Mission (2 of 3): My Mission – Devotions with Dad

For dad only:

Traveling where He Leads

Note: This lesson will be understood best in the context of the Life! Journal called “Life Mission.” Download and print of the PDF version of this daily journal on finding your life purpose, or click the links below for each of the seven days of this study:

Take this devotional time to help your children identify or at least begin thinking about what God would do through them in ministry as a personal mission.

Perhaps you already have a good idea of where God will take each one of your children. Without pushing anything on them, guide their thinking the way Rusty’s Dad did. Help them see their strengths and notice where God is already using them.

Pray for your children and find ways to help expand their ministry and life purpose. Any time spent preparing in childhood will be time devoted to more service later when the time is ripe.

Keep in mind, however, that you and they may not know details about their life mission until early adulthood. You are not chartering a tour, just looking for landmarks and road signs for their personal missions.

Someday, the whole panorama of God’s plan will unfold before them. You may not see yourself in the picture, however, until you reach your eternal reward. Then, the view will take your breath away.

_________

Read this devotional on finding a personal mission to your kids:

Finding Where I Fit

Dad sat down next to Rusty at the picnic table as Pastor continued talking with the man who had burst into tears. Rusty could see that his friend Carter was about to cry, too, seeing his dad breaking down like this.

Pastor explained to Carter’s dad that when he confessed his sin and turned from it, Jesus would wash it all away. He explained to him the importance of baptism in the name of Jesus and the power over sin he would have when the Spirit filled him.

Pastor said, “Doug, I am going to pray and ask Jesus to forgive my sins to help you know what to say when you pray. You can repeat after me, or say whatever comes from your heart. Ready?”

Carter’s dad nodded. Pastor said, “Jesus, you know that I have rejected you with my thoughts, my words, and my actions.”

“Jesus,” Carter’s dad said, “I’m sorry for rejecting you in my thoughts and things I said and in my actions.”

Pastor said, “I’m asking you to forgive me for my wickedness. Let me feel good and clean inside.”

“For—forgive me,” Carter’s dad sobbed, “for being so wicked. I’ve wasted money, I’ve gotten drunk, I’ve been a bad dad, and I’ve hurt the people I love the most. I want to feel clean inside!”

Pastor continued, “Thank you, Jesus, for taking away all my sin on the cross.”

“Thank you, Jesus, for taking my sin on the cross.”

“Thank you for loving me and giving me a new start.”

“Thanks, Jesus, for loving me. Thanks for helping me start over.”

Pastor said nothing for a while. Finally, Carter’s dad opened his eyes, wiping away tears, and said, “Wow! That works! I really feel different. What did you do?”

Pastor smiled at him. “I helped you see how easy it is to get God’s help. Doug, you are clean inside like an empty bottle. Now, God wants to fill you with His new wine.”

“There’s more?” Carter’s dad asked.

Pastor laughed. “This is just the beginning. Let’s just talk to the Lord and tell him how much you love Him, Doug. As you praise the Lord, He will fill you with the Holy Ghost.”

Carter nodded. “I’ve heard you guys talk about that at church. But I was not sure if that was my kind of thing.”

Pastor smiled. “I know what you mean, but here, look,” he opened a pocket New Testament, “Peter told them to ‘Repent,’ which you just did. Then he told them ‘be baptized everyone of you in Jesus’ Name for the remission your sins’ and then he gave them the promise, ‘you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.’ He told them this gift is for everyone the Lord calls. And, Doug, that pull you are feeling on your heart is God calling you to Himself. He wants you to have the gift.”

“Okay, what do I do?” Carter’s dad said.

“Ask Him for it,” Pastor explained. “Just say, “Lord, please fill me with Your Spirit. Then you start telling Him how great He is and how much you love Him.”

Pastor led the man in praying again and coached him on how to worship the Lord. Soon he was crying again and lifting his hands to the Lord. Rusty and Dad worshiped the Lord out loud, too, and God’s presence settled on them.

After a while Carter’s dad slowed down his praying. Pastor did not push him to pray any longer. He asked him if he had gotten close to the Lord.

“Yes. I felt so close to Jesus it scared me. I kind of felt like I was floating. That was amazing. I felt this surge of—of happiness. I have never felt like this before.”

“You are on the right road, my friend,” Pastor said. “You just keep loving and worshiping the Lord like that and you will suddenly overflow with that feeling until you start saying words you do not understand. Right now you are feeling the closeness of the Holy Ghost, but when you start talking in tongues, you will know that you are filled with the Holy Ghost. It will just pour out of you.”

“Wow,” Carter’s dad said, glancing around the campground. A few men were watching from a distance.

“Do you want to pray more now?” Pastor asked.

“Well, I do, but I want to spend a little time with my son here, too.”

“Great!” Pastor said. “You stay on this track. You are very close to God’s greatest gift.”

