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DISCOVERY SCHOOL COURSE

DISCOVERING YOUR PURPOSE

INTRODUCTION

GOD is a God of purpose. Everything He does, no matter where, when or how, He


does for a reason.

Everything that God has ever created, He created with a purpose, and for a purpose.

“Purpose Precedes Creation”

Everything in life “begins” and “ends” with purpose. God is a purpose driven God.

Therefore as a believer, you must be purpose driven in all that you do in life. God’s
will for you is to live and breadth purpose.

Purpose is the only thing that gives meaning to life, and makes you relevant to this
present generation, and the generations after.

MYLES MUNROE in his book “In Pursuit Of purpose” says, that, “the greatest
tragedy in life is not death, but life without a reason (purpose). It is dangerous to be
alive and not know the reason you are given life”. One of the most frustrating
experiences is to have time but not know why.

WHAT IS PURPOSE?

Purpose can be defined as:

i. the original intent of the creation of a thing,


ii. the original reason fro the creation of a thing,
iii. the end for which the means exist,
iv. the cause for the creation of thing,
v. the desired result that initiates production,
vi. the need that makes a manufacturer produce a specific product,
vii. the destination that prompted the journey,
viii. the aspiration for the inspiration and
ix. the object one wills or resolves to have..

Purpose therefore in a more personal context can be defined, as, the original intent in
the mind of God, that prompted Him to create you.

CREATED FOR AND WITH A PURPOSE

TEXT GEN 1: 26

God created you with and for a purpose. There was a problem that God wanted
solved that prompted Him to create you!

The purpose for your existence was determined by God long before you were born
into this world. Jeremiah 1: 5, Rom 8: 29 – 30.

CALLED/SAVED FOR A PURPOSE


Rom 8:28
“And we know that all things work together for good to them
that love God, to them who are called according to HIS PURPOSE”

It is important for you to know that God created you to be a player and not a
spectator in the affairs of life.

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a


cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin
which doth so easily beset us, and LET US RUN with patience
THE RACE that is set before us”.
Hebrews 12:1

QUESTION: Is a runner a spectator or a player?

• Players are assets, spectators are liabilities.


“Players are for prizes, while spectators are for fun”

Myles Munroe:

“There are three groups of people that walk the face of the earth today:

i. Those who makes things happen;


ii. Those who watch things happen and
iii. Those who have no idea what is happening.

“You cannot just sit down and watch things happening. You are created
to make something happen – something unique and special”.

Your existence is the evidence that this generation


needs something that your life contains

THE MANUFACTURER AND HIS PRODUCT

The person responsible for the creation or the existence of a thing is called “The
Manufacturer”, while that thing itself is called “The product”.

The word “Manufacturer” is a compound word made up of two words:

MANU: which means “Manual”

FACTURER: which means “Maker”

When a manufacturer makes his product, he produces a manual, which will help users
of his product to understand the purpose of that product, and how it was designed to
fulfil that purpose. The manual gives you a fore-knowledge on the specific function
of the various parts in that product.

i.e. A car has consists of various parts, which possess their own specific function that
contribute to the fulfilment of its purpose.
Only the manufacturer has the right to determine the purpose of his product, not the
customer nor the product itself. Any attempt to use a product in any way that is
different from the purpose for which is was created, is referred to, as, “abuse of
purpose”

You are God’s product. Therefore, He alone has the right to determine what your
purpose should be, not you or any other person. God has a manual for your life. It is
your responsible to find out what it says about you.

Luke 4: 17 (About Jesus)

“…And when He opened the book, He found the place where it was it written …”

10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW


ABOUT YOUR PURPOSE

1. God is the source of your purpose.

2. Purpose is constant

3. Purpose is predetermined.

4. Your purpose is an integral part of you.

5. Your purpose is a solution to a problem.

6. Your purpose is to a person or to a people

7. Your purpose determines your destiny.

8. Your purpose is your assignment.

9. Your purpose is interrelated.


PURPOSE AND VISION

Proverbs 29: 18 :

“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the
law, happy is he”. (KJV)

You cannot talk about purpose without talking about vision, because, purpose gives
birth to vision.

God has a purpose for your life, and when it is revealed to you it becomes vision.

WHAT IS VISION?

Vision can be defined as, “having an insight or revelation of God’s plan and
purpose for an individual or a nation”.

When you have knowledge of God’s plan and purpose for your life, then you can say
that you have a vision for your existence. In other words, Vision means: to have an
understanding of your Creator’s intentions for creating you.

PURPOSE, VISION AND MINISTRY

Purpose is your assignment, while the knowledge of your assignment is called


Vision, and the pursuit of your vision is called Ministry.

NB: Vision as a course will be treated in full when we take the 3rd course: The Power of Vision

PLANS AND PURPOSE

For I know the PLANS I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans
for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11 (Living Bible)

God’s purpose for an individual, nation or people is always constant, but His plan to
achieve that purpose may vary from time to time.
WHY DOES GOD SOMETIMES
HAVE MORE THAN ONE PLAN?

The variableness in God’s plans for our lives is not due to His inability to bring about
the fulfillment of His purpose for our lives with just one plan, but sometimes due to:

I. Our defiance to following our own plans and intuitions.

II. The mistakes we make which take us away from the course of destiny.

III. The opposition’s success in distracting or derailing us from God’s ordained path
for our lives.

IV. Inability to make the right choices when occasion demands it.

V. Our insensitivity to the leadings of the Holy Spirit.

# . Nothing the devil does can stop the purposes of God. He always has a
back up plan.

i.e The Israelites journey to Canaan land.

