God has some wonderful purposes for your life.
You were planned for God’s pleasure! You exist for God’s benefit, his glory, his purpose, and his delight. Bringing enjoyment to God, living for his pleasure, is the first purpose of your life. We are able to bring pleasure to God through worship, which is far more than music – anything you do that brings glory to God is an act of worship. Every activity can be transformed into an act of worship when you do it for the praise, glory, and pleasure of God.“You created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created” (Revelation 4:11 NLT).
You were formed for God’s family! Because God is love, he treasures relationships. At Search Light Of God, we want to welcome you into our church family and get to know you better. Membership Matters is our basic introduction to Search Light and is designed to explain what we believe and what we’re all about. Whether you’re looking to take your first step in a relationship with Jesus Christ, get baptized, or get plugged into a small group, we are here to offer you guidance and support.“God’s unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure” (Ephesians 1:5 NLT).
You were created to become like Christ! Spiritual growth is not so much about “doing” as it is about “becoming” – becoming more like Christ. It’s a life-long adventure that takes patience, commitment, and intentional focus. Ultimately, the Christian life is about building an intimate relationship with Jesus as the Holy Spirit changes us from the inside out, and loving others the way Jesus loves us.“As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more” (2 Corinthians 3:18b NLT).
You were shaped to serve God! When we become a Christian, God gives us salvation and the hope of eternity in heaven. He also gives us the opportunity to serve others and make a real difference in our community. Every member of Grace Hills is a minister. We all are shaped by God with individual gifts and talents that are to be used to support the body of Christ.“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).
You were made for a mission! You were made for a mission. God is at work in the world, and he wants you to join him. God wants you to share His love where you are. As a student, mother, teacher, salesman, manager, or whatever you do, God wants you to reach out to the people in your life. That might mean inviting a friend to church or showing love to those in need around you. God invites you to participate in the greatest, largest, most diverse, and most significant cause in history – his kingdom.“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15).
But there is a problem…
God has these great purposes for us, but we have sinned against Him, making it impossible to fulfill the eternal purposes God has in mind for us. We have broken His rules and disobeyed His commandments, and none of us can escape the responsibility of this.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23 ESV)
And because of our sin, we are spiritually dead and separated from God, unable to experience His purposes as we are. In fact, if we remain as we are, as unforgiven sinners, we will spend eternity apart from God in hell.
“For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23 ESV)
But God has the perfect solution!
We have sinned, we’ve lost our way, and we’re sentenced to death as a result, but God is love and God loves us too deeply to leave us lost. Instead, He has taken the initiative to send His one and only Son, Jesus, to earth, to be our Savior, our Rescuer, our Redeemer.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 ESV)
“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8 ESV)
Just what did Jesus accomplish when He died on the cross? He paid the penalty that our sins had incurred for us. And because He has paid for sin, He offers us forgiveness, a fresh start, a clean slate. He offers us new life in Himself!
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved…” (Ephesians 2:4-5 ESV)
You must respond to Jesus Christ and what He has done for you.
In order to live out God’s intended purposes for you, not only during your life on earth, but for all of eternity in heaven, you must respond to what Jesus has done for you on the cross. God doesn’t force people to turn to Him and become His children, but He lovingly and openly adopts into His eternal family anyone and everyone who comes to Him by faith in Jesus.
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved… For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:9,13 ESV)
To receive Jesus today, simply turn from your sins and trust in Him and what He has done for you on the cross. Believe that He died to save you and rose again to give you eternal life. You can express this belief in a simple prayer, offered from a sincere heart…
Dear God, thank you for having greater purposes for my life. I acknowledge that I have failed to live for you on my own and that I have sinned against you. But I believe that Jesus Christ, Your only Son, died to pay for my sins and rose again from the dead so that I could trust in Him as my Savior and have eternal life. I receive Jesus today as my Savior and commit to live the rest of my life for Him and for Your glory! Amen.