Living a LIFE that Counts

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Living a LIFE thatCounts
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• Jeremiah 29.11
• I know the plans I have for you declares the
  Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
  plans to give you hope and a future

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• God is ALREADY at work in your life!
• The process of DISCOVERY!
• Clarifying you past
• We have nothing to fear for the future, unless
  we forget the marvelous way God has lead ... in
  the past LS 196
• Discovering your future
• Pursuing your calling
• Living a Life that Counts hope!

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Your Goal

• Develop Your Calling Statement.

Personal Calling Statement
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• Personal Calling Statement
• Is your best understanding
• to date of their unique, personal destiny.
• Describes what God has called you to be and to
  do.

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Page 10

• God is always at work
• Our call is not to inventbut to align ourselves
• Alignment requires absolute surrender

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Time-LinePurposeValuesVision
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Brainstorm significantpeople events in your
life.
Identify those that were painful
One itemper note
One item Per note
Identify those that were painful - Ask the
Spirit to reveal things to you.
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Post-it Note Time-Line
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Post-it Note Time-Line
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Post-it Note Time-Line
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Tuesday
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Post-it Note Time-Line
Titles
Lessons
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assignment

• Read the directions on the bottom of page 13.

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Lessons!

• Lessons from the Past are the signposts that
  point to the Future.What are the top 3 lessons
  you learned in each chapter of your life?

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Lessons about

• God
• family
• ministry
• relationships
• my uniqueness
• character

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Time-LinePurposeValuesVision
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3 Strands
Personal Calling Statement
Purpose
Values
Vision
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Biblical PurposeThe Place to Begin
Personal Calling Statement
Purpose

• Biblical Mandate

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Page 16

• Declares the Reason You Exist
• A being statement
• Reflects the Heart of God
• Kingdom perspective
• Clarifies what is Non-Negotiable
• True north

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Example Joshua

• As for me and my house,we will serve the
  Lord. Joshua, son of Nun Josh. 24.15

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Example Paul

• I want to know Christ and the power of his
  resurrection and the fellowship of his
  sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and
  so somehow to attain to the resurrection from the
  dead. Paul of Tarsus Phil. 310-11

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Examples

• The purpose of my life is to know God and to hear
  his voice so clearly that I live a life of
  obedience and servanthood.
• I exist to live in authentic intimacy with Jesus
  and let him so shape my life that the people of
  my life would see him at work in me.

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Assignment

• Writing Your First Purpose Statement
• Complete pages 15 - 20

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Wednesday
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Around the table

• Share TWO key verses that give direction to your
  life
• Share the current draft of your Biblical purpose.
• ListenAffirmClarify
• Being or Doing? (Job Description?)
• Heart of God?
• Anything Negotiable? (Nice extras, wordy?)

Any Red Flags?
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Milton's Biblical Purpose

• God calls me to risk living life wholly and
  humbly yielding, daily adjusting, and radically
  obedient to His invitations.

• John 5 17, 19, "(A) My father is always at his
  work to this very day, and I, too am working....
  I tell you the truth, (B) the Son can do nothing
  by himself (C) he can do only what he sees his
  Father doing, because whatever the Father does
  the Son also does. (D) For the Father loves the
  Son and tells him everything he is doing."
• "So utterly was Christ emptied of self that He
  made no plans for Himself. He accepted God's
  plans for Him, and day by day the Father unfolded
  His plans. So should we depend upon God, that our
  lives may be the simple outworking of His will."
  "So long as we surrender the will to God, and
  trust in His strength and wisdom, we shall be
  guided in safe paths, to fulfill our appointed
  part in His great plan. But the one who depends
  upon his own wisdom and power is separating
  himself from God. Instead of working in unison
  with Christ, he is fulfilling the purpose of the
  enemy of God and man." Desire of the Ages

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Time-LinePurposeValuesVision
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Values
Personal Calling Statement
Purpose
Values

• Time-line reveals Values

Values are the link between time-line and
vision Time line reveals your values
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Values Defined

• Values are
• those underlying assumptions andcore-convictions
  that consistently shape your decisions and
  behavior.
• found in behavior not in belief system.
• Values reflect
• your unique wiring the way God has shaped you to
  live life, work, and do ministry.

