Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:06 You
Speaker 1 00:00:09 What's going on guys, we're back another Friday morning, grace ops devotional. And it's an honor to be here, like always with you guys. Um, but do me a favor. If you are new to the podcast, if this is your first time joining or tuning into this podcast, please subscribe, subscribe to the podcast so that you'll get the alerts when new content is released. Uh, right now we are releasing Monday, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays is when we are dropping our content and our, for our podcast. Um, and then do me another favor go over to grace ops.net. Um, learn some more about us, learn some more about the culture that we are, uh, are passionate about building, um, for men, a culture for men, um, to be empowered, to live up right. And, uh, you know, get connected with us guys, get connected. Um, today guys, I'm going to get into it where w w we're talking about a topic that I think, um, every, everyone has struggled with at some point in their life. Um, and it's, it's the question of what is my purpose?
Speaker 1 00:01:16 And I know, I know that everyone has struggled with this. I still have days where I feel like I'm, I'm wrestling with the discovery of my purpose. Like, God, what have you called me to do? Like, what is it really like? Just lay it out before me, if you can just lay it out in, in with a clear roadmap and the instructions of where to turn and where to stop and where to go, and how far do I go? You know, we, I think that's ultimately what we're looking for in life. And I've come to realize that oftentimes we're looking for certainty from Christ and he is looking for us to trust him. And that's kind of a, that's a big thing in an American culture. Um, you know, in a first world culture, uh, we have become so defined. Uh, so, so consumed with the pursuit of security and certainty, you know, um, I mean, I remember growing up when I was a kid and my parents would constantly tell me, um, I'm gonna, actually, I'm gonna to tell a funny story because I still laugh about it.
Speaker 1 00:02:21 And, and to be honest, anytime I go to a game, it's still the first thought in my head, but I remember me and my dad were, uh, my, um, me and my dad both love hockey. Um, and so we were at a Chicago Blackhawks game and my father turned to me and looked at me and he pointed at the mascot, uh, skating around on the ice. And he said, son, if you don't go to college, that's what you're going to do the rest of your life. And I just, I lost it, man. It was one of the funniest moments. Um, you know, that, that, that had really happened with me and my father. You know, I just, I it's me to this day, guys. It's um, um, I, you know, I didn't go to college. I went into the trade work. Um, I, I felt called by God, um, to pursue ministry and to pursue other things.
Speaker 1 00:03:10 And, um, you know what, it's, it's been a wild ride, but it's been one of faith and there has been no certainty in my journey. Um, there has just been one that I've, I have put my hope and my trust in God. And so, um, I didn't mean to get derailed there, uh, but it, it, it's, it's funny, you know, and it addresses a problem guys is that we're oftentimes looking for a certainty in, in the way God answers us. Um, but even like Abraham, he told him go, and I'll basically tell you when you reach the land that I want you to leave. I want you to go on this journey. And, um, you know, I I've realized that purpose, um, purpose is not something necessarily that becomes ultimately defined, but I am going to lay out a few things that are, um, that I, I believe that we can hold in a S in certainty.
Speaker 1 00:04:10 We can, we can actually latch onto it. And no matter what season of our life, we find ourselves whether, um, you know, this career or that career, this job, or that job, um, you know, broke rich, poor, you know, whatever, whatever your circumstance could be. There's always an under there, there's a main purpose as us as believers, um, that we can hold onto and we can actually, um, serve our purpose in these seasons. And so I titled this, I titled this devotion serve your purpose. Um, and if you will serve the purpose of the season that you find yourself in right now, your calling will eventually find you. What do I mean by that? Um, well, it's simple. If you don't feel like you are operating in the, in the giftings and the passions, the desires and dreams that God has given you in this season, um, maybe the door's not open for it, you know, maybe, maybe you've, you've tried and you've tried, um, you know, but, but there's some keys that I've found in my life that have really helped me out is that I will learn how to serve the purpose that I've in the season that I find myself in.
