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There are two great longings in the human heart–belonging + mattering. We want to be a part of a community that cares about us and part of a cause that’s worthy of our lives.
We must understand why we’re here. We must understand the created intent.
In this 4-day track, Ben Stuart will help us look at how we can structure our own lives for the world around us to flourish.
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12.8.2023
About this track
There are two great longings in the human heart–belonging + mattering. We want to be a part of a community that cares about us and part of a cause that’s worthy of our lives.
We must understand why we’re here. We must understand the created intent.
In this 4-day track, Ben Stuart will help us look at how we can structure our own lives for the world around us to flourish.
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How To Cultivate A Meaningful Life
4-day track with Ben Stuart
Day 02
Locked
Who Are You?
Day 03
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Where Eternity Meets the Mundane
Day 04
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Make the Most of Every Opportunity
Welcome to day one of How to Cultivate a Meaningful Life.
There are two great longings in the human heart–belonging + mattering. We want to be a part of a community that cares about us and part of a cause that’s worthy of our lives.
We must understand why we’re here. We must understand the created intent.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:27
In three days, God builds a structure that allows life to flourish. That’s what a good parent does, they build a structure that their child flourishes in.
We are going to be looking at how we can structure our own lives for the world around us to flourish.
Video
Summary
Many in today’s world feel like meaninglessness is stalking them. That’s a problem, considering we all want to matter: be part of a community that cares about us and part of a cause worthy of our life.
Colossians 1:16 assures us that we are not meaningless and have been created by Jesus and for Jesus. Our greatest commandment is to love God. We were created to love and enjoy our maker.
How does that work out for our 9-5 though? Why were we born? We must look at the Creator’s intent to find the answer. Genesis tells us that we weren’t just created by God; we were created in His image.
Genesis allows us to see what God is like. In the beginning, the world lacked form and fullness. But God created in 3 days the sea, air, and land. He built structure. The teleological support structures for life. In the next three days, He fills those structures with life: birds, sea creatures, animals, and humanity. God put us in the Garden to cultivate it. Cultivating is creating structure. It’s not stifling; it’s structure for the sake of flourishing, form for the sake of fullness, and order for the flourishing of all life.
We are meant to be like God in this manner. Parents create a structure for their kids to flourish. Husbands do this for wives just as wives do this for their husbands. Bosses do it for businesses and kings for their kingdoms.
King Jesus did that for us. When chaos came back because of our sin, He brought the Kingdom into the chaos.
What's Next?
Do you feel a sense of meaning or meaninglessness when it's quiet? Anytime we want to learn or grow, we must start with our present reality. This isn't an exercise of shame, it's a check-in to see where your sense of meaning, or meaningless, may be rooted.
It’s day two, and we are continuing to talk about how we can cultivate a meaningful life. Last time, we discussed how God created a structure for life to flourish and created us in His image.
We are presented with the question: How can the eternal touchdown with the mundane?
In order to see how we can use our gifts more effectively and efficiently for the greater good, we are going to be looking at your titles, tasks, and time. In this session, we will be looking at your titles.
Your identity determines your activity. Who you are determines what you do. God has given us these identities.
The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.
Proverbs 12:24
Video
Summary
What does it look like to cultivate and create every day?
How do you structure your time so you can flourish?
One of the best gifts you can give is you-fully alive.
Think about your titles, tasks, and time. This session focused on titles because it is important to identify exactly who you are. Your identity determines your activity. Who you are determines what you do.
Scripture has many titles for us. Beloved is one, which is appropriate since we are to love God. He also calls us saints. We are holy because of the work of Jesus, but we also are to live holy lives, making war against the sin that unravels creation.
Believe that you are the master of your schedule, not the victim of it. You are meant to cultivate in such a way that there is a flourishing to life.
What's Next?
Write out the titles you have under God (student, employee, parent, spouse, etc). What are the identities God has given you?
Today is day three. In our last session, we talked about the titles we have under God.
