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Good morning. Our purpose is not a prize that we get. Is a a multifaceted process. It can be compared to multi-laned freeway that we are traveling along. From time to time we change lanes, but we continue driving in the same direction on the freeway. God has prepared good works for each of us to do, (Ephesians 2:10) and, as we serve Him in the plans and purposes He has for us, we may need to "change lanes" along the way. We may a see a need which we become concerned about. To meet the need will require a plan, a strategy, which may result in us having to "change lanes" within our purpose. As followers of Christ we have a tool to assist us along the way. Paul reminds us that "all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16‭-‬17) Today as we join with fellow followers of Christ in worshipping our sovereign Lord, let's ask Him to show us whether we need to "change lanes" to more affectively serve His purpose for us. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. We need to look to Jesus as we endeavor to discover our purpose. The reason for this is stated by Paul in his address to the people of Athens. "For in him we live and move and have our being." (Acts 17:28) Picture the world as one big garment made up of millions of interlacing threads, our relationships with God, with ourselves, and with the rest of the world. Looking around we see the garment in tatters. But in all of this God has a solution: "to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ." (Ephesians 1:10) As followers of Christ, each of us are part of this solution. We are to do the good works (our purpose) prepared by God for each of us. God's plan is not just the salvation of sinners, but also to bring wholeness to all things. As we interact with the world, our part in God's plan is to bring His comfort, peace, joy and love. By placing our lives in God's hands, we can have full assurance that He will make sure that we are in the right place at the right time to be part of the restoration of a broken world to all that God created it to be. Today, let us each position ourselves to play our part, as co-workers, in His kingdom. Have a good weekend. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. By looking at the life of Jesus and if we take our lead from Him, we will see that our purposes and callings are essentially areas of service. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) Jesus turned the cultural norm of the day (self-centeredness and individualism) upside-down by demonstrating to all a countercultural way. Notwithstanding the fact that He had enormous power, He served humbly. Whether we are at work, at play or at home we can use our time, talents and treasure to serve others and in so doing, we will demonstrate God's heart - a heart of love and service. We can serve • Through our job or career. • By using our resources for the common good. • With our time: Interruptions and requests from people are opportunities to serve. • With our abilities: Our skills, gifts and talents are not incidental. • Through leadership positions: leaders are at their best when they are trying to build people up. There may well be opportunities for us to be great. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Everybody can be great because everybody can serve." Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. When we make Jesus Christ lord of our lives, everything changes. • It gives Him the right to call us. It is more than a suggestion. It is an imperative call to follow Him into whatever He has planned for us. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” (Matthew 4:19) But foremost it is a call to Him. • He is not merely added to our list of priorities/our "to do" list. We make Him the center of our lives. Os Guiness in The Call puts it like this. "We have one Lord and there must be no rival ... all other masters, voices, authorities and influences have their place, but they are lesser, and they must be overruled if they contradict what God has called us to." • It means that their is no higher "spiritual" calling. Jesus' Lordship infuses every area of our lives. We do not live two lives - one for our everyday lives, and a second one reserved for our times with Him. No! In every aspect of our existence He is with us, living in and through us. Jesus is Lord not merely of the believer's soul the church activities, but of everything we have, are, and do. “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15) Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. As followers of Christ, we are not only created for and saved for a purpose, we are sent out on purpose. Jesus said: "As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world." (John 17:18) As Terran Williams says, the key word in the verse is the word 'as'. How did the Father send the Son? • The Son was sent out of His comfort zone: Jesus had uninterrupted intimacy with the Father and Holy Spirit. He leaves that and lives in a human body amongst people in a sinful world who are oppressed by legalistic religion and Roman rulers. • The Son was sent into the culture: He was in the culture, not of the culture. He built a bridge of common ground with culture of the day. • The Son was sent to be accessible to the people: Jesus built relationships and shared meals with all kinds of people. May Paul's words be our battle cry: "I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace." (Acts 20:24) "So send I you My strength to know in weakness My joy in grief My perfect peace in pain To prove My power, My grace, My promised presence So send I you eternal fruit to gain" (E Margaret Clarkson) Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. God knows the heart of man. It is deceitful and proud. (Jeremiah 17:9) That is why there is nothing we can or have to do to earn our salvation. Just as well, or there would be huge competition as to who has done the best in earning the reward of salvation. It is by God's grace that we are saved - brought into a right relationship with Him. Now here's the thing: God's saving grace links us to His purpose in and through us. The joy we have through our salvation leads to action. We are not saved by good works, we are saved for good works. "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10) There is nothing predictable about what God calls us to. God has prepared in advance good works for each of us to do in line with His purpose for each of us (i.e. before we were saved; not taken by surprise.) God does not leave us by ourselves to get on and do the job. He knits us together with other followers of Christ to form the church. Picture the church like a jersey and each of us a stich in it. When a stitched is dropped it affects the appearance of garment. We are saved for a purpose. "His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known ..." (Ephesians 3:10) Remember the acronym T.E.A.M. Together Everyone Achieves More. