There has been a lot of talk lately about living a "Purpose Driven Life!"  Now certainly, living a purpose driven life is very important but let me ask you, "What is our mission in life?" The Bible tells us that our mission in life was given to each one of us. Jesus said, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20) In other words, our mission, our calling, is to share the Gospel with all people, and to carry out our mission. God gives to some the gift of oratory. To others, He may give the gift of writing, or He may choose to give other gifts.  Still, God wants us all to be His witnesses, His ambassadors, and to live lives that reflect His love and saving grace.  In fact, St. Francis tells us that our actions can be the best ways to preach the Gospel. Saint Francis of Assisi wrote, "Preach the Gospel always, when necessary, use words." These words from St. Francis remind us that the way we conduct ourselves as we live our lives, can do as much to convey our faith as what we say or write.  For example, we may act and look pious on Sunday morning, but what do people see at home, at work, or in the neighborhood?  Are we continuously preaching the Gospel by the way we live?  Are we? Now it has been said, "Our lives are God’s gifts to us.  How we use them is our gift to God."  When we commit to a life of sharing the Gospel, we are fulfilling our mission by using our lives to serve others, to give generously, to share Jesus whenever we can, and to speak kind thoughts. By ourselves, we will not be able to say, write, or preach the Gospel through our actions.  We can only live our lives for Jesus because He is with us.  The Apostle Paul wrote, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God." (Galatians 2:20) If you would like to hear and learn more about Jesus and the Good News of the Gospel we invite eyou to come to Peace Lutheran Church where there are no strangers here, only friends you haven't met. In His Service, Pastor Chilman