YOUR PURPOSE STATEMENT

We made it! Welcome to the grand finale of our study on purpose. Unlike most messages, this one does not involve much listening or reading at all. You get to do the work today! You’re going to be creating, distilling, and sharing your purpose statement.

How are we going to do that? We’ll investigate how our life experiences, core truths, and spiritual gifts all come together to make a single purpose. We’ll take this concept and turn it into a single statement you can use as the prescription for your purpose.

Steve Harvey once tweeted, “The [two] most important days of your life are the day you were born, [and] the day you discover why you were born.” I would tweak this tweet to say, “The three most important days are the day you’re born, the day you’re reborn, and the day you find out why.” Nevertheless, the concept is crucial.

We want to help you have the third most important day of your life. We want you to leave this session knowing exactly why God placed you where He did, when He did, and what He wants you to do.

This reality doesn’t just play out in the church, either. For instance, have you ever heard of Dan Rather? If you haven’t, Google him. He’s one of the most prolific journalists in American history. He spent nearly 50 years being the lead anchor for CBS. Dan was more than just a journalist; he served as the face of the nation’s evening news. In the era before the internet, most American households started and ended their days with a news broadcast on television. This means that millions of Americans hung on to Dan’s words every night as his voice was broadcast across the world. He helped the nation process some difficult milestones, like the Nixon resignation, the Challenger explosion, 9-11, and the wars in the Middle East.

Dan Rather, a member of the Television Hall of Fame, has won hundreds of awards, including nearly a dozen Peabody Awards for excellence in journalism. He’s the Taylor Swift of news anchors. When asked about the secret to his success, he said that he kept the same simple statement on three slips of paper. He kept one in his wallet, one in his pocket, and one on his desk. His personal Post-it asked, “Is what you’re doing now helping the broadcast?” This was his secret to keeping his professional goals at the front of his mind. In practicality, Dan Rather mirrored a healthy mindset. Every day determines your direction, so you’d better remind yourself of your purpose every day.

The author of Hebrews knew that a big purpose propels you. As we discussed during our study of core truths, that’s why Hebrews spends so much of chapter eleven celebrating the heroes in the “Faith Hall of Fame.” Now, as we step into chapter twelve, we begin to look at the ultimate example of faith, purpose, and obedience. Let’s finish by looking at Jesus. What was His purpose and how did that affect His path?

READ: Hebrews 12:2

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

This passage encourages us to “fix our focus” on Jesus, as in we need to keep our eyes on Jesus. Why? He is the author of our faith. Your purpose was penned by Jesus.

While that sheer fact should be enough to prove the importance of focusing on Him, the author also shows how Jesus maintained His purpose despite it being agonising.

He went to the cross “for the joy set before him.” I can confidently say the cross was not joyful. So, how can the author say Jesus went to be tortured with joy? Undoubtedly, it’s because His purpose cultivated happiness. Jesus could see the big picture, and it sparked joy for him. Despite the rusty nails, brutal whipping, and unimaginable humiliation, Jesus went to the cross for one purpose—you and me.

Jesus was so focused on His purpose (reconciliation with His people) that He suffered a public execution. His body was in agony, the pain before Him was impending, the crowds were mocking Him, and He was losing blood at an alarming rate. He could have teleported. He could have healed His wounds. He could have sent a tidal wave of sharks to destroy Jerusalem and stop the mock trial.

There were a million reasons for Jesus to stop what was happening, but one reason kept Him going—His love for us. We must strive to channel that kind of focused devotion. We know where to go when we know why we’re going there. That’s why discovering our purpose is pivotal. It’s a practical life lesson for us. What are you doing to keep focused? It’s much easier to stay focused when you know where you’re trying to go.

We’ve analysed our life experiences, evaluated our values, and unwrapped our spiritual gifts. Now, it’s time to put it all together by creating an actionable and practical purpose statement.

Your purpose statement is made up of:
• Your life experiences (how and where you operate)
• Your core truths (why you do it)

• Your spiritual gifts (what you’re good at) 


All these pieces point toward the purpose God has for you. This is what you should write on your Post-it note, like Dan Rather. This is your purpose statement. It’s our goal to help people discover, develop, and deploy their purpose in life. It all starts with putting it into writing. Basically, you’ll finish this sentence: “God has created me to...”

Here are some examples of purpose statements we’ve seen: (See if you can guess the spiritual gifts of each one.)

God created me to encourage those who need encouragement.

God created me to help people who doubt better understand Scripture.

God created me to serve the marginalised in the community I was born into.

God created me to travel to tell people about Jesus.

God created me to help people find healing from emotional and mental hurt.

God created me to leverage creativity to help people connect with God.

This is an intentionally short message because you get to do the rest of the writing. Take out a journal or piece of paper. Then, write a purpose statement built around what you’ve uncovered in the last three sessions. Where do your experiences, core truths, and gifts all collide? This is where you find your purpose.

Write it out and then walk it out! Once you’ve written it, make it visible. Put it on a Post-it note. Write it on your mirror. Set it as your lock screen. You want your purpose to be impossible to ignore. Why? Because it is.

Growth Track Grand Finale: Writing Your Purpose Statement

Think about where your values, experiences, and gifts collide. This is where you find your purpose.

Your experiences will likely show you who you’ll serve. Your core truths will reveal why you do it. Your spiritual gifts will reveal how you do it.

Finish this sentence:

“God has created me to…”

Write your statement below.

God has created me to ___________________________________________

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