The next step is to look at our tasks underneath our titles. We may notice that some of our titles need more or fewer tasks underneath them to fulfill our created intent. When we do this, we can operate out of priority, not proximity.
“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.”
Mark 1:35-38
Video
Summary
When the things of God play out in your day-to-day life, you are seeing the eternal touch the mundane. That’s encouraging!
Most people are like an octopus on roller skates; lots of movement, but at the end of the day, they wonder if any of it was forward. They were busy all day long, but what was the purpose? The meaninglessness becomes hard to handle.
We’ve been given roles under God and responsibilities within them. We have a mandate to create so life can flourish. Once we know who we are, we can figure out our tasks in those categories. If you can see what your responsibilities are, you can see if you’re fulfilling your created intent.
Operate out of priority, not proximity. Most people do whatever is nearby rather than prioritizing. Jesus had many days where He was doing what His responsibility was, but His number one priority was to be with His Father, and He never missed it. The disciples tried to interrupt to get him to keep performing miracles, but Jesus insisted the miracles authenticated His message. So, instead of being sidetracked, He moved to a different town in order to stay on mission. Jesus said “no” all the time. He was willing to divert His time and energy, but He was never willing to abandon His priorities under God.
What's Next?
Write out your titles and tasks. Those are your priorities. When you identify them, you will be able to say no to enticing or exciting things that aren't right. This is what it looks like to be intentional with what the Lord has given you to do. Look back at your list from the previous two days. If so, it might be time to start pruning your task list in order to operate our of priority and not proximity.
We’re stepping into the last day of our track, where we are honing in on how we can use our time to cultivate a meaningful life.
And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan). He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. For he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses. And the Lord was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him.
2 Kings 18:3-7
We begin to experience the eternal touching down with the mundane when we can identify titles, tasks, and times to schedule by priority instead of proximity. What we’re doing every day accomplishes an eternal purpose. But how do we tweak our schedule to be maximally efficient, to make the most of our days here on Earth? Let’s dive in and find out.
Video
Summary
In 2 Kings 18:3-7, we see Hezekiah tear down all of the idols and high places of false worship. As the king, it was his responsibility to uproot what was destructive to the community. But he also planted the commandments of the Lord, to love and care for each other.
We’ve talked about the reality that we have been given titles and tasks, and we control how our time is spent. Now, we have to fit those tasks and titles into TIME.
The test is to become a student of ourselves.
How do you tweak your schedule to become maximally helpful? What boundaries or guardrails do you need to set up to protect the holy time when you fulfill the tasks and titles?
When are you most creative? When are you the most Helpful? When do you find it best to make decisions? Again, be a student of yourself and build your schedule around a strategy that will allow you to accomplish what God has called you to and be maximally fruitful.
What's Next?
Position your tasks within your schedule in such a way that you regain your agency and purpose. This will allow you to use your gifts for the benefit of everyone. This is what discipline looks like, cultivating your schedule with intention and care so that you are efficient and effective.
Next Day
Track Topics
Scripture References
- Colossians 1:16
- Genesis 1:27
- Proverbs 12:24
- Mark 1:35-38
- 2 Kings 18:3-7
Ben Stuart Ben Stuart is the pastor of Passion City Church D.C. Prior to joining Passion City Church, Ben served as the executive director of Breakaway Ministries on the campus of Texas A&M. He also earned a master’s degree in historical theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Donna, live to inspire and equip people to walk with God for a lifetime.
Day 02
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Recount What God Has Done
Day 03
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Anticipate the Attack + Pray Backside Prayers
Day 04
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Celebrate Rest + Delay Big Decisions
Day 05
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Celebrate Others
Day 02
Locked
Recount What God Has Done
Day 03
Locked
Anticipate the Attack + Pray Backside Prayers
Day 04
Locked
Celebrate Rest + Delay Big Decisions
Day 05
Locked
Celebrate Others