Chapter 1

Running Head: Personal Spiritual Growth Reflective Journal 1

Personal Spiritual Growth Reflective Journal: The Purpose Driven Life

Desiree Ferwalt

Spirituality in Nursing


Chapter 1- 07/28/2011 10:00 am

In this first chapter Warren discusses how life is not all about you but about what God‟s

plans are and how you can reach them. I find that I can relate to this chapter since when I am

considering doing anything I first think how this will affect me and the choices I make. When I

make plans for the future I don‟t first consider what God‟s plans are. So when I become

devastated because something I planned for doesn‟t work how I wanted it to I don‟t consider that

maybe it is God‟s plan that it does not work out. I don‟t usually consider that maybe there is a

reason one of my plans failed and it is because He had something better planed. Because of this

chapter I will try not to be so self absorbed but realize that God has purpose for me and that is

greater and broader than I could ever plan for.

Chapter 2- 07/28/2011 10:42 am

The second chapter is about how you were never an accident. Reading this chapter

evokes comfort within me. I feel comforted by thought that God created me to be me and no one

else. He has a purpose for me. I was one of His children before I was even conceived. Every

aspect of me my good and bad qualities were created and derived from him. Every aspect of my

life was created from His design. When I find myself disparaging over something I don‟t like

about myself whether it is a physical quality or emotional I will realize that God made me to be

the person I am not someone else. This is a chapter to read when I feel down or have screwed up

so that I know that I am not a mistake.

Chapter 3- 7/28/2011 11:25am

This chapter discusses what your purpose in life is. I am a person who is always making

plans and setting goals. I find that I always have to have a purpose and something to work


toward whether it is short or long term goals. Getting through nursing school with my sanity

intact is one of my long term goals and I am working toward this goal though I find it difficult at

times. I think anyone working there way through nursing school has to be purpose driven or they

won‟t survive it much less thrive in that atmosphere. Right now I am working under the pressure

of getting this assignment done by its deadline. I will admit that I am at fault for using the five

common reasons for letting something drive my life: driven by guilt, resentment and anger, fear,

materialism, and need of approval. I realize in small quantities these can be good reason to work

at something but you mustn‟t let them rule your life. I agree with the book that knowing your

purpose will give your life meaning and motivation while focusing and simplifying it. I need to

let God guide my purpose through life in preparation for eternity. Without a purpose I don‟t see

the point of living.

Chapter 4- 07/28/2011 11:49 am

Today in this chapter the author discusses how we can not live like this is our only life.

Even after our mortal body crumples back into the earth our immortal soul will live on, the

question is where. Where will you preside after your soul has left this earth? Death is a scary

concept to me. I can‟t imagine leaving this world yet. I know this isn‟t the attitude you should

take but I still have the teenager mindset as seeing myself as “immortal”, like nothing can harm

me. I should not live like this but I do have the human tendency to do what I know is bad for me.

My goals would be considered short term in the cosmic scheme of things. I have not look past

this life yet. With this chapter I plan to set a goal to discover ways to live my life so that I have

no fear of death and what lies beyond it.

Chapter 5- 7/28/2011 12:12 pm


The theme of this chapter is that life is a test and it is trust. I find that I often see life as a

marathon not race. Once you have overcome one obstacle you must get ready for the next and

have the endurance to overcome all the obstacles put in your way. Because of this mind set I

often see life as test. God makes life difficult so that our characters are tested and we become

better human being because of it. It is how you deal with the test that shows what kind of person

you are. With these tests He lays His trust within us to overcome it. On page 48 Warren quotes

the bible by saying, “…he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm….”

If you are able to endure the tests and trust God bestows on you will be rewarded in his heavenly

kingdom.

Chapter 6- 07/28/2011 12:38 pm

The theme here is that life on this earth is temporary. When I was a little girl I found

myself always wishing that time would move faster. “I hope tomorrow would come so we can go

watch a movie…I wish it was Christmas already…I wish it was summer so school would be

over...I can‟t wait till next year for my next birthday party…” and I always wish I was older “10,

13, 16, 18, 21”. But as I get older I am starting to wish time would slow down. Days, seasons and

years seem to slip past me without me being aware of it. I find myself at the end of a school

semester wondering how it ended so fast. As stated before Life on this earth is temporary so you

should enjoy it and live in a way that honors our father who gave us this life on earth to live.

Chapter 7- 07/28/2011 1:15 pm

Here in this chapter Rick Warren discusses how we were all made with a purpose to bring

glory to our Lord. The author give a set of principals we can use to bring glory to Him: by

worship, loving others, becoming Christ like, serving others with our gifts, telling others about


Him. The book states our greatest sin is not bringing our God glory. I know that this is a sin I

take part in constantly. I find that I lack the most in telling others about Him. I am an awkwardly

shy person by nature and have to really work at being open and friendly with people. I fear

verbally telling others about my Lord because of negative reactions it can cause. Right now I try

to tell others about my Lord through my actions and nonverbal. People know that I am a spiritual

person and I hope they learn to know my God through my actions I perform in honor of him. I

will try to be more verbal about my Lord‟s glory with others for now on. I will try to live in a

way that I perform the stated principles for the Lord and my fellow man.

Chapter 8- 07/28/2011 3:00 pm

This chapter is all about bringing God pleasure through our lives. We were created not

because God had to but because he wanted to and our very existence brings him pleasure. The

way we pleasure our God is through worship. Every one worships our lord and Christ differently

but none of it is wrong. One way I worship God is through helping others at my job, with my

family and friends, and through anyone who asks for it. It is one of the reasons why I a becoming

a nurse so that I can worship him on a massive scale by helping others. I do this because I love

my Christ and want to bring him pleasure.

Chapter 9- 07/28/2011 3:34 pm

With chapter nine comes the question „how do I make God smile?‟ The book The

Purpose Driven Life gives all different ways we can do this. The first point is to love Him before

all others. I admit that only now am I getting back to that point. As a teenager I rebelled against

my religion and lost my way and I thought my relationship with God. It was few years later that I

realized that the love God had for me was ever constant and though I had forsaken Him, He had


not given up on me. The book makes the analogy that God is like a parent. I agree with this point

and I now work toward pleasing my Father by showing my love, obeying him and using the

abilities he gave me to make him smile.

Chapter 10- 07/28/2011 4:02 pm

The point to this chapter is surrendering yourself wholly to our Lord. When you

surrender to God you are obeying his wishes and gaining his trust. This is easier said than done.

This is an aspect that I have so much trouble with. I am a person who needs to be in control of

my life giving this power completely over is very hard for me. I have tried in the past to

surrender myself to the Lord and I found myself failing when it was tested. An example of this is

when decision falls out of my hands instead giving the decision over to the Lord I still try to take

control back usually making the situation worse. Another example I can pull from my life is that

when I make a plan and it fails, I am devastated and it is like it is the end of the world. I don‟t

consider that it is God‟s decision that my plan fails. I don‟t consider that when one door shuts

another one opens and I should. It is something that I will probably have to work at for the rest of

my life.

Chapter 11- 07/28/2011 5:15pm

In this reading the main point is to develop an intimate friendship with God. How you

might ask? The author gives two ways you can do this in this chapter and they are through

constant conversation and meditation. The book suggests that talk and pray to God every day

several times a day about every aspect of your life. I will be the first to admit that I do not do

this. The most I pray to God is two maybe three times a day if I am lucky. I find that I am so

busy during the day my mind doesn‟t settle back into a conversation with God. Other than


church the only time a day I am able to pray to God is at meal times. One of the worst habits I

have about remembering to pray to God is only praying to him when I need something. It is a

habit that needs to be broken. I use to meditate on my day and God‟s plan every night before I

went to bed but since I started nursing school I find that many times I am too exhausted to do it

as much. I wish it wasn‟t that way it is something I really miss doing. I want to work on my

friendship with God so I will try to remember and include Him more in my day.

