ValuesValuesWhat is most important to usWhat is most important to us

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Genesis 2:24Genesis 2:24

“a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh”

“a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh”

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Values and MarriageValues and Marriage

You and your spouse come from a different background but are becoming one.

God has brought you two together for a mission unique only to you. (Don’t be some other couple)

If you find out what God has made most important to you, you will begin to see His mission for you.

You and your spouse come from a different background but are becoming one.

God has brought you two together for a mission unique only to you. (Don’t be some other couple)

If you find out what God has made most important to you, you will begin to see His mission for you.

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Values – Why do we do what we do?

Values – Why do we do what we do?

Values dictate what is most important to us and what we refuse to budge on “lines in the sand”

For many years God led you on a path to shape your values separately

Now He is bringing them together.

Values dictate what is most important to us and what we refuse to budge on “lines in the sand”

For many years God led you on a path to shape your values separately

Now He is bringing them together.

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If you had to choose?If you had to choose?

You just heard that you have cancer and only 3 years to live

You no longer have time to do everything you do now

What will you stop doing and what will you put your energy towards?

You just heard that you have cancer and only 3 years to live

You no longer have time to do everything you do now

What will you stop doing and what will you put your energy towards?

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What do you want to be known for?

What do you want to be known for?

Instead you both lived for another 40 years

Imagine that you and your spouse just passed away.

At the funeral each of your children decided to buy something that symbolizes something important to you.

What would they buy or make that would remind them of what you were all about?

Write down on your “values sheet” the values these items represent in you.

Instead you both lived for another 40 years

Imagine that you and your spouse just passed away.

At the funeral each of your children decided to buy something that symbolizes something important to you.

What would they buy or make that would remind them of what you were all about?

Write down on your “values sheet” the values these items represent in you.

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TimelineTimeline

Divide a piece of paper into 3 sections. Childhood, teen years, and together

Write down your fondest memories on the timeline. Place it near the top for really good or near the line for just okay

Divide a piece of paper into 3 sections. Childhood, teen years, and together

Write down your fondest memories on the timeline. Place it near the top for really good or near the line for just okay

ChildhoodTeenage YearsTogether

Our Wedding

Teaching JobVacation to Canada

First Car

Hiking with Dad

First day of School

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What do these events tell you?

What do these events tell you?

Which events made you feel like, “I was made for this?” How come?

How about the rest of them, why are they important to you?

How did this event shape you?

Which events made you feel like, “I was made for this?” How come?

How about the rest of them, why are they important to you?

How did this event shape you?

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HomeworkHomework

Continue to fill out the value sheetWrite down what is most

important to both of you.Tomorrow we’ll pull it all together

and discover “our mission”

Continue to fill out the value sheetWrite down what is most

important to both of you.Tomorrow we’ll pull it all together

and discover “our mission”

MissionWhy did God bring us together?

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Where are you going?

• If you don’t care where you are going then any road will do…

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Esther 4:14b

• “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”

- Modecai to Esther

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God raises up people

• Joseph – to save his family

• Moses – to bring Israel out of Egypt

• Solomon – to build the temple

• Daniel – to witness to the Kings

• Nehemiah – to restore the wall

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What is a mission statement

• Answers, “Why did God bring us together”

• What is our unique contribution we have been called to make?

• Short enough to fit on a T-shirt

• Motivational

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Theme Hunting

• Pull out your “Values Sheet”• Group your values together by different

colours• If something is really important circle it more

than once• Write a 3-5 word phrase summarizing each

grouping• Is this an “end” or a means to an end?

Friends

Family

Relationships

Ministry

Having an Impact

Eternal Significance

Personal Growth

Life-Long Learning

Minimal Fitness

Spiritual Growth

Going to Church

Relational Intimacy

Personal andSpiritual Growth

Helping OthersGrow

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God-Centered

• We cannot divide our lives into our part and God’s part – all of our lives are drenched with the supernatural and God is part of all of our lives. This journey we are on is really a journey with God.

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Personal Growth

• Central to our mission is that we ourselves are growing and are not satisfied to stay as we are. Growth is holistic – spiritually, intellectually, socially, mental, and physical.

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Helping others grow

• We want our lives to make a difference. We believe that God has given us special gifts and abilities to help others grow in their spiritual and personal journeys.

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Authentic Relationships

• People are important to us! We do not want to be alone, neither do we want to turn all of our relationships into ministry transaction void of true friendship, instead, we want strong relationships where we can be ourselves. Of greatest importance are God, then each other, then family then friends.

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Giving our best

• In the end everything we do is for God so we want to give God our best efforts in all that we attempt. This value is applied in work by doing our best, in finances by being good stewards and being generous, in relationships by being our best and in spirituality by giving up sin and living a life devoted to God.

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Rest

• We believe that God wants us to enjoy life and not just burn ourselves out. Rest includes such activities as TV, biking, games, story, sleeping and just having fun.

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Write your mission statement

• Create a slogan that captures your key values in one statement

• Need to be short enough to remember

• Needs to be you!

• Examples…

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Moses

• “Draw out God’s people”

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Joshua

• “Bring God’s people into God’s rest”

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Nehemiah

• “Rebuild the wall”

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Jesus

• “To seek and to save the lost”

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The Apostle Paul

• “To preach Christ where he has not been preached before”

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Chris and Cory

• “We are on a journey of becoming and we are inviting others to join us”

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You

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Tips:

• Keep it short• It should cover your larger life not just

this year.• It should motivate you enough so you

get up in the morning• Don’t cover the how’s (that comes later)• Make sure it is you!

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Homework

• Polish off your marriage mission statement

• Polish off your values

How are we going to get there?

How will you get there?

A mission statement is useless if it collects dust.

We have to make choices or we will just drift through life.

Why Plan?

Mt 25 – Stewardship of our lives Gen 2:24 – Part of going from

being two to being one Surrender of the will to God

Wild Ideas

If I gave everyone a blank cheque got someone to cover all your

responsibilities What kind of things could you

possibly do to see your mission fulfilled.

Life Projection

Go back to your life chart If things continue as they are what

can you expect from your future (Status-quo)

What if you focused your values, what could you expect to see.

Values Lived Out

For each of your values write down What would you look like 20 years

from now if you lived it out? What prevents you from seeing that

reality? What can you change so that reality

becomes real?

Authentic Relationships

To deliberately take time to build strong and authentic relationships between God, then each other, then our family, then our friends.

Combines values relationships, giving our best, helping others grow

This relates to our mission in that we cannot invite others to join us unless we have people involved in our lives

Authentic Relationships Plan

Weekly date between each of us Weekly visit with family and

regular visits to interior BC Become a “great” uncle and aunte Make our home safe for friends

Helping Others Grow

Embrace (or create) environments that will invite people to take another step in their spiritual journey

Serve in Belize Speak at Conferences and Retreats

Spiritual Growth

To have a thorough knowledge of God’s Word applied in a daily intimate relationship with God.

Daily: Read the Bible every night Weekly: Study together for 1 hour a

week Quarterly: Evening of Prayer and

Planning Yearly: Go on retreat for reflection,

prayer, evaluation and planning

Homework

What are 3 things that you can do in 90 days that will make 50% of a difference