Now God’s grand plan is to restore His people and His creation to their original purpose. Paradise was lost; it is to be regained. Everlasting life with God was lost; it is to be regained.
But our original purpose remains the same today, even in a fallen state of sin, death, darkness, and rebellion: to glorify, God, add value to His creation, and have fellowship with the Creator.
What Does That Have To Do With My Life?
If you’ve ever been part of a team or organization, you know that once you get a basic understanding of the ‘big picture’ goals and purpose of the team or organization, your part in it begins to make more sense, and you get a clearer vision of what you need to do individually.
We’ll start to look into what all of that means and what it looks like in real life next week.
An Estimated 80,000 Christians Gather in Texas Stadium for Prayer
While much of America’s attention is focused on politics, wars and cultural controversies, here’s what happened Saturday night in Arlington:
An estimated 80,000 Christians gathered at AT&T Stadium for an evening devoted primarily to prayer.
The event, called ACCESS — That Powerful Hour of Prayer, was organized by 2819 Church and Pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell.
According to organizers and participants, free tickets were reserved within eight hours. Unlike many large Christian gatherings, the event wasn’t built around celebrity speakers or a traditional concert.
Istead it emphasized collective prayer, worship and spiritual renewal.
The reported attendance is an estimate rather than an independently verified count. Nevertheless, the event’s scale is notable. Last year’s ACCESS gathering reportedly attracted more than 30,000 participants in Atlanta. Christian Post
Wait. Aren’t we constantly hearing that Christianity is dying in America?
Church attendance has declined in many denominations and religious affiliation has weakened, while millions of Americans identify as having no religion.
Yet tens of thousands of people gathered in a football stadium specifically to pray.
So What’s Going On?
Maybe Americans aren’t necessarily losing interest in God, but rather some are losing interest in traditional religious institutions.
While that’s not a conclusion we can draw from one stadium gathering it is a question worth investigating.
Jesus said:
“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” — Matthew 18:20 (KJV)
Notice our Lord didn’t say two or three thousand, and He didn’t require a stadium.
Large gatherings like this suggest that substantial enthusiasm for collective Christian worship remains, even as traditional measures of religious participation show long-term weakness.
What is God’s grand plan? Well, let’s let the Word of God speak for itself:
Genesis 1:27–28
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
First, we are the only creatures that carry the image of God. We are to be like Him, and we are to reflect who He is to the creation, which then glorifies our Creator.
Second, we are to be fruitful and multiply, caring for and adding value to His creation, and filling it with more and more of His image-bearers so that God is glorified more and more.
Third, God created man not only to reflect His image and add value to His creation, but also to have a relationship with Him. We are to be companions of and have fellowship with the Creator of the universe.
That was God’s original intention. Then it all went wrong because of man’s disobedience and refusal to submit to the clear and loving will of his Creator.
Sometimes we ask them quietly, late at night when everything is still. Sometimes they appear when life changes suddenly, or when we lose someone we love. And sometimes they simply show up when we stop long enough to think about the bigger picture.
Why am I here? Does my life really matter? What happens after I die?
For thousands of years people have tried to answer these questions in many different ways—religion, philosophy, and science are always searching for clues about where everything came from.
The Bible answers those questions by telling a story—a story about God, about people, and about a grand plan that stretches from the beginning of creation all the way into the future.
And according to that story, your life is part of that plan.
Too many times, folks seeking purpose in their lives come up short in finding the answers they’re looking for. Why?
I think most of the time it’s because you can’t really understand the purpose of your individual life unless and until you gain some understanding of, and appreciation for, God’s grand plan.
Sooner or later, everyone begins to ask the big questions.
Why does anything exist?
Why are we here?
Why does suffering exist?
What happens when we die?
Is the world heading somewhere—or nowhere?
For thousands of years people have wondered about these questions, and many have offered different answers.
The Bible claims something remarkable: that God has revealed the true story of the world—from the beginning of creation to the future of humanity—and that every person’s life fits somewhere within that story.
But many people have never heard the Bible’s big story explained clearly from beginning to end. And about the surprising place your life has in it.
This book isn’t written for scholars or theologians. It’s written for ordinary people who are curious about life, about God, and about what the Bible actually says about the future.
You don’t need a religious background or special training to follow along. The goal here is simple: to walk through the Bible’s big story in clear, everyday language.
The book is divided into three parts. Part One explains the big picture of God’s plan and how people throughout the Bible connected their lives to that plan. Part Two explores what the Bible says about heaven, hell, the end of the world, and what comes after this life. Part Three focuses on the most practical question of all: how do you and I plug into God’s forever plan right now in everyday life?
The paperback version is $10.99 and the e-book is $2.99.
A legendary actor, Sam Neill, is here one day and gone the next. A prominent politician/U.S. Senator, Lindsey Graham, is taken from us overnight.
Deadly flash floods in Missouri have taken lives and forced hundreds of emergency rescues. Families woke up expecting an ordinary day… and by nightfall, everything had changed. (The Washington Post)
That’s the uncomfortable, unfortunate reality in this current dark and broken world.
Our culture acts like we’re guaranteed another summer, another birthday, another chance to text, “Sorry,” or finally start asking life’s biggest questions. The Bible says otherwise.
“Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” — Proverbs 27:1 (KJV)
Life is incredibly fragile. Your next breath isn’t something you earned—it’s a gift. The question isn’t, “How long will I live?” The wake-up call is, “What am I living for?”
God is real—Jesus really conquered death—and the smartest thing you’ll ever do isn’t building the perfect career or chasing viral fame. It’s getting to know the One who holds your life in His hands.
So, seize the day. Seize every day, starting today.
Read Proverbs 27. You’ll be glad you did. And you’ll be better able to understand that today is all you have—and even that is a little iffy. Trust God.