Chapter 12- 07/28/2011 05:42 pm

Here we look at how close you‟re willing to get God and how far you are willing to

develop your friendship with Him. The main concepts here are honesty, obey in faith, value what

God values, and desire the friendship. At times honesty with God is difficult especially when I

am not even honest with myself. I will lie to myself to relieve guilt, anxiety, and disgust and in a

way when I lie to myself I am lying to God. The value that is most highly prized in the book is

redemption. To be God‟s friend, you must tell your friends about God. As said before I do desire

a friendship with God and will try to work at it through honesty, faith, and following the values

set out before me.

Chapter 13- 7/28/2011 6:15pm

Chapter thirteen talks about how God wants all of you not just one part but body, mind,

heart, and soul. When we worship God it must be authentic and accurate because we aren‟t just

praying with our words and gestures but with our body, mind, heart, and soul. If we are less than

truthful God will know. Worship to our Lord should also be thoughtful and practical. I know

when we have a group prayer in my family a different person must say it each time, therefore it

is always new and not repetitious. I find that I pay closer attention and actually listen to the


words when it is not the same prayer repeated over and over. It also makes the person think

about what they are actually saying to God when they state their prayer. I will remember that

God wants all of me when I worship not just my physical appearance.

Chapter 14- 07/28/2011 8:15 pm

The next theme is God is still there, even when you feel distanced from Him. I have felt

this several times before in my life. That God doesn‟t care for me or that he is ignoring my

prayers. I remember as a teenager hating God for letting my grandfather die when I had begged

Him to save my grandfather. It was a long time before I accepted that my grandfather‟s passing

was part of His larger plans. I should have expressed myself to God instead of turning away from

Him. I should have remembered all the good things God did in my life. Even though I can‟t

change what I did in past I can use my experiences to shape my future.

Chapter 15- 7/28/2011 8:42 pm

This chapter discuss how we are apart of God‟s family. In the book it discusses how this

family is built on trust and to become one of God‟s children you must put your trust in him. God

created us to become his children but we must choose to become a child of God. I want to be a

child of God. I want to have a spiritual family that outlasts the life on this earth. I realize I need

to develop and encourage such a relationship between God and others of my faith and I enjoy the

challenge of finding out more about what it means to be a child of Christ.

Chapter 16- 7/28/2011 9:01 pm

The author‟s theme with this chapter is that the most important thing in this world is

unconditional love. By nature humans are self centered creatures and I will admit that I can not


cast the first stone when it comes to this issue. Being self centered as we are unconditional love

does not come easy to us. It something we have to work hard at. Without love in our life what is

the point of living. What a very dismal life it would be. Love creates purpose and a need to

thrive. In the book it states that the best expression of our love is time. I agree with this. Time is

a limited quantity. Once you use it up there is no way to replenish it. An example of this is as a

nurse we give time to our patients so that we can comfort them is a sign of our love to them and

to God.

Chapter 17- 07/28/2011 09:37 pm

The next chapter involves belonging to the fellowship of Christ. It is my belief that

humans were never meant to be a solitary creature. I can personally attest to this. I have never

been a very social person but a few winters ago when we had the big ice storm here in the Ozarks

and the power went off I was isolated in my house for few days because of the conditions of the

road. By the fourth day I was climbing the walls from boredom. I finally went to local grocery

store not because I needed anything but because I wanted to be around people I knew and be able

to talk to them. We need to feel like we belong to a community. The book talks about belonging

to a local fellowship. I have gone to the same church since I was little and I couldn‟t imagine

going somewhere else. I belong more to my church than I belong to anything else and can rely

on them if I am ever in need. I couldn‟t imagine not having that support in my life

Chapter 18- 7/28/2011 10:02 pm

The next theme is that life is meant to be shared through fellowship. I belong to a small

bible study which I consider to be my fellowship. I have so much fun with this group of laid back

people who share my same believes. I can ask them for advice with an issue or for a prayer and I


know I will receive it from them. These are people who will be authentic and sympathetic with

you and will usually tell you what they are thinking. I am also able to help others in the group

when asked. It is a great feeling to know that your hard earned experiences can help others going

through the same issues. I believe belonging to a fellowship is very important for someone

needing spiritual support.

Chapter 19- 07/28/2011 10:29 pm

The author discusses in this chapter the need to cultivate a community once it is started.

