Extreme Life Makeover #4 -- Future Story by John Lepper

What’s Your Story?

Not long ago I spilled coffee in my wife’s new car while she was out of town. Quick to find a solution to my carelessness, I went to the local home store to purchase carpet-cleaning supplies. I rushed to the checkout, stopped abruptly, and quickly reached for my money. The person waiting on me had a startled look on her face that seemed to say, “What’s going on with this goofy guy?” I responded to her non-verbal “comment” by saying, “Everybody has a story; do you want to hear mine?” She did and we both got a laugh about my predicament.

The fact is everybody has at least three stories. The first relates to our past. The second relates to our current situation. The third relates to our future.

Remembering stories of our past can trigger anger, hurt, pain. Our current issues can cause a narrow focus on our present pain or problems.

While the past may haunt us and the present may consume us, our real energy lies in our future story. All of us tend to live toward our future story, whether that story is negative or positive, hopeful or despairing.

For example, a pastor of an inner city church tells about a young lady who was graduating from high school. Even though she was accepted as a college student, she was unable to attend. She simply could not imagine herself away from her home surroundings and as a college student.

What is your future story? How does your future story of yourself compare with the future story God has for you? The following scripture passages may help you determine God’s future story for you.

Jeremiah 29: 11
Numbers 13: 1-3; 25-33
Numbers 14: 6-10

• God has plans for us that are hopeful. Our well-being is a top concern of God.

• When our present and future seem filled with giants, Joshua and Caleb remind us that we can conquer the giants (because God is on our side).

• God walks with us into our future. The future belongs to God.

• God is interested in our past and also in our current situation but perhaps He is more interested in helping us claim our hopeful future story.

Prayer:
God, thank you for your word that helps me see a positive future story. Thank you for friends. Help me to reflect on scripture and share with friends as I develop a positive future story for the coming year. Remind me that you are on my side as I move into a positive future.

Three Action Items for Today:
1. Reflect on your unspoken future story. What will the coming year look like?
2. Have a conversation with a trusted friend about your future story. Ask this friend to help you develop a more positive future story.
3. Thank God for the hope he gives through scripture, through friends, and through worship with friends.

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Today's Extreme Life Makeover Article was written by John Lepper. John is a good friend, a Family Life Counselor,the Point Leader of the Kentucky Baptist Fellowship, and a friend of Phos Hilaron Church. As a matter of fact, when the dream of Phos was hanging in the balance he sat we me and helped me imagine a stronger, brighter future story for Phos and for me.

Jeff Fuson serves as Point Leader for Phos Hilaron Church near Louisville Kentucky. Jeff's # 1 passion is being a husband and daddy. A close second is seeing people grow spiritually. As a Professional Speaker Jeff also serves as a Keynote Speaker & Trainer crafting & delivering high impact keynote addresses & training events for Entrepreneurs, Banks, Credit Unions, and small to medium sized non-profit & for profit enterprises. He's got one incredible wife and 3 awesome children.

Extreme Life Makeover #2 -- Make a Radical Commitment

Most of us want to live life at a higher level....we'd like to have the 'perfect life' whatever that is.

There are a few challenges ....
#1 most of us have no idea of what the 'perfect life' would be for us because we've lacked the tools to help us define what that might look like. (the tools and ideas you need will be coming up later in this series)

# 2 We probably haven't committed to seeking God's Kingdom First and then letting the chips fall where they may. More on that in a minute....

I've spent a lot of time and energy in my life trying to determine what my 'dream life' would be like and then I've mapped out a plan and attacked it like 39 dogs only to realize that the pursuit left me empty inside. I couldn't figure out why until I realized that I was violating an important principle....I was determining my own dream with no input from God. It's not that God wants to 'boss' me around, it's that He knows me even better than I know myself and that when I pursue His agenda for the world and my place in it that my best gifts will be activated and I'll find myself in the sweet spot of a life well-lived on purpose.

In short I discover the power & passion of alignment with His agenda, my gifts and dreams and the needs of the world when I give Him access to the command center of my life.

The reality is that my dream is found in His.

It's remarkable that Jesus words ring true that when we lose our lives we actually find them.

Two Action Items for you today:
Action Item 1:
Read and really think about these 3 scriptures:

Proverbs 3:5-6

Matthew 6:33 (the entire Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5 to Matthew 7 is worth reading and thinking seriously about as you seek to connect with God's ways and Jesus' commands for those who would seriously follow Him)

Jeremiah 29:11

Action Item 2: Pray something like this simply:
God, I don't know if I have enough faith to really trust you with my life and to accept Your agenda for me, but I'd like to. So, would you give me the courage to give up control of my life and to let You take the steering wheel of my life and to cooperate with your plan for the world and my place in it? Amen.

Rootin for YOU to find your Passion & Purpose in His Dream for the world.

Jeff Fuson

p.s. In order to condition our heart and mind to be in tune with God I don't know of anything more important than taking Scripture in and letting them tune our heart & mind to be on God's frequency. Read this post to learn a way to do this that won't take an extra moment of your day! This post is Extreme Life Makeover #1 -- Brain Candy for Christ Followers.


Jeff Fuson serves as Point Leader for Phos Hilaron Church near Louisville Kentucky. Jeff's # 1 passion is being a husband and daddy. A close second is seeing people grow spiritually. As a Professional Speaker Jeff also serves as a Keynote Speaker & Trainer crafting & delivering high impact keynote addresses & training events for Entrepreneurs, Banks, Credit Unions, and small to medium sized non-profit & for profit enterprises. He's got one incredible wife and 3 awesome children.