Dad stood up and shook Carter’s dad’s hand. “Great job, Doug. You are making the best choice. It will be great to have you as part of the family.”

“Thanks,” he said, and put his arm around Carter.

Rusty stood up, too, when he saw Dad was turning to leave. As they walked away, he gave a small wave to Carter who nodded and smiled. Pastor talked with the two for few moments and then left as well.

“Boy, Dad,” Rusty said when they were out of earshot, “I wish I could talk to people like that.”

“You can,” Dad said.

“Yeah, but Pastor understands people like Carter’s dad. He’s been out in the world and knows about those things. I don’t think I could do that.”

“Well, Rusty,” Dad said as they wandered toward the campfire and the other campers, “God doesn’t call you to be someone else. He calls you to do what He knows you can do.”

They saw Bro. Shefner talking to the group of guys around the campfire as Bro. Belden set up the turkey on the spit to roast it over the campfire.

“I want to do something for God, but I can’t be like Bro. Shefner. He is so good at talking to groups of people and getting us to see how the Bible fits with our daily lives. I choke up when I talk to a lot of people.”

Dad smiled. “I know, Rusty. You are looking at your life and comparing yourself to others. Instead, look at your life and compare yourself to Jesus. Where do you see Jesus at work in you? When has He reached others through your life?”

Rusty shrugged. “I’m not sure I have helped a lot of people.”

“I’m thinking of one you helped today.”

“Carter?” Rusty asked.

Dad nodded. “You did not seem to have any trouble talking with him one-on-one. You even led him in prayer.”

Rusty thought about that for a moment.

“If I were you, Son, I would look for more opportunities like that.”

Rusty glanced back at the picnic table where Carter and his dad were eating their sandwiches. He looked at Dad and nodded. “Okay. I will.”

“Meanwhile,” Dad said, “let’s join the group and see how this turkey roast is going.”

_______

Now discuss it!

What did you learn from Pastor praying with Carter’s dad?

How has God used you in teaching someone about Him?

Do you think you will to talk to large groups of people?

Do you see yourself talking to small groups of people?

Do you see yourself talking to friends face-to-face, alone?

Do you think God uses you in praying for others?

What do you think God would like for you to do as a personal mission and life purpose in His kingdom? Do you think He will use you in cooking food? Cleaning and organizing? Teaching and preaching? Helping sick people and giving things to the poor? Knocking on doors and inviting people to church?

_________

Read God’s Word together:

Philip in Samaria

Philip went to the city of Samaria and preached about the Christ. When the people there heard Philip and saw the miracles he was doing, they all listened carefully to what he said. Many of these people had evil spirits in them, but Philip made the evil spirits leave. The spirits made a loud noise when they came out. Philip also healed many weak and crippled people there. So the people in that city were very happy.

But there was a man named Simon in that city. Before Philip came there, Simon had practiced magic and amazed all the people of Samaria. He bragged and called himself a great man. All the people—the least important and the most important—paid attention to Simon, saying, “This man has the power of God, called ‘the Great Power’!”

Simon had amazed them with his magic so long that the people became his followers. But when Philip told them the Good News about the kingdom of God and the power of Jesus Christ, men and women believed Philip and were baptized. Simon himself believed, and after he was baptized, he stayed very close to Philip. When he saw the miracles and the powerful things Philip did, Simon was amazed.

When the apostles who were still in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When Peter and John arrived, they prayed that the Samaritan believers might receive the Holy Spirit. These people had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, but the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them. Then, when the two apostles began laying their hands on the people, they received the Holy Spirit.

Simon saw that the Spirit was given to people when the apostles laid their hands on them. So he offered the apostles money, saying, “Give me also this power so that anyone on whom I lay my hands will receive the Holy Spirit.”

Peter said to him, “You and your money should both be destroyed, because you thought you could buy God’s gift with money. You cannot share with us in this work since your heart is not right before God. Change your heart! Turn away from this evil thing you have done, and pray to the Lord. Maybe he will forgive you for thinking this. I see that you are full of bitter jealousy and ruled by sin.”

Simon answered, “Both of you pray for me to the Lord so the things you have said will not happen to me.”

After Peter and John told the people what they had seen Jesus do and after they had spoken the message of the Lord, they went back to Jerusalem. On the way, they went through many Samaritan towns and preached the Good News to the people.

(Act 8:5-25, NCV)

_________

Let’s talk about finding your personal mission!

What did Philip do in Samaria? Preached to the people about Jesus, cast out devils, healed the sick, and baptized.

Why did Peter and John come down? To help pray with people to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

How was this like Pastor helping Rusty and Dad talk to Carter and his dad?

Role play: You tell someone about Jesus and the gift of the Spirit. They tell you they want this. What do you do?

What can you do to prepare for your personal mission today?

_________

Memorize it!

Matthew 20:27

And whosoever

will be chief among you,

let him be your servant: