Follower of One : Missions For The Rest Of Us

Bonus Episode! Happy Easter and this will be the bonus episode for this week titled: Called According To His Purpose - Romans 8:28. 

Are you called according to his purpose? Mike explores how you can understand and translate His purpose into yours!

Don't forget to sign up for the Marketplace Mission Trip (www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com).

Your actions matter. Do you witness with your life? When we practice excellent behavior around others, because we follow Jesus, God uses our behavior as a testimony to others. Even if they speak badly of us, deep down inside, they know differently. And God may use that conflict in their life. It may be when he visits them personally about trusting him. And it may be in the final judgment day. Either way, God will use your good deeds for his glory in his time.

Don't forget about our upcoming Marketplace Mission Trip! Sign up is active now and will last through the end of this week.

Your actions matter. Do you witness with your life? When we practice excellent behavior around others, because we follow Jesus, God uses our behavior as a testimony to others. Even if they speak badly of us, deep down inside, they know differently. And God may use that conflict in their life. It may be when he visits them personally about trusting him. And it may be in the final judgment day. Either way, God will use your good deeds for his glory in his time.

Don't forget about our upcoming Marketplace Mission Trip! Sign up is active now and will last through the end of this week.

We spoke in the previous episode (Episode 266) about being intentional, or purposeful in how we live. Paul goes on to use a sharp word as the opposite of living with intention: foolishness. If we blow our life, living for ourself instead of being careful, and intentional in how we walk, we are foolish. Many people, myself included search for God's will for their life. We want to know if it's God's will that we take a particular job. 

Paul says we can avoid being foolish by understanding God's will. Have you ever struggled with that question? First, why is that important? We know that when something is created, the one who created it had a purpose. There was an intent. You were created for a reason. It sounds a little circular, but some of that reason is to have a relationship with God. He wants us to know him and understand him. Following what we do know is the first part of that purpose. 

Don't forget this is the last week to sign up for the Marketplace Mission Trip. This is a free 2-week exercise to practice living our faith full-time, in our regular daily life and circumstances. There's not cost to try it out. Learn more and sign up at www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com.

We spoke in the previous episode (Episode 266) about being intentional, or purposeful in how we live. Paul goes on to use a sharp word as the opposite of living with intention: foolishness. If we blow our life, living for ourself instead of being careful, and intentional in how we walk, we are foolish. Many people, myself included search for God's will for their life. We want to know if it's God's will that we take a particular job. 

Paul says we can avoid being foolish by understanding God's will. Have you ever struggled with that question? First, why is that important? We know that when something is created, the one who created it had a purpose. There was an intent. You were created for a reason. It sounds a little circular, but some of that reason is to have a relationship with God. He wants us to know him and understand him. Following what we do know is the first part of that purpose. 

Don't forget this is the last week to sign up for the Marketplace Mission Trip. This is a free 2-week exercise to practice living our faith full-time, in our regular daily life and circumstances. There's not cost to try it out. Learn more and sign up at www.MarketplaceMissionTrip.com.

Paul acknowledges that Jesus strengthened him and put him into service. The word translated service can also be translated ministry. This is the same Greek word from which we get the word we translate Deacon. Is this an official role, or is it a practical one?

Mike used to think "ministry" was reserved for those special people who were super-Christians, like the Apostle Paul. But when he realized that Jesus himself said that he came to serve, not to be served (Mark 10:45), Mike started to think differently. Certainly we can all serve? Do we have to go to work for a church, or become an overseas missionary to serve Jesus?

Mike decided to define his service as helping others move one notch closer to Jesus. He realized he could serve, or minister, to anyone, in any job, at any time. That's when he became a full-time minister.

Jesus will put you into service, too. All you have to do is obey him. He will give you ideas of ways you can serve others so that Jesus will become visible to them. In fact, we practice this every couple of months on the Marketplace Mission Trip. Why not check it out and sign up at MarketplaceMissionTrip.com. You'll realize that Jesus will put you into service, too.

Paul acknowledges that Jesus strengthened him and put him into service. The word translated service can also be translated ministry. This is the same Greek word from which we get the word we translate Deacon. Is this an official role, or is it a practical one?