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Sample Values
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Assignment

• What are the 6 8 core values that shape your
  behavior?
• Begin with lessonslessons are the birthplace of
  values
• Work through questions pg. 20 - 21
• Write First Draft on pg. 23Label Lessons
  behind it

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Around the table
In Triads Active Listening Reflect Clarify Affir
m Look for Life and Ministry Values Actual
versus Preferred
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Milton's Values
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Time-LinePurposeValuesVision
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Two-Track Formation

• 1. DOING skills, work, ministry
• 2. BEING character, relationship with
  Jesus/People

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Personal Vision
Personal Calling Statement
Purpose
Values
Vision
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Vision is page 25

• 1. A Picture
• A word picture of the future from Gods
  Perspective.

vision is a mental picture of what could be
fueled by a passion of what should be.
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Vision is
2. Motivating
Engages Your Passion No longer an option
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Vision is

• 3. Descriptive
• Vision describes your Destination
• Vision Specific Result

Vision requires faith, and faith is spelled
R-I-S-K
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Vision is

• 4. Dynamic
• It unfolds over time
• God reveals more in response to our obedience

Look for Destiny Pointers in your time-line
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Example 1
My vision is to live in simple obedience to God
and do whatever he asks me to do.
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Example 2
My vision is to live a life that is daily growing
in intimacy with Christ diligently seeking to
serve according to my gifts deeply connected to
members of Gods family deliberately reaching
out to people that dont know Christ and
developing an ever increasing lifestyle of
worship.
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Page 25

• AMBITION LEADS to
• Drivenness
• Restlessness
• Panic
• Peace, Power, Passion
• The result of surrendering to Gods agenda

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Assignment

• Writing Your First Vision Statement
• Complete pages 27 - 29

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Thursday
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Around the table

• Could you see their vision?
• Was their vision bigger than they are?
• Did their vision include every area of their
  life?
• How will you know when their vision is
  accomplished?

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Vision DebriefVision Draft Questions

• What do you like about your vision?
• What needs greater work?
• How is it connected to your past?
• Is your vision bigger than you?
• Does it engage your passion?
• How will you know when it is accomplished?
• Would you do it if you didnt get paid for it?

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Milton's Vision Statement

• God's Dream for Me as His child is to live a
  joyful, humble, and faithful life to hear the
  words, "well done, though good and faithful
  servant."
• God's Dream for Me as Brenda's Husband is to "do
  what ever it takes" so she will feel honored,
  cherished and respected. And to thoroughly enjoy
  my life companion as together we follow God's
  bidding.
• God's Dream for Me as my children's Father is to
  passionately love their mother and to model and
  inspire authentic, surrendered, and faithful
  devotion to God and His remnant church, as
  together our family trends Heavenward.
• God's Dream for Me as a Simple Church Planter is
  to "do whatever it takes" so people can hear the
  Eternal Gospel in relevant and God honoring ways.
  
• God's Dream for Me as a Growth Group Trainer is
  to help traditional churches rediscover both our
  early Adventist and New Testament relational
  roots. This will move groups from "program"
  status to "the bases of our Christian effort."

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My Calling Statement
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A leaders best understanding to date of their
unique, personal destiny.
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Personal Calling Statement
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Assignment

• Task Get the three strands on the same page.
• Assignment Complete pages 30 32.

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Around the table

• Could you see their vision?
• Was their vision bigger than they are?
• Did their vision include every area of their
  life?
• How will you know when their vision is
  accomplished?

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Assignment

• Assignment Put your name on your book and turn
  it in.

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Next Step
Personal Calling Statement
Roles
Purpose
Roles to Goals
Values
Mentors
Vision
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NEXT STEPS How do you Plan to Live it Out?

