Forty days ago, my life was good. I was content with my spiritual growth, I was feeling close to God, and I was looking forward to beginning the 40 Days of Purpose with my church. I hoped that God would do a mighty work in the lives of all who participated. I eagerly began the voyage, asking for a holy touch from God, hoping to be forever changed.

Be careful of what you ask for!

Here I sit, trying to put into words what my heart is feeling. I am just shaking my head and giggling, because God's timing is so perfect. Each day as I read the devotion, He would pull at my "heart strings." Some days I could hear Him say, "Did you hear that, Child?" Now He has brought me where I never imagined I would be!

Recently, I received news that shook my comfortable world. My family is starting a journey and the outcome is uncertain. But Glory be to God! One of the many treasures I received from The Purpose Driven Life was this: God allows trials in my life to change my character to be more like Christ. Hallelujah! So, instead of praying, "Why me?", I prayed that God would use this "trial" to bring my family closer to Him. I prayed that I would stay focused on Jesus, not on myself. I begged God to make this experience my testimony.

Three days after we received this news, my husband opened the gates to his heart and asked our Glorious Savior into his life. Thanks be to God! I am overjoyed - my husband is now included in God's family! God has already brought something wonderful out of this time of trial! His holy timing is nothing less than perfect.

My life is forever changed. I hope to live each day basking in my Lord's presence. I hope to live my life glorifying Him in every way possible. I asked for it. And because our Holy God does nothing "half?way," He poured out more blessings upon my family and me than I could have imagined.

Never be afraid to ask our Father for anything, and never cease praying. Our God keeps his promises!

-- Anonymous

Much of the 40 Days of Purpose has been enlightening and challenging for me. However, the message "Made for Mission" has had the greatest impact.

For the last year and a half, I have been toying with the idea of whole heartedly praying that "most dangerous" prayer, "Send me!" I have hesitated out of fear of what might happen. I recognized the dangers involved in praying that simple prayer. God might actually send me!

Instead, I have been praying, "Send me... after the 401K is big enough." "Send me... but don't take away my comforts." "Send me... some day."

No more! I have decided and Ann is in agreement that we will begin praying, "Send me!" Without conditions! I trust that God will not only use me, but that he will also protect me from my fears, from financial or physical harm, from emotional separations, and protect my wife and children. I look forward to God shaping me even more, and in His time, for the purpose he has already revealed in my life - missions.

-- Brenton Bennett

Rick Warren said on the second page of his book, "The next 40 days will transform your life." He knew what he was talking about, because it certainly changed my life! As I read each day, I became more and more excited about the new and fresh ways I was learning to let God transform me into a new person and about His purpose for my life. The most amazing and revealing point that I learned was that EVERYTHING IS SO SIMPLE!

All of my Christian life I have tried to "make a mountain out of a mole hill." I thought I had to be like someone other than the real "me" in order to please God. In order to "witness" to others, I thought I had to quote scripture and have extra special knowledge of the Bible. To be a "missionary," I had to have a special calling and training, and most likely had to leave home and live in another country. For "worship" and "prayer" to be meaningful, I thought I had to pray as eloquently as Philip Vaughn for God to be pleased. And to be "Christ-like"....who me?

You know what? God has shown me through these 40 days that all my fears and notions are just plain silly. All I have to do to please God is SIMPLY BE MYSELF. I have learned that the scary word "witness" simply means introducing God to others. "Worship" is as simple as bringing pleasure to God and "every activity can be transformed into an act of worship." Wow! "Every" activity! How simple can that be?! As for being a "missionary" and "evangelizing," all I have to do is share the good news, starting at home and extending into my neighborhood, then spreading to my community. As for my "prayer" hang-ups, guess what? God does not want me to pray like Philip or anyone else. He wants me to pray LIKE ME, in my own words. God honors the simplest of prayers! It is as simple as having a conversation with my best friend, and I love talking to my best friend! I understand now more than ever that "becoming Christ-like" is a life-long process. If I will fix my attention on God, He will change me from the inside out.

One last point that I learned on this 40-day journey is that I HAVE BEEN WASTING TIME and I have a lot of catching up to do! I avoided things because I was scared. Now, I plan to trust God more and step out on faith, out of my comfort zone. And you know what? I have learned that God will be smiling because I am trying.

-- Anita Cox

Never in my wildest dreams could I imagine a book having so much influence on me, but also on those around me by being in plain view. There is no doubt it has affected my everyday life. What is so neat is how those around me want me to share my morning "quiet time" lesson with them. These two ladies are now involved with morning devotions.

