your fishing buddy or your neighbor down the street. We all have our favorites and that is healthy to have those relationships.

Jesus went beyond this fav 5 idea and went and had dinner with a proud, egotistical, short, undesirable thief named Zaccheus. Why? Because He came to save what was lost. And Zac was lost like all of us were at one point but Jesus accepted Him!

That is a great mission in life! Shall we join Him?

Easter

"He is risen, He is risen indeed!"

We had a great Sunday. "Redeemed" sang beautifully and got us clapping and into the celebration of Easter. The kids did an amazing job dancing to Toby Mac's new song "Get Back Up Again."

The men really fed us well for breakfast, thanks everybody.

A lot of families represented and came together. Awesome.

PMatt

"Vision"

Proverbs 29:18 (The Message)


18 If people can't see what God is doing,
they stumble all over themselves;
But when they attend to what he reveals,
they are most blessed.

Building Bridges

"The church does not exist for the sake of the church. It exists for the sake of the world."

~church of irresistible influence

Serving those who serve-story of Darrell Mishler

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Today!

Love Jesus
Trust Jesus
Follow Jesus

Traveling West

Well...it is finally that time that I have been anticipating all week. I am on my way home. Right now it is early in the morning and most of you are sleeping. I hope you have sweet dreams! I am sitting in Indy's brand spanking new airport attempting to stay awake. 30 minutes to blast off.

Peace

Pray.

God's ways not mine!

Isaiah 55:8-9
8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.

9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Haiti

January 14, 2010 - 3:20 p.m.
We continue to be in prayer for our Haitian brothers and sisters in crisis. Here are some recent developments:

► Jack Munos and Katie Zook were airlifted from Guantanamo Bay last night because their conditions were deemed more serious than originally thought. They arrived in Miami early this morning. Pacific Northwest Superintendent Matt Whitehead is at the hospital and reports both are doing well. They are in ICU but alert. Both have been suffered quite a bit of trauma but "we can be encouraged that God is answering prayer." Katie's family is now at the hospital and has been a great encouragement to her. I was able to speak to Jack for a few moments by phone and encourage him with, "Well done good and faithful servant." Jack asks us to not give up hope on Jeanne even though he recognizes her rescue would require a miracle.

► The Free Methodist World Missions team, together with the Board of Bishops, are working to produce a short video for use in FM churches on Sunday. Please reserve a couple of minutes in your services to project this video. I (Bishop Roller) will be the face of the video but will be representing the broad spectrum of Free Methodists with ministry in Haiti. Remember that International Child Care Ministries, Clear Blue Global Water Project, FOHO (work teams), Eden Reforestation and other FM-related ministries will be involved in our response. Please alert ministries to connect with us before developing independent plans.

► We are working to put together an exploratory team to travel to Haiti and connect with the Haitian church leaders. We will rely heavily on the wisdom of the Haitian church to create a response strategy and action plan. We also are working to make connections with other denominations and NGOs to participate in a coordinated response. We anticipate this exploratory team will provide a fuller assessment of the needs, as well as the best way for North-American teams to respond over the next months.

The next weeks and months will be filled with uncertainty and grief. At the same time, we know God will redeem and heal. He will make sense out what appears random and cruel. There will be opportunities for Haiti to be rebuilt as a new Haiti. Soon, unprecedented opportunities will open up in Haiti for the church to participate in building safer and better housing, more reliable infrastructure and a more just society. The Haitian FMC, which has always been intrinsically wholistic, will need our partnership. Get ready.

Bishop David Roller

To respond:
Give:
► Online: www.fmwm.org/give/help_haiti_heal.php
► Check: Help Haiti Heal, PO Box 535002, Indianapolis, IN 46253-5002

Weslyn-Arminian Theology

Finished the 2 credit class on History & Polity. Starting a 3 credit class on Wesleyan-Arminian Theology. Wow that is a mouthful. Soon I will be able to tell you all about it. :)

The ground is melting a little here. It has been 10 - 25 degrees (nice & chilly). We have had 4 inches of snow for about 5 days. Not missing the rain in Oregon but missing my wonderful family and friends.

God is good and He is not finished working on us.

I Thessalonians 5:23-24 "May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it"

Peace

Thanksgiving and Prayer

Church, I just want to thank you for all your support and providing for this time in Indy. I am learning a great deal about John Wesley and Free Methodism BUT even more so... I have had a great opportunity to step back and think through what has happened in our lives over the last 6 months.

God is doing some new things in my heart and my prayer is that He is doing something new in yours. John 15 tells us from Jesus' mouth that he is the vine and we are the branches. He is pruning us and wants to strip away everything that is dead.

I have realized that John Wesley was also on a journey of letting God prune Him and making him into a new creature.

In 2010 may we come to Jesus with the intent to radically DEPEND on Him and let Him change us from the inside out. Amen! I am praying for you this very minute as you worship together. Miss all of you! Peace Pastor Matt

Where is the line for Jesus

Love

"There is no love of God without patience,and no patience without lowliness and sweetness of spirit." ~John Wesley

"This is what I want to be like when I grow up" ~ Matt