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. "Why am I here? And why does this question arise from such a deep place? If there is no God, then we have no purpose, other than survival, and whatever else we decide we want to do with our lives. But if a Creator made us, then we had best find out what was in His mind when we came to be." (Terran Williams) In Genesis 1 we are told God created us all for a purpose. But what precisely is that purpose? The creation story shows that we are the Pinnacle of His creation. God's plan is that we become His co-workers. (2 Corinthians 6:1) We are to reflect His wisdom, goodness and truth to those around us. While "the earth is the Lord ’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." (Psalm 24:1), we are to steward all He has entrusted to us, providing for our needs as well as those of the world. Though God creates from nothing, we create from what God has made. We delight in what God has made. God blesses us to be a blessing to others. That's part of our collective purpose. Each of us has a God-ordained purpose, which explains our yearning to discover the God who made us. Let's go and be the blessing God has blessed us for. Blessings. Mike and Daphne (Over the next while we will be looking at "Purpose", based on the manuel put out by City Hill Church)

Good morning. Whether we realize it or not, God put certain things in our path and gave us opportunities to strengthen different skills, so that He could prepare us for our purpose. The various experiences we’ve had in our lives may seem irrelevant on their own, but together, they’re leading us toward something meaningful. There’s no question that God has given us skills, talents, education, financial power, status, or influence that is special to each of us. Most of us won’t be famous, but we all have circles of influence and unique gifts that those in our circle of influence need. We can work for God in business, in the home, as well as in our social circle. God has given each of us all the strengths, characteristics, learnings, influence, and provisions that are special to us individually. These uniquely qualify us for our purpose. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28) Let's go and live our God-given purpose and honour Him in doing so. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. One of the most basic needs of every person is safety. We all have an innate need to feel safe. The news is filled with gun violence, horrible road accidents, high jacking, kidnapping, murders, etc. There may be times where we don't even feel safe in our own home, school, or work place. Instead of living with that anxiety, God promises that not only can we take those fears to Him, but He'll protect us too. "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you." (Isaiah 41:10,13) What we've found to be true about God is that if He makes a promise, He keeps it. Our job is to trust God to fulfill His promises. If He said He will protect you, know that He will do just that. As we lean into God this weekend, trust Him. By doing this we will receive His peace which will replace our anxiety. Have a good day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. The Lord wants to make His invisible qualities visible to a lost and dying world. We are made in the image of God. And the way God designed each of us shows what He is like in a way we individually demonstrate. The world would not see a unique truth about Him without us being who God created us to be. When we see Him as He truly is, we are changed from the inside out by the work of the Holy Spirit, and we begin to reflect Him more and more. "And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18) Each one of us is a precious masterpiece created to reflect His image. Our experiences, values, strengths, and passions show the world what God is like in a way that no one else can. Each of us has a sphere of influence where God has placed us. Let's reflect Him in a way that others will say God is with us. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Many of us feel that we are not good enough and that we are powerless to do anything about it. The truth Is we aren’t good enough. That’s the point. We need Jesus, His grace, His love, and His enablement each moment. We cannot do this life on our own. It’s not fun to admit that we are not good enough. However, acknowledging that we are not good enough helps us to be honest and vulnerable. Remember that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is alive in us! Furthermore, God has crafted each of us to reveal His character in a way no one else can. We may be lacking, but God is our strength. He is enough, He is able, and He will sustain us. There has never been and never will be a time when God will not be enough for you. As we go out today, let's remember what Paul had to say in 2 Corinthians 12:9 when he said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. God's love for us is not dependent on anything we do or don’t do. God doesn’t just love us, He also enjoys us. He takes pleasure in us. He is delighted with us. (Zephaniah 3:17) This love of God, the pleasure-taking, delighting, rejoicing love of God for us, is extravagant. Isaiah 62:4 describes God’s delight and rejoicing over His people in the same way a bridegroom rejoices over his bride: “My delight is in her” In ancient times, if the host kept refilling the guest’s cup, it showed that the guest was invited to stay longer. When the host would allow the cup to empty, it was a way of saying it was time for the guest to leave. When the psalmist says, “My cup overflows” (Psalm 23:5), he is saying that God wanted to be with him. The Lord didn’t want him to leave but wanted to spend time with him. This is true for us as well. He wants to spend time with us. The great thing about this is that in His presence there us fulness of joy. As we head into the 2nd month of 2023, remember that God loves us so much that He wants to spend eternity with us. Have a good day revelling in God's s love. Blessings. Mike and Daphne