Mike used to think "ministry" was reserved for those special people who were super-Christians, like the Apostle Paul. But when he realized that Jesus himself said that he came to serve, not to be served (Mark 10:45), Mike started to think differently. Certainly we can all serve? Do we have to go to work for a church, or become an overseas missionary to serve Jesus?

Mike decided to define his service as helping others move one notch closer to Jesus. He realized he could serve, or minister, to anyone, in any job, at any time. That's when he became a full-time minister.

Jesus will put you into service, too. All you have to do is obey him. He will give you ideas of ways you can serve others so that Jesus will become visible to them. In fact, we practice this every couple of months on the Marketplace Mission Trip. Why not check it out and sign up at MarketplaceMissionTrip.com. You'll realize that Jesus will put you into service, too.

What difference does belief make? There are a few references to this passage in the Bible. What does it mean to trust in the Lord with all of your heart? We acknowledge him in all of our ways. We do not lean on our own ideas and thoughts. 

Today, Mike talked about a few ideas he believed were given to him by God, but he leaned on his own understanding and gave himself a pass. When we do that, we fail to follow Jesus. We stop listening to God. When we acknowledge him in all of our ways, he directs our paths. He lets us experience his joy and we get to see him work.

Join Mike today. Do what God prompts you to do, even if it seems difficult, expensive or inconvenient. Trust the Lord with all of your heart and watch him work.

And maybe, one thing you can do is sign up for the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Maybe you think, "Well, I did that already." But what is God telling you? When we trust him with our whole heart and follow him, he directs our path and we experience his joy. Sign up for the next mission trip at MarketplaceMissionTrip.com.

What difference does belief make? There are a few references to this passage in the Bible. What does it mean to trust in the Lord with all of your heart? We acknowledge him in all of our ways. We do not lean on our own ideas and thoughts. 

Today, Mike talked about a few ideas he believed were given to him by God, but he leaned on his own understanding and gave himself a pass. When we do that, we fail to follow Jesus. We stop listening to God. When we acknowledge him in all of our ways, he directs our paths. He lets us experience his joy and we get to see him work.

Join Mike today. Do what God prompts you to do, even if it seems difficult, expensive or inconvenient. Trust the Lord with all of your heart and watch him work.

And maybe, one thing you can do is sign up for the next Marketplace Mission Trip. Maybe you think, "Well, I did that already." But what is God telling you? When we trust him with our whole heart and follow him, he directs our path and we experience his joy. Sign up for the next mission trip at MarketplaceMissionTrip.com.

n this week's episode of the Follower of One podcast, Mike speaks with James Madison. James is a 25 year veteran in executive leadership and currently runs his leadership and executive coaching company called OnPurpose Life. Please give him a warm welcome to the community! 

Episode Breakdown

1:02 - Meet James Madison with OnPurpose Life

3:32 - How to find your Purpose

6:27 - Get In Touch with James 

7:07 - James' story to Christ

9:07 - Using Your Faith Everywhere

11:52 - What is Your Gift?

14:17 - Marketplace Ministry

Understand Your Purpose

As Christians, we carry ourselves through life with God's purpose in mind. But what is our purpose? Sometimes shifting through the debris of our experiences makes our purpose a bit blurry and hard to find. Meet James Madison. James works tirelessly for all of his clients to help them find their purpose and it all comes down to our passion, talent, and experience. What is your passion? Talent? Experience? When those three meet, that is a good indication of what you should be doing. I believe we all have this struggle in our lives when we reach a certain point. Sometimes you can discover this at an early age, and other times it is much later in life. The goal is to find it no matter what. So, what purpose do you have? No idea? - Contact James! 

Faith in Everything

James uses this quote from St. Francis - "Preach the Gospel at all times and if necessary, use words". This sums up how we should view faith outside of the church! It should be through our actions and our example, not through quoting scripture, or trying to make everyone we meet a believer right there and then. Our faith is designed to lead not make them drink. We have a duty to the people around us. That duty is to be the shining light we see in God. How have you been the example you want to see in others? Has God shown you ways to live your faith in every action? If these are still lingering questions for you, join us for the next Marketplace Mission Trip! 

Interview Quote

"What is your purpose? There is this idea that it is a luxury to know what your purpose is. You have to become aware of your purpose first and then walk in it let these things call upon you. It is what I call more flow, and less hustle."

Connect with James

James' LinkedIn

OnPurpose Life Website

James' Email