In this episode, Jen and AJ are bringing the highlights of an awesome conversation they had with Sojo Academy members. They had so much encouragement this week from the members about the false narrative the enemy tries to give us and the truth of the gospel. It must be all we cling to!

The goal of our June Bible study was to look at how people from the Bible recognized and fulfilled their God-given purposes, so we can better understand our own purposes and calling. Purpose can be found in mundane days and a seemingly endless to-do list of small tasks. We don’t have to do “big” things to fulfill a “big” purpose. 

If you're not in the Academy, take this opportunity to hear from these women and their takeaways from this month's study that covers finding our God-given purposes.  

Here are the highlights from what our members shared during our chat:

Member Takeaway #1: Be a light.

Sojo Member: “I've been spending the last year praying for God's will in my life. I feel like when you start that journey, you sometimes feel the only way is like to be a missionary overseas, like AJ's done. And I just never felt called to that, and I felt like there was something wrong with me. Like I'm not connected to God enough if I don't feel that iInclination. So this study couldn't have come at a better time. I realized that I can be a covert missionary, just being here at my job, spreading the love of Christ, being a light. And so this study has really helped me have confidence in that space.”

AJ: “If the Bible says everything we do can be done to His glory, even our eating and drinking, then that becomes our standard. We don't need to expect something greater of ourselves than what scripture expects. We can glorify God in what we drink. That's what the Bible says.”

Member Takeaway #2: Giving back.

Sojo Member: “I finished lesson 7 this morning and one of the questions was to look back on the hard things that have happened to you. I was very ill for 15 years and during that time, It was really hard to think through “what is the purpose of this?” Now that my mom is sick, I'm the one who takes care of her. And I just remember all the time she took care of me and I have so much compassion for her. Anytime I see somebody struggling, I remember what that was like, and I can help that person because I am healthy now. I am equipped to help people like that. I didn't have the patience for it before, but now I do and it's amazing how God can change us.” 

AJ: “What you are displaying to not only your parents, but to others, is the beauty of Christ. He has worked that character into your heart to reflect Him, to reflect His compassion, His patience. You mentioned his love and concern for others, his kindness, and now YOU are on display for others to see those things. 

“That is our purpose. Our purpose is to reflect Christ. It is to magnify the goodness and the character of God.”

We have to trust by faith. We have to take it by faith that this is God at work within us. He is doing something significant with our steps. You just have to be faithful.

Member Takeaway #3: All Glory to Him

Sojo Member: “In 1 Corinthians 3:6, Paul said, “I planted, Apollos water, but God gave it an increase. As I was studying this, it struck me and encouraged me. Sometimes I don't feel like I do enough, but it isn't me anyway. It is God. All of us are contributing only a part, but together, God makes it complete. He gets the glory.”

Jen: “Sometimes we have different roles, but it is God who does it in the end.. And so it's all glory to Him.”

Member Takeaway #4: Living your God-given purpose

Sojo Member: “We were raised very conservative. The problem with this is a lot of times I felt salvation is through what I did and not through Grace. A very religious part of me thought that I shouldn’t have a relationship with my mom because she was wrong/evil. And then I started being around people who started pouring grace into me and talking to me about Grace. And this is actually what the Bible's trying to tell us. I started showing my mom grace, showing my mom love and talking to her that it's not about what we do, it's about what He has done for us. 

About two years ago, she got caught up in religion again and left my dad. And there's this whole big story and she started really accusing me. She said she was going to hell because she wasn't doing the things she needed to do for God. She works at home with older people and she's working with this lady named Helen. Helen is 91 years old, so my mom spends the nights with her and does some day shifts. Helen constantly has people there for Bible studies and in and out. And when my mom visited me this last time, we were up late talking and she said, Helen has been talking to me about Grace I realize I fell from Grace. Helen is leading me back in to understand what grace is. And I sat there and I saw that this 91 year old woman who has everybody else bathing her, getting her food, is still living her purpose for God.”

AJ: “Helen being so helpless and dependent on others is a perfect picture of what grace really is, isn’t she? Grace is us being needy and Christ coming to us and saying, “You don't have to do anything.” We can rest in the salvation that we've been given. Whatever your need is, the salvation that we have in Christ has gone… and will go… the distance for it.”

Member Takeaway #5: God is bigger than our sins

Soj Member: “For those of us who are looking to others and praying for them constantly, know that no matter where they are both spiritually and physically, it doesn't matter. They are not too far. He will use anything to woo them and draw them in.

We just have to continue to pray and believe and trust and be on the lookout for Him, and  know that He's bigger than any of our sins. His grace is greater than any of our sins.”

Member Takeaway #6: Time give us perspective

Sojo Member: “God doesn't waste anything. He uses everything and He leads us in a direction that we need to be going.”

AJ: “Time gives us more and more perspective. God uses us wherever we are. If you are living to glorify him and use your gifts for him, you are living correctly. We are all in a place where we can use those gifts and for His glory.”

Member Takeaway #7: We are children of God

Sojo Member: We all have our good and bad, but more importantly, we cannot identify as these things. What we should identify as, are as a child of God, a daughter of the king. That is our identity. First and foremost is that we are rescued from God's wrath because of the work of Christ on the Cross.

If you want to be part of this beautiful community you can learn more about us at sojoacademy.com.