PENTECOSTAL ASSEMBLIES OF GOD (Z)

CHILDREN MINISTRY DEPARTMENT

TEENS CAMP LESSONS

Lesson 3: Purpose

Objectives: 1) Teens will understand the importance of discovering

their unique purpose in Christ.
2) Teens will explore their God-given talents and
passions and how to use them for His glory.
3) Teens will develop a plan to pursue their purpose
and make a positive impact in their lives and
communities.

Lesson  God's creation, including humans, has inherent

Summary for purpose, yet many struggle to understand and fulfill
the teacher their life's purpose.
 The journey to discovering one's purpose begins
with becoming a new creation in Christ and
understanding that God has predetermined this
purpose before birth.
 Four signs of not living in God's purpose include
blatantly living in sin, lacking joy and excitement,
feeling unfulfilled, and having no direction in life.
 To regain purpose, one can pray for wisdom, study
scripture, determine personal gifts and passions,
and seek mentorship and counseling from others.
Bible Text Share the story of Esther (Esther 4:14 – "And who
knows but that you have come to your royal position
for such a time as this?").

 Discuss how Esther discovered her purpose and

used her unique position to save her people.

Other Bible verses: 2Timothy 1:9; Psalm

139:13; Philippians 2:13; Psalm 33:11
Memory Verse Psalm 139:13 “For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”
HOOK (Engage  Begin by asking teens to think about their dream
the teens minds job or career. Have them share what it is and why
and interest) they are passionate about it.
(10 minutes)
Interactive game:
 "What's Your Superpower?" Ask each teen to share
one thing they are really good at or passionate
about. Write these on a board. Explain that these
are clues to their unique purpose and
"superpowers" that God has given them.

Discussion Prompt

 Ask the group: "Have you ever wondered why God

created you and what your purpose in life might
be?" Explain that today's lesson will focus on
discovering their unique purpose in Christ.

QUOTE:

 Mark Twain said, "The two most important

days in your life are the day you are born and
the day you find out why"

Book (Study and DISCOVER YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE

teach the word)
(25 minutes) A. Every creation of God and even man has
purpose.
i. The sun gives light and never ceases to shine (Psalm
139:7-9).
ii. The cloud gives rain in due season and trees provide
food and shade accordingly (Leviticus 26:4).
iii. Other animals play their parts without hesitation.

B. Amazingly, man struggles to understand and

fulfil his purpose for living.
i. Once you become a new creation in Christ
(2Corinthians 5:17). You must begin to crave for the
understanding of your purpose for living on earth
(Philippians 3:12).
ii. That purpose has been predetermined by God
before you were born (Jeremiah 1:5; Galatians 1:15).
iii. It is your duty to discover and fulfil it.

C. 4 SIGNS THAT YOU MAY NOT BE LIVING IN

GOD’S PURPOSE

Psalm 57:2 says, “I cry out to God Most High, to God

who fulfills his purpose for me.” This is key in
understanding God’s purpose for your life. God has
numbered your days and will fulfill every purpose He
has for you.

1) YOU’RE BLATANTLY LIVING IN SIN.

If you’re blatantly disobeying the Bible, you’re not

living in God’s purpose and you will certainly
experience a sense of aimlessness in your life. Purpose
starts with obeying what the Bible says.

2) YOU LACK JOY AND EXCITEMENT IN LIFE.

If you wake up every day filled with apathy or dread or total

boredom, you’re probably not doing what you were meant
to do. In his book “Desiring God,” John Piper says:
The pursuit of joy in God is not optional. It is not an “extra”
that a person might grow into after he comes to faith.

3) YOU DON’T FEEL MUCH FULFILLMENT IN LIFE.

If you go about your days experiencing little fulfillment,

you may be wandering from your God-given purpose.
Fulfillment comes from doing rewarding, meaningful,
purposeful things.

4) YOU HAVE NO DIRECTION.

If you don’t know God’s purpose for your life, you

constantly feel a sense of aimlessness. You feel as
though you’re wandering from thing to thing without
any forward progress. Nothing excites you and you
don’t have any specific goals you’re working toward.

D. 5 WAYS TO REGAIN YOUR PURPOSE

1. GO TO GOD IN PRAYER.

Again, let’s start with the obvious. If you feel

purposeless, ask God to give you wisdom and
direction. James 1:5 states, “If any of you lacks
wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all
without reproach, and it will be given him.” Then, draw
a vision and mission statement
2. DIG INTO GOD’S WORD

The primary way God speaks to us is through the Bible.

