God’s Life Plan for You!
Jeremiah 29:11-13 11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Intro: A girl brings her fiancé home for dinner. After dinner, the fiancé and the girl's father go into the study for a man to man talk.
"So, what are you doing right now?" asks the father.
"I am a theology scholar," replies the fiancé.
"Do you have any plans of employment?"
"I will study and God will provide."
"What about the children?" asks the man.
"God will provide."
"And your house and car?"
"Again, God will provide," says the fiancé.
After the talk, the girl's mother asks the father, "So what did you two talk about?"
The man replies, "He has no plans of employment, but on the other hand, he thinks I'm God." source: http://www.jokebuddha.com/Plans#ixzz2XgI7IhsE
-The human struggle might possibly be defined in terms of connecting our plans with God’s plans. Several people in the Bible went on record with variations of one important question: “Lord, what do You want me to do?” That might be the most important question in life. Too many people just live their lives on the basis of what they want, giving little or no thought to what God might have in mind for them.
-I know it sounds like a cliché, but God does have good plans for you! His plan was in place long before you ever graced this globe with your presence! Most of us have grappled or will grapple with their purpose here on earth. We’d like to think we aren’t just using up air and space. The Bible indicates that we are not here by accident, but God knew us even when we were growing inside our mother’s womb. Nobody just got lucky enough to be the winner of random selection. You were in God’s heart long before you entered His world! You had purpose before you were made, you were created on purpose, with purpose. Our purpose in life has been defined in various ways: to glorify God and enjoy Him forever; or, to know God and make Him known.
-With this in mind I want to share as simply and openly as I can today out of my own experience and give you a glimpse of who your Pastor is and what God is doing in my life. Hopefully, this will inspire you to really seek God for direction in the major areas of your life. It’s one thing to tell the Lord, “I surrender all,” but it’s another thing entirely to ask Him to guide you specifically in each area of your life.
-Most of you know that I took a few days this past week to get away by myself (just Jesus, some deer, an army of bugs, a few mice and me). The purpose of my getaway was to seek the Lord for direction, clarity, and vision for my life, family, and this church. Several things came out of this for me personally, but what I enjoyed were the times that I just sensed God breathing more of His life into me.
-What I want to share with you is what I believe the Lord is leading me to focus on in the coming months. When I was receiving Ministry Coaching I took a day away and put together a Life Plan that would help me focus on what was truly important and not get so busy or distracted that I miss out on the things that matter most. A life plan is made up of 5-7 areas called life accounts. First, you clarify Your Vision: Imagine, dream... where do you want to be years from now? Think of vision as your aspiration, as your definition of “success” in this area of life. What do you want to see when you look into the future for this Life Account? What is the end result you would like to achieve? List a key Scripture that inspires your vision for this area. Then come up with an action plan. Develop actions that can be measured (daily, weekly, monthly, annually), and will help you complete your vision.
-Every intentional step you take to follow through with your God-given goals in each of these areas is a deposit or an investment into that account. Sometimes 1 or more of these life accounts seem to run pretty low to the point of being bankrupt. That’s why I need to keep them in front of me so I don’t lose sight of God’s purpose and plan for my life. So, let me share what I believe is God’s life plan for me.
1. Faith
*I want a close 2-way relationship with God that allows me to know His heart and hear His voice. I want my faith to be more than a slogan or a creed or a standard of behavior. I want my trust level to come not solely from my own determination to believe, but out of the reality of interacting with and regularly encountering God Himself.
*Philippians 3:10 I want to know Christ….
*1. Set aside 30 minutes each day to connect with God through prayer.
2. Read Bible daily from Life Journal guide (15-20 min. each morning).
3. Write in a journal to note what God is speaking to me and develop a greater sense of listening to God.
2. Family
*I want to deepen the relationship between my wife and myself. I want to have and express genuine unconditional love for her and to her. I want to make her feel safe enough to trust my motives and my actions. I want to help her fulfill the dreams God has placed within her heart.
*Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
1. I plan to pray with my wife each day.
2. Set aside a date night each week (usually Friday night)
3. Read a Marriage book or DVD together each week & discuss.
4. Spend 15 minutes together after work to connect and relate the events of the day.
*I want to be a loving father whose fathering teaches our daughters who our heavenly Father is. I want to develop a deep level of trust with our kids. I want to inspire confidence, hope, and passion for life in each child. I want to lead them in their spiritual development into a loving relationship with God in which they find their true identity.
*Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way he [or she] should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
1. Pray with/for my girls before I leave the house each day.
2. Spend 15 min. talking/interacting with them after work and after I connect with Robin.
3. Spend 30 minutes doing something together each evening if possible (playing, working, etc.)
3. Church Family (Ministry/Calling)
*I want to be a spiritual leader worth following so that those who follow will come to know Christ better and discover and develop their gifts and callings. I want to lead our church into healthy spiritual and numerical growth.
1 Timothy 3:1 If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Timothy 4:2, 5 2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-- with great patience and careful instruction… 5 keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
*Ministry can be overwhelming! Not a day goes by that I don’t feel like I’m in way over my head! There is so much to do and be aware of, so many unmet needs, so many demands on my time. Yet God called me and He will equip me to do what is needed.
-Some of our systems (8 basic church systems) need to be developed and strengthened. Other needs: We want to increase our impact on kids and families in our community. We need teams of workers and teachers so nobody does it alone and nobody overdoes it. We need leadership development and training on all levels. Bottom line, we need to be a praying, healthy, loving, and strategic church as we do life together and reach out to our community.
-You can see how easy it is to get lost in all that needs to happen. Right now I thank God for where we are. But in 6-months or a year… if we haven’t grown or changed for the better, then something is wrong. Somehow we have to learn to balance contentment with where we are and a sense of dissatisfaction with staying put that always keeps us moving, growing, and changing.
4. Health – (Don’t exit early by neglecting good sense) I can’t very well give life to others if I’m not here to do it. Good stewardship includes how we take care of ourselves physically. I plan to shed the pounds through lifestyle changes, not fad diets, secret recipes, or magic pills. Exercise important too- heartrate up for 30-min. 3-5 x per week to clear out the plaque that accumulates not only from foods, but from things like stress.
5. Finances – Be a good steward of God’s resources in my life (Dave’s 7 Baby Steps: Nearly out of debt / E-fund / Sinking funds / college / tithe & give more)
6. Relationships: Family and Friends (Social interaction & strengthening ties)
7. Education (To be a lifelong learner) – Use what I’ve got right now to dig in, research, read, and deepen my knowledge of God’s word and His world.
So, that’s my story. What about you? Do you have a plan for your life? God does! And He wants to help you break it down into manageable areas. If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it. God wants to help you set your eyes on the prize, which will require a balanced, healthy life. It may not look like mine, but if God is directing your path, it will be amazing!
-Ask the Lord, “What do you want me to do? Help me to dream Your BIG dreams for my relationship with You, with my family, in my church family.” God has plans to prosper you, not harm you, to give you hope and a future! And you will find Him when you seek Him wholeheartedly!