One lady was coming out of a broken relationship and could think of nothing else. Since starting "The Purpose Driven Life," she has been led to a friend who has been fighting an eating disorder, and was able to "listen to God" now instead of worrying about herself.

Another lady called me; she sounded very depressed. I spoke with her after a week into the book and she sounded so excited and told me how she could hardly wait until the next day, and now she has a friend for a reading partner. She shared that she realized after the first couple of chapters how "self-removed" she had become, and that now she is alive! We praised God for his work through each of us.

Another employee and his girlfriend are also participating of daily devotions.

This was my bet. If they would buy "The Purpose Driven Life" and stay with it daily, within a week they would discover a new attitude and outlook on life. If they did not, I would take them to lunch and buy both the lunch and the book. So far, out of 5 bets, I have not bought one lunch or book yet. Praise the Lord!!!!!!

It has definitely been an exciting 40 days. I just thank a gracious God that He would use me in this simple way and allow me to have such fun sharing His love.

-- Gary Crump

Let me start by saying, "God's timing is so right." I started the 40 Days late due to not having a book, and Susan Suber put one on my doorstep. My first reaction was to resist, due to not being able to "buy" one on my own. God touched her, she answered His call and my life has been drastically changed.

The first sentence I read was, "Life is meant to be shared." Right between the eyes and heart. God got my attention. From the very first sentence, God has challenged me to rethink many things in my life. With God's help, I will no longer say, "I am tough, I can handle it." No more will I crawl under my rock or live behind the walls I built around me. One of the main reasons that I have finally "come around" is my Sunday School Class. They have LOVED me, been patient with me, and even kicked me when I needed it. And for that I am so grateful. With God's help, I will never utter those words again. God is being so wonderful to me. He is turning my negative attitudes around and I am now reaching out to the members of my class. I care for them and love them so much.

I learned that God uses our circumstances to make us more like Jesus. He challenged me to look at my circumstances differently. Being single is tough, and it was so easy for me to develop the "I am tough, I can handle it" attitude. I was only deceiving myself and being deceived by Satan. No more! Change begins with new thinking and that is one of the MANY areas that I, with God's help, am working on in my life.

Also, God has renewed within me the desire to grow and find opportunities that are placed before me everyday. It had been a long time since I had really grown close to the LORD. That desire is once again burning in my heart, and I am excited! It has been a long, long time. Ministry really is an everyday, moment by moment attitude that I now want to have etched in first place in my mind and heart. Beyond my time on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings in the choir, I pray that God would open up other doors of opportunity for me to minister to others, with a note or kind word, or the ability to use my hands to help. But more importantly, use my bent knees in prayer on behalf of someone else.

God's purpose for me through the 40 day experience was renewal in my innermost part -- to experience a change of heart and attitude for HIM. I don't know what the next circumstance will be for me, nor do I know how difficult it will be, but I do know that I will not go it alone because of the power of God's grace shown to me the last several weeks. In spite of my faults and very wrong thinking, God has shown me HIS unfailing mercy, HIS GRACE and His lovingkindness, and for that, I am so very grateful.

I have heard that when a person obeys God, hearts are changed. How true that is! God spoke to Susan and she gave me a book, and my life has incredibly been changed. It is with the most humble heart that I say thank you to her and to my Heavenly Daddy for not giving up on me. It feels so good to have hope and joy in my heart.

These are just the beginning of what God is doing in my heart. I am really excited about today and look forward to tomorrow.

-- Carol Elliott

Alcohol has been part of my life since my mid-teens. I am now in my late fifties. Alcohol has caused many problems along the way, from almost destroying my marriage to several brushes with the law. Several years ago, I decided I did not want to live that way any longer. I quit drinking completely. But after a while, I felt I could have a drink or two after work, and so I started drinking again on a limited basis. My wife was afraid of what would surely happen, and of course it did. One or two turned into four or five and the next thing I knew I was back to being an everyday drinker.

God was trying to show me this was not what He wanted for me, but I was not responding. I had opportunities to serve God through my church, but because I did not feel I could serve while I was drinking, I declined.

As I started reading The Purpose Driven Life, I realized I needed to make a change in my life. Each day I was more and more aware of God's intent for me. Then on day 10 I read about surrender and how we need to surrender all to God. At the end of the chapter it asked what in my life was keeping me from surrendering and doing God's will. I knew alcohol was holding me back. So I asked God to free me from my addiction. Although it has only been a short time, I am again alcohol free and, with God's help, I will always be.

A few days later the book explained we are not able to do these things on our own and that only God can make them happen. I know how true this is because I now have no desire whatsoever for drinking.

As I am reaching the end of the book and it is talking about our mission to serve God and bring others to him, I am starting to get excited about his plans for the rest of my life.

