Purpose Driven Life

[kayre]

Summary: “When you became a believer, you also became God’s messenger.” Your Life Message has four parts: your testimony (how Christ has made a different in your life), life lessons (what have youl earned from failures, problems, disappointments, etc.), godly passions (the issues or causes to which you are especially called), and The Gospel.

My thoughts: He suggests that we are just witnesses-- not attorneys who are to prove the case and press for a verdict. Just share your personal story and quit. Wouldn’t that be nice? However, he goes on to suggest preparing your testimony in writing and memorizing it; and a similar list of life lessons, so you’ll be ready at a moment’s notice. Yuck. Nothing turns me off faster than realizing someone has stopped sharing personally, and is now just preaching.

I like his section on godly passions-- the particular issues that move each person. Some Christians can become very judgmental about others who don’t get intensely involved in their particular issue. For example, there’s a group at my church passionate about a lot of health issues; I donate to some of them, pray for their activities, but that’s not what I’m passionate about. We can't all do everything.

“God has never made a person he didn’t love.” This just doesn’t match up with earlier statements in the book, that not all people are God’s children, that God makes “all things work together for bad” for unbelievers. If that’s love, God’s pretty disfunctional.

“What are you willing to do so that the people you know will go to heaven?” I don’t have to do anything.. I believe they’re going anyway. I’m more concerned about what I can do for them NOW.

I’m so glad we’re almost done with this.