Nell R. Richardson WMS Annual Day | Speaker Sis. Johnnita Bryant | Know Your Purpose

Ephesians 2:10 gives the plain answer to that old question, “Why am I here?” The text says God’s people are his workmanship, his handiwork, his masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus unto good works. God did not make anybody random, and God did not put anybody here by accident. God made each person valuable, loved, cared for, and shaped with gifts, experiences, and opportunities meant to bring him glory.

The question of purpose can show up early in life. Childhood dreams about becoming a doctor, a nurse, a teacher, a farmer, or even, like that little girl on TV, a horse, show how people try to name what life is for. Yet purpose is not finally settled by a career, a title, or an achievement. Purpose has to be known as something God has mandated, something God prepared in advance.

The highest purpose is to know God, praise God, worship God, and bring God glory. Isaiah 43:7 says God created his people for his glory, and Ephesians 2:10 says those created in Christ are made for good works. Success may make somebody the best football player, the richest person in the neighborhood, or the best singer in Alabama, but none of that matters if the purpose does not glorify God.

Jesus shows that greatness is not found in being served, but in serving. God is served by serving families, churches, neighbors, strangers, and people in need. Every “you’re welcome” means somebody has been helped. Every “thank you” means somebody has received help. The goal is to spend life telling the Lord “thank you” and telling fellow man “you’re welcome.”

The image is plain: Christ has no hands but the hands given to his people, and no feet but the feet given to his people. Service does not have to be big. Love can show up in simple things done without expecting anything back. Because no one can beat God giving, the more a person gives in love, the more God keeps supplying grace.

Ephesians 2:10 says God prepared these good works beforehand, so purpose is not just one big moment. Purpose is found in faithfulness, obedience, kindness, forgiveness, encouragement, and trusting God one day at a time. God has already created each person with purpose. The responsibility is to walk faithfully in the good works already prepared.

Key Takeaways

• 1. God’s masterpiece is never accidental. [49:19] Ephesians calls God’s people his workmanship, which means value is not earned by applause, salary, talent, or status. A masterpiece does not explain itself into worth. Its worth comes from the Maker who formed it with intention, care, and divine purpose. [49:19]
• 2. Purpose must glorify God first. [50:23] Career, title, and achievement can be good gifts, but they become too small when they take God’s place. Purpose begins with knowing God, praising God, worshiping God, and bringing him glory. When God is first, everything else can fall into its proper place instead of becoming the whole meaning of life. [50:23]
• 3. Service turns gratitude into obedience. [52:04] A life full of “thank you” to God should become a life full of “you’re welcome” toward people. Service is not just politeness or good manners. Service is one of the clearest ways love takes on hands, feet, time, attention, and sacrifice. [52:04]
• 4. Good works are daily faithfulness. [56:01] Purpose is not only found in one dramatic moment or one public calling. Ephesians says God prepared good works beforehand, which means ordinary obedience can be holy ground. Kindness, forgiveness, encouragement, and trust may be the very path God already laid out. [56:01]
• 5. Simple kindness can reveal purpose. [58:27] The greatest purpose may be hidden in the smallest act of love. God often points people to himself through ordinary mercy that asks for nothing in return. A simple act done in Christ’s name may carry more eternal weight than a large act done for self. [58:27]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [20:16] - Know Your Purpose to Serve
• [43:29] - Opening and Prayer
• [44:48] - Ephesians 2:10 as the Foundation
• [45:59] - Why God Made Each Person
• [47:09] - Childhood Dreams and Calling
• [49:03] - Created by God With Purpose
• [50:23] - Purpose Beyond Titles and Success
• [51:20] - Serving God by Serving Others
• [53:04] - His Hands and Feet
• [54:17] - Thanking God for Saving Power
• [56:01] - Walking in Prepared Good Works
• [57:21] - A Charge to Keep
• [58:27] - Simple Kindness and Love

1. In Ephesians 2:10, what words are used to describe God’s people, and what are they created to do? [45:05]
2. What are some of the examples given of the ways people try to describe their purpose early in life? [47:09]
3. According to Isaiah 43:7, what reason is given for why God created his people?
4. What everyday examples are used to show the difference between saying “thank you” and saying “you’re welcome”? [52:04]

1. If believers are called God’s workmanship, what does that suggest about their worth and about the idea that anyone is here by accident? [49:19]
2. If people can become successful, admired, or talented and still miss their purpose, what does that show about the difference between success and glorifying God? [50:23]
3. Ephesians 2:10 says good works were prepared beforehand. How does that shape the way a person thinks about ordinary acts like kindness, forgiveness, and encouragement? [56:01]
4. If serving others is one of the clearest ways of serving Christ, what does that mean for the way a church should view greatness? [51:24]

1. Where is it hardest right now to believe that life is not random and that God has given real purpose—at work, at home, in suffering, or in waiting? What would it look like to trust God there? [49:33]
2. What title, achievement, or personal goal is most likely to compete with glorifying God in this season of life? How can God be put back in the first place? [50:45]
3. A life of “thank you” to God should lead to a life of “you’re welcome” toward people. Who in daily life could be served this week in a simple, loving, and practical way? [53:04]
4. Serving does not have to be something big. What is one small act of love that could be done without expecting anything in return? [55:20]
5. Purpose is often found in daily faithfulness rather than one dramatic moment. Which of these feels most needed right now: obedience, kindness, forgiveness, encouragement, or trusting God one day at a time? [56:01]
6. God has already prepared good works to walk in. What might be one opportunity already sitting in front of someone in the group that has been easy to overlook? [57:21]
7. Sometimes the greatest purpose is found in the simplest act of kindness. Can the group share a time when a small act of kindness pointed them back to God or helped them keep going? [58:27]