Our Purpose

The narrow way is filled with story after story of God unearthing a man’s desire—and then hiding him. David was told he’d be king, then spent the next fourteen years hiding out in caves with a bunch of misfits. Joseph was told he’d be elevated to a place above all his brothers, then was thrown into a pit by those brothers and sold into slavery. It was many years and much suffering before he was ready, in his soul as a man, to lead all those God had…

According to psychologist Meg Jay, our minds tend to think about our future selves similarly to how we think about complete strangers. Why? It’s probably due to what’s sometimes called the “empathy gap.” It can be hard to empathize and care for people we don’t know personally—even future versions of ourselves. So in her work, Jay tries to help young people imagine their future selves and take steps to care for them. This includes working…

There is a reason you have the desires you do. Some desires you share with many others. Many people want the same core, good things: a community, a relationship, a deeper walk with God. But many of your dreams and desires are yours alone. They have been given to you by God for you to awaken to, embrace, nurture, pursue, and then offer. Let God use your dreams to guide you into the fuller expression of your unfolding glorious self! We need to increasingly live from the…

If you want to get to know someone, you need to know their story. Their life is a story. It, too, has a past and a future. It, too, unfolds in a series of scenes over the course of time. Why is Grandfather so silent? Why does he drink too much? Well, let me tell you. There was a terrible battle in World War II, in the South Pacific, on an island called Okinawa. Tens of thousands of American men died or were wounded there; some of them were your grandfather's best.…

The average person will spend approximately 150,000 hours at work in their lifetime – that is to say, about 40% of our waking lives are spent at work, whether it be paid or voluntary employment, or as a carer or full-time parent. ‘Is God interested in our work? Many people do not see God as a 24/7 God, but as a withdrawn actor confined to a Sunday show with a declining audience. There is a widespread view that God and work simply don’t mix: the,…

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank.... --Daniel 1:8 Though we do not hear much of it in this age of spineless religion, there is nevertheless much in the Bible about the place of moral determination in the service of the Lord. "Jacob vowed a vow," and it was the beginning of a very wonderful life with God.... Daniel "purposed in his heart," and…

The next chapter of our story is precisely that—the chapter that follows all the chapters before and fits them perfectly. God is still telling a story; the next chapter is not disconnected from the rest. (I know it feels totally disconnected, but it is not.) If we will look at our future in light of the story God has been telling, it will banish the fog like a strong summer sun. In the next chapter, our powerful and creative Father re-creates us and the earth. He then…

In 2000, an upstart company operating on a movie-rental-by-mail system offered to sell their company for $50 million to Blockbuster, the home movies and video game rentals king at that time. Netflix had roughly 300,000 subscribers, while Blockbuster had millions and millions of them. Blockbuster passed on the opportunity to purchase their little competitor. The result? Today Netflix has more than 180 million subscribers and is worth nearly $200 billion. As for Blockbuster,…

The Lord has plans for each of us and specific work that He has called us to do. This might be hopeful news to you, or it might be overwhelming if you’re already struggling to manage all that’s on your plate. Thankfully, balancing five areas of our schedule can help us live according to God’s purposes. 1. Our top priority should be spending time with the Lord each day. We can read and meditate on His Word, pray, listen for His directions, or simply be with.…