You are not an accident. You matter to God. Even before the universe was created, God had you in mind, and he planned you for His purposes. These purposes will extend far beyond the few years you will spend on earth. You were made to last forever!
The search for the purpose of life has puzzled people for thousands of years. That’s because we typically begin at the wrong starting point—ourselves. We ask self-centered questions like “What do I want to be? What should I do with my life? What are my goals, my ambitions, my dreams for my future?” But focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life’s purpose. The Bible says, “It is God who directs the lives of his creatures; everyone’s life is in his power” (Job 12:10).
To find your purpose, you must begin with God, your Creator, and his reasons for creating you. You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will never make sense. It is only in God that we discover our origin, our identity, our meaning, our purpose, our significance, and our destiny.
This week’s Bible Study offers session one from the 10th Anniversary edition of The Purpose-Driven Life, with an emphasis on the question, What On Earth Am I Here For? This study addresses a question that most people ask sometime during their life. “Do I even matter to God? Is there a purpose for my existence, or is this all there is?” Watch the first session:
Memory Verse
I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born. Isaiah 44:2a (CEV)
The Question of Existence: Why Am I Alive?
Why was I born? Was it only to have trouble and sorrow, to end my life in disgrace? Jeremiah 20:18 (TEV)
You were made by God and for God’s purposes, and until you understand that, life will never make sense.
The Lord has made everything for his own purpose. Proverbs 16:4a (GW)
- God created me to ________________________ .
Long before [God][God], saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!” Psalm 139:16 (TLB)
His plans endure forever; his purposes last eternally. Psalm 33:11 (TEV)
Life is preparation for eternity.
- I was made to __________________________________ .
When this tent we live in—our body here on earth—is torn down, God will have a house in heaven for us to live in, a home he himself has made, which will last forever. 2 Corinthians 5:1 (TEV)
The Question of Intention: What Is My Purpose?
Why did you create us? For nothing? Psalm 89:47b (NCV)
The only way to know your purpose is to ask your Creator.
Knowing God results in every other kind of understanding. Proverbs 9:10b (TLB)
- I find my purpose _________________________ .
For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible . . . everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. Colossians 1:16 (MSG)
Life is not about you; it’s all about God.
It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for . . . part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. Ephesians 1:11–12 (MSG)
If you live to be seventy years old, you will live 25,550 days. Don’t you think it’s worth just forty of those days to find out what you’re supposed to do with the rest of them?
It makes no difference who you are or where you’re from—if you want God and you are ready to do as he says, the door is open. Acts 10:35 (MSG)
Discovery Questions
- “God created me to love me.” When did you first hear about God’s love?
- “I was made to last forever.” How does that statement strike you? Are you encouraged, puzzled, disappointed, surprised?
- “I find my purpose in God.” As you embark on this journey of discovery, how ready are you to explore the truth about God’s purpose for your life?
- “Life is not about you; it’s all about God.” What difference could it make if I acted like life is all about God and not about myself?
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This completes session 1, You Matter to God, from What On Earth Am I Here For? The Purpose-Driven Life DVD Study. The study guide and the companion DVD study include the following sessions: 1. You Matter to God, 2. You Were Planned for God’s Pleasure, 3. You Were Formed for God’s Family, 4. You Were Created to Become Like Christ, 5. You Were Shaped to Serve God, 6. You Were Made for a Mission.
This 10th anniversary edition of The Purpose-Driven Life, with emphasis on the question What on Earth Am I Here For? is the life-message of Rick Warren. Warren helps you understand why we are alive and God’s amazing plan for us—both here and now, and for eternity. Learn more…