Living Your Best Life

“Living Your Best Life”

I know a young married couple who lived in the beautiful city of Seattle, with both of them having very good jobs. But they gave it up. He quit his job with no other prospects, she took hers with her – though she still has to commute to Seattle once a week – and they moved to the middle of Idaho. Why? They were looking to “Live Their Best Life.” He had really gotten into baking bread and they loved the small town life. So, he bakes bread and sells it on Saturdays at a kind of “Farmer’s Market,” and they live a much slower paced life which they love. But, to be honest, they don’t know how long they’ll stay there or how long he’ll bake bread as they continue to search for and live their best life.

How about you? Are you looking to live your best life?  If so, how’s it working out for you? There’s so many questions, isn’t there? What is “my best life?” What does it look like? How do you measure it? How do you know when you’re there? How can you find it? What does it mean? Yet, we all seem to know that there is a reality of “living our best life,” a reality that would fill us up and make us whole and complete. Finally, it is what we are all looking for….have you found it yet?

In this message series, we will explore “Living Your Best Life.” It’s what Jesus talks about right at the beginning of his longest recorded message, oftentimes referred to as “The Sermon on the Mount.” Over and over again he says, “blessed are they who…” What does this word “blessed” mean? Some like to say it means happy or full of joy but at it’s core the meaning is this; “A fortunate state of life.” Jesus came so that we could live our best life. This will be our focus in the next few weeks. Whether you are a Jesus follower or not – or perhaps just trying to figure it all out – this series is for you. Wouldn’t it be nice to live your best life?....and know it?

Sunday, January 5th            A New Way (This One Is Different; This One You Can Trust)

Two things here. 1.They say it is insanity to keep doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. 2. Have you ever noticed how one just gives up after disappointment upon disappointment upon disappointment? Jesus came so we could “Live our best life.” He brings a new way. It is different from all the ways that have failed us. It is the one we can trust.

Sunday, January 12th                No Dead Ends

Do you ever feel like you hit a “dead end” in your life? Or perhaps you see it in the lives of those around you?...or even beyond as you see the hurt and hopelessness in our world? It’s not true. Living your best life is knowing this and living in it.

Sunday, January 19th              Having It All 

I took my daughter to school on the first day of her freshman year in High School. She was so excited as she shared with me everything she wanted to do and be involved in that year. Being concerned that she was setting herself up for disappointment, I gently suggested she would perhaps have to make some choices because it would be hard to do everything she wanted to do. I will never forget her answer. With great joy she said, “Daddy, I want to do it all!” Living your best life is doing – and having – it all. But what does this mean and what does it look like? This is our focus today.

Sunday, January 26th                 Being Filled Up

The truth of the analogy here is striking. Like a car when the gas gauge is on the beg “E,” when one is on empty they won’t get far. Where are you on empty? Living your best life can only happen when you are “filled up.” It’s what we talk about today.

Sunday, February 2nd               Eyes That See 

 What is that saying, “Perception is in the eye of the beholder?” So, if you want to perceive clearly, you first have to see clearly. Today we focus on how we see ourselves and others. It is a key to living our best life. The insight is given to us by Jesus.

Sunday, February 9th             Focus

Multi-tasking. Did you know it’s a myth? Studies have now shown conclusively that a person can only do one thing at a time. And when we try to do more, these same studies show that our performance actually suffers and we do nothing well. So, what does this mean with respect to living our best life? It’s what we look at today. 

Sunday, February 16th             Making A Difference

It’s called the “search for significance.” Simply put, we all want to make a difference. Knowing that we are is really a key to “living our best life.” This is the focus of Jesus today. It may not be what you think.

Sunday, February 23rd             Worth the Cost

Have you ever heard of a “mid-life crises?” What happens is that a person makes all kinds of (sometimes) crazy changes in their life because they are hit with their own mortality, that the time of their death is perhaps now closer than the years they have already lived. They are hit with the truth that everyday spent is one they will never get back….and they begin to wonder if what they are living for is worth the cost of each day given up to it… What does this mean for us as we look to “live our best life?” It’s our focus today. The gift of knowing that there is a life to be lived that is our best life and is worth the cost.