Sara’s Notes on The Purpose Driven Life
Day 1
--Don’t focus on yourself. It isn’t about me, but what God wants to do through me.
--I don’t know what my purpose in life is. I have one, but must look to God to find it.
*Refer to book (pg. 18)comment about invention & creator or owner’s manual. God created me; he knows what my purpose is—not me.
--I was made for God. If I didn’t have a purpose, I wouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t use God, but let Him use me in all I do.
--Overcrowded schedules aren’t always best. I need to let go of some things & focus on what matters most (pg. 19). Maybe if I wasn’t so busy, I could relax, focus on school more & not these other activities, and be much happier—doing things I want to do; I wouldn’t have unwanted obligations.
~Think about dance. Why am I doing it? For the right reasons? Is God trying to tell me something?
--God has given us the Bible to reveal how we should live & what our purpose is. We need to build our lives on truth & seek out our purpose based upon the truth.
--Every time I begin to ask myself what do “I” want to do, I need to stop & ask what “God” wants me to do.
Sara’s Notes on The Purpose Driven Life
Day 2
--God made every plan for me. I don’t need to criticize the way I am when I am a work of God’s. He makes nomistakes.
--There is a reason for the way I am. I have the talents I have for a purpose. I shouldn’t spend time wanting someone else’s gifts, but using mine to the best of my ability. I may never know what I have or what I can do until I focus on whatI’vegot.
--What does arbitrary mean? (By chance)?
--When I see someone not as fortunate as I am, I need to always remember that they are that way for a purpose. Think about how God could be using them.
--How can people know what we know about the world and not believe in God? He made everything perfectly so we could live. It is like a puzzle. There’s no way it could have happened by chance.
--Every trial we experience helps us to grow more & into God’s likeness if we handle them as we should.
--I don’t need to constantly stress over my body. Those who truly love me will love me no matter what I look like.
--I need to make sure that my personality remains a reflection of my faith. I need to live every moment of my life, as I know God would have me to.
Sara’s Notes on The Purpose Driven Life
Day 3
--We should learn from our mistakes in the past, but not be driven by them.
--The past can’t hurt you—learn from it & let it go.
--Materialism will ruin you—keep life simple. I don’t need “stuff” to make me happy.
--Pg. 29”Following the crowd will mix you up.” I need to not worry about my reputation & do what I know I need to do: stand up for what I believe in.
--Don’t stress over insignificant stuff. It will all pass & won’t turn out to be a big deal.
--Nothing is impossible w/ God.
--Pg. 31”People who don’t know their purpose try to do too much.”
~ I am one of these people—I am so bogged down with everything, I can’t even enjoy what I do. As soon as I have a chance, I need to drop some things.
--I need to stop trying to please everyone & aim to satisfy God. Maybe me stressing so much & not being able to conquer everything means I’m not doing what I should be.
--Being plain & simple is the key to happiness.
~Proverbs 13:7
--I need to stop & look at what I’m doing & “prune away” what doesn’t matter most.
--If I find my purpose, my passion will be clear, & vise versa.
--I need to think about what God wants me to do w/ all the gifts & talents he’s given me. I don’t need to focus on success. I need to focus on what I can do to make a difference in people’s lives.
--What is my passion?
--What can I do every day for God?
--If what I’m doing doesn’t make me happy, I don’t need to do it, because that is God’s way of telling me I don’t need to be doing it.
--God needs to be the driving force in my lifenot school, not dance, not clubs, not friends—GOD! If I put & keep Him 1st, He’ll take care of everything.
Sara’s Notes on The Purpose Driven Life
Day 4
--Life is only a warm-up. It is nothing compared to what eternity will be.
--When God is 1st and the closer you are to God, the more insignificant everything else seems. Things that used to be so crucial don’t seem as critical.
~This will lead to less stress, more relaxation, and more happiness.
--Once I started to get closer to God, everything that I had once placed so much value on lost importance in my sight. I don’t care as much anymore about what I look like, or money, or popularity, or the material things I have. I care most about studying God’s Word, and church, and family, and helping friends.
~This is how life should be.
--There is no way we can comprehend what eternity will be like. Pg. 38”describing the Internet to an ant.”
--This life is like the life we lived inside our mother’s womb. Only preparation for the next.
--I need to live every day like it’s the last day of my life.
Sara’s Notes on The Purpose Driven Life
Day 5
--How do I view life?
~I think life is like a danceit goes at different paces. There are good “songs,” and bad ones. It is filled with numerous different emotions, and “you learn as you go.”
--The Bible says that life is a “test,” a “trust,” and a “temporary assignment.”
--Tests develop an individual’s character.
--Pg. 43Comment about God’s withdrawal.
~Explains why sometimes we don’t feel as close to God as usual.
--I need to focus on passing God’s tests. The ones I pass, I will be rewarded for in eternity. I need to handle every situation calmly & in a way suitable to God.
--Take care of everything I have like it isn’t mine, because it isn’t—it’s God’s.
--I am tested every day. Every complication I encounter is a test. I must look at it as a test I want to pass the best I can & not an inconvenience. Each test makes me stronger & smarter. Approach every trial with a good attitude & I will get farther.
Sara’s Notes on The Purpose Driven Life
Day 6
--Life is only a temporary stop on our way to eternity.
--Heaven will be so much greater than anything we have here.
--We should not become attached to what is in the world because it won’t last forever.
Life isn’t simply about “the pursuit of happiness.” Its about spreading God’s Word to others and living Christian lives ourselves.
--We weren’t made for earth, but Heaven. That’s why we aren’t really happy here.
--The people who don’t seek material wealth or fame and simply live for God are those who will be praised & blessed.
--There is no point in stressing out so much about life on this earth, because it is so temporary. It will all pass shortly & we will move on to a much bigger & better place. So, we should live life here while constantly remembering the life that awaits us.
--By remembering that life on earth is temporary, I think my life should become more simple. I shouldn’t worry about the things of this world, because they won’t last, but I should remember that what is to come is eternal. I shouldn’t get so worked up over things—that would make me much happier.
Sara’s Notes on The Purpose Driven Life
Day 7
--Everything in existence is for the glory of God. We should recognize God in every thing we see and all we do.
--We refuse to give God glory when we ignore Him through sin.
--Ways to bring God glory:
- Worshipping Him
~We must worship in SpiritinTruth.
- By loving others
~We must love others, because we are commanded to.
- Becoming like Christ
~We need to be more Christ-like. This will show our dedication & desire to please God.
- Serving with our gifts.
~Use the gifts God gave us for the purpose He intended them to be used.
- Spreading the Truth.
~Tell others about Jesus.
--If I want to totally live my life for God, I want to do it right. This requires me to re-prioritize my life. What’s really important?
--I need to shift my focus from what I want in life to what God wants for me.
--I also need to take muchmore time throughout the day & notice God’s wonderful creation & try to give Him the never-ending glory He deserves.