Read Colossians 3:23.  Most people never fulfill their life purpose because they never fully identify their personal passion.  In fact passion and purpose go hand in hand.  Lance Watson says the “without purpose, life is passionless, and without passion, purpose is pointless.”  Your passion helps fuel your life purpose and it is in your life purpose that God positions you to do great things

• Name something that really makes you passionate about living life?
• What steals your passion?

Read Mark 5:35-42, John 16:33 & Romans 8:28.  However, just because you are consumed with a passionate purposeful life, doesn’t mean you won’t face trials and even painful traumatic experiences.  In fact as you move forward expect the unexpected.  Far too often people loose their pursuit of God and God’s purposes because of one or two set-backs.  God doesn’t promise you a pain or obstacle free life.  But God does promise to turn all stumbling blocks into stepping stones and every tragedy into triumph.

• How do you normally handle unexpected events in your life?  Do you think you need to become more prepared for life’s setbacks?
• Has God ever brought about a big comeback from a setback in your life?  Explain.

Not only should you expect the unexpected, you should also expect some form or negativity or resistance in your life.  Negativity, both internal and external, can be one of the main things that seek to kill your passion.  In the Mark 5 passage, Jairus had two choices when he was told his daughter had already died: give in to the negative voice or continue to trust in Jesus.  As you personally fight through the negative voices that come your way remember that God can and will use a negative in your life and to develop your life picture.

• How do you typically fight the negative voices you hear, either internally or externally, on a daily basis?
• Has there been a time God used a negative experience to help shape a positive life picture in you?  Explain

Read Hebrews 11:6.  Sometimes you might even have to face the hard places of pain when pursuing your life purpose and passion.  As a passionate follower of Jesus, you need to realize that it is in the hard places that you will see God doing the greatest miracles.  There must, however, be a level of faith as you approach those places.  Even if your faith is weak, Jesus’ can turn that hard place around in your life, and use it to God’s glory as well as bless others around you. 

• Describe a time God work a miracle in or through a hard situation or place in your life?  How did your faith grow through that experience?

Regardless of how the situation may seem at any moment, when you put your hope and passion in God, expect to be astonished!  Far too often we enter into situations and circumstances with a low level of expectancy because of spiritual amnesia.  Don’t forget what God has done for you and others, and live life expecting to be amazed by God’s endless power and love in your life.

• Do you regularly look for God to do mighty things in and through your life? 
• Describe a time you were completely astonished by God’s power?
• What is a hard or painful place in your life that you need God to do a powerful work?