This means that one of the first things you should do in
your search for God’s purpose is to start digging into
scripture.

3. DETERMINE YOUR GIFTS AND STRENGTHS.

God has given you very specific gifts and strengths.

Maybe you’re a math whiz or a wise counselor. Maybe
you have a mind for electronics or business. Maybe
you’re great at organizing people and getting things
done. God’s purpose for you probably involves the
things you’re already good at.

4. DETERMINE YOUR PASSIONS.

What is one thing you’re particularly passionate about?

Really, this can be anything. Business, art, economics,
alleviating poverty, whatever. If money wasn’t an
issue, what would you love to do? Identify and relate
with people of like passion: learn from their mistakes
and build on their success (2Kings 2:1-2,14).

5. BRING OTHERS INTO YOUR LIFE.

Submit yourself for mentoring and counselling: do not

claim to know it all (Acts 18:24-26; Proverbs
11:14; 15:22).

CONCLUSION
So many people live and die without leaving any
positive mark. Be different. You are not nonentity.

Look (Reflect on Group Discussion:

what the Bible
said) (15  What does it mean to have a "purpose" in life?
minutes)  How can we discover our God-given talents and
passions?
 Why is it important to use our gifts for God's glory
rather than just for ourselves?
 What obstacles might prevent us from pursuing our
purpose?

Activity: Purpose Exploration Stations

 Set up three stations:

1. Talents & Skills: Teens list their abilities and
strengths.
2. Passions & Interests: Teens write down what
they're passionate about.
3. Needs in the World: Teens identify problems
or needs they see around them.
 Have teens rotate through each station, then gather
to discuss how these three areas might intersect to
reveal their purpose.

Took (Apply by Personal Reflection:

taking steps
outside the Have teens spend a few minutes quietly reflecting on
classroom) (10 these questions:
minutes)
1. Based on your talents, passions, and the needs you
see, what might be one aspect of your purpose?
2. How can you start using your gifts to make a
positive impact this week?
3. What steps can you take to further explore and
pursue your purpose?

Challenge: Purpose Action Plan

Encourage teens to create a simple action plan:

1. Identify one way to use their talents/passions this

week to serve others.
2. Set a goal to learn more about an area they're
passionate about.
3. Choose a trusted adult or mentor to discuss their
thoughts on purpose with.

Salvation  Close the session with a prayer, thanking God for

Prayer (10 creating each person with a unique purpose. Ask for
minutes) guidance in discovering and pursuing that purpose
for His glory.
Description: God created you with a plan and a purpose in mind. The
purpose for your life is not about you; it is about Him. He’s not going to force
you to live according to His purpose. It’s a choice that you have to make.

Memory Verse: Psalm 139:13

Opening Game: Melting Away

Supplies:

 Two bowls of ice

 Two towels
 One empty bowl
 One bowl of water
 A fork
 A spoon
 A cup

How to Play: Split the group into two teams and give them each a bowl of
ice and a towel. The point of the game is to make the ice completely vanish.

Players must take turns doing this—they each get thirty seconds with the
bowl of ice before they have to pass it to the next player. They can do
anything they want to melt the ice—they can blow on it, rub it in their hands,
use the towel, or even crush it with their feet. But the game isn’t finished
until there is no trace of ice left, only water. The first team to make their
bowl of ice completely vanish wins!

Teach – Purpose

1. Created for a Purpose: Explain that we are all created for a unique
purpose and that our identity in Christ is tied to that purpose.

2. Discovering Your Talents and Passions: Help teens identify their

God-given talents and passions and how they can use them to serve
God and others.
3. Using Your Purpose for God's Glory: Discuss the importance of
using your purpose to make a positive impact in the world and bring
glory to God.

4. Pursuing Your Purpose: Provide practical steps on how to pursue

your purpose, such as seeking God's guidance, developing your skills,
and serving in your local church and community.

Have you ever wondered what your purpose in life was? Have you ever
wondered why exactly you were put on this earth, and what exactly you’re
supposed to do with the time you have here? Those are really big questions,
right?

Those are questions that can make you feel really small and scared, and
questions that can drive you absolutely crazy until you answer them. Well,
I’m going to go ahead and clear a lot up for you about these questions, which
will hopefully save you a lot of time and frustration. Are you ready?

