The Purpose Drive Life: Week 4 #BookClub #God #Life

The video above is a continuation of Week 1, Week 2 and Week 3 of The Purpose Driven Life.  If you are at all intrigued by the notes, you really should pick up the book.  It’s a mind-blower.

Chapter 19

• You have to care enough to speak the truth even if it will be unpopular.
• Some people are EGR: Extra Grace Required people
• Humility is not thinking less of yourself; its thinking of yourself less.
• You have to spend A LOT of time with someone to build deep relationships.
• The benefits of sharing life together outweigh the costs and prepare us for heaven.

Chapter 20

• God has given us the ministry of restoring relationships.
• You must learn to be a peacemaker.  Everyone loves peace.
• Conflict: a different times we need to avoid, create or resolve it.
• Instead of looking to God, we look to others and get angry when they fail us.
• We all act beastly when hurt.
• Peace always has a price tag, sometimes it costs our pride; it often costs our self-centeredness.
• Reconciliation focuses on the relationship and resolution focuses on the problem.
• Romans 12:18

Chapter 21

• Our Heavenly Father enjoys watching His children get along.
• Nothing on earth is more valuable to God than His church.
• Other Christians will disappoint you but that is no reason to discontinue fellowship.
• When I judge other believers… I lose fellowship with God, I expose my own pride and insecurity, I set myself up to be judged by God and I harm the fellowship of the church.
• A critical spirit is a costly vice.
• God puts us in a church family to learn unselfishness.

Chapter 22

• We were created to become like Christ.
• God doesn’t want us to become God, He wants us to become godly.
• God’s ultimate goal is not comfort for us but character development.
• Life is supposed to be difficult.  Earth is not Heaven.
• Our time on earth is to build and strengthen our character for heaven.
• Christilikeness is not produced by imitation but by inhabitation.
• How character develops:  1- We chose to let go of old ways of acting.  2. Change the way we think.  3. Put on the character of God with Godly habits.
• We will take our character into eternity but not our career.
• You must make a counter-culture decision to focus on becoming more like Jesus.

Chapter 23

• Spiritual growth is not automatic.  It takes an intentional commitment.
• Every choice has eternal consequences.  Choose wisely.
• When people are casual about their spiritual growth, it shows they don’t understand the eternal implications.
• The Bible says selfish thinking is the source of sinful behavior.
• Our deeds must be consistent with our creeds, and our beliefs must be backed up with Christlike behavior
• Christianity is a relationship and a lifestyle.

Chapter 24

• Spiritual growth is the process of replacing lies with truth.
• Without God’s Word, you would not even be alive.
• Many troubles occur because we base our choices on: culture, tradition, reason and emotion.
• Decide that regardless of culture, tradition, reason or emotion, you chose the Bible as your final authority.
• You can’t watch the tv for 3 hours and read your Bible for 3 minutes and expect to grow.
• You haven’t really studies the Bible unless you have written your thoughts down.
• There are enormous benefits of memorizing Bible verses.
• No other habit can do more to transform your life and make you more like Jesus than daily reflection on scripture.
• We must become doers of The Word.
• We avoid personal application is that it can be difficult or even painful.  The truth will set you free, but first, it may make you miserable.

Chapter 25

• God uses our problems to draw us closer.
• When we are in pain, we don’t have the energy for superficial prayers.
• You never know that God is all you need, when God  is all you got.
• Everything that happens to you have spiritual significance.
• When you’ve been refined by trials, people can see Jesus’ reflection in you.
• Stay focused on God’s plan , not your pain or problem.
• As we slowly build character we should pray less “comfort me” prayers and more “conform me” prayers.
• Romans 8:28

–> Posts may contain affiliate links for products or services that Jen has approved and researched herself. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same (or at a discount if a special code is offered) and Jen will automatically receive a small referral fee. Your support is crucial because it helps fund this blog. Thank you.