The Well-Lived Life | Northstar Church

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” – Colossians 3:23

If I asked a group of people to describe their life – right now – in one word, I would expect some of the following answers: Growing. Frustrated. Disappointing. Fulfilled. Forgiven. Stuck. Struggling. Joyful. Defeated. Exciting. Empty. Discouraged. Great. Mediocre. Painful. Dynamic. If I asked the same group if they desired more in life, my guess is everyone would answer yes.

The Home Run Life series was for those who desire more in life. There are Christians who assume that the only thing they need to do to please God and live the Home Run Life is to be saved. That if you are a Christian, God is pleased with you. But there is a difference between pleasing God because we accepted Jesus as Lord over our lives and living a Home Run Life. We must remember that a relationship with Jesus, a transformed life, is not a to-do list that can be checked off along the way.

God’s acceptance is not based on our ability to do the right things. As we study the bible, we quickly see that even on our best day, when we seem to be doing everything right, we are still a sinner. We never keep God’s commands perfectly. That’s why we needed God’s grace in the first place.

We need to understand that God is pleased with us, not because of what we do but because of who we are—his children. Through his grace, I am “…now hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:3). That means when God looks at us, he doesn’t see our sin, he sees the perfection of His Son.

I am bringing this up because of the fear of failure in living a life pleasing to God, a Home Ruin Life. Then I thought of all the work the Christian life seemed to demand. How could I ever make a passing grade? I’m finding a freedom I didn’t know before. Understanding that I don’t have to work for God’s approval hasn’t made me stop reading my Bible or memorizing Scripture. It’s actually given me a passion for it. I’m also finding that the more I learn about His love for me, the more motivated I am to love others.

What I hope you take away from the Home Run Life is that living a life pleasing to God, our heart must match the heart of God. And that means changing and transforming lives.

The ministry of Northstar is all about changing hearts. We want to change the hearts of the lost so that they might be willing to be found. We want to see their hearts changed in order that they too might experience the love and joy of a life-transforming relationship with Christ. But, our efforts won’t mean much unless our own hearts have not undergone full and complete renovation.

I am praying for the hearts of the people in our church. I am praying that our hearts will be softened. I am praying that the Holy Spirit will penetrate our hearts so radically that our hearts will be broken for those that are lost and as a result, we will do whatever it takes to see them found.

Discussion Questions:

Why should we care about the lost? Why should we be concerned? Why should we worry about the other person? Am I responsible for their situation?
Luke 19:10 says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” What does this mean in your life?
What things are you more concerned about than reaching the lost with the Gospel?
What is the one thing you will work on as a result of the Home Run Life series?
Pray and ask God to help you live your life according to His patterns.