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• Illustration: May tells the story of a mud fight at a camp, where one of the boys took up the purpose of making a mud mask for his mom, to illustrate how some people get just as muddy as others, but in the end produce something of value.
• Jesus’ life had a purpose—to help people.
• Luke 19:10
• Isaiah 61:1-4
• Acts 10:38
• Big Idea: The “secret” of purpose-filled living is helping people.

• Isaiah 61:1
• The church’s “target market” is the afflicted, the broken hearted, the captives, the imprisoned.
• Illustration: May compares the stories of a broken-hearted poor woman from one church he served and a broken-hearted wealthy woman from another church he served, the parallels between the stories illustrating that suffering is no respecter of persons.
• People who are lost and hurting matter a great deal to God.
• Matthew 18:12
• Illustration: May quotes John Wesley’s mother when asked which of her 17 children was her favorite: “The one who is sick until he gets well, and the one who is gone until he returns.”

• Our message to the world—to the people we help—is a message of hope.
• Our message is not one of condemnation.
• Illustration: May quotes Christian musician Larry Norman, joking about Christians whose only message, “You’re going to hell,” leaves out the good news of the gospel.

• Isaiah 61:2-4
• Our mission is to rebuild and renew.
• Find a need and fill it.
• Illustration: May uses first the example of Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald’s, and then the example of an outreach-oriented church to illustrate the success of those who adopt the philosophy of “find a need and fill it.”

• Jesus offered the gift of significance.
• The purpose-filled life is a life directed to helping people.