The Dirty Truth: Becoming Who We Were Meant to Be
In the Austin area? If so, then join us at Gateway on Sunday mornings! I will be speaking at the McNeil campus for the next four weeks and walking through a process that will help us become who we were created to be.
Not in the Austin area? Then watch live on the Gateway Internet Campus at 9:30am, 11am, or 12:30pm (CST) on Sundays, subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, or watch the messages each week at www.gatewaychurch.com/podcast.
Appreciate your prayers for our community during this series!
An Overview:
We can experience a life beyond our wildest imagination when we maximize who we were created to be. Applying the principles Jesus shared in describing the four types of soils, we can become fruitful (a.k.a. creative, generative, and productive).
Jesus points out that we struggle to become who we were created to be when we fail in any of the following areas: hearing God’s voice, overcoming the trials we face, overcoming the temptations that distract us, or doing what we know we ought to do. To avoid these pitfalls, we can discover our God-given destiny by developing four critical skills: receptivity, tenacity, intentionality, and proactivity.
Week One : Becoming Receptive (Overcoming Silence)
God has greater ideas in mind for our lives than we do. As we connect to God we can begin to discover our unlimited potential to touch the lives of other people. We were created to experience personal transformation and to be a part of helping others transform as well.
In the story of the soils, Jesus describes the first soil and how we can learn to discern God’s voice in our lives when we develop a posture of receptivity. We can move from a hardened heart to a vulnerable one and overcome spiritual silence by distinguishing God’s voice from among the crowd and from among our own.
Key Question: What is God calling you to do?
Week Two: Becoming Tenacious (Overcoming Trials)
The second soil describes shallow ground, the person who gives up when challenges arise. We can develop the skill of tenacity, the ability to overcome the trials we face. In doing so, we can move from a shallow faith and develop a deep faith and a new perspective. We can develop a higher tolerance for pain and suffering by developing gratitude, faithfulness, and a heart for serving. The process to develop tenacity involves committing to do things which make you feel uncomfortable in order to accomplish a goal worthy of the discomfort.
Key Question: What has happened to you that has kept you from living out God’s calling?
Week Three: Intentionality (Overcoming Temptations)
The third soil describes ground filled with thorns such as worries and the pursuit of wealth. When we develop intentionality, we can overcome the temptations that distract us. We can move from being distracted towards experiencing clarity in our lives. Consumerism, depression, discontent, and a pursuit of pleasure at all costs derail us. When we simplify our lives and focus, we thrive in spite of the distractions around us.
Key Question: What have you done that has kept you from living out God’s calling?
Week Four: Proactivity (Overcoming Rebellion)
The fourth soil describes ground that produces fruit, a harvest 30 times, 60 times, or 100 times greater than what was planted. Hearing God and following Him requires proactivity and helps us overcome our tendency toward apathy or rebellion. We can move from a more desolate place towards a more creative, generative, productive, and fruitful one.
Key Question: What do you need to sacrifice to live out God’s calling for your life?
