Living on Assignment: Pastor Andrew on Purpose, Obedience, and Faithfulness

Good morning, second service. My name is Andrew, and I’m the lead pastor here at Passionate Life Church. I want to welcome everyone in the room today and everyone watching online. Thank you for staying connected. And yes—thank you to all of you who wore ugly sweaters and made church a little more fun today. This one, by the way, is not ugly. My wife was just grateful it was green and not a Hawaiian shirt.

We just wrapped up a powerful series on spiritual warfare, and last week alone, we heard so many testimonies of people being set free from the spirit of fear. That’s why we gather—not just to listen to a message or sing a few songs, but to come with the expectation that the Holy Spirit will actually transform us. When we submit ourselves to what God is doing, He moves.

Today, we’re starting a brand-new two-part series called Living on Assignment. And I want to say this clearly from the beginning: you are on assignment from God. God has a purpose, a plan, and a calling for your life. Some assignments are big, some are small, some are seasonal, and some last a lifetime—but none of them are accidental.

Created on Purpose, for a Purpose

Jeremiah 1:5 tells us something that stretches our understanding: “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.” That’s one of those truths that lives in the “God category.” I don’t want to worship a God I fully understand. I want to worship a God whose ways and thoughts are higher than mine.

God knew you before you were born. He set you apart before you took your first breath. That means your life is not random, and your assignment didn’t start when you became an adult or figured things out—it started before you were even formed.

Life, in many ways, is like school. There are lessons, tests, pop quizzes, and assignments. The disciples called Jesus “Rabbi” because He was their teacher. And God is still teaching us today. Some assignments are daily. Some are weekly. Some are seasonal. Some stretch across your entire life. But the question isn’t whether you’re on assignment—the question is whether you’re living like you are.

Do Something, Not Nothing

The first and most important principle of living on assignment is simple: do something and not nothing. The worst thing you can do with your life is nothing.

Jesus told a story about three servants who were entrusted with resources. One received five bags of silver, one received two, and one received one. The first two servants multiplied what they were given, and their reward wasn’t more money—it was more responsibility. God was testing whether He could trust them with more.

The third servant, however, allowed fear to control him. He buried what he was given and did nothing with it. Fear stopped him from moving forward. And Jesus’ response is sobering. The servant is called wicked and lazy—not because he stole anything, but because he did nothing.

God isn’t asking you to do everything. He’s asking you to start. Start praying. Start reading your Bible. Start serving. Start giving. Even being in church today counts as doing something—and for those of you with young kids, just getting here is a big something.
God can work with movement. He can’t work with paralysis. Don’t wait for perfect conditions. Don’t wait until you feel “ready.” Do something.

Stop Wasting Time

The second principle is this: stop wasting time. The older I get, the faster time moves. When you’re a kid, everything feels slow. When you’re an adult, life feels like it’s on fast-forward.
James, the brother of Jesus, reminds us that life is like a mist—here for a moment and then gone. We don’t have as much time as we think. And when you factor in the reality that Jesus could return at any moment, the urgency becomes even clearer.

This doesn’t mean living in panic. It means living with intention. Stay present. Stay focused on what matters. Don’t live so far in the future that you miss the moment God has placed right in front of you today. Worship today. Love your family today. Serve where you are today. Stop wasting time on things that don’t matter.

Stay Obedient to God’s Word

The third principle is to stay obedient to God’s Word. God has given us an open-book test. Scripture tells us how to live, how to make decisions, and how to walk in blessing. But here’s the catch: the open book has a time limit.

You can’t obey what you don’t know. And many assignments have deadlines. If you don’t know God’s Word, it becomes much harder to pass the test when the moment comes.
Deuteronomy 28 outlines the blessings of obedience. God promises provision, stability, and favor—but those promises are tied to carefully obeying His instructions. This is where people often struggle. We like the promise of being “the head and not the tail,” but we don’t always like the obedience that comes before it.

When lives feel constantly stressed, exhausted, or out of alignment, it’s often because priorities are out of alignment. God will not compete for first place. He won’t take second, third, or fourth. Obedience isn’t about control—it’s about alignment. When your life aligns with God’s Word, peace follows. If you want to grow deeper in Scripture and continue learning, you can explore more teachings and messages in our church media library.

Submit and Surrender to the Potter

If you want to live on assignment, you must submit and surrender to the Potter. God is the potter. We are the clay. He formed us. He knows us. He sees the full picture.

Jeremiah 18 reminds us that clay doesn’t get to argue with the potter. Submission isn’t weakness—it’s trust. When you believe you are in God’s hands, anxiety loses its power.
Grace doesn’t excuse disobedience; grace empowers surrender. Paul reminds us in Romans that God, in His patience and mercy, works all things toward His purposes.

Submission means trusting that God knows what He’s doing—even when you don’t.

Dealing With FOMO on God’s Call

This is one of my favorite points: dealing with FOMO on God’s call—the fear of missing out. So many Christians are anxious about whether they’re “in God’s will.” They’re afraid that one wrong decision will ruin everything.

Here’s the truth: if you submit and surrender, God will get you where you need to go.
Jonah is the perfect example. He knew God. He heard God. And he ran in the opposite direction. Yet even in Jonah’s disobedience, God was still working. God used a storm, a fish, and a timeout—not to punish Jonah, but to recalibrate him.

Sometimes storms come to strengthen us. Other times storms come because we’re out of alignment. Either way, God is faithful. Romans 8:28 reminds us that God works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

You will fail assignments sometimes. You will fail tests sometimes. Perfection is not the goal—surrender is. God doesn’t discard you when you stumble. He redirects you when you submit.

Be Patient and Don’t Despise Where God Has You

The final principle may be the hardest: be patient and don’t despise where God has you. It’s easy to compare your life to others and feel behind. It’s easy to chase what looks good from a distance—only to discover it’s a plastic carrot that can’t actually satisfy.

I shared a personal story from 2020, a season that stretched our faith deeply as a church. We lost people. We faced pressure. We asked hard questions. And in the middle of all of it, God spoke clearly to Don and me: “Remain and be faithful.”

David didn’t despise the field while tending sheep. Moses didn’t despise the wilderness while shepherding. Both were faithful where God placed them—and because of that, God knew exactly where to find them when it was time for promotion.

Your current assignment matters. Faithfulness today prepares you for what’s next. The greatest words you could ever hear are, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Live on assignment. Live on purpose. Complete what God has placed in front of you—starting today.