-- Dale Grossjean

Honestly, before the 40 Days of Purpose series began, I knew in my heart of hearts what my purpose in life was .... to serve God, to live for him, and to die to be with Him. Do I do that all the time? Of course not. I am a sinner and I rely entirely too much on others for my happiness, fulfillment and strength. It seems so hard sometimes to believe in the extreme and awesome power of Jesus Christ, and yet the more we live to please Him, the easier it becomes to understand Him.

Purpose #4, You Were Shaped For Serving God, lit a fire within me! I felt like my feet were sizzling and would burn off if I didn't make a move. There is always a part of ourselves we wish we could change, but every part of our being was created by God and for God. I thought to myself, "Gosh Lord, don't you think I'm doing enough?" It didn't take him long to answer that question! With a shout, not a whisper, He told me that He wanted me to take my ministry, "Paws for Praise," to another level to help those that cannot help themselves. He has already revealed to me ways to achieve this.

Our passions and our talents (and we all have them) were awarded to us by God to glorify Him and to further His Kingdom. What a wonderful and powerful purpose that is!

-- Tonya O'Cain

Two Saturdays before we began the "40 days of purpose," my wife had decided that she and the boys were going to church the next morning. We had fussed about something and I told her I thought it would be good for her and the kids to go to church, and that I could catch up on some work around the house while they were gone. I told her she needed some church in her life.

The next morning while she and the boys were getting ready to go, I decided at the last minute that I would also attend. I was unaware of the upcoming study of the book, "The Purpose Driven Life." During the service, I realized that I was supposed to be in the church that day, and that it was intended for me to make the commitment and follow through with the book, the Sunday messages, and the small group meetings. I felt a certain excitement about it. I called family members and told coworkers that I was embarking on this program. As strange as this may sound, the last time I felt that sure about something was eight years ago. I was at one of the lowest points in my life; I decided to quit drinking and began going to AA.

I grew up in a physically and emotionally violent family. My need to survive the disintegration of my family led me to develop a deep relationship with Jesus Christ from the age of 10 through 15. I believe to this day that the relationship I had with him was the reason I survived. Things happened during that traumatic time that could only be attributed to God's intervention. I have maintained and told people this throughout my life.

I was baptized at the age of 12 in the Lutheran church because my father felt that it was necessary. His intentions were good; however, we attended the church on fewer than five occasions -- partly my fault and partly his. My father and I were alone as a family at that point. I fell into the family tradition of alcohol abuse and other sins, until as an adult, life became unmanageable. I had to go into AA (Alcoholics Anonymous). Entering into AA meant having to accept a higher power, which for me was God. My scant spiritual foundation allowed me to overcome many of the things I struggled with while slowly gaining sobriety. Sadly, I carried that spirituality just far enough to get me sober and on the right track, but no further. I still was not where I needed to be spiritually.

I believe that this "forty days" will change my life. I was hesitant to get involved in the church because of my lack of knowledge, uncertainty about expectations, and simply not knowing where to begin. This study gave me the beginning I was looking for. The daily reading has laid out in simple words the basic foundation: Worship, Fellowship, Discipleship, Ministry, and Mission. These are the five reasons I have to move forward with my life. My intention is to be baptized, and join the church for me, my family, and other Christians and non-Christians.

The readings and the messages each Sunday have made me realize that just believing is not enough. Throughout much of my life, I held on to a false notion that as long as I believed in God and Jesus Christ, and followed the golden rule, I could be considered a good man. The death of my father in 1999 and the birth of my son five months later were truly life-changing events. A coworker asked me about my son recently; I told him that in my life, I have never experienced the kind of unconditional love I feel toward my son. He told me, "That is how much Jesus loves you." That was powerful. I have realized I have a long way to go in this journey, and it is okay that I started late.

The readings and the messages each Sunday have also made me realize very poignantly that it is not about me. Throughout much of my life, I asked God to help me through rough times, make things go smooth for me, help me get the promotion, etc. I was slow in coming to the realization that I needed to pray to God to use me as an instrument for His will. In AA, we always said, "Thy will be done" -- and now that means something to me. I spent the majority of my life praying FOR ME. Now I believe my most effective prayers will be for others.

More than anything else, over the last few weeks of reading and attending services, I now consciously and unconsciously think about my decisions and whether they are consistent with Christian values and my purposes as they have been explained. Often it means rethinking my behavior patterns, and this is often difficult. The difficulty is created when my thoughts are in conflict with what I should be doing. I admit that the difficulty is the measure of how far I have to go. I cannot seem to escape this difficulty. I think it is the whole reason I needed to be there on that Sunday.

