1. What Drives You?
Graeme Sterne
2005

2. Everyone’s life is driven by something
Bob Dylan wrote:
“Everybody’s got to serve somebody.
It may be the devil
or it may be the Lord
but you still have to serve someone.”

3. Drive means to guide, control, direct
What is the driving force in your life?
Problem (s) e.g.
Pressure e.g.
Painful memory e.g.
Haunting fear e.g.
Unconscious belief e.g.

4. Nothing matters more than knowing God’s purposes for your life
Nothing matters more than knowing God’s purposes for your life. Nothing can compensate for not knowing them

5. Driven by Guilt? Proverbs 28:1, Psalm 32:3,4,5
It takes a lot of energy to spend your life running from regrets or hiding your shame e.g. John T.
Guilty people are manipulated by memories. They allow their past to control their future
They sabotage their own success e.g. I don’t deserve it … prostitute at Jesus’ feet
Restlessness, dissatisfaction Isaiah 57:20,21
“Happiness I cannot feel and love to me is so unreal. Can you help me? Help me if you can.” (Ozzy Osbourne)

6. Driven by Guilt?
We are products of our past but we don’t have to be prisoners of it
God’s purpose is not limited to our past e.g. Jacob, Moses, Peter, Rahab, Paul
What a transformation for those whose sins are forgiven Psalm 32:1,2 & 5

7. Driven by resentment or anger?
Resentment means holding on to hurts. Instead of releasing pain through forgiveness we rehearse the memories over and over.
Resentment always hurts us more than the person we resent
Those who hurt us in the past cannot continue to hurt us unless we let them Matthew 6:14,15
Clam up? Blow up? Both (passive–aggressive)?

8. Driven by fear?
From a traumatic experience, unrealistic expectations, growing up in a high control home
Fear driven people often miss great opportunities because they try to maintain the status quo
Fear is a self- imposed prison Proverbs 29:25

9. Driven by materialism? The desire to acquire Matthew 6:33
Never have enough Proverbs 25:16
Possessions don’t love us, they don’t increase our capacity to love others
Possessions do not change so they constantly need updating
Possessions only provide temporary happiness

10. Myths about possessions
They will make life better
They will make me more secure
They will make me happier
They will make me more important
How much is enough?
Real security is found in what cannot be taken from you
They do not love me or help me to love
Net worth is not the same as self worth

11. Driven by the need for approval?
Do we allow the expectations of others to control our lives
e.g. parents, children, teachers, friends
You will get lost in whoever you follow e.g. the crowd

12. There are many forces that can drive your life but outside of Christ all lead to the same dead end: unused potential unnecessary stress an unfulfilled life “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world and yet lose or forfeit his very self?” Luke 9:25

13. Without purpose life is: motion without meaning activity without direction events without reason

14. Nothing matters more than knowing God’s purposes for your life
Nothing matters more than knowing God’s purposes for your life. Nothing can compensate for not knowing them

15. Lord, what do you want me to do?