PURPOSE AND TIME

Eccl 3:1:

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the
heaven: (KJV)

“There is a right time for ever thing” (Living Bible)

To every purpose in life there is a “Time Tag” attached to it. Purpose is the reason
why time exists. In other words time is of no relevance outside purpose. Time is
meaningless without purpose.

God establishes a purpose and also sets a time for its beginning and its fulfillment.
i.e. Jesus said, “My time has not come” - John 2: 4; and “It is finished” – John
19:30.
Jesus never gave up ht Ghost until He finished His assignment.
WHAT IS TIME?

Time can be defined as “a short interruption in eternity”. A period that is allocated


to you, to fulfill what you were sent here to do.

Time is always given for the completion of purpose. Whenever time is used for things
that do not work towards the given purpose, it is wasted and the opportunity to reach
perfection is delayed or lost.

Time is always given for the completion of purpose

He who has time to burn will never give the world much light. Killing time
is not murder, it’s suicide. (Myles Munroe)

“Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help
us to spend them as we should”.
Psalms 90:12 (Living)

Key Points

• Time starts when we are born, and ends when we die.

• Eternity has neither beginning nor an end.

• God, who is eternal, exists outside time.

• God sees the end from the beginning and sets our course according to
His overall purposes.

• God gives every purpose a time that allows it to reach perfection.

• Time is always given for a purpose.

• Time that is not used for it’s intended purpose is wasted and lost.
PURPOSE AND PLACE

God does not only determine the purpose of a thing, but He also determines the place
for its commencement and its completion.

And it came to pass after these things that God did tempt Abraham,
and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou
lovest, and get thee into the LAND OF MORIAH; and offer him there
for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee
of.

And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and
took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the
wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto THE PLACE
of which God had told him.
Gen 22:1-3 (KJV)

PURPOSE , PEOPLE AND PASSION

Your purpose is not to everyone, but to a specific set of people. In other words you
are not sent to solve every one’s problem. You are not created to meet every need.

JESUS:

Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and
Sidon. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts,
and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of
David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought
him, saying; Send her away; for she crieth after us.
But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the
HOUSE OF ISRAEL.
Matt 15:21-24 (KJV)

EZEKIEL:
Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this
roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and
he caused me to eat that roll. And he said unto me, Son of man, cause
thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then
did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness. And he
said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and
speak with my words unto them. For THOU ART NOT SENT TO A
PEOPLE of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the
house of Israel;

Ezek 3:1-5 (KJV)

God will only draw to you, the people to whom you have been sent (i.e. Adam &
Eve). The sick, the diseased and the demon possessed all thronged around Jesus
everywhere he went, because of Acts 10v38:

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with
power: who went about doing good, and HEALING ALL THAT
WERE OPPRESSED OF THE DEVIL; for God was with him.

PURPOSE AND COMPASSION

It takes the Compassion for you to be able to complete God assignment for your life.
The people, to whom you are sent, are the ones that will unlock your compassion.
You have been tuned by God to respond compassionately to your purpose.

And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was MOVED
WITH COMPASSION TOWARD THEM, and he healed their sick.
Matt 14:14 (KJV)

NB: Jesus was not moved to heal the daughter of the Canaanite woman,
because she was not from the house of Israel. He only responded to her on the
basis of her “Persistence faith”. (Matt 15:21-28)

PURPOSE, DESIGN AND POTENTIAL

God has designed (formed) you the way you are, so that fulfilling your purpose
becomes so natural. The reason why you struggle to do what other people are doing
is because you are not designed to do those things. You are not designed to do
everything, but something specific. Discover what it is and stick to it.

And the LORD God FORMED (designed) man of the dust of the
ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man
became a living soul.
Gen 2:7 (KJV)

After God designed you, He then put in you all the things - the ability, capability,
gifts, and talents - that you will need to get the job done. All these things are known
as “your potentials”.

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and
breathed into his nostrils THE BREATH OF LIFE (potentials); and
man became a living soul.
Genesis 2:7 (KJV)

For the gift (potentials) and calling (purpose) of God are without
repentance.
Romans 11:29 (KJV)

Your purpose is the reason why God has designed you the way you are. Don’t try to
change it, but accept it and flow with it.

7 VITAL KEYS TO LOCATING YOUR PURPOSE

1. What is the deepest desire in your heart?

• “Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires
of your heart”.
Psalm 37:4
2. What stirs your passion?

Passion is the zeal, fire, excitement, and intensity that you feel about things that
are important to you. Passion is powerful.

• “And His disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of Thine
house hath eaten me up”.
John 2:17
3. What flows naturally out of you?
Your course of destiny will feel right – will feel natural – as you discover it.
People who have found their place in God’s plan are doing what is natural to
them.

4. Where do you bring forth fruit or produce good results?

You will need to sit and discover the area(s) where God has been using you the
most, or the nature of the lives he has been using you to touch.

• “A tree is known by its fruits” – Matt 12:33

5. What is the witness of The Holy Spirit in your spirit?

God has a way of letting us know what is right, what is wrong, and what His will
is. Call it a feeling, a known, an intuition, or a green light on the inside; we all
have a witness in our spirit when something is in question.

• “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of
God…The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the
children of God.
Romans 8:14, 16

6. What do mature Christians see in you?

You are not alone. God will bring to you friends and leaders who can help you on
to destiny’s course.

• “A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all
wise judgment”.
Proverbs 18:1

7. What career or ministry do you feel the peace of God about pursuing?

When you are on course with your God-given destiny, there is a peace that passes
all understanding in our life. Others may wonder how you can do what you are
doing and have peace about it.

• “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication,


with thanksgiving, let you requests be made known to God; and the peace
of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and
minds through Christ Jesus”.
Philippians 4:6-7

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