Hey church family! How’s everyone doing? We’re about to start another message today. Whether you’ve been a Christian for years, are still figuring out your faith, or even if you don’t believe at all—you are welcome here.
If you’ve been following this series, you know we’ve been talking about purpose. And today, we’re reaching the final chapter of this Purpose Series. If you’ve enjoyed this journey, let me know in the chat!
But before we dive in, let me say this. If you’ve ever wondered about the purpose of your life—why you were born, what you’re meant to do, and how you can live a life beyond anything you imagined—then this message is for you.
Last week, we talked about our church’s purpose. That was supposed to be the day we officially shared our mission statement, but God told us, not yet. That morning, I felt in my heart that our church wasn’t ready. So we prayed. We wrestled. We asked God, when is the right time?
And finally, today is the day. God has given the green light. Today, I’ll share our church’s purpose, vision, and goals for 2023. And on top of that, we have two major announcements for the church. So if you’re curious, stick around until the end.
Are you ready? I hope so—because today is going to be huge. Honestly, I’ve prepared for this message more than any other in my life. Not because I wanted it to be perfect, but because I felt God pressing something special into my heart. I prayed. I struggled. I rewrote. And finally, it’s here.
Before we start, let’s take a moment to give some love to my wife. She’s been an incredible support behind the scenes—praying, guiding, and helping me bring this message to life. So drop some clapping emojis in the chat for her!
Over the past few weeks, we’ve talked about four reasons we were born. Do you remember them?
Let’s start with prayer.
Heavenly Father,
May Your words reach the hearts of everyone listening today. Without Your Spirit, no one can fully understand. Speak through me, and open our hearts. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Here’s something that might shake up your thinking:
God doesn’t just want you to follow Him. He wants you to live as His child.
Some of you might be thinking, Wait, what? Are you saying we’re like God? Isn’t there only one God?
Don’t take my word for it—let’s look at Scripture.
In John 10:33-37, Jesus was being accused of blasphemy by the Jewish leaders because He claimed to be the Son of God. And here’s how He responded:
"Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are gods’? If He called them ‘gods’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside—what about the one whom the Father set apart as His very own and sent into the world?"
Jesus is quoting Psalm 82:6, where God refers to His people as gods. Not in the sense of replacing Him, but in the sense of being His children—made in His image, filled with His Spirit, and called to live like Him.
Think about it.
A fish gives birth to fish. A lion gives birth to lions. A bird gives birth to birds. So if we are born of God… what does that make us?
Genesis 1:27 says:
"So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them."
God created us in His image. He designed us to reflect Him. If He didn’t want us to live like Him, He wouldn’t have made us in His image.
Still not convinced?
Let’s read Matthew 5:48:
"Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
That’s a command. Not a suggestion.
But how? How can we possibly be perfect? We’re flawed. We fail.
That’s exactly the point.
If we had to achieve perfection on our own, that would be bad news. But the good news—the Gospel—is that we don’t have to do it alone.
Romans 3:20 tells us that following rules alone will never make us righteous:
"No one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law, we become conscious of our sin."
If we rely on our own strength, we will always fall short. But through Jesus, we have a different path.
Hebrews 10:14 says:
"For by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy."
Through Jesus’ sacrifice, we are already made perfect in God’s eyes.
Romans 5:19 explains:
"For just as through the disobedience of one man (Adam) many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of one man (Jesus) many will be made righteous."
Adam’s sin made all of us sinners. But through Jesus, we are made righteous—completely good, completely accepted, completely perfect in God’s eyes.
Now, here’s where it gets real.
How you see yourself affects everything.
If you see yourself as a failure, you’ll find reasons to fail.
If you believe you’re not good enough, you’ll live in a way that proves it.
But if you truly believe that Jesus has made you perfect, you will begin to live like it.
Jesus said in John 15:5:
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing."
This is the key. To live as children of God, we must remain connected to Jesus.
And how do we do that?
1 Corinthians 12:27 says:
"Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."
If you want to grow in faith, you cannot do it alone. You need to be connected—to Jesus and to His Church.
So here’s my challenge for you:
And when we do this, we will see our lives change. We will bear much fruit. We will live with purpose, joy, and power.
Let’s live as the children of God we were created to be.
Amen.
