Purpose...

Ummm...purpose... not porpoise. Or cow.

But this pic does kinda fit the lesson. How? Well, throughout the book, the characters all seem to be headed in a certain direction; a direction set for them by the Sovereign.

In this pic you see one animal that fits the scene and one that doesn't. Raise your hand if you know which one.

Captain Obvious knows that a cow would have as much chance surviving in the ocean as a dolphin (or porpoise) would living in a field.

OK, are you still confused about what this has to do with "purpose?" Yeah, so am I.

So, let's start over. Watch this video.

So what does a sheep dog have to do with a porpoise? (I mean purpose...)

Glad you asked.

A good friend of mine used to have a farm and some sheep. He also had a border collie named Lika (pronounced lie-ka). I was fascinated by the way that dog commanded the sheep but even more so by how the dog acted when it wasn't herding. Whenever he took the dog out of the sheep pasture, Lika stood at the fence and watched...and waited...until she could get in there and start herding again. You see, the dog was designed to herd and it was miserably frustrated until it got to do what it was born to do.

It's the same with you. You have a purpose that God designed you for. In general terms, you are put on the earth to live and worship Him. But more than that, you have specific purpose...a mission that no one else has and one that your life experience is preparing you to do.

You may say, "What? What purpose? I'm young, I'm not experienced, and I don't know how to herd sheep!"

And you would be right. But, so was the puppy in the video...until it was trained and exercised properly. It had the instinct and the drive, but with time and training its owner brought out the dog's potential.

Look at your life and look at what you are naturally good at. What are the instincts and the drive God has given you? Discuss with the group what talents you have. See if anyone can identify other abilities you have and the potential to use them for God's purposes.

Here's a good training ground...

That'll do, pig. (from the movie "Babe")