You can’t answer them. Yep, you heard that right. Those questions that
seem so big and important? You can’t answer them. Not on your own,
anyway. Why do you think that is? Well, here’s a question for you: If you
didn’t create yourself, how can you possible know what you were created
for?

Read Psalm 139:13 – “For you created my inmost being; you knit me
together in my mother’s womb.”

Have you ever seen anyone knit before? It’s a very intricate process, one
that takes a lot of time and focus. It’s not possible to accidentally knit
something. Instead, you have to have a plan of what you’re going to knit,
and then you have to focus on what exactly you’re knitting. God knit you
together. Not on accident, not on a whim, but with a purpose.

If you want to know what the purpose of something is, don’t you think it
would be a good idea to ask the creator of that something? God knit you
together at the very beginning of your life, before you even knew you
existed. Don’t you think He knows what He made you for?

2 Timothy 1:9 – “He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because
of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This
grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.”

I’m going to let you in on a secret. God’s purpose for you is not about you;
it’s about Him. This verse says that we’ve been saved and called to a holy
life because of Jesus, not because of us. Because of God’s purpose, not
because of ours. And then it says something really cool. It says that the
grace of Jesus was given to us before the beginning of time. Not before the
beginning of your life, but the beginning of time. That’s so crazy that’s it’s
hard to wrap your mind around!

So let me ask you this-if God was going to save you and call you because of
His purpose and grace, and He gave you that grace before the beginning of
time, don’t you think it’s safe to say He’s always had a plan and a purpose? If
He’s going to go through all the trouble of giving you grace way before
you’re even around, and then calling and saving you—I don’t think there’s
any way you’re an accident. And I don’t think there’s any way that you don’t
have a purpose. You do have a purpose, and it’s His purpose.

It can be scary to think about committing to following God’s purpose. We’re

crazy sometimes and get this idea in our head that God’s purpose might not
be what we want. We get sad about maybe having to give up our own
purpose. But here’s the deal: What in your life, in your plans, is so amazing
that you could possibly think it’s better than God’s purpose for you?

Seriously—think about it. God, the creator of the universe, the

creator of you, has a purpose for you. Do you really think you could
beat that? There’s no way.

Okay, I need a volunteer to come up here. Get out the two bowls, one with
water, and the fork, spoon, and cup. I need you to do something for me. I
need you to transfer the water from this bowl to the empty bowl using one of
these things. Which one do you think would be the most helpful?

They will say the cup. Okay, well, I actually have other plans for the cup. So
what else could you use? The spoon? Okay, I kind of wanted to do something
else with the spoon. But I don’t have any plans for the fork—why don’t you
use that?

Let them try to use the fork for a few seconds before sending them back to
their seats. A fork is a really great thing. We all use them pretty much every
day, right? But a fork is absolutely terrible at getting water from one bowl to
another. That’s just not its purpose, no matter how much I thought I knew it
could work. The cup would have worked so much better! It’s the same way
with us.

God knows our purpose because He created us, and He knows what we’ll be
the best at. If it were left up to us, we’d probably be like the fork—trying to
do something that we were never meant to do!

5 SIGNS THAT YOU MAY NOT BE LIVING IN GOD’S PURPOSE

1. YOU’RE BLATANTLY LIVING IN SIN - If you’re blatantly disobeying
the Bible, you’re not living in God’s purpose and you will certainly
experience a sense of aimlessness in your life. Finding Purpose starts
with obeying Gods word.

2. YOU LACK JOY AND EXCITEMENT - If you wake up every day filled
with apathy or dread or total boredom, you’re probably not doing what
you were meant to do. God has created you uniquely, has really good
things planned for you and one of the fruits of the Spirit is joy
(Galatians 5:22). In his book “Desiring God,” John Piper says:
The pursuit of joy in God is not optional. It is not an “extra”
that a person might grow into after he comes to faith.

3. YOU DON’T FEEL MUCH FULFILLMENT IN LIFE - If you go about

your days experiencing little fulfillment, you may be wandering from
your God-given purpose. Fulfillment comes from doing rewarding,
meaningful, purposeful things. From a job that taps into your skills and
passions. From a relationship that involves giving and receiving. From
hobbies that are invigorating instead of mind-numbing.
4. YOU FEEL STUCK - If you desperately want a change but also feel
totally stuck in your life, that’s almost certainly a sign that you’re not
walking according to God’s purpose. Those who are stuck want to go
in a particular direction but don’t know how to get there. So they spin
their wheels, feeling endlessly frustrated but unsure of how to make
the frustration end. Do you feel trapped?