-- Michael Sabaka

The 40 Days of Purpose experience has been an awesome one! God has used the material in both big and small ways in my life. One example is that for nearly a year now, God has been leading me to keep a spiritual journal. I would try to write out of obedience but would end up going for months without putting a word on paper. I tend to be a detailed-oriented perfectionist who wants to either have the time to write it all down (which could take hours) or not to write anything at all - the "all or nothing" approach. Then, Rick Warren just seemed to break it down into simple thought-provoking questions that made me want to journal. Now, I am journaling on a regular basis and as a result, God has truly revealed Himself to me. Every time I pick up my pen, the song "I want to leave a legacy" goes through my mind, and I am encouraged to write down as much as I can so that one day my children and grandchildren will be able to read my journal and be reminded of how awesome our God is on a daily basis, especially during trying times.

One of the big ways that God has used the 40 Days of Purpose in my life is in regard to Shawn's legal situation. Shawn was fired from the Sheriff's Department and charged criminally for a policy violation regarding working too much. This was after one of his friends in the department was videotaped taking a bribe. The department thought Shawn should know something about this because of their friendship. When Shawn did not provide any helpful information, the department turned on him. The case went to trial and Shawn was found not guilty. However, the department turned over a "law enforcement only" rifle that Shawn used on the SWAT team to ATF (a long legal story I won't explain here). Now, Shawn is facing federal gun charges with a trial set for December. If he is found guilty, he will go to federal prison.

Chapin Baptist Church has been so supportive and NOT judgmental!!! So many people are praying for us, even when they do not know what to pray. One afternoon, a church member asked how she could pray for us. I tried to explain to her what I was praying for. I obviously did not do a good job because her response was "you had better be careful what you pray for!" She had misunderstood so I tried to clarify what I had said. Satan loved this, because the minute I hung up the phone, I felt sick to my stomach. To defeat him, I started praying for God to give me another way to explain what I really meant. Then, He reminded me of something I had learned not long ago in a Bible study. The Israelites could have made it to the Promised Land in 11 days if they had obeyed God, but instead it took them 40 years. My prayer was transformed to "Lord, please help me and my family to learn what You are trying to teach us during this trial in our lives so that we do not have to wander in the wilderness in disobedience for the next 40 years!!! And help us to thank You for the lesson and not allow the passage of time to cause us to forget it."

Two days later while driving to church, I shared this with Shawn. Ken, that very morning, you preached the same thing about learning God's lessons through trouble! I just stood in awe of God. Then as the week progressed, and we read the daily chapters in the book, Rick Warren used the same example of the Israelites to prove this point -- again!!! I was amazed! God had definitely provided clarity.

So, while we are in the midst of being transformed by trouble, I am actually excited about what God has in store for us. I feel like turning cartwheels because God has filled me with His indescribable joy! I know that many folks probably do not understand this, but I have been praying for the spirit of joy for almost a year now and God is blessing me with it, especially during this troubled time. Also, I do not know if this is typical of other men or not, but my husband often understands things better when the information comes from another source besides me! I do not take this personally. I just constantly pray for God to put mature believers in Shawn's path to minister to him for this reason. God has used your sermons on Sunday mornings and "The Purpose Driven Life" book throughout the 40 days to really speak to my husband, especially during this time in our lives. There have been so many answered prayers, blessings, and lessons! I wish I could share them all.

Given my family's current circumstances, reading this book at this particular time has definitely been life changing. Thank you for your obedience to God in having our church participate in the 40 Days of Purpose. I pray that God will continue to bless you for it.

-- Nancy Swicegood

I just wanted to let you [Pastor Ken] know how much you, Chapin Baptist Church and the 40 Days of Purpose have impacted me. Before we started the 40 Days, I was on a good path with my spiritual growth. It is hard to explain how overwhelming this experience has been for me. My life has totally changed. From the moment I asked Jesus into my heart and was baptized, I have become a totally different person. The 40 Days experience made me realize that everyone has a purpose and everyone is important. The space empty for so long has been filled. My attitude has changed -- at home, work and with everyone I come in contact with. I am more confident, friendly, and happy. I do experience very hard days, but I can deal with them now because I am not alone. I know that He is with me in everything that I do. I have been able to witness to a number of people and have been told that I have touched their lives. It is so exciting that God is working through me. I am so humbled at the pure fact that He has planned my whole life and that He knows what I am doing and will be doing every second of the day. It is overwhelming to me, but it makes me feel so very special. I have discovered that I love to pray. I love the fact that I can have a conversation with God and know that he hears me. I am just so excited to be where I am in my spiritual path and to look forward to where I am going.

God Bless you and CBC!

-- Michelle Wagner