• Step 1 Draft 2 (p. 34-37)
• Step 2 Life Ministry Roles and Goals
  (p.38-41)
• Step 3 Mentoring (p.42-49)
• Step 4 Accountability Partner (see p. 35)

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Surrender

• Vision is a challenge to faith.
• Faith is an issue of surrender.
• Alignment requires absolute surrender.

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What one thing could keep me from living out
Gods vision and calling for my life? my
Achilles heel
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Rival Kingdoms What must you have more than
Jesus? What is it you dont trust Jesus to
touch? or dont want him to?
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Examples
Position Results Approval Family/ Children Other
Relationship Cherished Sin What gives you a
sense of security or significance?
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Gods Invitation...Swords First
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I Surrender AllBy Clay Crosse

• I have wrestled in the darkness of this lonely
  pilgrim land .
• Raising strong and mighty fortresses that I alone
  command.

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But these castles I've constructed by the
strength of my own hand are just temporary
kingdoms on foundations made of sand.
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In the middle of the battle, I believe I've
finally found I'll never know the thrill of
victory til I'm willing to lay down All my
weapons of defense and earthly strategies of
war. So I'm laying down my arms and running
helplessly to yours.
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I surrender all my silent hopes and
dreams Though the price to follow cost me
everything I surrender all my human soul
desires If sacrifice requires that all my
kingdoms fall I surrender all
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If the source of my ambition is the treasure I
obtain. If I measure my successes on a scale
of earthly gain. If the focus of my vision is
the status I attain. My accomplishments are
worthless and my efforts are in vain.
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So I lay aside these trophies to pursue
a higher crown. And should You choose
somehow to use the life I'm willing to lay
down. I surrender all the triumph for
it's only by Your grace. I relinquish all the
glory, I surrender all the praise.
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I surrender all my silent hopes and
dreams Though the price to follow cost me
everything I surrender all my human soul
desires If sacrifice requires that all my
kingdoms fall I surrender all
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Everything I am and all I've done and all I've
known. Now belong to You the life I live is not
my own. Just as Abraham laid Isaac on
the sacrificial fire. If all I have is all that
you desire. I surrender all.
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I surrender all my human soul desires if
sacrifice requires That all my kingdoms
fall That all my kingdoms fall LET all my
kingdoms fall I SURRENDER ALL
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Time for Surrender Commission

• Around the table What is your sword what
  you need to surrender?
• Prayers of commissioning
• One person at a time
• Pull back from table, gather around
• Lay hands on them and pray over them
• Bless, affirm, call for courage

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NEXT STEPS How do you Plan to Live it Out?
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Step by Step
From On Paper to Daily Life

• 1 Life Roles
• 2 Vocational/Ministry Roles
• 3 One Year Results (SMART Goals)
• 4 Into Your Calendar

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Step by Step
From On Paper to Daily Life

• 1 Life Roles
• 2 Work/ Ministry Roles
• 3 One Year Results

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Results SMART Goals

• SPECIFIC
• MEASUREABLE
• ACHIEVABLE
• RELATED TO MISSION
• TIME-FRAMED

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Step by Step
From On Paper to Daily Life

• 1 Life Roles
• 2 Work/ Ministry Roles
• 3 One Year Results

• 4 Into Your Calendar
• 5 Accountability
• Share Sharpen Your Plans
• Schedule Appointment

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Mentoring Final Step!
Personal Calling Statement
Roles
Purpose
Roles to Goals
Values
Mentors
Vision

• Who can help You get there?

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Mentoring Myths

• One Person
• Older Mentor
• Not Qualified
• Not Needed

Mentors Wanted!
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What is Mentoring?
A relational experience in which one person
empowers another by sharing God-given
resources. --Clinton/Stanley
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Nine Types of Mentors
Counselor Teacher Sponsor
Contemp. Model Historical Model Divine
Contact
Discipler Spiritual Guide Coach
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Mentoring Constellation
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The Central Thing

• I am responsible for my own mentoring!

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Table Group
What is your mentoring issue? Table Group What
type? Possible Options