5. YOU HAVE NO DIRECTION - If you don’t know God’s purpose for

your life, you constantly feel a sense of aimlessness. You feel as
though you’re wandering from thing to thing without any forward
progress. Nothing excites you and you don’t have any specific goals
you’re working toward. you don’t even have a goal in front of you

6 WAYS TO REGAIN YOUR PURPOSE

1. YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN – John3:3. Living in Gods purpose starts

with the new birth. You need to receive Jesus as Lord as saviour, repent
or change your ways.
2. GO TO GOD IN PRAYER - If you feel purposeless, ask God to give you
wisdom and direction. James 1:5 states, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let
him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be
given him.”
3. DIG INTO GOD’S WORD - The primary way God speaks to us is through
the Bible. This means that one of the first things you should do in your
search for God’s purpose is to start digging into scripture. Now, you won’t
find any verses that tell you to become a dance instructor or painter, but
you will begin to understand the heart of God. Psalm 119:105
4. DETERMINE YOUR GIFTS AND STRENGTHS - God has given you very
specific gifts and strengths. Maybe you’re a math whiz or a wise
counselor. Maybe you have a mind for electronics or business. Maybe
you’re great at organizing people and getting things done. God’s purpose
for you probably involves the things you’re already good at.
5. DETERMINE YOUR PASSIONS - What is one thing you’re particularly
passionate about? Really, this can be anything. Business, art,
economics, alleviating poverty, whatever. If money wasn’t an issue, what
would you love to do? Determining your passions often helps you figure
out what God has called you to do. It’s often said that God works at the
intersection of our gifts and our passions. Where do your gifts meet your
passions? That may be God’s purpose for you.

6. BRING OTHERS INTO YOUR LIFE - Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where there
is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is
safety.” In other words, one of the main ways God will help you find your
purpose is through others. A caveat needs to be made here. Your
counselors should be people you trust. Whether this is your professors,
parents or friends, it needs to be people who have your back and want
the best for you. You want wise counselors to help you find God’s
purpose for you.

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you spend a lot of time questioning what your purpose is?

2. Have you ever thought to ask God those hard questions we talked about—
like why you’re here and what you’re supposed to do with your time here?

3. Do you believe that God has a purpose for you? Do you think His is better
than your own?
4. Have you ever really thought about how God intricately knit you together
before you were even born? How does that make you feel?

5. When you think about how God knows everything, does that make you
feel any differently about His purpose for you?

6. God loved you so much that He sent His only Son to die for your sins.
Since you know how great of a love that is, do you think that His purpose for
you is a good one?

7. Is it hard for you to commit to following God’s purpose for your life? Why
or why not?

8. We read that God’s plans and purposes will stand firm forever. Can you
say the same thing about your plans?

9. Did you know that God gave you grace before the beginning of time? Do
you think it’s possible for Him to have done that and not have a purpose for
you?

10. How can you begin to follow God’s purpose for your life if you don’t know
what exactly it is?

Teach Wrap up – Purpose

Have you ever bought someone you loved a really great gift before? One
that you picked out just for them, and that you knew they would love
because you knew them so well? You hid it under your bed, wrapped it, and
excitedly counted down the days to their birthday so you could give it to
them.

That’s kind of how I imagine God feels about your purpose. He knows you
better than anyone else ever will, and He knows how you’re supposed to fit
into His plan. And He has this incredible purpose for you that He’s created.
He’s just excitedly waiting until you say yes.

So say yes! Ask Him about His purpose for your life. It’s not
complicated, just pray and ask Him to lead you in the right
direction.

Truly, God has already revealed a lot of your purpose to you through His
Word, so it’s important to make sure you’re living according to that. If you’re
worried about what your purpose is, yet you’re running around lying and
disrespecting your parents—well, you’re not living out God’s purpose for you,
because you’re not living in the way that you know He wants you to live.

So open your Bible this week. When you come across a commandment, or an
instruction on how to live, don’t look at it as a rule. Look at it as God
revealing your purpose to you. He knows you and what you need. He gave
you the incredible gift of His Word. So open it up and start living!