Serving Your Generation in Your Time ~ Rick Warren

“After David had served his generation according to the will of God, he died” 

(Acts 13:36 NLT).

My life verse is Acts 13:36, where we’re told David is purpose-driven.

Imagine having that statement inscribed on your tombstone: “He served God’s purpose in his own generation!” “She served God’s purpose in her own generation!” 


In my opinion, you could receive no greater honor than that.

So how do you do that?

“He served God’s purpose…”

God’s purpose for you is to use your life in worship, ministry, evangelism, discipleship, and fellowship. The Church allows us to do it together. We are not alone in serving him.

“…In his own generation.”

The truth is you can’t serve God in any other generation except your own! You may want to—but it’s only wishful thinking. We cannot bring back the past. Whether we like it or not, we must minister to people in the culture as it really is—not in some past form that we may have idolized in our minds.

You don’t know the final chapter of your life, but you can be confident of this:


“… that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” 

(Phil. 1:6 NIV).

God finishes whatever he starts. He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. There are many factors that influence your life, things you have no control over: your background, nationality, age, giftedness. These were determined by the sovereignty of God.

But there is one important factor that you do have a control over: 


how much you choose to believe God as you serve your generation according to his will.