Like almost every thing else in life if you don‟t keep cultivating and supporting something in life

it will wither and die. The book gives a few pointers to guide you by and they are honesty,

humility, courteously, confidentiality, and frequency. Honesty can be one of the hardest

principles to follow since we have a habit of glossing over the problems without actually dealing

with them. The trick to being honest with someone is to be honest with love. Next is humility

which is a trick all of its own since we are all at least a little self-absorbed. When I see an issue I

have the nasty habit of wondering how it will affect me not how it will affect the group. We have

to have the courtesy to respect others differences within a group. Another big issue that might be

found within a group is keeping confidentiality. It is so hard sometimes not to gossip when you

have information others don‟t know especially to love ones but gossip can cause more trouble

than anything else in a group and makes it hard to trust anyone. Other fellowships have issues

with the frequency of meetings. You might have all the good intentions in the world but if you

don‟t meet what is the point of the group. Starting soothing is the easy part; it is keeping it going

that most people have difficulty with.

Chapter 20- 07/28/2011 10:52 pm


This chapter is all about restoring a fellowship after a rift has formed. God believes any

relationship is worth restoring. As bad as arguments are they happens often. Two clashing forces

come to an impasse and can‟t find a way around their issues. The author has come up with a few

life lines for these situations. First talk to God before talking to the other person. This gives you

time to cool down and maybe God will send you a revelation about the conflict. Next take the

initiative because God expects this of you. After that try to sympathize with the other party

because you will be able to better see both sides of the argument. Then admit your part of the

conflict. No one can be blameless in a fight. Next you need to attack the problem not the person

by being as gentle as possible. Then try to cooperate as much as possible. Finally try to

emphasize reconciliation, not a resolution. It is better to save the relationship than the problem.

Chapter 21- 7/29/2011 9:00 am

Here we discuss protecting the unity of the church. God wants us to be one people. He

wants harmony and peace among us. An individual is varies from the next. Differences can cause

separations in the church. This is why we should focus on what we have in common as a group

like shared spirituality not the differences. Next you must have realistic expectations about the

group. I have an issue with this since I have a habit of daydreaming something into this grand

impressive thing when there is no way it could reach this expectation. If you keep your

expectations realistic you have a better chance to get real results and not be disappointed.

Another way to protect the unity of the church is to encourage not criticize. I know I thrive better

and I am happier person when I am encouraged to what is right instead of criticizing what I have

done wrong. You must refuse to listen to gossip. I will admit to having a weakness for gossip but

this certain sin can create distrust among a group. The book has an interesting three step way of

dealing with conflict resolution. I will put it in affect next time I am in an argument. Last you


must support your church leader no matter if agree or disagree with an opinion. With out a leader

a fellowship‟s survival grows slimmer. We must take our part in protecting our fellowship.

Chapter 22- 07/29/2011 9:45 am

The author states that God wants us to become more Christ like. God is not interested in

our comfort instead he is more interested in our character. We fall farther from image when we

sin. How do we become more like Christ? First we have to cooperate with the Holy Spirit. What

this means is we need to be obedient to God to unlock the Holy Spirit. We are molded into the

people we need to be through His Word, his people, and the circumstances put in our way. His

word shoes us the truth, His people show us the way, and circumstances is environment we grow

up in. For us to become Christ like it takes years and even lifetime to develop. I know that I am

still far from being like Christ and still have a long road ahead of me.

Chapter 23- 7/29/2011 10:11 am

Chapter twenty three is about spiritually growing up. This is not something that happens

naturally like child physically growing up into an adult. It would be more like you working out

developing and enhancing a certain muscle group. Spiritual growth is something you must work

at and commit to. One way to create spiritual growth is changing the way we think. We must

think like Christ. Something I need to work on for my spiritual growth is being willing to be less

self absorbed and able to forgive easier. There good saying for this „quit think my way and start

thinking God‟s way. I am committed to growing up spiritually and trying to reach the goal of

becoming more Christ like.

