On Purpose (part 2) - Pleasing Him; Pleasing Me

adapted from Rick Warren's small group series (The Purpose Driven Life)
There was an old lonely man who made his living out of making wooden dolls and selling them. Some of the dolls he made were very plain, and he sold them for a few dollars. Those dolls were made for children to play with. He made other dolls that he sold for hundreds of dollars. They weren’t for children to play with at all. They were collector dolls. Each one of them was made by the old man’s hand with great care.

One day the man realizing that he was lonely made a doll that he did not intend to sell. He made this doll for himself. This doll was a magic doll. It would be unlike any other doll he had ever made. When he finished with the doll, it could talk to him. It could walk around the shop. It could listen to him. He made a living doll.

One day the doll was on his way to school. A stranger said, “Psst. What are hanging around with that old man for? Don’t you realize that you are special? You are a talking, walking doll. You could really be something. You should spend some time with me. I’m a lot more fun.”

At first, it sounded strange to the doll, but as the days passed he began to think about what the stranger had said. He figured, “I’ll never know unless I try it out. Maybe the stranger is right.” The doll began to hang out with the stranger. They did all kinds of things together. He saw places that he never even knew existed. It was great. He was having a great time. Every night he would go home, and that’s when the great time ended.

The old man would ask him where he had been all day. The doll would say, “You know. I was here and there. I saw a few of my friends.” For some reason the doll couldn’t tell the old man the truth about where he had been. He felt rotten inside. He thought, “If the stranger (now his friend) is right, then why do I always feel so rotten when I come home.”

Just as he was getting ready for bed, the old man walked into his room. He said, “I know where you have been. I can smell your clothes. I can see the shame in your eyes. Don’t you know that you weren’t made to be like that? I made you for me. I made you to be with me. Do you remember a few years ago, when we used to eat breakfast together every morning. We would sit down by the lake and I would teach you. You used to love me.”

The next day would be different. The doll would stop hanging out with the stranger. The old man and the doll would have breakfast together. They would spend the afternoon down by the lake getting to know eachother again.

Some dolls were created to be toys. Other dolls were created to be beautiful things to look at. But you were created to know Him.
God created you for a purpose. He created me for a purpose. I was created to worship Him. You were created to worship Him. You were created to love Him.

So what is worship? What do you think of?
Take some answers…

This is what the Bible has to say about what worship is:
Love the Lord Your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. – Mark 12:30

…Offer your body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship.

(HOW DO I DO THAT?) Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. – Romans 12:1-2

(HOW DO I DO THAT?) Jesus said, “…Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me… These things I have spoken to you, the My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”

I have come that you might have life, and that you might have it abundantly. – Jesus

We are selfish people. We go out into life trying to get ours. We try to get what ever we possible can out of life. We want the best stuff (the newest phone, the latest games, the fasted cars). All of those things are nice, but is that really what your life is all about?

So what do I do to show God how much He is worth to me?
1) Accept His gift of eternal life with Him. (We’ve talked a lot about this)
a. God wants to have a relationship with You, but you have to accept His gift of eternal life first.
i. Admit you are a sinner. That means to admit that you aren’t perfect. Your life doesn’t measure up to God’s standard of holiness. Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned and continue to fall short of the God’s standard.
ii. Believe the good news – Jesus Christ came to earth, lived a sinless life, was put to death, was buried, and rose again. And he did it for you.
iii. Accept the gift. Romans 6:23 – The wages of sin is death (eternal separation from God), but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
b. Say this to God –
i. I admit that I’m not perfect. I don’t meet your standard of holiness. I believe that you died for me. I accept that gift as payment for my sins.
c. If you just prayed that prayer, then write, I DID IT on your Comm. Card.
2) If you’ve already done that, then write “I’ve already done that” on your card.
a. Now get baptized.
i. Baptism has nothing to do with becoming a Christian. Baptism is simply publicly identifying yourself with Jesus. You are saying, “I’m with Him.”
ii. It is a public display of affection for Jesus
b. Write on your card, “I want to be baptized.”
3) If you’ve already done that, then write, “I already got wet” on your card.
a. Now live right. Make up your mind to be right.
b. Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
c. If you have accepted Jesus into your life, then do you realize what you have?
i. “And you were dead, but have been made alive”

God is worth giving everything to. He is worth our devotion. He is worth our time. We were made to do Life Together with Him, to be in relationship with Him. It’s how we were made. It doesn’t work any other way.

Breakout Session Guide D.L. stands for discussion leader -
What did you get out of the story about the doll?
D.L. notes – This is a pretty open-ended question, but the main intent of the story was to
Communicate that when the doll was doing what it was intended to do, it was happy.
The other things that the doll got involved in only brought it shame. This may be a time
To share any ‘doll’ moments that you may have had in your own life.

Read Romans 12:2. It says that we should not conform to the patterns of this world. What are some of the patterns (values) of this world? How does this world draw you into those patterns?
D.L. notes – Have the teens list off some of this worlds’ values. Some ways that we are
Drawn into them are “you will be liked if you...” “you will be more attractive if you…”
Let them come up with the answers. Maybe have them give some specific scenarios from
Their own lives.

What is your greatest priority in your life?
D.L. notes – Encourage honesty here. You can help them by saying, “Fill in the blank: If
Nothing else gets done today except for ____________ then today has been a good day.”

Read Mark 12:30. What is God’s greatest priority for your life?
D.L. notes – Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. –
Mark 12:30 Have them expand on what that actually means. Talk about passion (The
object of your passion is the most important thing.)