Speaker 1 00:05:26 Okay. And I want to define purpose a little more, um, more so as it relates to us as believers, as Christians, as, as Christ followers and, uh, for me the greatest definitions of my purpose. Um, and, you know, and there is, there's a distinction that I feel like I like to make between my purpose and my passions. You know, a lot of people will talk about, um, those kind of being intermixed. Um, and, and it's not that they can't be, they absolutely can, you know, if you can follow your passions, you'll find your purpose. And if you find your purpose, you'll discover some new passions, you know what I mean? Um, but what I've, what I've found is that, that, that, that it's not always the same thing. And we can always have something to come back to right in those seasons where, where our passions and our purposes feel separated.
Speaker 1 00:06:22 They're, it's like they're not necessarily operating within the same, uh, the same season or the same context. And, uh, for me, I've really kind of boiled down purpose as a believer to the first and second commandment that I'm going to love God with all my heart, my soul, and my mind and my strength. Okay. That's, you know, in, in, in the process of me loving him, I'm going to learn how to receive his love, because I'm entering into this, this, this communication, this relationship with Christ as, as I'm walking this thing out is I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm discovering who I am, because I'm discovering who he is, you know, and it's this beautiful relationship that we get, right? So that's a part of our purpose. Our part of our purpose is to love God and to be loved by him. And then, then it goes into, as I'm learning how to love God, and I'm learning how to be loved by him. I'm I, I'm finding myself almost intuitively discovering who God is. And as I'm discovering who God is, God is helping me to discover who I am. And it's this beautiful relationship, not religion. It's not certain it's just relationship. And we get to discover that on a daily basis, we get to experience him, not just learn about them. We get to experience him. And as we experience more of him who we are, becomes more clear as we discover who he is, um, you know, and, and, and you can even go, uh, hold on a second.
Speaker 1 00:08:11 You can go, um, Matthew 16. And it was really funny because, uh, uh, me and Brian were talking about this earlier, and he had no idea that, uh, I was actually talking to him for, for our podcasts on serve your purpose. And he kinda went into a discussion on what is your purpose? And so it was really kind of cool for me because it was just like a little more of a confirmation. And, um, you know, that I was on the right track for what you guys needed to hear today. Um, but let me get down here real quick. Uh, right. So Matthew 16, 13 through 20, um, some say, let's see, okay. So now when Jesus came into the district of the Syria Philippi, he asked his disciples, who do people say that the son of man is? And they said, come say some, say John, the Baptist, others say Elijah, others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets he said to them, but who do you say that I am?
Speaker 1 00:09:09 And Simon, Peter replied, you are the Christ, the son of the living, God, and Jesus answered him. Blessed, are you Simon? Barjona for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my father who is in heaven, and I tell you, you are Peter. And on this rock, I will build my church and the Gates of hell shall not prevail against it. So it's just one example, guys of how, how, as we are kind of in that dialogue with God, you know, and we're in that place of, uh, of a biting in him and growing an intimacy and growing in our relationship with him and, and we're committed, we're committed to seek first, the kingdom of God. Um, and we're committed to the, to, to growing in the knowledge of who Christ is that out of his goodness, he begins to reveal who we are as we, we stay committed to, to experiencing him and learning him, um, and discovering more of his nature.
Speaker 1 00:10:06 Um, you know, and so if you're unsure of your purpose, get busy and find a purpose is really what I want to tell you today, serve someone, serve something, serve somewhere. Um, guys, a part of finding our purpose in life I believe is, is, is through service. It's through serving, uh, another man's vision. You know, um, when, when we put our, when we put ourselves in a place to serve a purpose, meaning that we are useful to them in that season, you know, God will reward that. God sees it, and there will be a time where God releases you into, uh, you know, um, like a fuller expression of who he created you and designed you to be in. And for some guys for some, it may never be the lead guy and that's okay because that's not, that's not, that's not the purpose. It's not the point.
Speaker 1 00:11:11 The point is discovering who you are discovering the purpose and role, uh, that makes you useful. Um, not just, not, not for your own benefit, but for the benefit of others. Okay. And, and so here's a key guy, guys, one of the keys to finding your purpose, um, you know, we've talked about serving your purpose, um, but finding your personal purpose is, uh, for me, it's community guys. It's so much of my, my purpose has been illuminated and it's been pulled out of me, uh, because of close relationships, um, people, band of brothers that I've, um, I've walked with, you know, and they, and they see like they, they see it, they can peel back the muck and, and kind of look at like all the facade and the fake stuff. And they help, what they do is they help me see it by pointing it out saying, man, dude, like, you need to think about this.