Chapter 24- 7/29/2011 10:32 am


The meaning behind this chapter is that the truth will transform us. God‟s word helps

nourish our spiritual body like bread nourishes our physical one. The Bible must be accepted as

an authority over your daily living. I must let it guide me through all my triumph and losses and

let it set the standard of how I will live my life. Reading this chapter makes me want to start

reading the bible again. I got out of the habit when I became so busy with work and school. It is

something I enjoy and it makes me feel spiritually well to do it. I will better be able to apply the

principles learned from the book if I read it more often.

Chapter 25- 7/29/2011 10:52 am

The next chapter I need to take to heart and it is that God has a purpose for every problem

he gives us. I have a hard time with this concept since I have trouble seeing any good coming

from a problem. I think it must go back to the concept that humans are self absorbed. We are

warned that problems will be put in our way to test our characters and yet we are still surprised

when they happen. Everything that happens happens for a reason. We must put our faith in god

that there is a higher purpose to our suffering. Without problems our faith would not be tested

and we would not know Jesus as we do. One reason we suffer is to build character. What kind of

person are you if you are never tested? We need to be patient and persistent with what we do

because God does not want us to give up when we fail. Next time something I have worked on

falls apart I will realize that there was probably a reason it happened.

Chapter 26- 7/29/2011 11:18 am

The author discusses how with each temptation there is a chance to turn it into good. I

have the bad habit of taking the wrong road with temptation. Too often I do what is easiest not

what is right. Each time I do this I think „it will be different next time. I will make the right


choice next time‟. Really I need to fight temptation this time. Change what I am doing this time.

First I need to refuse to be intimidated by the thought of temptation. I need to face the problem

head on. Next I need to recognize my pattern of temptations and prepare myself to stop it. One of

the worst temptations for e is procrastination. I have a habit of putting things off till the last

minute. I need to work on stopping this and giving myself plenty of time. Last I need to ask for

God‟s help when I can‟t fight off temptation on my own. I find that when I am facing an

impossible task I pray to the Lord to ask for his strength to guide me through it. God wants to

help us. He wants us to do well.

Chapter 27- 7/29/2011 11:41 am

The next part is about defeating temptation and finding a way out. One way we usually

fail to beat temptation is facing I head on. This isn‟t the best way to fight it. What we should do

is distract ourselves from it so that we don‟t even think on temptation. I have learned one of the

best ways to distract myself from my problems is housework. I don‟t even give myself time to

think on the problem. You must be able to manage your mind to succeed against temptation

because even thinking about it gives temptation power over you Next share your problems with

your support system. For me this is my bible study group. I find myself falling back on them

when I need help fighting temptation. Next we must resist the Devil by relying on God‟s Word.

Finally you need to realize your vulnerability and protect yourself against it. Only after we know

where we are weak can we take the steps to protecting it. God will never give you more

temptations than you can handle.

Chapter 28- 7/29/2011 12:03 pm


This chapter is about there are no shortcuts to our spiritual maturity. Like I have stated

before in this journal it takes time to reach spiritual maturity and this chapter is about not how

fast you grow but how strong you grow. Why does it take so long? Because we are slow learners

and there is a lot that we still haven‟t learned. I can attest to this in the fact that it will sometimes

take me several tries at something before I realize that I am doing wrong. We are afraid to be

humbled by ourselves. This goes back to the fact that we are self absorbed. Growth is change and

change is often scary or painful. When something is bad in our life we have a hard changing it

because we are afraid that it will get worse. We need to look at change as making things better.

Good habits take time to develop. We need to be patient with God and ourselves even when it

seems God isn‟t paying attention. The most important thing to remember with spiritual growth is

that is does take time so don‟t get discourage.

Chapter 29- 7/29/2011 12:38 pm

This chapter I feel defines this class. God put us on this earth for a purpose. We are not

meant to sit by and just consume what is given to us but contribute to it. I believe I was put on

this earth to help others and spread my spirituality to those around me. The reason I was created,

saved, called, and commanded to serve God in the way He sees fit. At the end of this life when

you are being evaluated at the gates what will your life amount to? Will the service you given to

this earth have significance? After reading this chapter I find that is the question I ask myself.

