August 31, 2025

BLUEPRINT: DESIGNING A LIFE OF PURPOSE AND MEANING

August 31, 2025

Teaching Pastor Charles Billingsley

What are you willing to give up to be more like Christ? Today’s sermon focuses on building breathing time—Margin—into our day, for those times when an interruption occurs, and possibly we are meant to give our attention to someone as our obedience may further God’s kingdom. Perhaps it’s any of several people, situations, or inconveniences, but do we offer to God that time so another of His sheep gets the benefit, or are we out of sorts for being interrupted? How can we live our life to be a mirror of how Jesus lived His? He expects even the interruptions in life to be a design used to glorify Him, so let all that you do be as unto the Lord. Live knowing He is with you every step, and let it be you living life at your best.

Focal Passages: Mark 1-7. 

Create Margin for Interruptions:

  • In Mark 1:12-45, how many times do you see Jesus getting interrupted by people? How did He react? In verse 38, what is the reason He tells why He is so willing to continue hour after hour with the situations and crowds?
  • Where do the majority of our interruptions come from? How often do we take interruptions as a very negative thing? How can we learn to take them with the compassion and love that Jesus Christ did?
  1. When Satan interrupts:
  • Read Eph, 6:13. How can we tell if an interruption is from Satan? How can we best resist him? Do you know your Bible well enough to resist him with Scripture? How can we learn to do this? What else can we use?
  1. When Jesus interrupts:
  • Why would Jesus interrupt our day? How can we immediately surrender? What can we learn if He does? What is the important thing to remember at this time?
  1. When people interrupt:
  • What is our best action when people interrupt us? Who is most important in an interruption from someone? Why? Again, (except with the religious leaders), how did Jesus respond?

Shape moments for Influence: 

  • Can someone please tell the story of Mark 4:35-41? How many people were involved in this scene (vs. 36)? How did the disciples see this ending (vs. 38)? How did Jesus see it (vs. 40)? How often are we like the disciples—and how often do we have faith to trust that, since He is with us, we need not be fearful?
  • Does anyone recall the story of the gentleman at the country club, William? How many people does William influence for Jesus Christ? How many people does the average person influence? Are you leaving them with a bad taste in their mouth for Christians, or will they think Christians are really kind people? What actions will make the difference?
  • What was the point of what Jesus did in the passage on the Sea of Galilee?

Focus Resources for Investment:

  • What is our usual response to the topic of investments? We all have three sources where we can invest; what are they? Everyone has 1) money and things (stuff) 2) relationships and 3) time. Which of these will you never get back?
  • Why is it so important that we put time into the relationships in our life, asking God to bless them, multiply them, and then give some away (whether counsel, wisdom, encouragement, etc.)?
  • Read Eph. 5:15. How do we redeem the time we are given? If you recall, Charles cited statistics showing the average person uses more than 25 hours per week on social media; what could you do with one more day in your week, to use for God? We could do that if we get off social media.
  • If you also recall, most of our lives are lived focusing on things not important and not urgent. The best way to live is focusing on things that are important, but not urgent. Can anyone give an example? How can we change this in our lives?

Plan time for Intimacy with others and with God:

  • In order to build up one’s family dynamics, what are some ways we can strengthen those relationships, in order to achieve true familial loyalty and love?
  • In order to strengthen our relationship with God, what are ways we should interact with Him on a daily basis, and how faithful are you to see that you have growth in your love for Him?

Close:

This sermon has been filled with guidelines for spending time with Jesus in order to know Him better and therefore be more like Him as we walk through this world of sin. We can all use those instructions, and as we spend more time with Him, we should reflect Him. Think of Moses being with God on Mt. Sinai—when he came down his face shone with God’s glory! In Acts 4:13, when Peter and John had been interrogated by the religious leaders, the final thought was, they realized they had been with Jesus—it came through as the two testified of Him. We have His promise that as we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us (James 4:8). When we spend time in His word, in prayer, in fasting, and in worship, these will give our lives purpose and meaning—and people will be able to tell that we are spending time with Jesus. What a testimony that would be!

Sandy Day
August 31, 2025                                      

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