1.7 Continuing the Journey of Faith
An Adaptive Map for one’s life involves aligning personal ambitions with God’s heart, finding a unique pace and purpose, and building a supportive community, which empowers individuals to navigate life’s challenges while living out their calling with hope and resilience.
Discovering the Call on Your Life
Through exploring Abram’s story in Scripture, we recognize a powerful parallel with our lives—a journey marked by faith, challenges, and a calling to embrace an adaptive, resilient path. Building a flexible life map, grounded in community and centered on God, equips us to walk with pace and purpose into life’s valleys and peaks.
1: A Model for Life’s Changing Terrain: An Adaptive Map is a flexible, personalized guide for life. It’s not a rigid plan but a framework that supports us as life changes, helping us find our way through new challenges and unexpected transitions. It’s a map that doesn’t shatter under pressure but adjusts to help us stay on course, no matter what comes our way.
2: The Power of Community in Building and Living Your Map: Community plays a crucial role in creating and navigating our adaptive maps. It provides a “safe space” where we’re seen and known and where we share our stories with others. In these connections, we find support and encouragement. Community members, like spiritual directors or close friends, can help us see God’s view of ourselves, reminding us that our faith, even when imperfect, is credited to us as righteousness. This community presence helps us hold hope during difficult times and grounds us as we grow.
3: Walking with Pace and Purpose: Life is not a sprint but a journey. By reflecting on Abram’s story, we see that faith involves both the peaks and valleys of life. With community support and faith in God’s promises, we’re able to move forward—even when obedience seems to yield no visible result. God honors our belief and faithfulness, and as we walk in obedience, our journey becomes an act of worship. This perspective gives us the courage to walk confidently knowing that God sees and holds our efforts.
By anchoring ourselves in community and God’s promises, we build a resilient, faith-filled path that mirrors Abram’s story—a path of both triumphs and trials. In community, we find encouragement to walk our unique paths, reminding each other that our mission, rooted in God’s heart, brings restoration to a broken world. Wherever you find yourself today, may you step forward with hope, knowing that God’s invitation is one of love, partnership, and profound purpose.
1: A Model for Life’s Changing Terrain: An Adaptive Map is a flexible, personalized guide for life. It’s not a rigid plan but a framework that supports us as life changes, helping us find our way through new challenges and unexpected transitions. It’s a map that doesn’t shatter under pressure but adjusts to help us stay on course, no matter what comes our way.
2: The Power of Community in Building and Living Your Map: Community plays a crucial role in creating and navigating our adaptive maps. It provides a “safe space” where we’re seen and known and where we share our stories with others. In these connections, we find support and encouragement. Community members, like spiritual directors or close friends, can help us see God’s view of ourselves, reminding us that our faith, even when imperfect, is credited to us as righteousness. This community presence helps us hold hope during difficult times and grounds us as we grow.
3: Walking with Pace and Purpose: Life is not a sprint but a journey. By reflecting on Abram’s story, we see that faith involves both the peaks and valleys of life. With community support and faith in God’s promises, we’re able to move forward—even when obedience seems to yield no visible result. God honors our belief and faithfulness, and as we walk in obedience, our journey becomes an act of worship. This perspective gives us the courage to walk confidently knowing that God sees and holds our efforts.
By anchoring ourselves in community and God’s promises, we build a resilient, faith-filled path that mirrors Abram’s story—a path of both triumphs and trials. In community, we find encouragement to walk our unique paths, reminding each other that our mission, rooted in God’s heart, brings restoration to a broken world. Wherever you find yourself today, may you step forward with hope, knowing that God’s invitation is one of love, partnership, and profound purpose.
Discussion Questions
- How do you define your current 'moment' in life, and what messages from God do you believe you are receiving in this time?
- Reflecting on your personal ambitions, do you feel they align with the 'call' God has placed on your life? If not, how can you adjust your ambitions to resonate more with this divine purpose?
- What does it mean to you to be part of a community that offers a safe space for vulnerability? Share an experience where community significantly impacted your personal journey.
- Consider Abram's decision to believe 'against all hope.' Can you recall a time when you had to exercise faith in a seemingly hopeless situation? What was the outcome?
- Josh mentions 'emotional voyeurism' versus 'emotional vulnerability.' How do you discern when to share deeper parts of your journey with others?
- Why do you think spiritual growth and support in the community involve being present rather than trying to solve each other's problems quickly?
- What are some ways you can practically cultivate a community around you that encourages the building of an adaptive map for your life?
Participate in the conversation.
This podcast is a companion to the book Map Your Life Mission (download for free or buy on Amazon). Trent and Josh tell stories, ask personal questions, develop the Adaptive Map framework, and connect the Biblical narrative in each episode.