Chapter 30- 7/29/2011 1:00 pm

Here the author discusses that God shaped us specifically to serve him. God created us as

we are for a certain purpose. God doesn‟t make mistakes, so whatever flaws you think you have,

you have them because God designed you so. God has given us gifts specifically designed for us


and to help in our ministry to others. A gift he has given me is being able to listen and

sympathize with others. Another gift is the ability to learn and use what I have learned to help

others. Another aspect of this is using your heart to do your ministry. He has shaped us to serve

in the assignment he has given us. I believe that my assignment is helping others to the best of

my capabilities.

Chapter 31- 7/29/2011 1:22 pm

The next chapter is a continuation of the last. This chapter expands on the point of God

shaping us and get into knowing your shape in his world. Only you can be you and no one else.

Just like nobody can be you. Trying to be someone else is going against God‟s plans for you. All

of my abilities are given through God so I celebrate Him by using my abilities to serve and

worship him. I do what I am able to because that is what God wants me to do. God made many

different personalities for many different purposes. It is just a matter of figuring out what your

purpose is in His plan. We learn and develop from our experiences and these experiences God

puts in our path. There are several different kinds of experiences such as family, education,

vocational, spiritual, ministry, and painful. Different experiences lead to other experiences. An

example of this is an educational experience is learning everything I can about a drug, which

then leads vocational experience, is teaching someone what a medication does to help them. I am

who I am because God shaped me that way.

Chapter 32- 7/29/2011 3:53 pm

The theme here is that use what God has given you. The first thing you need to do is the

same as what you do first in nursing and that is assess. You must assess your gifts and abilities.

To find this out you can ask other people their opinions or you can examine your past to look for


previous achievements. You must also try new things. There are things out there that you have

never tried and that you may be good at. Next you should consider your heart and personality.

This is a good way to guide you toward your gifts. Finally look at your past experiences and you

can usually find lessons within them. I have looked and assessed the shape God has made me but

I know that I just can‟t stop now. My shape is continually changing with each new experience.

This class has affected my shape in what I have read and experience through it. I will always be

reassessing how to use what God has given me.

Chapter 33- 7/29/2011 4:18 pm

The lesson to be learned in this is that we serve God through serving others. This is what

I believe a nurse does. This is what I hope to do once I receive my ASN and BSN. God has

shaped me to serve through helping others, not to serve myself. Real servants like real nurses

make themselves available to serve and pay attention to needs. They are able to make do with

what they have. They take on each new task with equal dedication. They stay faithful in their

ministry to serve others. Finally they keep a low profile instead of putting yourself on a pedestal.

If you are doing well others will notice without you having to point it out to them. The point I

seem to have the most trouble with is taking on each new task with the same dedication. I have

the bad habit of getting more interested and involved in something I enjoy and have the habit of

doing the minimum amount of work I don‟t like. I need to take on each task with the same vigor

I would if I enjoyed I.

Chapter 34- 7/29/2011 5:01 pm

Here the lesson is that your service to God starts with the mind. Thinking like a servant

requires a mental shift to thinking more about others than you do about yourself. This requires


humility which can be difficult for us mortal beings. We must “self-forget” ourselves. We must

think like stewards and not like owners. God has entrusted the gifts and responsibilities he gives

us, we do not own them. We must think of our work not what others are doing. I see this point at

my mom‟s house with my foster brothers. They are always more interested in what the other has

to do and not in their own work. The boys could get done so much quicker and do a much better

job if they just focus on the job at hand. We must identify our self in Christ. This causes security

in servants so they can better serve. We must look at ministry as an opportunity to spread the

Word of God, not as an obligation because that‟s what we are told. As stated before in this

journal I know that I can be very self absorbed at times, but to be a good servant I have to be

more interested in helping others than I am self.

