Purpose Over Goals Group Guide

January 2024

  • Jeff mentioned “Monty Python” in his comedy genius category. What is an absolutely ridiculous TV show or movie that you loved growing up?
  • Jeff shared a story about his dad teaching him to appreciate a particular stage in life. His dad concluded by saying, “Don’t miss out on the opportunities you have right now.” What might you be missing in your current stage of life if you’re not careful?
  • Jeff quoted the first four words in Rick Warren’s book, A Purpose Driven Life: “It’s not about you.” Why do we make things about us? And what do you think is really behind these reasons? (It’s usually deeper than we might think at first.)
  • Read Colossians 1:16. What does it mean for us to find our purpose in him?
  • Read this except from Jeff’s sermon: “The world is not as it should be, and you and I are not yet as we should be. When sin entered the world, it broke. And now, God is in the process of restoring and redeeming and reconciling, and he invites you and me to open our own lives to that work in us and to join him in his work in the world around us.”
    You might think he wants us to be kind to others, but you don’t have to follow Jesus to do that. How does God’s invitation really play out in the everyday life of a person who follows Jesus?
  • One of our pastors often says that one of the biggest gifts he’s ever received is the Lord helping him become more and more the person he was created to be. Where are you on the journey of becoming the person that the Lord created you to be?
  • 2024 could be a year of massive transformation, and God invites you and me to live like Paul who was constantly taking steps forward. What’s a step you’ve wanted to take for a while that would encourage you if you finally took it in 2024? (As you discuss, remember, “it’s not all about me.”)
  • Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is often spoken of regarding his “I Have a Dream” speech. Regarding the reconciliation of all things, what are you most looking forward to? That is, what’s your dream?