Speaker 1 00:12:12 You need to pray about this. You need to, you've got something there. And guys, if you don't have, um, a brother in your life, go get one. This is a part of what this community and this culture, um, is here to really support and champion is that this is not a race that we can do on our own. Um, and, and you gotta find somebody, man, you gotta, you gotta click up with a brother. You've got to get somebody that's gonna fight with you, um, and believe with you, um, in, in help keep you accountable, um, you know, through, throughout your walk. And so I wanna challenge you guys, you know, to, to, to go out and find a community, um, and serve people. Okay. Last point of serve your purpose, uh, for me is the second commandment where it says to love your neighbor as yourself.
Speaker 1 00:13:08 Okay. And so this is a huge thing. I, I really, I, I get the, I get the representation of the cross. Like that's the image that comes to my mind. Um, kind of when I think about this, that, that, that there's, uh, there's the vertical aspect of us serving our purpose, um, which is to love God, right? To, to, to love God and be loved by him to know him and be known by him. Um, and then there's the part where God says, um, go out and make disciples, like go out and love your enemies. Like love the one that spew, spew and hate towards you. That's, that's against you. That set his face against you. You can go out and love him, show him what that feels like, you know, put some coals on his head, make them dance a little bit. And, uh, you know, and so those are, those are my two keys guides.
Speaker 1 00:14:03 Those are, those are, those are, those are two things that I just, I really wanted to highlight today, guys, is that, look, if you can't, you know, sometimes we get so caught up in the vocational idea behind purpose of like, well, I'm called to be a police officer, or I'm called to ministry. And to pastor I'm called to, um, start my own business, you know, and all those things are great and all those are callings, but it doesn't necessarily mean purpose. Okay. We, we have purpose in and out of every season, if we would, if we, if we're followers of Christ, our purpose remains the same, no matter what I'm doing, no matter what, I'm what vessel I use to as an expression of who I am. Okay, I can, I can, I can go, go tomorrow and, and stop leading worship. But my purpose doesn't change. I'm going to love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. I'm going to learn how I'm going to learn, how to receive that love. Um, and what he's saying about me, and I'm going to grow in my identity as a son before the King, and I'm going to go out and I'm going to love people, and I'm going to let my light shine. I'm going to, I'm going to go make disciples.
Speaker 1 00:15:19 I can do that wherever, whenever in any season, in any career, in any vocation. Okay. So I just wanted to take, take this time. Um, I actually have gone way longer than I've ever gone on a podcast. Um, but Hey, there's a first time for everything, but this is something I'm passionate about. Um, finding your purpose, uh, serving your purpose, uh, because I think sometimes we overcomplicate this, this concept or this idea, um, and what, what ends up happening guys is we just end up wasting a lot of time. We waste a lot of time where we're, uncontent, we're unfulfilled, um, when really, like I could be doing anything and I could be completely fulfilled because I know that I'm loving God with all my heart, you know, and I, and I'm, and I'm, and I'm, you know, being accepted. I'm like, I, I'm walking in this full acceptance of I'm his son, you know, and, and, and he's gonna continue to lead me no matter what I'm doing.
Speaker 1 00:16:19 And, and I'm reaching out to others, you know, um, I'm loving other people and, and, and going out there and I'm making disciples and, you know, so I just want to encourage you guys today. Um, look, if you're in a place you're struggling, you're like, eh, I don't know what to do with my life. I, you know, I don't, I'm not too sure on my calling or, you know, the, you know, my, what my purpose is, um, focus on those two things, guys, that the first, first, first and second commandment. So I just want to say thank you for coming out and joining us. Thank you for supporting us, uh, in this culture. And, um, go, go to our website, grace sops.net. Um, subscribe, if you haven't already and, um, join us guys, join us on this adventure, man, this, this crazy adventure that we are, we are going on, um, together as we seek to discover, um, and, and, and define biblical masculinity, um, in this hour. So until next time, guys, it's been an honor, um, have a great weekend.
Speaker 0 00:17:23 <inaudible>.