Chapter 35- 7/29/2011 5:53 pm

The author discusses how we all have weaknesses and we need to be able to recognize

them to become a better Christian. Everyone has at least one flaw or imperfection usually more

than one flaw. It is part of human nature. God can‟t use perfect people to do his ministry. The

first step to recognizing and using your weakness for God and his glory is to admit your

weakness. One of my weaknesses is that I have a tendency to be introverted. Knowing your

weakness can prevent arrogance. Next be able to share your weakness. I have to do this often

because my innate shyness can be taken as me snubbing someone. In sharing with others I am

able to overcome my weakness. You must be honest about your weakness not only with others

but with yourself too. Without honesty you let your weakness overcome you. You limit God‟s

power in your life. Finally you need to glory in your weakness because God created and uses that

weakness within you.


Chapter 36-7/29/2011 8:00 pm

The hat runs in this chapter is that were all made for a mission. We are representative of

Christ to nonbelievers. We are continuing on Christ‟s work. Not only is this mission our

responsibility it is our privilege to be used by god. We have been commissioned for this work.

To tell others about your faith and belief n God is one of the best things you can do for them.

Others might not know of what Christ can do for them so it is our obligation to share this with

them. I feel of all the purposes that I have read so far this is the one I struggle the most with.

Expressing my faith aloud to nonbelievers is a daunting task. It is one I am constantly working

at. The mission gives our life meaning. The mission is something to work for and use to serve

others. To fulfill our mission we must give up our agenda in life. We were put on this earth to

bring all God‟s lost children back to him.

Chapter 37- 7/29/2011 8:55 pm

The next theme is sharing your life message that God has given you. We are all

messengers of God. I don‟t know if I have a life message yet. I feel like I haven‟t experienced

enough spiritually yet. It is something I need to examine within myself. To give a life message

your can use one of the following: testimony, life lesson, godly passion, and good news. The

reason God gives you a story is so that you can share it with others. He wants you to share your

friendship with Jesus. Not only you can learn from your experiences but others can too. Of all

the different types of messages life lessons is the one I feel I could share the most on. I have

made a lot of mistakes in my life and found my way back through Christ. This is something I feel

I can comfortably share.

Chapter 38- 7/29/2011 9:22 pm


This chapter discusses the difference between worldly Christian and world class

Christians. The main difference between the two is worldly Christians are self-centered while

world class Christians only live to serve others. Right now I am a worldly Christian because my

first thought is how will this help me or how will this serve me. My goal while I am on this earth

is to reach the point where I can be called a world class Christian. We must first shift the way we

think from self centered to thinking of others. Ask for guidance as you try to fulfill this mission.

Next shift from local thinking to global thinking be aware what is happening globally. You don‟t

just live in the United States, you live on this world. You are not just an American but a part of

the larger group: the human population. You should pray for other people in other parts of the

world because if they are in need they won‟t care where the prayer came from. You must shift

from thinking about the now to eternal thinking. Walk away from making excuses to trying to

find ways to fill it. As my mom is constantly telling me there is always a way to achieve your

goal you just have to be willing to find it.

Chapter 39- 7/29/2011 9:45 pm

Here the author talks about blessed are the ones who are balanced. There are five

purposes to your spiritual life and they are worship, ministry, evangelism, fellowship, and

discipleship. You must be well grounded in all five areas to be well balanced. I know that I have

weaknesses in all areas but the area I struggle with the most is discipleship. I know that this is

my weak area and the one I have to work at the most. You can keep yourself balanced by talking

it over with another spiritual person. We learn best by sharing and performing our skill. Keep a

journal and write down your spiritual progress. Pass on your hard earned knowledge to others.

With these different points in mind you have the basic knowledge to live a purpose driven life.


Chapter 40- 7/29/2011 10:34 pm

The last chapter in the book is about living with purpose in your life. Without a purpose

we are not living but just existing. My life purpose statement is to live and serve the Lord as he

sees fit through my worship, ministry, evangelism, fellowship and discipleship. I hope to be

successful with my purpose. Right now I feel like I am at the center of my life when it should be

God. It is something to work towards. My character qualities in life are varied. Some

characteristic I am pleased with others I would like to work on. All were fashioned by God

specifically for me. My contribution in life is to serve others for God as he sees fit. My

communication in life will be to share the word of God through testimony. The community of

my life is sharing believes about my Father to both believer and nonbelievers. I want to live a

purpose driven life.

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