In this week's article, I wanted to give a little background and behind the scenes look into my first ever Bible Study/Sermon series I've written, "Greater Purpose." I have a subsequent one I will be working on later in the summer on the Parables of Jesus, titled "Teachings of Jesus: The Parables." Like this series, I will give a behind the scenes of that series as well. My articles throughout the summer will be an outline and commentary of the previous week's study (they'll be two weeks behind publishing-wise, but one week behind typing, if that makes sense), to hopefully spark discussion among all my readers.

The idea for "Greater Purpose" came during the fall semester. At FBC Eleven, the 11:00 AM service at First Baptist Jacksonville, we were going through a series called "Greater," which showed how Jesus was a greater version of various heroes throughout the Bible, such as Abraham, Moses, Jonah, Daniel, and King David. One Sunday after FBC Eleven, it dawned on me. God calls us to such a greater purpose than we could ever imagine.

Let me pause for a second. Think about this. Have you wondered if you're fulfilling the purpose God has for your life? Have you ever thought you weren't where God needed you to be? Or, have you wondered what purpose God has for you to fulfill through your life?

These were the questions I pondered throughout the early stages of the development of this series. Being entirely transparent, I have pondered these questions quite a bit throughout my college career. I have kept these questions and thoughts in mind as I wrote this series. These experiences, I pray, will help relate to youth in a way that shows that, while we may be unsure whether we are fulfilling God's purpose for our lives, He has a greater purpose for us than we could ever understand!

Throughout the series, we will examine seven aspects of our lives where God has a greater purpose for us: His call for our lives, His will for our lives, our reconciliation through Him, His call for us to be a better friend, His call for unity, His call to fulfill/do His word, and His call to control our tongue. Each of these will have an in-depth discussion each week, and I can't wait to share each one with you all, and a few thoughts from after the study each week.

The first few sermons of the series were developed and came together extremely well at Java Jolt. Before I go any further, shout out to Java Jolt for the coffee that gave me the spark and ambition to bring this series to life. I also want to thank God for giving me the words to say in the notes and key points of the series, because I know I couldn't do it on my own.

Throughout all of the development of this series, there have been tremendous amounts of hours of prayer to prepare and get things ready for this series. It is my prayer that, as this series gets started May 1 with the youth, that God will speak through me and let His presence known throughout the series and summer.