J. D. Greear - What Are You Going to Do with Your Life?

Lord, blow... I join thousands in praying that at this very moment, which Satan means for hindering the mission of the King to the nations, God will turn it all for strategic advance. May God use this book to enable thousands to see that God is on the move in our generation. And may the Lord madden the evil one by turning his tactical ripples against the kingdom into a tidal wave of Great Commission completion.

John Piper , founder, desiringGod.org, author of Desiring God and Dont Waste Your Life

In What Are You Going to Do with Your Life? , Pastor J. D. reminds us that there is nothing more vital or fulfilling than pursuing the purpose and plan Jesus has for each one of us. God has invited us to be his co-laborers in this world in a myriad of different ways. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to disciple making, but there is one call for all disciples of Jesus. We have the opportunity to live out an adventure that will make our lives count for eternity, to settle for anything less would be tragic. If you really want to change the world, this book is for you.

Christine Caine , founder A21 and Propel Women

Inspirational. The day Dr. John Piper gave his talk at Passion OneDay 2000 was a transformational moment like few others I have experienced. Since that day, many have been challenged and convinced to live their lives for what matters most. My friend, Pastor J. D. Greear, has expounded upon that idea and is calling todays generation to leverage their lives for the glory, the fame, and the renown of our God. I am confident that What Are You Going to Do with Your Life? will be a book many of us will never forget.

Louie Giglio , pastor of Passion City Church, founder of Passion Conferences, and author of Not Forsaken

Copyright 2020 by J. D. Greear

All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

978-1-0877-0929-1

Published by B&H Publishing Group

Nashville, Tennessee

Dewey Decimal Classification: 248.84

Subject Heading: CHRISTIAN LIFE / DISCIPLESHIP / SELF-PERCEPTION

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible, Copyright 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible and CSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Also used: English Standard Version ( esv ), ESV Text Edition: 2016. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Also used: New King James Version ( nkjv ), copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.

Cover Design by Christi Kearney.

It is the Publishers goal to minimize disruption caused by technical errors or invalid websites. While all links are active at the time of publication, because of the dynamic nature of the internet, some web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed and may no longer be valid. B&H Publishing Group bears no responsibility for the continuity or content of the external site, nor for that of subsequent links. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.

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To Dave Turner and Wes Smith, who not only champion this message but have trained hundreds of others to live it out. It seems like everywhere in the world I go, I meet someone who is there because of your influence.

Foreword

C orrectly answering the question on the cover of this book is critical to whether or not your life is going to count in this world. I make this statement without hesitation or reservation, and every word in this statement matters.

By whether or not your life is going to count in this world, I mean to say that your life may not count in this world. At least not for what matters. In my Bible reading just a few days ago, I read the story of the rich man who asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me. In that moment, this man had a choice. Was his life going to count for what matters: care for the poor, treasure in heaven, and a life of following Jesus? Or was his life going to count for what doesnt matter: riches for himself, treasures on earth, and a life of forsaking Jesus? He chose the latter, and he squandered his life.

Its possible for you or I to squander our lives in the same way, for we have the same choice. We can love those in need or ignore those in need. We can live for treasures on earth or treasures in heaven. We can forsake or follow Jesus.

That last phrase to forsake or follow Jesus is the crux of the choice we have , and its why I say correctly answering the question on the cover of this book is critical. Many people, when they read the question, What are you going to do with your life? think, Theres no correct answer to that question. The course of my life is specific to me and up to me to determine.

But thats not true if youre a follower of Jesus. To be a Christian means that you have surrendered the right to determine the course of your life. Now to be clear, thats not the common picture of Christianity, at least not in America. To be a Christian in America means you go through certain religious rituals and call yourself a Christian, all while living however you want to live.

But thats not a Christian according to Christ. Based upon his Word, to be a Christian means you have died to yourself, your ideas, and your dreams for your life. To be a Christian according to Christ means that you have lost your life as you knew it, and you have found new life in him, which means you now live with his ideas and his dreams for your life.

Moreover, Jesus has made those ideas and dreams clearly known for your life, and they are not specific to you. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself. Make disciples of all the nations. Spend your life spreading the gospel of God for the glory of God. For the follower of Jesus, these plans are unequivocally and unquestionably what Jesus has designed for your life.

Now obviously Jesus plans for all of us will play out differently in each of our lives. We are all called and gifted differently, and thats not accidental. However, the trajectory of our lives is fundamentally the same, whether we are gifted as entrepreneurs, painters, or pastors. For every follower of Jesus, his commandments, commission, and cause will (and must) dictate every decision we make in life, from who we marry to where we go to school to what career path we take to where we live to how we retire (or not).

Thats what this book is about. Its about asking the question on the cover of this book and answering that question not according to our ways in this world, but according to Gods truth in his Word. Its about helping every follower of Jesus, from the student to the senior adult and everyone in between, realize that our lives are a mist, and we all only have a little bit of time left. In light of this reality, this book is about helping you and me make the mist we have on this earth count for what matters most in eternity.

David Platt

What we do in life echoes in eternity.

Maximus Decimus Meridius, Gladiator

Chapter 1

Dont Waste Your Life

E arly in the afternoon on May 20, 2000, in a large field on a farm outside Memphis, Tennessee, a preacher in his mid-fifties, dressed in his signature herringbone sport coat and black tie, took his place behind a lectern to address a crowd of more than 40,000 college students.

The air was chilly, the wind brisk, and a light rain had begun to fall. The crowd of students was restless. They had already sat through a packed slate of morning sessions. To escape the damp, students held their rain jackets over their heads. Several used the moment to get up and go for a walk or go back to their tents.