Sermon Notes: August 16, 2026
Strengthened by Divine Purpose
What Is My Purpose?
Many of us have asked, “What am I going to do next?” But beneath that question is an even deeper one: “Who am I here to be?”
Our purpose is not necessarily our career, occupation, or role. Jobs change, careers end, and circumstances shift, but our deeper spiritual purpose remains.
“A goal is a tangible desire with an end result, but your divine purpose is really a way of living.” — Edwene Gaines
Our Universal and Individual Purpose
Our universal purpose is to express God. Our individual purpose is the unique way we express that divine nature through our lives.
The universal purpose is the “what.”
The individual purpose is the “how.”
We each have a unique way of expressing Divine Love, wisdom, compassion, creativity, healing, service, or joy. The world does not need us to become someone else. It needs us to become more fully who we were created to be.
“The human mind may devise many plans, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established.” — Proverbs 19:21
Jesus as Our Example
In Unity, we understand Jesus as demonstrating the Christ nature that lives within each of us. His life showed us what is possible when we fully express the Divine within.
“The one who believes in me will also do the works that I do, and in fact, will do greater works than these.”
Our purpose is not merely to know God but to express God.
Charles Fillmore reminded us:
“The Truth you know is the Truth you use, otherwise it is just theory and has no power to change your life.”
Love, compassion, forgiveness, and spiritual truth become powerful when we put them into action.
Discovering Our Purpose
Purpose is often revealed through the things that touch our hearts.
Ask yourself:
What needs healing or changing?
What breaks my heart?
What do I wish someone would do something about?
Which of those things would I actually enjoy helping to change?
Where do my compassion and my gifts meet?
We are not called to solve every problem in the world. We are called to find our particular piece of the earthly puzzleand bring our unique gifts to it.
Trust the Next Step
We don't have to know the entire path before we begin.
Rev. Sheryl shared her own unexpected journey from engineering into ministry. What began as a surprising inner nudge became a series of “go” signals—doors opening, people appearing, and opportunities falling into place. There were also “stop” signals” when a path clearly wasn't right.
And sometimes we encounter what Unity calls “second force”—resistance that appears when we begin to change.
Resistance doesn't always mean we're on the wrong path. Sometimes it is simply an invitation to ask:
“Is this divine guidance, or is this fear trying to preserve the familiar?”
Purpose Requires Commitment
Eventually, we have to stop simply thinking about our purpose and begin living it.
Commitment means giving our time, energy, talents, skills, and resources to what we feel called to express. It means letting go of the safety net and being willing to say yes to the next step.
St. Teresa of Avila reminds us:
“Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
No hands but yours, no feet but yours.”
Christ has your hands.
Christ has your voice.
Christ has your eyes.
Christ has your heart.
What will you do with them?
The Invitation
We don't have to wait for a dramatic revelation or a letter from heaven telling us our purpose.
Our purpose is already here.
It is expressed in the next conversation, the next choice, the next act of courage, and the next opportunity to love.
You are not here by accident. There is something of Divine Love, wisdom, compassion, courage, and creativity that can be expressed through you in a way it can be expressed through no one else.
Don't wait for your purpose to arrive. Live it. Be who you came here to be.
Affirmation
The Presence of God lives and moves through me.
I release the need to know the entire path.
I listen for divine guidance and take the next loving step.
I am here on purpose, and my life is a blessing.
